Catskill Mountain Railroad News - 2008

Wednesday, December 3rd

Burr Hubbell sent a report on work done today in Kingston. Here are some excerpts:

"Just came back from Kingston. Framing was almost done on ramp, should be complete by late today or first thing tomorrow. Earl brought the train down. Kathy and Neil were there. We had the stove going with wood to burn it off as it was just painted. Kathy went and got two 40 lb bags of coal for the stove.

Jimmy Kinns showed up about noon. He is working with his backhoe and truck to fill in the mud puddles so the area should be in good shape for Saturday.

Mimi came by at noon. She had safety signs made up and ready to be posted.

The Plaza mall manager/maintenance person came by. He said if we had signs he would give them to the tenants to put up in their windows. He also said he would look into having the electric service turned on for us. It is at a pole about 250' from the station, used by the little league in season. There is a plug at the pole and the breaker box is rated at 20amps.

People stop by about every 15 minutes and ask when we are going to run.

We could use leaflets to hand out. I hope to get leaflets and posters done for tomorrow."


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

From the Kingston Daily Freeman, December 5, 2008:

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/20 ... 386622.txt

The Holiday Train has Arrived
Friday, December 5, 2008 3:06 AM EST
By BONNIE LANGSTON, Freeman staff

The unveiling of Catskill Mountain Railroad’s holiday train off Kingston Plaza last weekend drew plenty of attention, but a visit by Santa coupled with other festivities may have overshadowed the significance of scheduled rides. “December 6 will be the first time this line has seen passenger service since 1954,” said railroad chairman Harry Jameson. “We’re doing two things. We’re recreating history, and we’re making it at the same time.” Jameson and a cadre of more than 130 other volunteers, including railroad president Earl Pardini, are delighted their efforts have culminated in a longtime dream. “Boy, I’ll tell you there’s electricity in the air,” Jameson said from the interior of the holiday train’s refurbished caboose before it left the train yard on Cornell Street in Kingston last Saturday for the railroad site off Fair Street and Schwenk Drive. Weekends this month, however, the more than half-century-old RS-I engine, a flatbed and the caboose will be stationed at Westbrook Lane and Aaron Court near the alternate entrance to Kingston Plaza....

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Catskill Mountain Railroad Holiday Train

WHERE: Westbrook Lane, Kingston Plaza alternate entrance

WHEN: Begins Saturday, running weekends through Dec. 28

SCHEDULE: Hourly from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 3 to 7 p.m. Fridays (starting Dec. 12)

DETAILS: Half the money earned from Dec. 21 rides will benefit the Queen’s Galley soup kitchen in Kingston.

HOW MUCH: Adults, $6; children 4 to 11, $4; and children 3 and younger, free

Good luck this weekend!!!

Brian

You guys going to have any sort of presence at the Albany train show?

greenwichlirr wrote:You guys going to have any sort of presence at the Albany train show?

Probably not- everyone's in Kingston running trains!

The Kingston Holiday Shuttle is off and running. A fantastic kick off was at hand as both the response by the volunteers and the general public was more than expected. Although a bit windy it was an otherwise perfect day with Mother Nature in full cooperation with this grand event. I'm proud to be a small part of this fantastic effort with the running of the first revenue passenger train on this line since 1954.
The rich history of this line and the assembled group of volunteers that labor here make it all worth while. You should see the perma-grin on the faces of Earl and Harry, ones that dynamite coudn't remove.
The morning scramble to finish the punch list of about 10,000 things was a site and well...........it all got done. The slogan of this orginization should be : CMRR " The Can Do Line". After the the speeches
by Harry, Earl and our pro rail friend Dave Donaldson from the Ulster County legislature the ribbon was cut and off we went. The new Westbrook station was well recieved and long time CMRR station manager
Gladys Gilbert manned...er, womaned her new digs(thank you Jeff Otto and others) and we loaded the first train. Operations went west past Westbrook Lane flagged by your truly, past the Plaza and the entrance
on Fair St to Washington Ave(end of in service track) back east past the station up hill to Downs St which included 2 trips through Elmendorf"tunnel" (which the kids just loved) and back. Santa greeted one
and all on the new flat/passenger car and the CMRR 675 caboose (our signature feature IMHO) and all the folks seemed to enjoy themselfs. The people driving up were either gathering info on the train ride or complimenting us on the train. One never tires of hearing that. Operations went near perfectly and this train service is going to be well recieved in the community and a real boost in the westward expansion
going forward. Between the cold and my complete lack of camera skills I managed a few shots but my night time pics of the decorated train didn't come out. No worry though as a small army of photogs captured
this event much better than I ever could. If you find yourself near Kingston this Holiday it will weel be worth your time to check it out. I'm beat today but satisfied for sure. Onward we go....

