The most treacherous trestle. At 4,725 ft above mean sea level, on the open west face of New Hampshire's Mount Washington, sits a wood and steel structure that may have a valid claim to the title: "The world's most treacherous railway trestle." Located just above tree line, the trestle called "Jacob's Ladder" combines an S-curve and a jaw-dropping grade of 37.4%....the second steepest railway stretch in the world. Add in some of the world's worst weather....it's in the clouds better than half the time and is exposed to ice, snow and wind gusts over 100 mph during most months of the year....and you'd be hard-pressed to find another location with more potential hazards. Oh, did I mention the fact that the drop-off into Burt's Ravine on the left side is about 1900 ft? A derailment here would be a very bad day indeed. This photo was taken in June of 2009, just a couple of weeks before the line dieselized. It depicts Locomotive #2 "Ammonoosuc" taking a 2PM excursion up "the ladder" under a ubiquitous cloud cover.
