Queen of the fleet. The regular power on the White Mountain Central Railroad's hourly passenger trains is a rare 50-ton Climax Locomotive, seen here just after entry into "Wolfman Territory" and just prior to heading up the hill. Of the 5 steam locomotives at Clark's Trading Post, Climax #6 is most definitely the queen of the fleet, and she's pampered accordingly, as you can probably tell from this photo.
Built for the Beebe River Lumber Company in 1920, this 2-Trucker first earned her keep in Campton, NH, about 16 miles south of where Clark's Trading Post is today. After running there for a few years, she was sold to the East Branch & Lincoln, which was only about a mile from where she runs now. She operated on the EB&L for a few more years hauling lumber, before being put into storage. In 1951, she was purchased by the Clark brothers and brought here, but it would be another 25 years before she'd be restored and run in passenger service at Clark's. By the early 2000s, her boiler was fast becoming unfit for service and she was sidelined for 3 years. A brand new boiler was constructed and the locomotive was rebuilt during this time. She re-entered service in 2006 and today, she is one of just 3 operable examples of a Climax Locomotive in the US. She operates on about a mile and half of track, and like all the rest of the steamers at Clark's, she burns wood. If the cab looks crowded in this photo, it's because this photo was taken during the 2014 "Railroad Days" event, and railfans were pretty much welcome in the cab all day.
Beautiful mountain scenery has made this small state a draw for rail buffs to ride the Mount Washington Cog Railway and the Conway Scenic, among others.
From a hint of "Bee" (NKP 765), colorful "Bees" (KCS), "Bees" w/ "attitude", to "Bees" that "sting" your eyes, in their own way they have "Bee" on display! Equipment that "Buzzes" with Yellow & Black colors! ("Bees" can still "Bee" entering this "hive"!)