Truly a historic moment and another major milestone for the Catskill Mountain Railroad. Onward and westward!

-otto-
(CMRR Volunteer #108)

Saturday, December 6th

Phoenicia/Mt. Pleasant

In Mt. Pleasant, George Liucci, Ernie Gehrer, Ed Palmatier, and Al Johnson worked to decorate the station for the holidays as well as Gladys' caboose and the 701.

In Phoenicia, George Peck, Dave Mason, Greg Peck, and Derek Stapleton got the gradall out on the line, and continued ditch work from about MP 24.5 east.

Kingston

In Kingston, we had a large crew there getting the train ready for its first run. The crew consisted of Earl Pardini, Harry Jameson, Mark Glaser, Greg Vaughn, Jeff Otto, Ernie Klopping, Dave Baker, Bob Blake, Mike LaLonde, Tom Healy, Paul Hintz, Burr Hubbell, John Tuma, John Patane, Joe Marsh, Erik Morehouse, George Bain, Mimi Pardini, Pat Smalley, John Voelcker, Josh Weis, Joe Buonfiglio, Peter Fluchere, George Cook and myself. Train crew consisted of Gladys Gilbert in the ticket booth, Ray Farrell, Bill Kaba, and Dan Howard.

Here are some photos from before the ribbon cutting ceremony:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 226140.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 526339.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 726431.jpg


Here are some from the ribbon cutting ceremony:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 027110.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpPVbo61vCI


Here are some of the train in service:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 827227.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 331427.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 431540.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 431976.jpg


All in all, a great day for the railroad, the reward for 2 and a half years of hard work. And to those of you who may have forgotten, here is a view of the track near Washington Avenue when we started cutting the brush in 2006:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 632108.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 927063.jpg

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Congratulations! I'm proud to have been a very, very small part of this operation. Very small. But very proud.

RussNelson wrote:Congratulations! I'm proud to have been a very, very small part of this operation. Very small. But very proud.

No contribution is small! Every bit helps in some way!

Took me a while to find this photo:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 026552.jpg

Russ stopped by and helped us clear the line around the Thruway in 2006. We plan to put this section of the line into service in 2009.

EH

Ernie, How were the crowds for Sundays train?

A little less than Saturday, mostly because of the extreme cold.

EH

eehiv wrote:Took me a while to find this photo:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200 ... 026552.jpg

Russ stopped by and helped us clear the line around the Thruway in 2006. We plan to put this section of the line into service in 2009.

I stopped by again after the CNE tour in 2007, but the weather was total crap. Snow on the ground. I held the end of a measuring tape, planning for caboose improvements, but that's about all the help I could be. In 2008 I wanted to try to bicycle the Ulster and Delaware rail-trail, but it was 1) cold AND 2) rainy, so I went chasing unfinished railroads instead.

Thursday December 11th

Earl Pardini plans to open Cornell Street tomorrow at 9am. He plans to take a crew out to do some track maintenance between Cornell Street and Westbrook Lane. It you can join him, please call so you can find out exactly where he is working.


Friday, December 12th

Earl Pardini plans to open Cornell Street at 9am. In the morning he will be doing some finish work on the train, and getting ready for operations which will run from 3pm to 7pm.


Saturday, December 13th

Kingston

Earl Pardini plans to open Cornell Street at 9am get ready for running the Kingston shuttle from 1pm to 7pm. Those not involved in operations may work on projects in the yard. The Hunter/Tannnersville High School Band plans to play on the loading platform at Westbrook Lane at 12:30pm.

Ray Farrell is trainmaster in charge of train crew, and if you want to work as Train Crew Saturday or any other day in the December Kingston schedule, call him.

Phoenicia

The 702 crew plan to work on Saturday on coach 702. Let George Liucci or Al Johnson know if you wish to join them.

George Peck will be leading a crew out of Phoenicia at 9am. They will be doing maintenance on the line from Phoenicia to Mt. Pleasant, in anticipation of the Sunday Santa run.


Sunday, December 14th

Kingston

Earl Pardini plans to open Cornell Street on Sunday at 11am, in anticipation of starting operations at 1pm. If you wish to start earlier than 11, let Earl know. Any staff not needed for Kingston operations that day will probably be working on completing the new siding in Cornell Street Yard.

Phoenicia

George Peck will lead a crew preparing for the annual Santa Train in Phoenicia. They plan to start at 9:30am. The Santa Train will be departing at 12:30pm on several trips to Rock Cut and back until dark.

If you wish to work as train crew on the Santa Train, contact Ray Farrell.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR