Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) Discussion - 2016

Tuesday, May 10th

Jeff Otto and Walt Otto picked up discared ties from the Glenford Dike to the Dog Crossing.

Dave Heick picked up discarded ties and put them into the dumpster at Longyear's.


Thursday, May 12th

Jeff Otto and Russ Hallock picked up discarded ties from the Dog Crossing to Westbrook Lane.

Dave Heick picked up discarded ties and put them into the dumpster at Longyear's.


Saturday, May 14th

On Saturday the CMRR ran 2 trains - Rock N Rails with Owl and Wolf as the band on board.

Al Schoessow was engineer, Conductor was John Prestopino and Walt Otto was brakeman. Flaggers were Tom Whyte and John Marino. Car attendants were Pat Smalley and Ernie Klopping. George Bain handled the sound set-up. Bruce DeVorkin was ticket agent agent. Jeff Otto assisted all around.

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http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=230461" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also on Saturday, many CMRR volunteers attended George Peck's funeral service. Joe Michaels and I spoke on behalf of the CMRR. George will be greatly missed by all.


Sunday, May 15th

Dave Heick filled a dumpster with discarded ties on Sunday near Andrews lane.


Monday, May 16th

Vince Guido loaded discarded ties into the dumpster at the dog crossing.


Tuesday, May 17th

Tom Whyte and Vince Guido loaded discarded ties at Shokan.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

To do what the CMRR has done under such adverse conditions is incredible. I just finished going over only some parts of the 2015-2020 business plan. Even only reading parts of it I am amazed at how comprehensive and well laid out it is. I am really scratching my head now when I think about the decision that was made especially considering the actual data from operating revenues are presented in this outlay. To remove a functioning, growing tourist attraction that actually generates tax dollars as well as business for other area businesses and replace it with a taxpayer burden that will cost everyone money, but, will only be useful to those physically fit and/or young enough to walk or ride is beyond my ability to justify.

Here are another a couple other points that I would like to bring up. I also am a biker that has ridden many rail trails. If there is no hope of rail service on a line, then by all means to save the R.O.W. build a trail to preserve it. However, as a rail supporter also I can never justify aggressively removing an active railroad as an "action" in the best interests of the public. I am aware that the same thing is happening to the Adirondack Scenic Railroad and I feel the same way about that situation. I would also like to point out that I did travel to over rated "Walkway over the Hudson". I visited this on what I thought would be a perfect day with the temperature being about 78 degrees with low humidity and sunny. There were plenty of open parking spaces and I soon found out why. Despite the appearance of a perfect day there was sign at near the beginning of the walkway warning that due to heat reflection from all of the concrete, the temperature on the walkway was over 100 degrees suggesting that anyone with health concerns should not proceed. I do not remember the exact wording but this was the intent. I did venture out onto the walkway as I had driven out of my way to see it. They weren't kidding about the temp! Even though I am fit enough to ride, I got off shortly after venturing out. Will I go back? I don't see a reason. If there were a railroad over this I would go again. Total tourist dollars the city of Poughkeepsie received from me for this venture? 0 Dollars. Total potential for more? Zero. Way to follow in their footsteps Kingston!

Will 401 and 407 be the planned power for their respective runs next weekend? (mostly just asking because recent photos/videos of moves on the Kingston end mostly show the 45 tonner doing the honors)

oibu wrote:Will 401 and 407 be the planned power for their respective runs next weekend? (mostly just asking because recent photos/videos of moves on the Kingston end mostly show the 45 tonner doing the honors)

It is my understanding the 407 is the only power in Phoenicia, and 401 is the primary loco in Kingston. 42 is only used as a "helper" as needed (for instance, the steam runs).

-otto-

Thanks Otto, that is my understanding as well however most recent pics/vids here or elsewhere by Ernie and others show the GE -so I don't know if there may be a reason 401 is not "holding down" its regular assignment right now?

oibu wrote:Thanks Otto, that is my understanding as well however most recent pics/vids here or elsewhere by Ernie and others show the GE -so I don't know if there may be a reason 401 is not "holding down" its regular assignment right now?

401 is the primary loco in Kingston. 42 is only used as a "helper" as needed (for instance, the steam runs).

-otto-

Thursday, May 19th

Earl Pardini, Jeff Otto, Tom Whyte and John Marino did trackwork.


Friday, May 20th

Jeff Otto did miscellaneous trackwork and cleanup.


