Heroes of the Week: Cog Railway Employees rescued 20 Hikers from Mount Washington

This week's heroes are employees of New Hampshire's Mount Washington Cog Railway. Imagine being a railway employee and learning there are more than 20 ill-prepared hikers starting to experience hypothermia... and you're part of a rescue. Today's blog will tell you about the rescue, and explain about the Cog Railway.(which is worth doing!).

(Photo: Nearly two dozen hikers had to be rescued from Mount Washington after they found themselves unprepared for the frigid conditions. Mount Washington Observatory)

ABOUT THE COG RAILWAY: The Mount Washington Cog Railway was invented by Sylvester Marsh, who began construction in 1866 after getting a state charter in 1858. Despite the 1857 idea of a mountain-climbing steam train being deemed impossible and nicknamed the "Railway to the Moon," the first public run occurred in 1868, with the first trip to the summit completed on July 3, 1869. It was the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway, using a rack-and-pinion system that still operates today, making it the second-steepest railway in the world.   

More than 20 hikers rescued from Mount Washington amid wintery conditions 

The hikers were hypothermic and lacking the proper gear needed to face the frigid temperatures when they were found and rescued. 

By Darin Zullo, Boston.com, October 26, 2025

Nearly two dozen hikers had to be rescued Saturday after they found themselves stranded and hypothermic on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

Employees at the Mount Washington Cog Railway brought more than 20 “ill prepared hikers” down from the 6,288-foot summit, where wintery conditions are in full force, according to Andrew Vilaine, the railway’s assistant general manager.

“Many were hypothermic and without gear even near suitable for the conditions,” Vilaine said in a Facebook post. “Most had no idea that Summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season. A few indicated it was their first hike ever.”

(Photo: A train on Mount Washington's Cog Railway. Credit: Cog Railway)

Temperatures on Mount Washington’s summit this weekend have ranged in the single digits after accounting for wind chill, according to data from the National Weather Service. Due to the frigid summit conditions in the winter, the Cog Railway stops running trains to the peak in mid-October, according to the railway’s website.

As the Mount Washington State Park closes for the season at the same time, the railway instead runs services up to Waumbek Station, which has a lower, more tolerable elevation of 4,000 feet. Vilaine warned all prospective hikers to take heed and do their research on mountain temperatures before attempting a climb and running into trouble.