CMSL service Rio Grande to Cape May

Just for the sake of clarification, it is the segment between Woodbine and Cape May Courthouse, which encompasses the vandalized portion at Dennisville, that requires potentially millions in repair.

Mike DiMunno
SJRA / SJRail.com

Well, if operators are hard to find, and the operation at present is foundering, then the future looks bleak for this line.

i do not understand how it is so hard for someone there to simply communicate. it sounds like this is a one man thing. is there not someone in charge of public relations for this company? i do not understand. the southern seashore is one of the highest money making spots in nj. it seems like there is money to be made by the right person.

nick11a wrote:Well, if operators are hard to find, and the operation at present is foundering, then the future looks bleak for this line.

Seemingly!

The only way to find out if others would be interested would be to put it out to bid. When does the current agreement expire? When it has been offered before were there other bidders? It seems like CMSL runs a nice operation they just do it rarely and with little notice.

Regardless of what else is going on answering emails takes minutes and updating a web site isn't brain surgery. If its a business run it like one. If it's a toy or hobby admit it and say "I'll let you know when I feel like running a train." I agree with a prior post that the silence and uncertainty gain the line no friends and have probably lost it many.

1. How does a new operator solve the dilemma of the funding needed to repair the tracks initiated by the vandals?

2. How would a new operator solve the problem Tony has getting freight service along the line?

3. How does a new operator get Mr Voll off the CMSL's back?

4. How would a new operator get funding in general to upgrade the tracks to Cape May Court House?

The new crossings were supposed to have been completed July 20012. They are now.

Tony has all these problems to deal with. Once he has them solved--Trains will run.

No new operator would be able to know how to deal with these problems better then the current operator--Tony Macrie.


Let's support him and stop running with the same old complaining. I have had to delete many poorly thought out comments and several people's hostile attitudes.


And by the way, Tony is NOT unwilling to work out these situations. Stop saying that!

Call Senator Jeff Van Drew at 856 765 0891 on Monday and use your energy to support the CMSL instead of trying to find fault all the time!

Thank you--David

I think the article hit the nail on the head. Macrie has done nothing wrong, in terms of money, but he needs to communicate better. Any business owner knows the importance of good communicating and updating his clients. Thats issue number 1

Issue 2-the missing tie plates. If he were motivated he could spend the money to get the trains going and repay himself later when the case is settled. He is choosing not to do so. If you read the article closely Macrie says he may get around to doing it later this year.
I think a new operator could have new ideas..spend some money on the operation and establish itself in this tourist city. Phillipsburg works and thats not a tourist destination for many. New Hope works, Flemington works yet Cape May doesn't? Year after year something goes wrong. A dedicated business owner would make it work. Its currently not working

David wrote:1. How does a new operator solve the dilemma of the funding needed to repair the tracks initiated by the vandals?

2. How would a new operator solve the problem Tony has getting freight service along the line?

3. How does a new operator get Mr Voll off the CMSL's back?

4. How would a new operator get funding in general to upgrade the tracks to Cape May Court House?

The new crossings were supposed to have been completed July 20012. They are now.

Tony has all these problems to deal with. Once he has them solved--Trains will run.

No new operator would be able to know how to deal with these problems better then the current operator--Tony Macrie.


Let's support him and stop running with the same old complaining. I have had to delete many poorly thought out comments and several people's hostile attitudes.


And by the way, Tony is NOT unwilling to work out these situations. Stop saying that!

Call Senator Jeff Van Drew at 856 765 0891 on Monday and use your energy to support the CMSL instead of trying to find fault all the time!

Thank you--David

The complaints here are valid and even Van Drew agrees...no communication. If Tony wants our support he could have it easily. So why does he make it so difficult? None of us want to see Tony/CMSL fail but it is getting increasingly difficult to support the operation in its current form.

northjerseybuff wrote:I think the article hit the nail on the head. Macrie has done nothing wrong, in terms of money, but he needs to communicate better. Any business owner knows the importance of good communicating and updating his clients. Thats issue number 1

Issue 2-the missing tie plates. If he were motivated he could spend the money to get the trains going and repay himself later when the case is settled. He is choosing not to do so. If you read the article closely Macrie says he may get around to doing it later this year.
I think a new operator could have new ideas..spend some money on the operation and establish itself in this tourist city. Phillipsburg works and thats not a tourist destination for many. New Hope works, Flemington works yet Cape May doesn't? Year after year something goes wrong. A dedicated business owner would make it work. Its currently not working

Tony does have the website updated explaining the theft issue: http://www.capemayseashorelines.org/cmsl.php

>>> If he were motivated<<< He can be motivated all he wants, but unless he has a million or two sitting around in some bank account where would get the money? There is no assurance that there will be a settlement forthcoming, or how much that would be. It may well be that the defendants don't have assets sufficient to cover the costs. No bank would consider lending monies in this type of situation based the facts here. The 'later in the year' is probably based on an optimistic view of what may happen in regards to a potential recovery of the damages/restitution. No way to know what will happen in advance.

