Canaan Railroad Days and Housatonic Excursions

Someone write a check to Metro-North and let's get started...

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Someone write a check to Metro-North and let's get started...

-otto-

Hold on, I think I have some rubber ones in my wallet......

Would someone know how to coordinate this? Maybe after there are enough commitments (earnest money deposits on an estimate), they can go ahead and start the process, with pymts due at a certain deadline. I would love this, either of the trips on HRRC.

I agree with Sarge. Let's get some serious numbers and see if it is at all possible. I also agree with covering as much territory as possible even if it means doing it over two days!!!

How 'bout a northbound trip Sat., bus back, on Sun and train south and bus north. Two trips, two days, two days of income. Plus one day to ride and one day to picture take!

The Strates Circus train does the Pittsfield/Danbury round trip every summer, so the HRRC is obviously willing to move passengers. Why not just have MNCR lend a few coaches to the cause, and let the Housatonic RR haul them with their GP-35s ? That way there would be no crew problems for Metro North.

RussM wrote:The Strates Circus train does the Pittsfield/Danbury round trip every summer, so the HRRC is obviously willing to move passengers. Why not just have MNCR lend a few coaches to the cause, and let the Housatonic RR haul them with their GP-35s ? That way there would be no crew problems for Metro North.

That's a no-go scenario. A few years back MassBayRRE wanted to run an excursion to Pittsfield, and they wanted to lease a set of equipment from us to do it. Insurance couldn't be gotten at an affordable price, so it fell through. The issue is that once we lease out the equipment, the lessee must insure it for property damage - MNR's insurance doesn't cover it. That makes it untenable for any other organization to do.

Jim

Also all cars MNCR could lease out need HEP for lights AC Doors etc no HHRC diesels have HEP, so for safety reason they can not be used.
Also MNCR has union requirements for both trains and equipment.
And the strates train is not a passenger train but freight train with attendants.

Um, guys, why does this have to be a MNCR trip? Is it all about riding the "rare mileage"? Is it all about riding in a closed commuter car behind FL9s? The segment between S. Norwalk and Danbury can be ridden in regular service, so any trip wouldn't have to cover that part.

The Berkshire Scenic Railway covers Lee to Lenox or Stockbridge, or something like that. They also have some nice coaches, and a good working relationship with HRRC. So, why not approach BSRY and HRRC about a Danbury to Pittsfield trip, with BSRY cars and HRRC locos? They might be more willing to consider a special trip like that, especially before or just after their regular season. Why involve MNCR at all?

Well, seeing as how my question about a 2-day trip's viability spawned this new topic, and seeing how I'm one of the planners of the MNR fan trips, I'd like to suggest that we keep the topic to an MNR-operated trip. I'd also like to suggest that we keep it to the realm of the possible; i.e., limited to MNR and HRRC or NSR rails (the two foreign roads with which MNR has existing operating rights and agreements).

The purpose of me asking was to try to gauge the interest for a long trip, which might have to include an ovenight stay. We don't have a lot of territory to work with, and we want to continue our fan excursion program. It may be that the only things we could come up with are trips that require an overnight stay.

So, to focus this discussion a little bit, what do people think? Would you be willing to spend on the order of $100 - $150 for a two-day railfan trip ticket, PLUS the cost of an overnight hotel stay, and dinner on your own? It's a tough nut, and we doubt the market's there...but if it is, we're open to it.

Jim

[Edited for spelling.]

I'd be happy just to do a round trip to Pittsfield and back. I still think it could be done in one day, albeit a loooooooooooooooong day!!! I want all of us involved in this discussion to do whatever we can to make such a trip possible. It certainly would be a rare mileage trip.

I can assure you, Pittsfield can't be done in one day. We've done all the research, and the Canaan trip just about killed all of us (the staff). We're not interested in putting in 12-15 hours on board the train, even if the customers are...we have 2-3 hours of prep time in the morning, and an hour at least to clean up in the evening. Sorry....

Jim

I certainly will take your word for it. But let's not throw out the baby with the bath water. What do you see as a viable option? Know any good hotels in Pittsfield?

capecodlocoguy wrote:I certainly will take your word for it. But let's not throw out the baby with the bath water. What do you see as a viable option? Know any good hotels in Pittsfield?

I've got an old Army blanket and assure you, I can sleep anywhere! Count me in, either/any version of the trip.

-Erie -Lackawanna, thanks for your efforts and the pertinent advice. Are there any possibilities of excursions involving cooperation between Metro North and CDOT's S hore Line East? For example, it was once possible to ride to Old Saybrook and connect with the Valley RR steam train for special events.
-Or a stop at Branford, with bus shuttle to the Trolley Museum? If the fans changed trains, each railroad would be operating on its own track and on its own inurance. O master, enlighten us. Thank you.

Roger

Current Metro North equipment can not travel east of New Haven on shoreline due to lack of ACSES cab signaling.
and CDOT(SLE) equipment is not allowed on third rail as GP-40-2h and VRE cars do not clear third rail at speeds ovcer 20 mph.