Railroad Forums
Bernard Rudberg wrote:A bridge in Brewster is in bad shape and not safe for a locomotive. They plan to fix it "when they get around to it".Conjecture: that and a possible/likely? lack of funds probably prevents DRM from running fan trips like they used to.
Bernard Rudberg wrote:The section from Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie belongs to Dutchess County and is now under construction being turned into a rail trail.That's too bad. I believe there was an industrial connection from/to the Hudson line (was it the Hospital branch?) to the Maybrook main (as opp to the Beacon secondary) that might have allowed service from POK to White Plains, and served a growing area. All that's left now is the Beacon secondary. I think MNRR now refers to the entire section from the CT border to Beacon as the Beacon line (not branch
). I think the portion in CT is owned by the Housatanic.
gawlikfj wrote:Am I correct to say that if someone built on the right of way & the tracks were ever to be put back,then whomever built on the tracks would have to move ?If they illegally encroached on the land, yes, but if they bought the parcel from Conrail they can do whatever they like with it. Then again, if enough years go by there is also a general principle in law called "adverse possession" which basically says that if I build on your land and enough time goes by without you doing anything about it, you can no longer force me off since you are deemed to have consented to my presence. But I don't know the specifics of New York law on that point.
TomNelligan wrote:
If they illegally encroached on the land, yes, but if they bought the parcel from Conrail they can do whatever they like with it. Then again, if enough years go by there is also a general principle in law called "adverse possession" which basically says that if I build on your land and enough time goes by without you doing anything about it, you can no longer force me off since you are deemed to have consented to my presence. But I don't know the specifics of New York law on that point.
Bernard Rudberg wrote:The tracks on the Hospital Branch were torn out a couple years ago. In any case it was not a very good connection between the Maybrook and the NYC. It used a switchback to get down the hill and the grades were steep. Local switchers could handle only a few cars at a time on that branch.Thanks, Bernie. I took a look at some old nuggets doing a search on the NYS Railfan Forum (probably where this topic belongs, not NE). I found a good track diagram, and searching google I found an article in Destination Freedom about the short line. It's fairly easy to see that this would not have been a good bypass from POK to White Plains had the line survived between POK and Hopewell JCT (combining the branch with the main). Clearly, given Poughkeepsie's plans and evolution of the area, a short-line was doomed from the start.
After the bridge burned, there was not enough customer revenue to pay for the line. The tracks to Hopewell Junction were torn out in 1983.
A rail trail is better than being built into a housing development. At least now we can preserve the ROW and the history.
Bernie
Sarge wrote:[I took a look at some old nuggets doing a search on the NYS Railfan Forum (probably where this topic belongs, not NE)Since we're talking about CURRENT usage of ACTIVE portions of the ex-NH Maybrook Line, and the majority if ACTIVE trackage is in Connecticut, into New England Forum this topic goes. If you want to discuss the HISTORY of INACTIVE or ABANDONED lines, then New York State Forum will have the info you seek.
gawlikfj wrote:Is the Maybrook Line used much ? or is that going to be a walking trail too. ?I don't think he was heavy-handed; I was not offended. The original poster did limit it to active portions (see above). Noel Weaver mentioned the active portions, and also discussed the NYS portions still in existence; active and inactive). Our resident expert on Maybrook, Bernard Rudberg, discussed the entire line as well.
Sarge wrote:One little detail here, the Beacon Branch was not originally part of thegawlikfj wrote:Is the Maybrook Line used much ? or is that going to be a walking trail too. ?I don't think he was heavy-handed; I was not offended. The original poster did limit it to active portions (see above). Noel Weaver mentioned the active portions, and also discussed the NYS portions still in existence; active and inactive). Our resident expert on Maybrook, Bernard Rudberg, discussed the entire line as well.
If you look at the entire thread, most of it centers around the NYS portion; thus my suggestion. The Beacon portion of the Maybrook is inactive, but not abandoned; you could argue that it belongs in this discussion since we're talking about future use. In any case, we've all discussed it, as well as the Hospital branch, so it seems to be within the scope of the topic.
I thought moving the thread to NYS would be a good way of spreading the wealth. You could stick it in the NH forum, too, since it was a NH line (although it concerns active usage). But that's not my call; I'm happy to let the moderators handle it.
