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  • Delaware & Ulster Railroad (DURR) Discussion

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

 #1450784  by BR&P
 
I don't have pics altho my contact may send some eventually. And I don't have further details of exactly what and why.

This is speculation, but the fact that the derailment "included" a turnout might suggest a cause related to that, such as excessive point gap. But it easily could be something totally different. Without seeing it, I can't offer any concrete info.
 #1450804  by lvrr325
 
Having ridden both in the cab and in coaches on some rough track I can say that it can get pretty rough in the train and still be relatively safe. Well, unless you need to use the can. Then I wished I had three hands.
 #1476298  by Otto Vondrak
 
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... t-railroad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Catskill Watershed Corp. Board of Directors has approved funding for projects at Hunter Mountain and the Arkville-based Delaware & Ulster Railroad. The board also approved a $500,000 low-interest loan for the Catskill Revitalization Corp., which runs the Delaware & Ulster Railroad. The loan will be used to purchase two locomotives, a self-contained rail diesel car, track equipment to lay ties, and a portable restroom trailer.
Two locomotives and a Rail Diesel Car sound like great investments, but what about the fleet of locomotives already on the property? Tired iron and sold off?

-otto-
 #1476651  by BandA
 
Does the Catskill Watershed Association own the Ashokian Reservoir? How is money being used to "develop" a railroad in the same watershed in one county and is used to remove a railroad in the same watershed in the adjacent county? And based on the diverging recent "track" records, why doesn't the DURR just turn over their operation to the CMRR? Is CMRR not interested?
 #1476689  by Otto Vondrak
 
BandA wrote:Does the Catskill Watershed Association own the Ashokian Reservoir?
No. The Ashokan Reservoir is property of New York City (part of the water supply) and is contained within Ulster County.
How is money being used to "develop" a railroad in the same watershed in one county and is used to remove a railroad in the same watershed in the adjacent county?
Because the railroad tracks in Delaware County are privately owned, while the tracks in Ulster County belong to Ulster County.
And based on the diverging recent "track" records, why doesn't the DURR just turn over their operation to the CMRR? Is CMRR not interested?
Kindly, what are you talking about? The tracks DURR operates were purchased from the Penn Central estate by a private charitable foundation. The foundation conveyed the railroad to the towns through which it passed. The towns conveyed it to the non-profit Catskill Revitalization Corporation. DURR is a subsidiary of CRC. Why would they "turn over their operation to CMRR?"

-otto-
 #1476830  by eehiv
 
The money for the CWC comes from the NYCDEP and is being used to help the DURR which is great.

The NYCDEP also provided the money to pull up the tracks in Ulster County which was not so great.

EH
 #1476970  by Tmasterdu447
 
BandA wrote:Does the Catskill Watershed Association own the Ashokian Reservoir? How is money being used to "develop" a railroad in the same watershed in one county and is used to remove a railroad in the same watershed in the adjacent county? And based on the diverging recent "track" records, why doesn't the DURR just turn over their operation to the CMRR? Is CMRR not interested?
The CMRR ran the Ulster Section into the ground and that's why it's being torn up... They had 30 years to get 38 mile of track into service and they didn't. The D&U is more of a real railroad that the CMRR because they have really nice equipment and is more professional. DURR has a better management team than CMRR... DURR is doing better than the CMRR at this point.

DURR runs 11 of 20 miles of track restored and plan on getting the other 7 restored very soon!

-Henry Thornton
 #1477030  by Otto Vondrak
 
Tmasterdu447 wrote:The CMRR ran the Ulster Section into the ground and that's why it's being torn up... They had 30 years to get 38 mile of track into service and they didn't. The D&U is more of a real railroad that the CMRR because they have really nice equipment and is more professional. DURR has a better management team than CMRR... DURR is doing better than the CMRR at this point. DURR runs 11 of 20 miles of track restored and plan on getting the other 7 restored very soon!
I brought enough for everyone...
popcorn_trio_lg.jpg
popcorn_trio_lg.jpg (142.37 KiB) Viewed 6447 times
 #1477126  by charlie6017
 
Tmasterdu447 wrote:The CMRR ran the Ulster Section into the ground and that's why it's being torn up... They had 30 years to get 38 mile of track into service and they didn't. The D&U is more of a real railroad that the CMRR because they have really nice equipment and is more professional. DURR has a better management team than CMRR... DURR is doing better than the CMRR at this point.

DURR runs 11 of 20 miles of track restored and plan on getting the other 7 restored very soon!

-Henry Thornton
Care to elaborate with some kind of detail as to why you are making these statements? "Really nice equipment and more
professional" doesn't necessarily make a railroad "better". And "DURR is doing better than CMRR" in which way?

I don't have a horse in this race, no affiliation with either railroad. I would just like some actual clarification as
to what you are getting at, not arbitrary mumbo-jumbo.

Charlie
 #1477150  by thebigham
 
BandA wrote:Do DURR & CMRR talk to each other?
Of course they do!

The CMRR wanted the D&U to take over the CMRR tracks from Highmount to Big Indian, but Ulster County put a stop to that.
 #1477291  by BandA
 
Plus my understanding (from reading here - apologies for the echo chamber effect) that Ulster County has no plans to extend the bike trail up that far. Since CMRR had operating rights, I assume DURR could have operated under CMRR's authority, but by that time I imagine DURR wanted more than a short-term lease before spending money on track repair.

I was thinking about sharing of ideas, directors, cross-marketing, etc.
 #1477482  by Otto Vondrak
 
Technically, some of the track at Highmount belongs to Ulster County and could be ripped up at any time. DURR had an agreement in place with CMRR to use the tracks that were just over the county border. DURR approached CMRR about rehabbing and operating the tracks down to Pine Hill, but Ulster County expressly forbid it. That was back in 2013.

As for DURR doing "better" than CMRR, I'd only agree based on the fact that DURR operates on a privately-owned right of way backed up in part with the support of a private charitable foundation; and CMRR is dealing with a hostile county government that places severe restrictions the corridor on which they operate.

Everything else is unsubstantiated hearsay.

Anyhoo, what equipment is DURR purchasing, and what will happen to the locomotives already on the property? Motive power issues seemed to plague DURR over the last few years.

-otto-
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