Adirondack Scenic Railroad (ADIX) Discussion - 2014

Public comment period on the Remsen-Lake Placid rail corridor is now open. Comments taken through December 15 according to an article in the Adirondack Almanack:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/ ... ridor.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the article, the email address as follows: [email protected]

An interesting read from Adirondack Outdoors Magazine.

http://epro2.com/publication/?i=226031#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;{%22issue_id%22:226031,%22page%22:14}

Editorial opinion is on page 15. You'll have to cut and paste - the tags aren't working for me on this one.

Sheds some light on what are probably the true motives of the "trail" backers...

Interesting editorial in the Adirondack Outdoors thanks for posting tree68.

Good afternoon rail enthusiast, here is a notice that came to me from nyssa, I believe there are people like myself on this forum as well as the snowmobile and other outdoor recreational forum's that believe there can be a compromise on this on going issue. I actually believe with some creative thinking that the Adirondack Scenic can be used in a similar fashion as the ski train in Colorado but used year round to transport for recreational activities. Here is the link.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com ... ae52733bf0&" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is what I wrote to nyssa.

Good morning, I am taking the time this morning to share my thoughts on the future use of this corridor, in that I actually believe that both entities can coexist. I have ridden the section from Old Forge to Tupper lake and believe it to be one of the most scenic rides anywhere in the state, witch is partly due to its lack of residential inhabitants and consumer services. I can safely say that I would never venture alone on this corridor wether there were tracks or no tracks due primarily to the complete lack of emergency services and lack of adequate cell phone communication availability. Most people that I have met use the Big moose to Tupper Lake section as an avenue to get between these two locales to ride in these respective areas. So all in all the safety aspect of riding this corridor, tracks or no tracks, with the increased volume of snowmobiles, bikes or atv's will with certainty, yield higher personal injuries and or death due in most part to careless behavior, lack of planning, and unfamiliarity with the terrain. With all that being said, this is where I make my point of the coexistent possibility or could say opportunity of combining the train advocates and trail advocates. There are numerous smart people on both sides of this issue that may should consider designing an earthen bank that is brought to a flat car elevation for rapid loading and unloading of snowmobiles, atv's bikes, skiers etc. coupled to passenger cars to transport people through the Old Forge, Lake Placid corridor. It just seems to me that this could yield a higher financial windfall for all entities involved. I am a special machine tool designer by trade and am faced every day with challenges in the manufacturing world to try to figure out how to do what has not been done in the past, and when in consultation with customers I find myself surrounded by people that are completely closed minded and find more reasons why we cant do something's rather than be proactively open minded and find ways to make things work.

Thank you for all the support. Here is a link to a flyer the RR has distributed with information about the hearings and some of the most important talking points:

https://adirondackrrblog.files.wordpres ... flyer1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's my sincere hope that the supporters on this page will attend one of the hearings or take the time to write in support of a fully restored rail line and development of existing trails which run parallel to and interweaving in and out of the corridor.

Save the railroad, get rid of ARPS! Need Iowa Pacific to come in and do it right!

Doesn't look good for the trail people...

http://www.uticaod.com/article/20141028 ... 4/0/SEARCH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Public hearings begin for rail corridor use in North Country
by Lindsay Boyle
Posted Oct. 28, 2014 @ 9:48 pm

Almost everyone agrees the 119-mile Remsen-Lake Placid rail corridor is important, but many disagree on the best way to use it.

In July, the departments of transportation and of environmental conservation decided to re-examine the plan governing the corridor, specifically to see if the Tupper Lake to Lake Placid segment should be converted into a rail trail.

At Tuesday night’s public meeting in Utica, which is the first of four, DEC Director of Lands and Forests RobDavies and DOT Freight and Passenger Rail Bureau Director Ray Hessinger said the costs of maintaining a rail or a trail would be almost identical, but that rehabilitating a track for 40 mph trains would cost less than creating a 10- to 12-foot-wide trail.

Using similar trails and railroads as comparisons, the DOT and DEC believe an Adirondack rail trail could attract about 70,000 annual users, while the scenic railroad could see about 200,000 riders per year if expanded.

Adirondack Scenic to launch Indiegogo campaign

Here is a link to the article

Brief extract:
Amid discussion of the future of the Remsen-Lake Placid rail corridor, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad will publicly launch an online campaign to restore two vintage passenger cars at Union Station Thursday at 10 a.m.
By Observer-Dispatch
Posted Oct. 28, 2014 @ 10:07 pm

Here is the railroad website

Here is the indiegogo page

The Man wrote:Save the railroad, get rid of ARPS! Need Iowa Pacific to come in and do it right!

Funny you should levy such an opinion being that:
1. If I'm not mistaken, IPH terminated your brief employment rather rapidly and continues to employ less than savory characters.
2. Make outrageous claims about your Railroad employment and preservation attempts.
3. Confront other members of the railroad preservationist and PV ownership community about purchases of equipment which they were fully funded for because you were unable to purchase such equipment with someone else's money.

ARPS is doing a fine job and should continue doing so. The organization has a lot of trials and tribulations and WILL succeed.

Jmark wrote:

The Man wrote:Save the railroad, get rid of ARPS! Need Iowa Pacific to come in and do it right!

Funny you should levy such an opinion being that:
1. If I'm not mistaken, IPH terminated your brief employment rather rapidly and continues to employ less than savory characters.
2. Make outrageous claims about your Railroad employment and preservation attempts.
3. Confront other members of the railroad preservationist and PV ownership community about purchases of equipment which they were fully funded for because you were unable to purchase such equipment with someone else's money.

ARPS is doing a fine job and should continue doing so. The organization has a lot of trials and tribulations and WILL succeed.

If 50% of what I've heard is true, ARPS is part of the problem and almost anyone could do a better job at some aspects of running the railroad.

The unpaid bills, the items that have been damaged and not repaired properly - or disposed of that didn't even belong to them to begin with, etc. I mean if we want to make vague accusations about things, there's plenty to go around.

But whatever; I keep a lot of stuff under my hat because there's no need to spill the beans, I'd rather sit back and wait for the SHTF and laugh that much harder.

I would opine that there was a time when the "inmates were running the asylum," which happens sometimes if the enthusiasts run an organization when business people should be doing so. And that's the reason for some of the bad karma. Things have improved greatly of late.

tree68 wrote:I would opine that there was a time when the "inmates were running the asylum," which happens sometimes if the enthusiasts run an organization when business people should be doing so. And that's the reason for some of the bad karma. Things have improved greatly of late.

Is Jeff Baxter still involved? I understand that he was one of the people who made thing happen.

It would be my opinion that any personal beefs with ARPS not be aired on this forum. This is not the time for it. Remember that ARTA trolls lurk here and being that they are seemingly losing the battle for control of the Remsen-Lake Placid Corridor, they will be looking for things like these to help bolster their cause. If once the fight is over and the rails are staying you want to start a "Down with ARPS" campaign, then it is your right to do so (I won't support it, but who cares what I think anyway). Truth of the matter is they are doing a very good job running the railroad right now. I will also caution to some that are carrying torches for others to know the source of the information and that there are two sides to every story. I know at least one person here that has had many dealings with the railroad, and that person would never want the railroad's version of the facts to come out or they would look quite the fool. We are all on the same page with wanting the tracks to stay so we need to continue to work together toward that goal.

There's a lot of truth in Matt's post. Who is the bigger enemy - another faction in how to run the railroad, or those who want it gone all together? The enemy of my enemy is my friend and the battle now should be to provide long-term stability for the line itself.