Adirondack Railroad 2023 Season

Here's a link to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise article regarding the washouts. If you can't access it, the article says the trips from Thendara have had 40-50 riders, the trips from Utica have been full, and that the "Tupper Lake Explorer" trips out of Tupper Lake (which are still running) have been popular. https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.c ... o-rebuild/

I find myself wondering how much if any damage there is on the ROW north of Tupper.

A few looks at the Sept 16th Utica-Thendara run are featured here together with a some thoughts about Al Gorney, a longtime Adirondack volunteer who recently passed away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05er1ZdT1Nc

This video features scenes from the Sept 30th Utica-Thendara run including:

1. Crossing the Mohawk River;

2. At Sand Rd, Trenton;

3. Rolling up Purgatory Hill past Snappy's Puddle; and

4. Arrival in Thendara

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

This video features a look at the Oct 7 Utica-Thendara train heading up Remsen Hill under wet conditions and contrasts this with an earlier run under dry conditions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4CejQsdTbg&t=1s

This video contains scenes from the Oct 22nd Utica-Tupper Lake train on Remsen Hill, crossing Remsen's Prospect Street, passing by the Woodgate station and ends with scenes from Big Moose, including the train passing over the line's summit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLU2BrrabVw

This video shows scenes from the last Utica-Tupper Lake run of the season occurring on Sunday, Oct 29th:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmfdA48Nymk

Segments include: Utica's Union Station, overhead walkway, boarding, the Mohawk River, the Erie Canal, the Holland Patent station, slow climb of Remsen Hill, Remsen's waterfall and station, Kayuta Trestle, Forestport Station's depot, Purgatory Hill, Otter Lake run-around, Moose River, Thendara, Big Moose Hill including a look at the smaller of the two August washout sites in Carter, the line's summit (2040 ft) just north of the Big Moose station, Buck Pond, Twitchell Creek trestle, the second, bigger, washout site, Beaver River, Stillwater Reservoir, Nehasane Station ruins, a mile-long stretch of "Boglands", Raquette River bridge, Tupper Lake including interior views of station & switching action and, on return, among other scenes, the stalling of the train south of Beaver River and back-up move required to make the hill.

Interviews include Matt Giardino, President of the Alco Historical Society and owner of Milepost Hobbies, Amsterdam, Conductor Al Heywood, Engineer Mike Waterman and lifelong railfan Carl Trainor.

It was a good trip, if long, despite the slippery rail.

Looking forward to running it next year, on dry rails.

The next-to-last Utica-Thendara trip of the year took place on Friday, Nov 24th. This was the first of two special trains named "Christmas in Old Forge". The second trip occurred on Saturday, Nov 25th. Scheduled departure time both days was 10AM with a 9:30PM return allowing plenty of time for passengers to shop in Old Forge and watch the lighting of the village's Christmas tree.

I learned about an unusual cattle pass on the Adirondack line in John Taibi's recent book: " Where the NY Central RR's Past Is Present: The Adirondack RR", p.90. The pass is located in Forestport. What makes the pass unusual is its roof which is made of 55lb rail rolled in 1874 by Barrow Steel in Hindpool, England, just south of Scotland.

This video from Nov 24th includes scenes of the train crossing Washington Street, Utica, going past MP 16 in Trenton and close-ups of the ancient bovine expressway, its unique roof, with the added bonus of hearing the special roll by overhead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MpwCpvYro0

There is a similar culvert at Onekio (H55) - stonework walls, rail roof. Don't think we got a date off the rails, but probably similar.

I don't think it was a cattle pass, although there's plenty of room to walk through it.