The Winter Mountaineer in Crawford Notch
View more photos like this: The Mountaineer, Crawford Notch, White Mountains, New Hampshire, Winter
This photo of the Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer crossing Willey Brook Bridge is familiar to anyone who has opened Instagram during the fall in New England. Hordes of people scramble up the steep trail to the Willey Section House site and then trespass across the railroad bridge to scramble up these rocks and take this photo. I have no interest in the mob scene on these rocks in the fall but it is undeniably a great composition and I do love trains. So, when Conway Scenic announced they would be running a Winter Mountaineer train through Crawford Notch on the weekends last year, I knew I had to try to get this shot.
My schedule didn’t pan out with the snowy weather I wanted last winter but in January of 2026 I hiked up the access trail and then bushwhacked my way around the trestle so as to respect the railroad property and to keep myself out of the way of the train itself. The snow was falling heavily by the time the train cruised back down through the notch and I am thrilled with the photo.
Please note that the railroad is an active railroad and it is illegal to trespass by walking along the tracks. I did not trespass anywhere to get to the spot where I took this photo and anyone else who wants to visit this spot should also respect the railroad’s safety and property and do the work to safely get here.
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