Conway Scenic’s Dave Swirk with founder Dwight Smith and longtime employee George Small standing in front of 7470 after it was named for Dwight.
Brian Solomon
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — On the Sunday, the 45th anniversary of Conway Scenic Railroad’s first revenue run, the railroad named steam locomotive No. 7470 after founder Dwight Smith.
Conway Scenic President and General Manager David Swirk presided over a short naming ceremony. Smith purchased the Canadian National 0-6-0 in 1968 and in 1974 he founded the railroad with the heavy switcher as the heart and soul of the line.
Over the decades, Conway Scenic has carried hundreds of thousands of passengers, and locomotive 7470 has entertained countless visitors and is dearly loved by many people. Now it carries the name of the man who saved it and founded a railroad on which it could run.
The locomotive recently returned after an overhaul that had it out of service since 2015.
