by blabey
Penn Central's Catskill Mountain Branch was not included in the Final System Plan when the northeastern railroad system was restructured under the Regional Rail Revitalization and Regulatory Act of 1976 (4R Act). As a result, the branch between Kingston and Stamford lost common carrier status that year. Common carrier service ended in October, 1976.
Exclusion from the USRA's Final System Plan allowed the Penn Central estate to sell the property (since it was no longer in railroad service) to any buyer. That's how Ulster County, the City of Kingston and the foundation that funded the Delaware & Ulster Rail Ride came to own the physical assets. To my knowledge, the three tourist passenger operations on various parts of the old Ulster & Delaware have never applied for common carrier status.
One footnote: Delaware-Otsego Corp. which operated a three mile stretch of the original U&D at Oneonta did apply for and receive common carrier status in 1966. That was well prior to the Penn Central bankruptcy and the 4R Act. D-O later abandoned the Oneonta line - but went on to bigger and better things.
Exclusion from the USRA's Final System Plan allowed the Penn Central estate to sell the property (since it was no longer in railroad service) to any buyer. That's how Ulster County, the City of Kingston and the foundation that funded the Delaware & Ulster Rail Ride came to own the physical assets. To my knowledge, the three tourist passenger operations on various parts of the old Ulster & Delaware have never applied for common carrier status.
One footnote: Delaware-Otsego Corp. which operated a three mile stretch of the original U&D at Oneonta did apply for and receive common carrier status in 1966. That was well prior to the Penn Central bankruptcy and the 4R Act. D-O later abandoned the Oneonta line - but went on to bigger and better things.