Conway Scenic Railroad: Complete 2026 Scenic Train Guide

Last revised: August 31, 2026

The Conway Scenic Railroad is the train to book in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley with trains leave the 1874 Victorian station in North Conway Village. The short excursion is the Valley Train while the longer trip over Crawford Notch is the Mountaineer. During the winter schedule, the same mountain trip is the Winter Mountaineer.

This 2026 guide covers the railroad's current operations and excursions. Please note, there is currently no evening sit-down Dinner Train. In addition, Canadian National 0-6-0 7470 last ran in summer 2022 and is under repair with no return date.

Conway Scenic Railroad train in Mount Washington Valley North Conway

North Conway’s depot scene is half the charm; Crawford Notch on the Mountaineer is why leaf-peepers fight for seats. Les MacDonald photo.

On this page: At a glance · 2026 trips · Seating · Food · Steam 7470 · Planning

At a Glance

Item	Detail
Railroad	Conway Scenic Railroad
Station	38 Norcross Circle, North Conway, NH 03860 (1874 depot)
Valley Train	About 1 hour, 11 miles round trip on the Conway Branch
Mountaineer	About 4–4.5 hours, 50–60 miles round trip over Crawford Notch on the former Maine Central Mountain Division. Marketed as the Mountaineer since 2020
Winter Mountaineer	Late November through March (introduced 2024–25)
2026 seating	Coach, Comfort Class, Observation Dome on most trains. The railroad dropped the term First Class for 2026
Dinner train	None. Last evening sit-down Dinner Train was 2019. Not on the 2026 website
Steam 7470	Out of service; last ran summer 2022. No date set for return
Official site	conwayscenic.com

Equipment, cars, and locomotives can change. Confirm the live calendar before you book. Information compiled August 31, 2026, from Conway Scenic’s 2026 website and a correction letter from the railroad.

2026 trips

Valley Train. The family product. About an hour from North Conway toward Conway Village on the Conway Branch—farm fields, the Saco country, the Moats in the background. Snack-bar service is typical. Halloween Express (October 24–25, 2026) and Santa’s Holiday Express (begins November 28) use this branch. After Christmas the same line becomes the Snow Train.

Mountaineer. The scenic prize. Four to four and a half hours over Crawford Notch: Frankenstein and Willey Brook bridges, cliffside rail, the Saco headwaters. Summer and fall (July through October) usually run two daily trips, 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Spring and late fall are select days, often 10:30 a.m. This is not the Notch Train. That name left the timetable after 2019.

Winter Mountaineer. Same mountain railroad in snow, late November into March, from North Conway to Crawford.

Crawford boarding / Hiker’s Ticket. On select summer and fall days you can start at Crawford Notch (about 11:00 a.m.) and ride to North Conway and back. The Hiker’s Ticket puts you on the morning Mountaineer to Crawford, gives about 4.5 hours off the train, and returns on the afternoon trip (Crawford board about 3:15 p.m.).

If foliage or granite walls are the reason you came, book the Mountaineer, not the shortest valley hop.

Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer in Crawford Notch New Hampshire

Crawford Notch is the scenic prize—that trip is the Mountaineer. Dennis Adams photo.

Seating (2026 names)

Beginning with the 2026 season Conway Scenic stopped using First Class. On most trains the three standard offerings are:

Coach — standard seating
Comfort Class — the upgraded interior seating (the old First Class idea, new name)
Observation Dome — dome seats when that car is in the consist

Mountaineer high-season published fares (ride only, food extra): Coach from about $83 adult / $63 child (ages 4–12); Comfort Class from about $130 / $79; Observation Dome from about $198 / $160. Regular-season Coach starts around $75 adult. Toddlers 3 and under have their own fare. Prices move with the calendar. Valley and holiday trains are cheaper. Confirm the FareHarbor listing for your date.

Food — no Dinner Train

Conway Scenic has not offered an evening, sit-down Dinner Train since 2019. It is not on the 2026 excursion list. Passenger car Chocorua has not been a dining car for several years and is out of service.

What they do offer:

Mountaineer boxed lunches — pre-booked at least 48 hours ahead on the ticket screen (ham, turkey, gluten-free bowl, vegan wrap, kids PB&J as listed). Extra boxes may appear at the snack bar while they last; they are not guaranteed. Lunch is not included in the rail fare. The railroad does not prepare food to order on the train.
Snack bar on most other excursions — hot dogs, nachos, cookies, popcorn, packaged snacks, drinks, and some adult beverages when stocked
No outside food or drink on the train

If you want a true dinner train in the White Mountains, that is a different operator (Café Lafayette in the Lincoln / North Woodstock area when it is running)—not Conway Scenic.

Steam locomotive 7470

0-6-0 7470 is out of service and under repair. It last operated in the summer 2022 season. The railroad plans to return it someday. There is no date for regular service. Do not book a 2026 trip expecting steam. Heritage diesels handle the Valley Train and the Mountaineer (GP and F-units as assigned). The railroad reserves the right to change locomotives and cars at any time.

Historic North Conway station Conway Scenic Railroad

Arrive early for station photos—the North Conway depot is one of New England’s most recognizable railroad scenes. Roger Robar photo.

Planning a North Conway railroad day

Foliage: Late September through mid-October. Mountaineer seats and lodging both go early. Treat October weekdays like weekends.
Drive: About 2.5–3+ hours from Boston on a clean day; longer from New York. Route 16 / North Conway traffic is the bottleneck, not the train.
Station: Village center. Parking is a project on peak days. Arrive early.
Weather: Mountain weather turns. Layers even in July if you want a vestibule.
Halloween Express: October 24–25, 2026—about an hour, costumes welcome. Not a murder-mystery dinner.
Christmas: Santa’s Holiday Express on the Conway Branch. See Santa’s Holiday Express 2026. Not Polar Express.

Light history

Conway Scenic has run since 1974 from the Boston & Maine depot in North Conway. Valley trains use the Conway Branch. The Mountaineer uses the old Maine Central Mountain Division through Crawford Notch—the same mountain railroad that once carried through freight and passengers across the Whites. Tourist service kept passenger trains in a valley that still sells itself on outdoor recreation and classic New England scenery.