Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) Discussion - 2017

Friday, April 21st

On Friday, Pat Smalley, Marcia Roosa and Elissa Hilliard removed the Easter decorations from the coaches.


Saturday, April 22nd

A track crew consisting of Earl Pardini, John Marino, Hunter Downie, Tom Whyte and Vince Guardino replaced a switch timber at the O&W switch, switched out the work train and did a line inspection from MP 6.2 to 7.0.

Joe Wolf primed the box car at PA and Al Johnson worked on the clerestory windows.


Sunday, April 23rd

Annual rules test was done Sunday and the following passed: Vince Guido, Art Vogel, Kathy Isabelle, Neil Isablle, Ernie Klopping, Todd Syska, Tony Bocchino, John Prestopino, Joe Wolff, Tyler Carelli, Russ Hallock, John Marino, Earl Pardini, Dave Hilliard, Fred Ehren.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday April 27th

Earl Pardini, John Marino and Vince Guido did a line inspection from Westbrook lane to MP 6.55.


Saturday April 29th.

On Saturday, Al Johnson continued worked in Phoenicia on the celestory windows in the 701 and 702. Al continues to work on keeping those coaches in operating condition for when they are returned to Duty.

Saturday the track crew consisted of Earl Pardini, Vince Guido, Mark Glaser and Russ Hallock, John Prestopino and John Marino They inserted 7 ties plated and spiked just east of O&W switch and replaced 1 joint bar at 6.15 and graded the O&W site. They also cleaned the work flat.



Ernie Hunt
Volunter Coordinator
CMRR

May 6th and 7th 2017

Joe Wolff worked by himself this weekend painting our equipment in Phoenicia. He started priming the side dump, started a finish coat on the 703, and painted the LV box car into CMRR colors:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=237431" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Friday, May 12th

Jim Bruck and John Prestopino worked on the 50 foot flat in Kingston.

John Marino and Mark Glaser did work at Westbrook Lane and 209.


Saturday, May 13th

We ran two charters Saturday that went well. Engineer was Tom Whyte, Conductor was Tyler Carelli, Brakeman was Karl Wick, Flaggers were Fred Rasmussen, Fred Ehren, and were assisted by Peter Fluchere.


Sunday, May 14th

Joe Wolff continued work on painting the cars at Phoenicia:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=237588" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/opinion/201 ... ail-trails" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LETTER: Bicyclists aren’t much interested in rail trails
POSTED: 05/20/17, 12:50 PM EDT

Dear Editor,

As a frequent visitor to this area and an avid cyclist, I have been following the controversy regarding the existing train Ulster & Delaware railroad tracks and their potential removal.

Like many cyclists, I log each and every ride I take with Strava, the number one cycling app. Strava allows riders to see where they rode, make plans for future rides, and to see where others are riding.

Strava data indicates that very few cyclists ride on rail trails. In the Westchester County region, The Old Putnam Rail Trail is minimally used by cyclists and is frankly boring. Cyclists enjoy challenging climbs, exhilarating descents, open vistas, and the chance to explore new areas. Rail trails offer none of these opportunities. A straight, flat, tree-tunnel trail is not a destination attraction for either road cyclists or mountain bikers...

Rail Explorers has been canceled for 2017. CMRR trains will not be operating. Tourists will not buy tickets and spend money at local businesses. It's "lose lose" situation for Ulster County!

https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2017/05/21/ ... n-storage/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Shandaken planners again delay decision on Catskill Mountain Railroad train storage
by Violet Snow/May 21, 2017

On May 10, the Shandaken planning board considered the long-awaited letter from town attorney Richard J. Olson regarding granting of a permit to Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) for storage of trains on its Phoenicia property. Board members questioned aspects of the letter’s content, which asserts that no action can be taken by the board at the present, and said they would ask Olson to attend the next planning board workshop meeting on Wednesday, May 31, at 7 p.m.

Jameson noted, “The process has been stalled primarily by Shandaken’s professional obstructionist who is the former Chairperson of the Ulster County Trail Committee, who is working in concert with the Ulster County Executive’s office to destroy the Catskill Mountain Railroad Company so the tracks can be ripped up to construct a hiking trail. As well, she has used a neighbor located on Lower High Street who cannot physically see the proposed project area from her house as a tool to maintain opposition.”

He was referring to the former trail committee chair Kathy Nolan, now regional director for Catskill Mountainkeeper, who was at the meeting, along with Phoenicia resident Anique Taylor, who has led the opposition to the storage of trains in the neighborhood....

