While waiting to board, I poked through a small museum of Cog Railway memorabilia and examined ''Old Peppersass,'' on display by the depot.

For safety, the locomotive always operates on the downhill end of the coach, shoving on the ascent, braking on the return. The device that makes the operation possible is the cog rail, a sort of horizontal ladder in the middle of the track, with rungs that the teeth of the gears aboard locomotive and coach can climb. The average gradient is 25 percent, or one foot up for every four ahead so delicate is the balance among gravity, inertia and force that the addition of another coach would seem to violate the laws of physics. ''Train'' almost seems a misnomer, for the transportation is provided by a single locomotive pushing a single coach. Today trains leave from the base station, called Marshfield for the railway's founder, approximately hourly but more often when demand warrants, every day through Oct. National Park Booking App: Traveler and travel industry frustration is growing with, the online portal to book federal land accommodations and access.Ready for an Adventure : Not sure what to bring with you on your trip to a national park? Here is a list of essential gear, and these are the best apps to download.The Less-Traveled Road: When it comes to America’s national parks, it’s not all about Yosemite and the Grand Canyon.But even the most popular parks have overlooked treasures. Hidden Gems: These days, serenity in nature can be elusive.national park system draw hundreds of millions of visitors each year.

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The mount washington cog railway