Steam to the Summit: The Green Mountain Railway, Bar Harbor's Remarkable Cog Railroad

by Peter Dow Bachelder

Steam to the Summit chronicles the history of the Green Mountain Railway, a cog railroad that during the 1880s operated between Eagle Lake and the summit of Cadillac Mountain, within Maine's Acadia National Park. The intriguing tale is set during the era when Bar Harbor, Maine, was rapidly emerging as a national travel destination and bold visionaries were aggressively searching for ways to capitalize on the growing throngs of enthusiastic visitors. Although ultimately doomed by a lack of sustainable interest, the curious attraction enabled thousands to marvel at the grandeurs of Mount Desert Island in a fashion most could otherwise have only imagined. It also brought the region a substantial measure of public awareness that has helped ensure its ongoing existence as a preeminent resort community. The book is liberally illustrated with some 90 vintage images that vividly bring to life the railroad's unusual, often controversial tale and depict many of the people involved with its relatively brief existence. The little-known story is liberally documented with more than 200 endnotes and supported by an extensive bibliography. Maine State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., calls it " . . . thoroughly readable and well researched . . ."

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005