P'Burg and Flemington eke out their existence largely by being volunteer operations. Other than special events, the trains do not carry many people. For the most part, tourist railroads nationwide have seen substantially falling patronage, and most have found that they need to be in show business - special events - to make enough to survive. When CMSL was able to run regular service, most of the patronage was mid-week, after those arriving on the regular accommodation Saturday turnover had spent several days at the beach and were looking for a change of pace. Or weather driven, people rode the train when weather precluded the beach. Trains are not forefront of the public mind like decades ago when railroad employees were many folks friends and neighbors, and there was a line a few mile from just about everywhere. Operating a tourist railroad is a difficult business in which to succeed.

As for other operators, unless one comes out of the woodwork I have never heard of before, no one else wants to work the Cape May Branch. The predecessor of the SRNJ and I believe the SRNJ once ran it, had no business and left. The SRNJ has never expressed an interest in running tourist trains and I can't imagine they are going to want to.

A million or two? Has that ever been determined it was that much? I think its more like a few thousand and with a crew on hand, the work can be completed in 1-2 days. Remember if the thieves could remove this stuff this easily, a RR crew can do this with no problem. We are not talking about replacing 28 miles of track like the cutoff! What was the value of the items? Thats the basis of my comment. I don't think the items stolen equal millions.

northjerseybuff wrote:A million or two? Has that ever been determined it was that much? I think its more like a few thousand and with a crew on hand, the work can be completed in 1-2 days. Remember if the thieves could remove this stuff this easily, a RR crew can do this with no problem. We are not talking about replacing 28 miles of track like the cutoff! What was the value of the items? Thats the basis of my comment. I don't think the items stolen equal millions.

Considering most of the ties that I have seen down there most are about three quarters of the way on their journey of turning back into dust, its pretty safe to say that most ties would need to be "new" - they dont' have to be new new, but rather re-lay ties, which are ties that might have been pulled from a main track, and have faults, but can still be used, if they are turned over, etc. There is a company in NY that picks up/buys used ties from for example, NJT and then resells them. I don't remember the name of the company however, and I don't know the going rate for re-lay ties either.

And considering the tie plates and spikes were stolen, they would need to get new ones, and would need to fit the size of the rail, etc. And of course, the man power to put them in. There might have been some rail or joints taken/damaged as well, I don't know, but there is a possibility.

Check the Catskill Mountain Railroad thread in the NY state forum and that gives an idea as to the work needed to be done, how long it takes and the manpower and equipment needed to do it.

If his plays his cards right, this could be a blessing in disguise. Now that a political type is involved in Rep. Van Drew, and support being drummed up for the RAILROAD by the towns and individual folks, maybe phone calls could be made to the right people and things could happen.

Im not holding my breath however, but stranger things have happened.

I just checked the CMSL website, they have posted that this weekend the CMSL will be running speeders which have been modified to carry passengers for Cold Spring Village's Railroad Days, this weekend only.

Trainman102 wrote:i do not understand how it is so hard for someone there to simply communicate. it sounds like this is a one man thing. is there not someone in charge of public relations for this company? i do not understand. the southern seashore is one of the highest money making spots in nj. it seems like there is money to be made by the right person.

Cape May Seashore Lines has had a Facebook presence since 2009: http://www.facebook.com/CapeMaySeashoreLines

Currently up to date and 530 "likes" as of a minute ago.

Trainman102 wrote:It is sad to see what has happened to the cape may line. how long has it been since trains ran to cape may? i dont mean a wine train a few times a year, i mean a train that runs on a schedule like other reputable tourist trains all around the north east. i own a house in wildwood and rode the train all the time in the late 1990s when it still ran and i have a son who loves trains. i wanted to know what was going on and to help if needed to get the train moving again so i looked everywhere for a phone number to call them but i could not find a number anywhere. no number on their web page. no number in the phone book. nothing. so i find a "new" number on buena vista twp web page 800-984-2055. not in service. what kind of reputable business does not have a phone number? so i thought ok i will try to email them like it says on their web page. tried several times over 2 years. not one email back. my boss father worked for a railroad and he thought it would be nice to charter a train for our annual company meeting so he tried to call but also could find no number, email the web page like it says on the charters screen and no answer at all. very unprofessional. who turns down that kind of business? if they could not do it at least tell your customers or better yet take it off the web.

i signed up here just to tell people how i feel about this. i was once a supporter but no more. let someone take it over who will run trains and wants to make money. do not just let the tracks sit there and rust.


- john

The CMSL Phone number is still listed on the Freight Services page of the website.

http://www.capemayseashorelines.org/freight.php