Meet me in Bartlett. Unbeknownst to the passengers on the engineer's side of the Conway Scenic Railroad's popular "Notch Train", they're about to witness something seldom seen in the 21st century - a steam-powered freight train waiting on a siding for their train to pass. The Notch Train is returning from an all-day excursion up to Crawford Notch Station, and is about to pass through the Bartlett Yard on her eastbound run back to North Conway. The freight sitting on the siding is headed up by CN 7470, a large 0-6-0 switcher, which sometimes hauls passenger trains on the line's Conway run, but today, she's in charge of a special photo freight, being run as part of a Railfan Weekend. Once the passenger train has cleared to the east, the freight will back into the Bartlett Yard and set out a couple of stone-filled hoppers for later use by track crews on the Conway Scenic's "Mountain Division."
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.