Saturday, May 21st

On Saturday the CMRR ran 4 trains - a charter and Rock N Rails with a band on board.

John Marino was engineer, conductor was Dave Hilliard and Al Schoessow was brakeman. Trainman was John Prestopino. Flaggers were Ernie Klopping, Mark Glaser, Tom Whyte, Karl Wick, Jeff Otto and Martin Elbrecht . Car attendant was Pat Smalley. George Bain handled the sound set-up. Russ Hallock was ticket agent. Jim Bruck assisted all around.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Lots of anti-rail misinformation being disseminated in comments on the Daily Freeman. Anyone with an account there, some presentation of correct facts would probably help the cause. Comments indicating only 5 or 6 miles of track is in service when in fact it is about double that and nearly all is passable for equipment, reasons why more isn't in service (Boiceville bridge washout (not a present condition at time of lease), and FEMA funding for repairs squandered by Ulster COunty, Ulster COunty hostile anti-railroad attitude when original lease was signed with full COunty support and cooperation, etc.). These people honestly think CMRR was taking money out of County coffers to run the railroad, and just goofing off playing with trains instead of working their azzes off with no outside support while record floods and washouts not present at the time of the original lease continually hammered the right-of-way.

The CMRR is setting a sales record for this weekend. EH

Read through the whole STone Consulting report (most will probably be REALLY bored, but see http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default ... 2012-1.pdf ). While not a completely unprofessional piece of sanitary paper product, it is pretty clear who their client was (Ulster County) and their agenda. Things like discussing CMRR freight potential and how most shortline operators would have first looked at freight potential, without ever once mentioning that CMRR has been looking at that more or less from the beginning and did come fairly close to securing freight shipments at one time- making it sound as if the emphasis on passenger was a silly rookie mistake rather than the most readily available income opportunity in a corridor with little to no freight potential (and a mainline connection that was severed by COnrail for said reason- a factoid that I don't think the report mentions). They also criticize the CMRR "freight" webpage for portraying a "vintage diesel" (hello, what do most shortlines operate?) pulling a side dump car (hello, they don't have any freight customers and most non-railroaders wouldn't know a side-dump from a hopper if it was 2 feet in front of them- I'm sure they feel it would have been "better" to photoshop a picture of a brand new widecab pulling a huge freight train on somebody else's railroad). They take it yet another step further and state that the website contains spelling errors- yet Stone Consultings' entire report misspells Phoenicia ("Phonecia"), one of the most key points on the whole corridor, throughout the entire text of it's report. As the kids would say, "Epic Fail!"

Oh, and they also don't once mention that the only reason the CMRR changed their business plan for the Boiceville-AShokan Reservoir-Gelnford section was in response to the fact that ULSTER COUNTY refused to disburse the FEMA funding to replace the bridge after the 2011 flood. Which is to say that if the COunty had not squandered that opportunity to serve its own interests (i.e., renege on the lease terms by holding the bridge repair funding hostage until the CMRR vacated the KIngston end of the line in exchange- effectively using federal funds directed for emergency flood repair as an attempt to extort (call the legal dept.!) CMRR to allow the County to default on it's lease terms).

I guess it's not hard to figure that when somebody says "give us a report telling us X instead of Y and we'll pay you", that they produce a report that says X even if they have to grasp at straws.

I hope eventually Hein and Co. get rooted out for at least some of their missteps along the way, and have the chance to inspect Ulster County Corrections in detail ...from the inside.

eehiv wrote:The CMRR is setting a sales record for this weekend. EH

That is great to hear Ernie. At least something is positive on the old U&D right now, and it also helps build the case of what is wrong with what is going on with the County.

Facts and reality seem to matter little to those with an agenda such as CMRR and ASRR are dealing with.

Did anyone who was involved with saving the line (in the 70s?) speak out recently? They'd probably be in their 80s or beyond.

BandA wrote:Did anyone who was involved with saving the line (in the 70s?) speak out recently? They'd probably be in their 80s or beyond.

Speak out how? The issue is with county government being dead set against the railroad. The only speech they will recognize is a dollar sign followed by a lot of zeroes.

The time for brainstorming is over. The railroad has been fighting this battle for many years. Money makes action, not words.

-otto-

Money, successful lawsuits, or criminal charges. Hopefully one of the latter two will catch up with these crooked officials soon.

The daughter of one of the original spearheads who set up the acquisition of the corridor for continued /restored rail service did speak at at least one meeting or hearing.