Travel time was about 9 hours over the 331-mile (533 km) route to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

The route went via the New Haven Railroad from New York City, New York to Springfield, Massachusetts, where it left the New Haven–Springfield Line to reach the Boston and Maine Railroad at Springfield, Massachusetts, continuing northward to White River Junction, Vermont, Whitefield, New Hampshire and finally Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

[1] The North Wind was a fast, daytime train intended to lure vacationers to the White Mountains.

It operated with fewer stops than the Day White Mountains (14 versus 30) so as to offer a more competitive travel time with driving.

It was considered the premier train serving the New York City to White Mountains route and offered parlor seats for its entire route as well as a dining car as far as Bellows Falls or White River Junction.