Conway Scenic Railroad — Attraction in Conway

I rode coach on the Mountaineer on a hot Wednesday afternoon in July, so my review will reflect this experience. I think a lot of the negative reviews could have been avoided by knowing what you are getting into, so if you are trying to decide if the trip is for you please take my review into consideration. I'll begin with the route itself. This is a historic, educational ride on really old equipment. The tracks themselves are over a hundred years old (maintained and updated of course). I think many people fail to take into consideration that these tracks are a passenger and freight line that happens to have breathtaking views, and are not tracks specifically laid to provide a scenic route the whole way. This being said, the first two thirds of the trip are mainly a commute to the views. This isn't to say the start of the experience is boring; there are very nice views of the Saco river and, like others say, people's backyards. For nosy people like me this was plenty enjoyable, especially because the narrator is providing interesting information about the surrounding community and its history. There are some very cool monuments and memorials that you would only ever see on the train. Again, the narrator has super cool info. The view once we got to the "meat" of the experience was absolutely gorgeous and we had plenty of time to enjoy it. The way back was more laid-back and quiet. It is a long ride. The train itself is very old but well maintained. You really feel like you are seeing a glimpse of the past. In my opinion, coach was the way to go. It is the least expensive, but the windows are the biggest and they open up. You can freely switch sides (once you reach the mountains the one side is much more scenic), though I'm sure this depends on how crowded the car is. My picture shows half of the car and the other half was similarly populated. You can stick your head out a little (they ask that you keep all body parts inside the train, please be mindful and do not get beheaded) and you will get the same view as the dome basically. The seats are comfortable. While there is no AC, it wasn't that uncomfortable and the movement of the train provides a breeze. Pick a cooler day in the summer or layer up in the winter (there is heat, but you may want to open the window) and you'll be set. At the end of the day, this is an experience that 1) allows you to experience these relics from the past, 2) teaches you a lot about the history of the area and of rail travel, and 3) has scenic views. The food wasn't notable but that really isn't the point. I will admit the price is a little steep but I imagine that it isn't cheap keeping this old stuff running. This is a dedicated group of people that are committed to maintaining this old equipment and keeping history alive. If you are only going for the views, you may be disappointed in the length and the price and you may be better off driving up to see them yourself, albeit from a worse vantage point. If you are taking into account the history and appreciating the equipment, you will be thrilled with the experience. For me personally First Class and the Dome aren't worth it but I am a bit cheap. You will love this if you are ready to settle in and...

Meh. "SCENIC" was a stretch, in my opinion (1 and 3/4 hour Bartlett trip). Trees and backyards.

Eta: (responding to company response to my review because I can't figure out how to reply currently lol)

Yes, we read the description. If it had just been my other half and myself, I'd probably have skipped the review all together and chalked it up as a live and learn. We didn't have a BAD time and I apologize for not making that clear.

The cars are historical, beautiful and quaint. The kids loved the atmosphere,as did the adults. However, we have family visiting from Fla interested in seeing scenic views and NHs obvious beauty. SO, We chose this trip as it fit in the time frame we needed to burn before checking into Purity Springs after reading the description. We didn't see much of anything but backyards and the trees directly outside the train. I WILL include the couple of pretty views here, to balance my review. On top of the lack of scenery, the PA system was down so we had no narration, no "heads up, here comes a photo opportunity". I didn't expect that to impact the trip much,but it truly did. I am not sure I've EVER left a poor review and that's because local is important to us and I truly want to support them. In all honesty I felt moved to leave this when the Google notification came up because as far as SCENIC (which IS in the company name) goes, it was not. Literally the drive to you and then the drive to the resort provided a million times better scenery and THAT was sort of disappointing and kind of embarrassed me, as far as taking the visiting family aboard. It was almost $300 dollars for us and that's not money we always have to spend. I'd absolutely love to try another route and suspect you're correct that we'd enjoy it. This one was the only option we had today and to be honest I feel horrible that we didn't enjoy what we saw outside the train as much as we enjoyed the really great historic atmosphere of the train and station themselves. I do feel like I should apologize for leaving a less than stellar review because I respect the local business and the efforts you all put forth. I left it because I did read the description to the adults of our group and we expected rustic and simple....but the scenic views were far less than we expected, the PA system impacted our trip and I believe we would not be alone in this feeling. I hope I've made sense and the reasons we weren't really satisfied are clear. I do 100% feel badly about leaving a poor review, but this was a lot of money for us, and if others read the reviews before taking the trip, I do believe our experience matters and maybe this particular route/trip may not be the best choice for others either. Thank you for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it. If we end up trying again, and it's a better experience, I promise I will update this review...

I have been multiple times with my kids for different events, Father's Day, Thomas the tank engine, Christmas, ECT and I have enjoyed each visit. Friendly staff and conductors. Great 🚆 s and enjoyable side events. The recent Father's Day experience my daughter and I enjoyed. She liked the rides, maintenance car and barrel ride, and exploring a caboose. Only freebie, a doughnut and cup of coffee. We got to sit by an open window on the ride back and that made the ride more enjoyable. I wished they played Glenn Miller. Views on one side of the car were better than the other. I couldn't hear what the conductor had to say over the speaker. Prices reasonable. I recommend a visit. Update; October, 2019: I had a great time riding in the upper compartment of the Rhonda Lee. Lunch was served. I had the Autumn Bisque, butternut squash and carrot, for an appetizer, Rhonda Caprese Steak, a roast beef caprese sandwich for the main course and Apple Brown Bette, an apple crisp style dessert. The bread was a little difficult to cut, I think I had a dull knife. The sandwich was open face so I could not pick it up. Meat was a little undercooked but I don't know if that was how it was supposed to be served. All the food tasted good! Great service! We went to Crawford Notch and we were allowed some time to explore. I had a good seat, which was comfortable. Compartment is air conditioned. I could see the engines and look down gourges as we traveled. I even saw the near accident as someone backed their car of the tracks as we approached. Seriously, dude! Move your car! If you are prone to motion sickness, you may want to take something before traveling. I was fine. If you are afraid of heights, don't sit on the right side next to the window. Though I enjoyed the Frankenstein bridges. Great views!! Update December, 2019; I took my daughter on the Christmas Express and we sat up top. We sat in comfortable seats and were served chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate. We met 🎅, though friendly, was not as"real" looking as the last time I took my son on a Christmas Express. It was nice to relax and listen to Christmas music. My daughter was not as much into it but she was laughing at the end. I wish there was a way to clean the outside windows, but, the compartment was warm. Update: January 2024; Short winter ❄️ ride in the top 🔝 of the passenger cabin. I...