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... -reservoir" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Neighbor complaints delay rail bike operation on tracks west of Ashokan Reservoir
By Patricia R. Doxsey, Daily Freeman
POSTED: 05/03/17,

KINGSTON, N.Y. >> Rail bikes will not be rolling this year on tracks formerly used by the Catskill Mountain Railroad.

Chris White, deputy director of the Ulster County Planning Department, said Wednesday that Rail Explorers Corp. has delayed the start-up of its rail bike operation between Boiceville and Phoenicia due to an outcry from residents at the Boiceville end who are concerned about the effect the tourist attraction will have on their neighborhood.

Rail Explorers Corp. was awarded a five-year contract by the county last year to run the rail bike operation on the western portion of the county-owned Ulster & Delaware rail corridor beginning this year. But the plan for riders to dismount from the rail bikes near Cold Brook Road in Boiceville and be taken by shuttle bus back to Phoenicia drew some heat from residents upset about the shuttle bus traffic on Cold Brook Road.

“Neighbors are concerned about regular buses coming down their road, the turning radius they would need, and quite frankly traffic on a road that hasn’t seen that traffic in a number of years,” White said.

So, the county gets a big $0 for the Ashokan section. I think CMRR paid more than that in 2016 for that section....

BandA wrote:So, the county gets a big $0 for the Ashokan section. I think CMRR paid more than that in 2016 for that section....

Don't forget, currently there is NO MAINTENANCE being performed on the railroad from Route 28A west to the county line. The county is allowing the railroad corridor to deteriorate so that it will be financially impossible to repair or restore.

-otto-

Fortunately storage of railroad trains on a railroad is not the town's decision to make.

Now something just needs to happen to crank the heat up under the County's sorry bum that NO ONE is happy with this, and EVERYONE is losing out...

thebigham wrote:Strava data indicates that very few cyclists ride on rail trails. In the Westchester County region, The Old Putnam Rail Trail is minimally used by cyclists and is frankly boring. Cyclists enjoy challenging climbs, exhilarating descents, open vistas, and the chance to explore new areas. Rail trails offer none of these opportunities. A straight, flat, tree-tunnel trail is not a destination attraction for either road cyclists or mountain bikers...

Good to see a negative word straight from a biker's mouth... it's fun to watch the words of overeager ignorant pols get swallowed like a bad pill. I biked the LVRC in VT last summer, from the Junction with the Conn. River line in St. Johnsbury to Marty's 1st Stop in Danville. While I enjoyed the scenery and the opportunity to bike a line I never saw in active service as a kid, it was damn near a joke from a challenge standpoint. I hadn't turned a wheel on my bike since moving out west a few years back, and still made 20 miles with relative ease. Very few bikers out for what was a decent sunny Saturday, and not really much for business besides Marty's out that way to attract them.

Why is it so hard to use common sense instead of hypothetical, make-believe figures? Looking at you, specific trail advocates...

Saturday May 20th

Earl Pardini lead the CMRR track crew which included John Marino, Tom Whyte, Martin Elbrecht, Vince Guido and newcomer Shawn.
They loaded rail and took it to C9 to be used as replacement guard rail and installed it on the bridge.

Al Johnson worked on coach 701 and 702 in Phoenicia.


Sunday, May 21st

Joe Wolf continued work on painting the side dump in Phoenicia.

Ernie Klopping installed a battery box cover on the 2911.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator

I can't picture avid hikers wanting to do rail trails either. When I go to like a nature center to hike, the trails usually go in a loop, whatever else they do, I can come back to where I started without doubling back.

For those who do want longer, one way hikes, are you going to hike from hotel to hotel? Does the county really want folks camping in tents along the trail because it's gotten dark or the like and they can't return easily to their vehicle?

So many things about it just don't make much sense. A trail like that would be used primarily by locals for short distances.

To all:

In our research we found that generally 80% of trail users are local and 20% from out of town. Our own records show 80% of our riders are from out of town and 20% local.

That means that the local businesses that benefit from the railroad have to vocally support the railroad and lobby for it to continue, and that support must be as strong or stronger than the politically connected locals who want the trail as a local amenity.

EH

I don't get it... seems like someone at county doesn't know how to crunch numbers. If 80% of the draw is tourist dollars, going to support both the CMRR and local businesses, why would you eliminate that source of income? I'm mystified at the logic that people are going to drive from afar to walk/bike a flat trail. Seems more like the local pols hate small businesses, which is ironically the one thing that NYS seems to be trying to drag in while driving them away at the same time.