Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) Discussion - 2014

There are signals at 209 now. Not sure the traffic levels on Hurley Mountain Rd would qualify for signals but I don't know what the threshold is.

And a trail group just tore up the trolley tracks to the trolley museum.

A trail is being built next the to the trolley museum tracks out to Kingston Point.

lvrr325 wrote:Yeah, rail with trail through Kingston itself to the trolley museum is just not possible. Tracks have been gone for too long, would require crossing the CSX River Line at grade, passes through too many people's front yards, plus part of the ROW is built over in at least one location.

Crossing the River Line at grade would not be necessary if tracks were laid on Broadway. Some street running there would allow you to pass beneath CSX. But yeah the rest of it is too obliterated. IMO the city had no vision there whatsoever.

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

LETTER: Attack on Ulster County lawmaker was ‘misleading at best’

Posted: 12/20/14

Dear Editor,

William Sheldon’s letter, “County lawmaker needs to serve his constituents, not private railroad,” Dec. 14, 2014, was misleading at best. Claiming, I was the chairman of the Railroad Advisory Committee for many years while deviously working hand-in glove for Catskill Mountain Railroad and, then, claiming I recently resuscitated the Railroad Advisory Committee and assumed chairmanship, is contradictory.

The last chairman of the committee quit when he and members learned through the press that the county initiated an early end to the railroad’s lease. They got the Kingston-to-Phoenicia, trail-only plan the same way. I was not on that committee.

The Legislature recreated the long-standing committee in 2014. I was appointed to serve and chair a few months ago.

Sheldon claims the “experts” state a rail with trail is unworkable. His “experts” work at the pleasure of the executive and were commissioned after the Kingston-to-Phoenicia, trail-only plan was created with trail-only advocates.

“Trail” people, like Kathy Nolan and Chris White, the deputy county planner, further attempt to disrupt Railroad Advisory Committee meetings. White, an “expert” that serves at the executive’s pleasure, has no previous municipal planning experience and his work record prior shows mostly political appointments...

3 new CMRR Polar Express pics are here:

http://photos.greatrails.net/show/?orde ... ountain+RR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To all:

2014 has been a year of incredible achievement for the CMRR, even as it continues to struggle to survive. The CMRR increased its ridership from 15,000 to over 40,000 in 2014, and our Kingston operation increased from 5,000 to over 30,000. The CMRR extended its mainline from 209 to Kenco this year, nearly an additional mile, and installed flashers at 209. We also increased our passenger capacity in Kingston from one to three coaches and added an extra passenger flat car. We even now have a back-up engine for Kingston, former RMNE 42.

We ended up achieving all our goals laid out in the CMRR's vision documents published earlier in the year. Thomas the Tank and Polar Express drew unprecedented crowds and visitors to uptown Kingston, at 11,000 and 16,000 respectively.

We have achieved this against overwhelming odds, including litigation on two fronts. Although the City has put our litigation in adjournment for now, the County still has not stopped its efforts to terminate our lease even though there are only 17 months left on it. This continues despite the "compromise" offered by Hein a few weeks ago to let train service of some kind stay in Kingston (operated by anyone but the CMRR).

Despite this the CMRR is in the best position ever to continue in Kingston and to restore the line west. Business support in Kingston has been overwhelming and there is universal sentiment to let our themed trains continue.

2015 will be a decisive year for the CMRR. Whatever the final outcome, the volunteers of the CMRR in 2014 accomplished as much as anyone could have under incredibly difficult circumstances. A year we will all never forget.

Ernie Hunt
President
CMRR

Ernie, few people (and certainly not the CMRR detractors) felt that the CMRR was capable of what you guys achieved in 2014. The tide has changed - and the CMRR people deserve ALL of the credit. (Imagine what could actually be achieved with cooperation?) I now look forward to what will be gained in 2015 (and beyond).

A year ago the "press" was running stories about how the CMRR was "giving up" etc. etc. Now only a year later it is "We are going to require crossing gates on 209 and Hurley Mt. Road".

To quote Barack Obama, "This is what change looks like".

Best wishes to all in the new year.

Hopefully you can run more Thomas and other special excursions to keep the positive news and ridership flowing

scoostraw wrote:A year ago the "press" was running stories about how the CMRR was "giving up" etc. etc.

And remember those "giving up" stories were only printed because the press misunderstood the railroad's support of rail-with-trail. Sometimes, they don't always get the story straight.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Sometimes, they don't always get the story straight. -otto-

Sometimes?

Happy New Year everyone!! It does look like 2014 was a very successful year for CMRR. Can I ask what the plans are for 2015? Do you guys plan to extend the track from Kingston further West? Will you be trying to bring Thomas and Polar Express train events back?

Keep up the good work and best of luck!

I can also see it's been an incredible year for you guys! Keep up the good work! I am curious of what is happening in Phoenicia. The ESRM was building a car barn and I assume that In order to get railroad cars into that barn they'd need a switch and siding off of the CMRR mainline. What happened with all that?

Maybe build a 100 foot section demonstrating the railroad's vision for rail-with-trail, with signs, pictures and maps. Solicit volunteers that want to sign a petition that that's what they want, and another list that they want to volunteer to help build it or pledge to contribute money when CMRR's lease is renewed.

How about, "contribute money on the condition that the CMRR's lease is renewed"? Kind of like Kickstarter, but with a real "kick" to it...

BandA wrote:Maybe build a 100 foot section demonstrating the railroad's vision for rail-with-trail, with signs, pictures and maps. Solicit volunteers that want to sign a petition that that's what they want, and another list that they want to volunteer to help build it or pledge to contribute money when CMRR's lease is renewed.

That is an EXCELLENT idea!!!