NYS&W motorcar trip on May 20 and 21, 2006

The way these motorcar trips are insured is different than a passenger train carring the general public, where the group operating the trip has to provide the insurance; the operators / passengers of the motorcars are private individuals,seeking a place to operate their equipment. Each person pays for thier own insurance, and are individually covered by the NARCOA multi million dollar third party insurance policy, and each person has signend away their right to sue the railroad, NARCOA and any of their agents if an accident or injury should happen.
Many railroads in the country, not just the NYSW, are fine with this.
Trips hav been run on CP Rail and other large carriers, not just small short lines.
The VRA are in no way favored by the NYSW over any other group; They are just operating the only kind of excursion left that the railroad will permit in New Jersey.
With that said, the NYS&W THS , if they wated to, could run thier own motorcar trips. All they have to do is become a NARCOA affiliate and follow the proper stepsto go about it as the VRA did.
No group is being favored here.
If that is what you have heared, it is just another mis-infromed person putting thier spin on it.
Each and ever trip has been approved by NYSW / W Rich and has had proper railroad pilots/managemnt people in place.

Some people in some orginizations have a real "Center of the Universe" complex....

Still insurance is insurance..whether its 2 people or 2million.
I hear that these trips were illegal last year..
watch out for the road trains if you guys run under the radar this year!

Mr. northjerseyrailbuff, I take issue with that comment. The motorcar trips we operate over the NYS&W are with the full cooperation and approval of the NYS&W management and staff. There has never been an "illegal" trip run by our group over this or any other line. In fact we pay a fee, per motorcar to the railroad to operate our trips. Any proceeds above and beyond the railroad fees go toward restoration of our Lehigh and New England motorcar and our other three motorcars. The insurance we have available and the fact everyone signs a release is acceptable to the railroad.

If you would like to obtain copies of the correspondence between the Volunteer Railroaders Association and the railroad you are more than welcome to contact me directly;

Chris Vitz
VRA President
80 Royal Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ 07506

My offer still stands to you and everyone else, if you would like to ride on the ONLY excursion open to the public on the NYS&W you are more than welcome to contact me at the email address in my initial post.

I would also like to state that the VRA has helped most of the other railroad groups in northern New Jersey with clearing brush, lifting rail, and helping staff events and trips. We have even offered to help the NYS&W T&HS, which I assume you are a member of. Recently we offered to run a motorcar trip over the Bel Del line charging $30 per car, with all proceeds going to the T&HS "buy a tie" program. We had hoped this would be the second day to the one day trip we ran on the BR&W. We were turned down cold by the T&HS.

More recently I have seen posts on another website from one of the T&HS Board of Directors members asking for help from the motorcar community to cut brush on the Bel Del. I have again offered the services of the VRA. We have chainsaws, sickle bars and even a brush cutting motorcar available. I was told only NYS&W T&HS members were allowed to cut brush due to insurance reasons. Since some of the VRA members are T&HS members they can use our equipment to help out and have been encouraged to do so. If membership was not a requirement I too would help out.

I hope that at some point in the future all the NJ railfan groups can pool resources and obtain a group insurance policy allowing passenger train excursions. This is what the motorcar operators do on a national level. Unfortunately, that appears to be a long way off.

cjvrr wrote:

Still insurance is insurance..whether its 2 people or 2million.
I hear that these trips were illegal last year..
watch out for the road trains if you guys run under the radar this year!

We have even offered to help the NYS&W T&HS, which I assume you are a member of. Recently we offered to run a motorcar trip over the Bel Del line charging $30 per car, with all proceeds going to the T&HS "buy a tie" program. We had hoped this would be the second day to the one day trip we ran on the BR&W. We were turned down cold by the T&HS.

More recently I have seen posts on another website from one of the T&HS Board of Directors members asking for help from the motorcar community to cut brush on the Bel Del. I have again offered the services of the VRA. We have chainsaws, sickle bars and even a brush cutting motorcar available. I was told only NYS&W T&HS members were allowed to cut brush due to insurance reasons. Since some of the VRA members are T&HS members they can use our equipment to help out and have been encouraged to do so. If membership was not a requirement I too would help out.

Like I said, some people have a Center of the Universe complex/attitude.

Yes, and it doesnt take a genious to realize he is talkign about the NYSWTHS!!!

I made no specific reference to any one group. Merely pointing out a problem within the railfan "community".

OK, help me with this. What exactly is your problem with what's going on?

I have no problems with the vra running a motorcar trip. I in fact like trips and support all of them..I just think that if the policy of running trips to one group is applied..it should be to ALL groups.
that being said, I hope you guys do have a good trip. I dont speak for management for any group or set policy. I for one think that there is no need for 2 groups for one railroad. I also think running a nysw steamer on ex pennsy track is crazy..but i am off topic now
good luck..and good luck moving the hawthorne station..i hear njt wants it moved for when the dmus come to town!

northjerseybuff wrote:I have no problems with the vra running a motorcar trip. I in fact like trips and support all of them..I just think that if the policy of running trips to one group is applied..it should be to ALL groups.
that being said, I hope you guys do have a good trip. I dont speak for management for any group or set policy. I for one think that there is no need for 2 groups for one railroad. I also think running a nysw steamer on ex pennsy track is crazy..but i am off topic now
good luck..and good luck moving the hawthorne station..i hear njt wants it moved for when the dmus come to town!

And that steam engine isn't a free pass to do whatever you want either.

What does THAT mean????

Well, why can't 2 or more groups be involved in a railroad? Its not any one group's rail road.

seems like you have some animosity towards the group.
Its such a small rr and there aren't many railfans...can't we all get along?

The NYS&W is a privately owned business, and is concerned only with generating a profit for its owners. To this end, it is not in the business of running trains, or motor cars, for train buffs. If the people who make these decisions at the NYS&W have decided that motor cars are ok, but steam trains are not, that is their decision to make. If you disagree with that decision, all you need to do is buy or build your own railroad and do what you want with it. Complaining about the fact that the T&HS is no longer able to operate trains on a ever busier railroad while this group is allowed to operate their motor cars will likely not endear the T&HS to anyone either. There may be more factors than insurance in the decision also. Insurance is not the reason why the T&HS no longer runs trips with the 142 on NJT.

Sirsonic wrote:The NYS&W is a privately owned business, and is concerned only with generating a profit for its owners. To this end, it is not in the business of running trains, or motor cars, for train buffs. If the people who make these decisions at the NYS&W have decided that motor cars are ok, but steam trains are not, that is their decision to make. If you disagree with that decision, all you need to do is buy or build your own railroad and do what you want with it. Complaining about the fact that the T&HS is no longer able to operate trains on a ever busier railroad while this group is allowed to operate their motor cars will likely not endear the T&HS to anyone either. There may be more factors than insurance in the decision also. Insurance is not the reason why the T&HS no longer runs trips with the 142 on NJT.

I like this man...

Sirsonic,

If insurance isn't the reason why the Techies don't run the 142 on NJT anymore, then what is?? Please send me a private message if you know all the reasoning behind all this....


Thanks,
Steve