Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) Discussion 2024

The CMRR released its ridership numbers recently for 2023:

https://catskillmountainrailroad.com/wp ... p-Data.pdf

and updated its plan to reach Basin Road:

https://catskillmountainrailroad.com/wp ... y-2024.pdf

We started the year by clearing brush for our future terminal site at Basin Road, which we lease directly from a local landowner:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=278016

And just got complimentary articles in the local news:

https://midhudsonnews.com/2024/02/12/ca ... ip-record/

https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2024/02/12 ... d-in-2023/

We are looking forward to a great year for the CMRR!

EH 

This popped up in my news feed today...
https://midhudsonnews.com/2024/03/28/ca ... 4-million/
Fair Use:

The Catskill Mountain Railroad has been awarded three State Transportation Department grants totaling just under $4.5 million.

The grants are for three projects – $667,000 for the Basin Road Rail Terminal, $1.5 million for an engine house with connecting track, and $2.3 million for a clean diesel upgrade to the railroad’s present locomotive.

Congrats guys!

Seems like 2.3 million would just about buy a new locomotive, not a large one, or certainly a refurbished genset or similar "green" engine

There is an even better article in the Kingston Daily Freeman:

Some of the article:

DAILY FREEMAN March 29, 2024

Catskill Mountain Railroad gets $4.5 million state grant for new station, reduced emissions, new engine house.

https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2024/03/28 ... ine-house/


KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Catskill Mountain Railroad has received a nearly $4.5 million state grant the group said will go towards constructing a new station at Basin Road that could serve both train passengers on an expanded ride and Ashokan Rail Trail users, along with upgrading to a low emissions diesel locomotive and building a new engine house.

A press release said the largest portion of the state Department of Transportation’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program grant, $2.3 million, will go towards upgrading the railroad’s locomotive to use a low-emissions engine; $1,518,000 will go towards the engine house; and $667,000 towards the proposed Basin Road Terminal at the Ashokan Rail Trail trailhead in the town of Woodstock.

Catskill Mountain Railroad President Ernie Hunt said the railroad has already spoken to several county legislators about the grant and is ready to get to work on these upgrades as soon as all approvals are in place.



It's a real step forward for the CMRR and a strong endorsement of our plans to extend the railroad to connect to the Ashokan Rail Trail. EH

More links:

Freeman Article:

https://catskillmountainrailroad.com/wp ... 9-2024.pdf

Press Release:

https://catskillmountainrailroad.com/wp ... 032724.pdf

Trains Newswire:

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... ine-house/