The Ford Barn

Pilotdave · 02-07-2016, 09:14 AM

Several members of the New Hampshire Lakes Region Model A Club drove the Mt. Washington Auto Road last fall. I wasn't one of them, but the trip occurred without incident. I believe that the Club made prior arrangements. A good cooling system, stout brakes and a heavy dose of common sense would seem to be prerequisites.

Keith True · 02-07-2016, 09:26 AM

I forgot about the rocks and gravel flying.I got sprayed pretty good on the bikes,and quite a lot on the VW bug.It was mostly from the Travelalls they were using.If dirt wasn't squirting out from behind the tires on the way up it was throwing roostertails sideways on the corners coming down.I don't know what they are using to ferry people up and down nowadays.

29er · 02-07-2016, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred K-OR

Mike that is the place. It is great in that area in the fall, unless you want to go down the slopes. But in the fall you have the falling leaves around NE. But you being from OR, we have much the same stuff in the fall.

Yeah, but Fred, here you can drive downhill without leaving PUCKER MARKS on the seat!

Mike

HowieWemyss · 02-07-2016, 11:57 AM

Hi folks - I manage the Mt Washington Auto Road and have for 29 years now. I thought I ought to jump on your forum since you were discussing the Auto Road and there were so many inaccurate or outdated statements being made. If I were to simply read this forum and not bother finding the Auto Road website, I'd have to wonder if the Road was actually in business, it sound horrific from some of these posts.

International Travelalls were last used on the Auto Road as tour vehicles in the late 60's. There never was a time when the first mile was paved and the rest gravel - back in the 60s we started paving the road where the most problems occurred with washboarding or erosion. That process started up beyond halfway, the bottom of the road finally got paved in the late 70s. Today, there is exactly one mile of unpaved road at mid-mountain, all the rest is paved. The gravel section is generally kept very hard packed. At 12% average grade, the road is steep - but several of us had a good chuckle over the idea of a car with locked brakes continuing to slid down the mountain!

Vehicles over 25 years old do go free and have for as long as I've been involved here. Our tour drivers are considerably more relaxed these days than they may have been in the past - ie, they don't drive as fast as they apparently used to!

As the wind comes up the first restriction we put are on motorcycles - we don't want them blown over! Next, as we deal with icing in the spring and fall, we may have to put down sand. When we do that we often have to restrict mc use due to the obvious loss of traction on steep grades.

We've been in business for 154 years - we take safety very seriously and will always be conservative in our operations. In 154 years, we've had three fatalities on the Road, tragic events all of them. The notion that there were several vehicles over the side during someone's visit is simply nonsense.

Please check the reviews on Trip Advisor - you'll see that this road isn't for everyone, but it is unique in the Northeast for sure! Yes - bring your A , just do your homework first!

www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com

Ron W · 02-07-2016, 01:06 PM

Thanks for posting, Howie. It's a great adventure. Any special advice for model A's?
Ron W

HowieWemyss · 02-07-2016, 03:12 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

You're welcome, Ron. I'm not very familiar with the old Fords - so have no good advice to offer. I was hoping that some of the guys who I know have been up and down in their A's and T's might chime in as I think it's completely doable with proper caution and common sense.

Divco one · 02-07-2016, 03:39 PM

Thanks for all the replys. As usual, there are a lot of opinions. I'm going to do it.

tbirdtbird · 02-07-2016, 03:58 PM

Howie, good to hear from a source.
I have video I can share of when I went up and only the first mile was paved

It is an awesome adventure I assure all

holdover · 02-07-2016, 05:19 PM

my wife and I climbed/hiked it in the 70s went up Tuckerman riven I believe it was called. When we got to the top people driving up looked at us like we were crazy. When I saw the road they came up on I was happy that we hiked it, (nice to be young), there is no way I would attempt to drive any of my 3 As up that hill, especially the down part.. best of luck...

Ron W · 02-07-2016, 05:56 PM

We have a pretty steep hill nearby. It's about 1/3 mile long. I'm going to try engine breaking on that and see how well it works! Ron W

Fred K-OR · 02-07-2016, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron W

We have a pretty steep hill nearby. It's about 1/3 mile long. I'm going to try engine breaking on that and see how well it works! Ron W

In my younger years, I would drive farm trucks loaded with wheat. We would go down a grade of several miles. We would put them in a low gear and apply the brakes rather hard every once in awhile but in doing so, we would bring it almost to a stop. Would not let the truck get going very fast before applying the brakes again. It doing it this way, we would not burn the brakes. In between the stops the brakes had a chance to cool. Worked great.

It would seem like this may be a good way to go down the road at Mt Washington with your Model A. Good luck and have fun!

Just another thing to note about some of the comments above about driving the Model A up that road. When some of the people above did it, that was a number of years ago. Now days I am sure there is far more traffic on that road. Be careful.

