Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) Discussion - 2016

airman00 wrote:That is great news the FEMA funds being finally released! In regards to boiceville trestle couldn't there be some way to design it to handle future railroad traffic?...So how are the powers that be able to get around not having to make boiceville a railroad bridge?

I enjoy your naivete regarding this situation.

-otto-

There was a nice mention of the CMRR on WPLJ radio in New York this morning around 8:20am. Seems one of the on air personalities was on the train ride this past weekend with her sister and niece. She talked up the ride really well and that she plans to come on the Polar Express train later this year.

Friday, October 21st

Tom Whyte was engineer, Neil Isabelle was Conductor, Ed Winstanley was brakeman and Peter Fluchere was ticket agent.


Saturday, October 22nd

In Mt. Tremper, Engineer: Dave Heick. Conductor: Tyler Carelli. Brakeman: Ray Farrell. Ticket agents were Peter Fluchere and Pat Smalley.

In Kingston, Earl Pardini was Engineer, Conductor was John Prestopino, Brakeman was John Marino. Fred Rasmussen was flagger. Thom Johnson was ticket agent. Matt Gillis helped with setup.


Sunday, October 23rd

In Mt. Tremper, Engineer was Tom Whyte, Conductor was Hunter Downie, Brakeman was Martin Elbrecht. Ticket Agent was Pat Smalley. Bruce Devorkin was car attendant.

In Kingston, Earl Pardini was Engineer, Conductor was Tony Bocchino, brakeman was John Marino, car attendants were Steve Stanton and Marcia Roosa. Peter Fluchere and Russ Hallock were ticket agents. Matt Gillis and Dave and Elissa Hilliard helped with setup.

Joe Wolff made progress on Engine 42:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=233484" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

To all:

After 35 seasons, the CMRR will run its last train in the Town of Shandaken, NY this Sunday, October 30th at 3pm. Trains will also depart at 11 and 1pm.

The first train ran on August 7, 1982.

Luckily, the CMRR will be continuing to operate in Kingston. However, it looks like this will really be the last train on the western segment of the CMRR between Boiceville and Phoenecia, NY.

Please come and ride if you are in the area!

Ernie Hunt
President
CMRR

It's almost like you guys don't know anything about the history of Ashokan. The EPA told New York City, "you are going to treat all your water." and NYC said "the hell we are, we go through billions of gallons of water every day." The EPA said "Well, then you have to do something to ensure the quality of the water." So NYC started buying up properties, and putting development restrictions in, and basically doing everything they can to keep pollutants out of the Ashokan watershed.

"Everything they can" includes destroying the CMRR. Their lease was never going to be renewed under any conditions, not operating along the Esopus as they do. The trail has almost nothing to do with the destruction of the railroad. It's just a convenient excuse, a way for Hein to save face, so he doesn't look like a NYC toady.

Hein isn't averse to having a railroad, in fact he kinda liked it, because $$$$$. But when NYC shows up with $$$$$$$, it's not hard to do the math.

So, if my theory is correct, then you can expect that the Boiceville bridge will have rails on it, but lightweight ones suitable only for railbikes and speeders. Speeders? Yeah, because who wants to bicycle up that grade?? Better to run the railbikes from Phoenicia to MP6, put the riders on a bus, and then haul them back up the hill with a speeder.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... -and-dikes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The above link, dated Sept. 30, 2016, tells of the city DEP putting up security camera on the dams and dikes of the reservoir. Would it make any sense, if the city is worried about security at the reservoir, to open 10 miles of trail to anyone at all? The security issues would be multiplied many times.

Bingo! We have a winner, folks! Several people have predicted that the trail will die aborning, the first time someone is caught peeing or defecating along the trail. I'm sure that someone could be incentivized (by NYC-DEP) to do so on one of these security cameras. "Oh look! Someone using the trail just dumped a shit into New York City's drinking water. Quelle surprise! We've got to shut this trail down!" Doesn't matter if they get caught or not. The fact that it's caught on video is what's going to kill the trail. They don't need to fence off the whole reservoir. Just run a few chain-link fences from one side of a fill to the other. Make hiking the trail an exercise in pain.

And somehow, the $1.2M that NYC-DEP paid to Ulster County for a trail will not need to be repaid.

Call me Mr. Cynical, but I've lived almost all my life in New York State, and I know how things get done here.

At least, that's my prediction. The future is closed to us. All we can do is present our opinion.

I don't know enough about railroad case law, particularly one with common carrier status. Particularly when said railroad is disconnected from the national rail network. Particularly when said disconnected railroad is out of service. Particularly when someone demands to be served by that railroad. I would think that at least, the railroad would have to quote them a price. If it's legally still a common carrier, why not?

By "railroad", I mean of course the entity which purchased the railroad from Penn Central.

