Peppersass (pronounced Pepper-sass), the locomotive that built the world’s first mountain climbing cog railway, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, will be touring New England this summer, making appearances at several events. Since 2016, Peppersass has been visiting railroad and tourism related events and museums in New England and beyond to promote the Cog’s 150th anniversary in 2019. Here are the details of Peppersass’ summer appearances:
Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16: Peppersass is participating in The Cog’s 2nd Annual Handcrafted in New Hampshire Fest at The Cog’s Base Station in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. For this event, The Cog is partnering with premier New Hampshire organizations to celebrate New Hampshire’s innovation and finest handmade craft and products. Visitors can shop for New Hampshire made products at booths featuring fine craft made by renowned craftsmen and a variety of food, clothing, jewelry, household products, and more. Free admission. Rain or shine.
Saturday, August 4 to August 13: Peppersass, which was handcrafted in New England, will be part of the Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, New Hampshire. Friday, August 11 is Cog Day at the Fair, with special activities in store.
Saturday, August 19: Peppersass is the centerpiece of the 2nd Annual Railway to the Moon Steampunk event at The Cog, an event where the Victorian Era meets the Wild West meets Jules Verne. Visitors are encouraged to wear their Steampunk best to win prizes for the best costume in the fashion show parade. There will be Steampunk art, antique bicycling, steam exhibits, including a demonstration by steam artist Todd Cahill and his Steamachine Sculptures. The Cog is featuring a special ride to the moon on the “Steampunk Express”, engine number 9. Call 603-278-5404 to book train tickets for the 3:30 PM steam ride. Admission to the event is free.
About Peppersass
Nicknamed for its pepper sauce bottle shape, the Peppersass cog engine was invented by Sylvester Marsh. In 1857, after becoming lost near the summit of Mount Washington during a climb, Marsh knew that there had to be a better way for people to reach the highest mountain peak in the Northeast and immediately began developing a plan to build the world’s first mountain climbing cog railway. A conventional train could never get up Mount Washington; It would take a special type of railway to carry passengers up the mountain. In 1861, Marsh was granted a patent for a steam locomotive using a cogwheel to grip a center notched rail. On July 3, 1869, Old Peppersass became the first cog driven train to climb 6,288-foot Mount Washington.
The Cog Railway, the world’s first mountain climbing cog railway, provides a sense of adventure and history as it makes the spectacular climb up a 3-mile long trestle to the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in the northeast. No matter the weather, this once in a lifetime experience is available May through November. Passengers may choose to ride The Cog in a historic coach powered by a vintage coal fired steam locomotive or the more modern and ecofriendly biodiesel engines. The Cog is located six miles from Route 302 on Base Station Rd. Marshfield Station, New Hampshire, and just three hours from Boston. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended and are available online at thecog.com or by phone at 603-278-5404. For more information, visit: thecog.com.