Mikeinnj · 02-07-2016, 08:31 PM

The link on post #24 is incorrect. He left out a letter.

Here is the correct link : www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com

HowieWemyss · 02-08-2016, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeinnj

The link on post #24 is incorrect. He left out a letter.

Here is the correct link : www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com

Oops! Thanks, Mikeinnj.

BUDB · 02-08-2016, 04:57 PM

We've done it several times over the years, once in a Model A, in a 64 Falcon, a 63 Fairlane stick 6, in other later model cars also. The only "nail biter" was in a 67 Lincoln Continental which was much too heavy for the downgrade. Be sensible, take it easy, and you will have a great ride!

larrys40 · 02-08-2016, 07:06 PM

Hey guys... I've been up there twice in my life so far.. but not with the "A" yet! Driven the "A" up Pikes Peak and that wasn't that bad except for the fog and the mist that only gave us a 20ft visibility at times!

Here's a really cool link that shows the drive in fast forward with the William Tell Overature music... maybe this year or next ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqUhRtael3Y

It's the places you go and the people you meet that make Model A times the best!
Larry Shepard

HowieWemyss · 02-09-2016, 08:54 AM

Here's a couple of very different ways to see Mt Washington some of you may enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBWDE-dReqw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXJYc4CpXA

J Witt · 02-09-2016, 01:59 PM

I took my 1912 T touring car up to the top of Pike's Peak, but I can tell you that was a breeze. I wouldn't have tried Mt Washington in a T. When I was there I took the cog railway which was a treat for sure, you've never seen a piece of machinery shake like that. Sunny and warm at the bottom, freezing cold weather moved in while at the top. Highest recorded peak wind gust in the US one of the signs said: 231 mph.

John

mhsmith · 02-09-2016, 03:07 PM

In August of 2915 the N. H.Lakes Region Model A Club did a tour up Mt. Washington. We had 6 Model A's. Six made it up and six made it down. Use first gear all the way up and all the way down and you should be O.K. I would recommend pulling over at the pull over spots and let the car cool down and let the faster cars go by both going up and down. The only thing I would do differently is not take the pair of clean underwear, I didn't need then. Check out the story in March/April issue of The Restorer. If anyone needs more information you can find me on the MAFCA website as secretary.

mhsmith · 02-09-2016, 03:08 PM

Sorry it was August 2015

Benson · 02-09-2016, 04:54 PM

Under what conditions does the Borg Warner Over Drive free wheel?

Some say that it does "free wheel".

I have heard that it will not Free Wheel over 28 MPH ... but 28 might be too fast if your brake drums are thin and over heated!

Seems that the B.W. might be dangerous in free wheel mode when rolling down hill!

02-07-2016, 09:14 AM	#21
Pilotdave Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Grafton, MA Posts: 1,226	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Several members of the New Hampshire Lakes Region Model A Club drove the Mt. Washington Auto Road last fall. I wasn't one of them, but the trip occurred without incident. I believe that the Club made prior arrangements. A good cooling system, stout brakes and a heavy dose of common sense would seem to be prerequisites.

02-07-2016, 09:26 AM	#22
Keith True Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Epping N.H. Posts: 2,984	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road I forgot about the rocks and gravel flying.I got sprayed pretty good on the bikes,and quite a lot on the VW bug.It was mostly from the Travelalls they were using.If dirt wasn't squirting out from behind the tires on the way up it was throwing roostertails sideways on the corners coming down.I don't know what they are using to ferry people up and down nowadays.

02-07-2016, 01:06 PM	#25
Ron W Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Me. Posts: 260	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Thanks for posting, Howie. It's a great adventure. Any special advice for model A's? Ron W

02-07-2016, 03:12 PM	#26
HowieWemyss Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 4	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) You're welcome, Ron. I'm not very familiar with the old Fords - so have no good advice to offer. I was hoping that some of the guys who I know have been up and down in their A's and T's might chime in as I think it's completely doable with proper caution and common sense.

02-07-2016, 03:39 PM	#27
Divco one Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Johnstown, PA. Posts: 137	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Thanks for all the replys. As usual, there are a lot of opinions. I'm going to do it.