FWIW, Ulster County filed 3.5 years ago to railbank the U&D: Schumer, of course, backs Ulster County, because he will do anything as long as he can issue a press release about it. https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom ... on-tourism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Russ,

They never actually filed for railbanking in 2013, though filing is still part of their future plans.

EH

Laughable incompetence. They ought to just ignore the law. It's what they've been doing so far.

Friday, October 28th

In Mt. Tremper, Tom Whyte was engineer, Neil Isabelle was Conductor, Ed Winstanley was brakeman and Gary Lowe was ticket agent.


Saturday, October 29th

In Kingston, Dave Hilliard was Engineer, Conductor was Hunter Downie, Brakeman was Karl Wick and brakeman trainee was Martin Elbrecht. Flaggers were Russ Hallock, Franc Libihoul and Joe Wolff. Marcia Roosa and Elissa Hilliard were car attendants. Thom Johnson was ticket agent. Matt Gillis helped with setup.

in Mt. Tremper, crew were Earl Pardini, Tom Whyte, Art Vogel, Dave Heick, John Marino and others.


Sunday, October 30th


In Kingston, Al Schoessow was Engineer, Conductor was John Prestopino, brakemen was Tyler Carelli, flagmen were Joe Wolff and Tony Bocchino, car attendants were Steve Stanton and Chris Burtt. Peter Fluchere and Paul Payton were ticket agents. Matt Gillis helped with setup.

Joe Wolff worked on the passenger cars.

In Mt. Tremper, crew were Earl Pardini, Tom Whyte, Dave Heick, John Marino and others.

A small party was held at the Phoenicia Station for CMRR and ESRM volunteers remembering 35 seasons of the CMRR on the west end of the railroad. CMRR Volunteer Greg Peck, son of George Peck, made an important announcement at the party.


Tuesday, November 1st.

Tom Whyte and Earl Pardini brought 407 and the Scenic train back to Phoenicia for the last time, closing out 35 seasons on the west end of the railroad.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday, November 5th

On Saturday, in Phoenicia, Art Vogel, Dave Heick, Harry Jameson, Peter Fluchere and I moved equipment in preparation for sitework there.

In Kingston Earl Pardini led a track crew that inserted 17 ties west of Hurley Mountain Road. The crew included Mark Glaser, Tom Whyte, Hunter Downie, John Marino and Al Schoessow.

Also in Kingston Vince Guido did work on the North Pole and was joined by Martin Elbrecht and Joe Wolff.

Also in Kingston, Matt Gillis cleaned out the coaches in preparation for Polar.

Dave Hilliard and Al Johnson worked on the loading platform in Kingston.


Sunday, November 6th

Dave Hilliard finished work on the loading platform in Kingston.


Monday, November 7th

Earl Pardini, Tom Whyte and John Marino did trackwork in Kingston.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

"CMRR Volunteer Greg Peck, son of George Peck, made an important announcement at the party."

Can it be told what it was?

He got engaged. EH

Friday, November 11th

On Friday the track crew and replaced 13 ties west of MP 6, and made a repair at MP 4.6. The crew was Al Schoessow, John Marino, Tom Whyte, Hunter Downie, Dave Hilliard, Mark Glaser and Russ Hallock.

Joe Wolff repainted the side dump.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=233900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Saturday, November 12th

On Saturday, in Phoenicia, Dave Heick, Harry Jameson and I moved equipment in preparation for sitework there.

The track crew consisted of Earl Pardini, Al Schoessow, Tom Whyte, Hunter Downie, Steve Stanton, Mark Glaser and John Marino. They installed 11 ties at two locations 4.1 and 6.4. 1 joint bar was changed and several tightened near MP 4.

On Saturday the Polar coaches were decorated by Elissa Hilliard, Jan Harrison, Karen Vogel and Pat Smalley. Also on Saturday Dave Hilliard and John Prestopino finished the loading platform, labeled the coach vestibule circuit breakers, installed lights in the vestibules and replaced seats in the coaches.


Sunday, November 13th

On Sunday Elissa Hilliard finished decorating the coaches. Freddy Rasmussen and Dave Hilliard installed a runner in 2940.

Sunday track crew changed a rail at MP 6.4, and also repaired 5 joint bars, inserted 2 ties and started work at MP 6.3. Crew consisted of Earl Pardini, Mark Glaser, Tom Whyte, John Marino, Al Schoessow, and Hunter Downie.


Tuesday, November 15th

Today Earl Pardini led a crew consisting of Mark Glaser, John Marino, Vince Guido, Tom Whyte and Hunter Downie and installed 4 ties and lots of stone east of the body shop crossing.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=233941" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=233942" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Al Schoessow and Dave Hilliard switched out the cars in Kingston getting them ready for Polar.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR