June 27, 2015

New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With Biodiesel (Text Version)

This is a text version of the video segment New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With Biodiesel, which aired on June 27, 2015.

JOHN DAVIS: Our success story this week takes us to the historic Mount Washington Cog Railway in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Built in 1869, the Old Peppersass ride takes only about an hour to reach the 6,288-foot peak. Originally wood-fired, by 1910 coal was the fuel of choice. Today, over 100 years later, the cog railway uses cleaner, cheaper biodiesel to power five locomotives.

Processed from local restaurant waste grease, the B20 fuel is supplied by White Mountain Biodiesel, a Granite State Clean Cities coalition stakeholder. The change is a hit with tourists.

WAYNE PRESBY: We have a lot of members of the public that are very environmentally conscious, and they just love the fact that we've switched over. I mean, our ridership has surged since we put the diesels online, just surged.

JOHN DAVIS: Some 90,000 people ride the railway each year, and while nostalgia buffs will find one coal-fired steam locomotive still being used, it's biodiesel that is the driving force behind this unforgettable alt-fuel adventure.