02-07-2016, 11:57 AM	#24
HowieWemyss Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 4	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Hi folks - I manage the Mt Washington Auto Road and have for 29 years now. I thought I ought to jump on your forum since you were discussing the Auto Road and there were so many inaccurate or outdated statements being made. If I were to simply read this forum and not bother finding the Auto Road website, I'd have to wonder if the Road was actually in business, it sound horrific from some of these posts. International Travelalls were last used on the Auto Road as tour vehicles in the late 60's. There never was a time when the first mile was paved and the rest gravel - back in the 60s we started paving the road where the most problems occurred with washboarding or erosion. That process started up beyond halfway, the bottom of the road finally got paved in the late 70s. Today, there is exactly one mile of unpaved road at mid-mountain, all the rest is paved. The gravel section is generally kept very hard packed. At 12% average grade, the road is steep - but several of us had a good chuckle over the idea of a car with locked brakes continuing to slid down the mountain! Vehicles over 25 years old do go free and have for as long as I've been involved here. Our tour drivers are considerably more relaxed these days than they may have been in the past - ie, they don't drive as fast as they apparently used to! As the wind comes up the first restriction we put are on motorcycles - we don't want them blown over! Next, as we deal with icing in the spring and fall, we may have to put down sand. When we do that we often have to restrict mc use due to the obvious loss of traction on steep grades. We've been in business for 154 years - we take safety very seriously and will always be conservative in our operations. In 154 years, we've had three fatalities on the Road, tragic events all of them. The notion that there were several vehicles over the side during someone's visit is simply nonsense. Please check the reviews on Trip Advisor - you'll see that this road isn't for everyone, but it is unique in the Northeast for sure! Yes - bring your A , just do your homework first! www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com Last edited by HowieWemyss; 02-08-2016 at 08:18 AM.

02-07-2016, 03:58 PM	#28
tbirdtbird BANNED Join Date: May 2012 Location: inside your RAM Posts: 3,134	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Howie, good to hear from a source. I have video I can share of when I went up and only the first mile was paved It is an awesome adventure I assure all __________________ '31 180A

02-07-2016, 05:19 PM	#29
holdover Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: SW Virginia near the Blue ridge Parkway Posts: 674	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road my wife and I climbed/hiked it in the 70s went up Tuckerman riven I believe it was called. When we got to the top people driving up looked at us like we were crazy. When I saw the road they came up on I was happy that we hiked it, (nice to be young), there is no way I would attempt to drive any of my 3 As up that hill, especially the down part.. best of luck...

02-07-2016, 05:56 PM	#30
Ron W Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Me. Posts: 260	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road We have a pretty steep hill nearby. It's about 1/3 mile long. I'm going to try engine breaking on that and see how well it works! Ron W

02-07-2016, 08:31 PM	#32
Mikeinnj Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 1,262	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road The link on post #24 is incorrect. He left out a letter. Here is the correct link : www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com

02-08-2016, 04:57 PM	#34
BUDB Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Bridgewater NJ Posts: 10	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road We've done it several times over the years, once in a Model A, in a 64 Falcon, a 63 Fairlane stick 6, in other later model cars also. The only "nail biter" was in a 67 Lincoln Continental which was much too heavy for the downgrade. Be sensible, take it easy, and you will have a great ride!

02-08-2016, 07:06 PM	#35
larrys40 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: St Charles , Missouri Posts: 1,998	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Hey guys... I've been up there twice in my life so far.. but not with the "A" yet! Driven the "A" up Pikes Peak and that wasn't that bad except for the fog and the mist that only gave us a 20ft visibility at times! Here's a really cool link that shows the drive in fast forward with the William Tell Overature music... maybe this year or next ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqUhRtael3Y It's the places you go and the people you meet that make Model A times the best! Larry Shepard

02-09-2016, 08:54 AM	#36
HowieWemyss Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 4	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Here's a couple of very different ways to see Mt Washington some of you may enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBWDE-dReqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXJYc4CpXA

02-09-2016, 01:59 PM	#37
J Witt Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Acworth GA Posts: 534	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road I took my 1912 T touring car up to the top of Pike's Peak, but I can tell you that was a breeze. I wouldn't have tried Mt Washington in a T. When I was there I took the cog railway which was a treat for sure, you've never seen a piece of machinery shake like that. Sunny and warm at the bottom, freezing cold weather moved in while at the top. Highest recorded peak wind gust in the US one of the signs said: 231 mph. John __________________ Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.

02-09-2016, 03:07 PM	#38
mhsmith Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 3	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road In August of 2915 the N. H.Lakes Region Model A Club did a tour up Mt. Washington. We had 6 Model A's. Six made it up and six made it down. Use first gear all the way up and all the way down and you should be O.K. I would recommend pulling over at the pull over spots and let the car cool down and let the faster cars go by both going up and down. The only thing I would do differently is not take the pair of clean underwear, I didn't need then. Check out the story in March/April issue of The Restorer. If anyone needs more information you can find me on the MAFCA website as secretary.

02-09-2016, 03:08 PM	#39
mhsmith Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 3	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road Sorry it was August 2015

02-09-2016, 04:54 PM	#40
Benson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,594	Re: Mt. Washington Auto Road-Borg Warner OD Under what conditions does the Borg Warner Over Drive free wheel? Some say that it does "free wheel". I have heard that it will not Free Wheel over 28 MPH ... but 28 might be too fast if your brake drums are thin and over heated! Seems that the B.W. might be dangerous in free wheel mode when rolling down hill!