Hello All -
This is a reminder for those planning to join us for the 2009
segment of the annual bus tour along various portions of the former
Central New England Railway. The date is drawing near so don't
wait too long. We have a number of reservations already but there is
still time to get your check to Joe Mato.
The 2009 tour will be on Saturday March 28 (rain or shine). We
will depart from the parking lot next to the Dutchess Baseball
stadium on route 9D in Beacon NY.
This is the same location we used in 2007.
Our first stop will be the Hopewell Junction rail yard and depot.
From there we will follow the Maybrook Line to Danbury CT. From
Hopewell Junction to Holmes was the "pusher district" for the
locomotives based in Hopewell. The CNE did not own that section
of the Maybrook Line but they did lease it in October 1912 when 15
brand new F-5 "bull Moose" 2-8-0 locomotives arrived. By
agreement, union crews from the CNE and the NH Western District
shared the runs and operated from Maybrook all the way to Cedar
Hill Yard in New Haven, CT. The CNE operated the line until it all
became part of the New Haven RR in 1927.
We will have lunch in the Two Step restaurant in Danbury which is
right next to the site of the original rail yard. We are arranging some
lively and informative railroad talks at the restaurant. Those of you
who wish, could walk a couple blocks and spend time at the Danbury
RR Museum which is still a stop on MTA Metro-North RR. The
museum has a yard full of historic railroad equipment including an
operating turntable and a very nice display in the old station building.
Be sure to stop in the gift shop.
This routing is subject to change if we run into any last minute
problems or find a new way to get the buses into a small space. Due
to the narrow roads, low underpasses and lack of suitable parking in
much of the general area of our tour, some locations can only be
shown from the bus windows or in photographs. Some of the road
underpasses are barely 10 feet high. The buses would not fit.
We will show you as much as we possibly can.
As usual, everybody will get a copy of the 2009 CNE Tour guide
book. We have a lot of ground to cover so we will have coffee and
buses will roll at 9:00.
The cost of this year's tour will again be $50.00 per person and
payment should be made out to:
Joseph Mato CNE 2009
Be sure to include your E-Mail address so we can contact you if we
need to. If you don't have E-Mail then include your phone number.
Send it to:
JOE MATO-CNE 2009
62 WOOD ROAD
REDDING, CT. 06896
Any money that is left after the expenses will be used as "seed
money" for next years trip and to make a donation to the Hopewell
Depot roof replacement fund.
As we did last year, we have two buses with 55 seats each. In past
years we sold all seats and had a waiting list so don't wait too long to
send in your reservation. Please note that any request for refunds
must be received thirty (30) or more days in advance of
the tour date. If you can find a replacement to take your bus seat,
that's OK just let us know who it is. We have to know who to let
onto the bus when the tour starts. If you can't find a replacement
then we may have somebody on the waiting list to suggest but we
can't refund money that has already been spent on tour expenses.
This is a reminder for those planning to join us for the 2009
segment of the annual bus tour along various portions of the former
Central New England Railway. The date is drawing near so don't
wait too long. We have a number of reservations already but there is
still time to get your check to Joe Mato.
The 2009 tour will be on Saturday March 28 (rain or shine). We
will depart from the parking lot next to the Dutchess Baseball
stadium on route 9D in Beacon NY.
This is the same location we used in 2007.
Our first stop will be the Hopewell Junction rail yard and depot.
From there we will follow the Maybrook Line to Danbury CT. From
Hopewell Junction to Holmes was the "pusher district" for the
locomotives based in Hopewell. The CNE did not own that section
of the Maybrook Line but they did lease it in October 1912 when 15
brand new F-5 "bull Moose" 2-8-0 locomotives arrived. By
agreement, union crews from the CNE and the NH Western District
shared the runs and operated from Maybrook all the way to Cedar
Hill Yard in New Haven, CT. The CNE operated the line until it all
became part of the New Haven RR in 1927.
We will have lunch in the Two Step restaurant in Danbury which is
right next to the site of the original rail yard. We are arranging some
lively and informative railroad talks at the restaurant. Those of you
who wish, could walk a couple blocks and spend time at the Danbury
RR Museum which is still a stop on MTA Metro-North RR. The
museum has a yard full of historic railroad equipment including an
operating turntable and a very nice display in the old station building.
Be sure to stop in the gift shop.
This routing is subject to change if we run into any last minute
problems or find a new way to get the buses into a small space. Due
to the narrow roads, low underpasses and lack of suitable parking in
much of the general area of our tour, some locations can only be
shown from the bus windows or in photographs. Some of the road
underpasses are barely 10 feet high. The buses would not fit.
We will show you as much as we possibly can.
As usual, everybody will get a copy of the 2009 CNE Tour guide
book. We have a lot of ground to cover so we will have coffee and
buses will roll at 9:00.
The cost of this year's tour will again be $50.00 per person and
payment should be made out to:
Joseph Mato CNE 2009
Be sure to include your E-Mail address so we can contact you if we
need to. If you don't have E-Mail then include your phone number.
Send it to:
JOE MATO-CNE 2009
62 WOOD ROAD
REDDING, CT. 06896
Any money that is left after the expenses will be used as "seed
money" for next years trip and to make a donation to the Hopewell
Depot roof replacement fund.
As we did last year, we have two buses with 55 seats each. In past
years we sold all seats and had a waiting list so don't wait too long to
send in your reservation. Please note that any request for refunds
must be received thirty (30) or more days in advance of
the tour date. If you can find a replacement to take your bus seat,
that's OK just let us know who it is. We have to know who to let
onto the bus when the tour starts. If you can't find a replacement
then we may have somebody on the waiting list to suggest but we
can't refund money that has already been spent on tour expenses.
