Housatonic Railroad Thread (Maybrook, Berkshire, Pittsfield)

[bridpath]

C'mon. Freight is being carried where it might have gone simply to trucks.

Better than nothing? IDK. It's not the New Haven, but times have changed and businesses which nice used rail are gone.

You can beat up the Housy or be grateful there is something left to carry. Unlikely we're going back to the "good ol' days."

YMMV, I guess.

[shepaug]

Question. New York. I see on the internet they are talking about the new bike trail over the Housatonic 'abandoned' line.

Did the Housatonic really give it up ? If you were in SW Connecticut it is the only connection to the rail network unless via Massachusetts. Don't know regs but seem they would at least run ANYTHING over it to keep it active.

Yes. There is a connection the P&W uses to the Long Island Railroad etc. Nobody knows the future considering New York City has the sane 'no rail access' problem. Give up a Connecticut - New York connection even if it is to the Hudson River..East Side...

[troffey]

Mr. Ridgefield, hope you enjoyed your drive along Route US7.

From Fife and Drum Restaurant in Kent to Rocky River Inn to the North of New Milford after dark, as the idiots driving their Porsches "a mite bit over" the posted 40/45 came out to "play", was enough for me.

So apparently there is enough business Pittsfield-Canaan (State Line was once the main B&A-NYNH&H interchange) for HRR to "shake the tin cop" and have the "Commonwealth of Tax" drop a "farthing or two" in it. Or might the Commonwealth have visions of extending the new (and reportedly over at the Amtrak Forum, "shaky") Albany-Pittsfield service Southward to Canaan to serve the various attractions (Stockbridge, Tanglewood, skiing) along the New Haven?

Apologies for the delayed response, but I believe that portion of the line is state owned.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/loc ... b1d71.html

[Gilbert B Norman]

The track in Mass looks great-- nice clean ballast, welded rail. Long cut of ballast hoppers marked for Mass DOT on the siding in Stockbridge.

South of the Conn line though-- jeez Louise.

Mr. Ridgefield, your observation of the MA DOT hoppers certainly establishes the State funding noted by Mr. Troffey.

Now I guess what I am at a loss to understand is why the Commonwealth picked up the tab to benefit a Connecticut industry - Becton Dickinson in Canaan (good sized outfit as this Waterbury Republican article suggests). This medical device manufacturer uses plastic pellets shipped in covered hopper cars originating ???? and interchanged from Chessie to Housy at Pittsfield.

The alternative of transloading at Pittsfield to highway trailers than handling such along US7 is simply "unthinkable". US7 is a "been there." for Mr. Ridgefield, as it also is for me.

I guess the Commonwealth's game plan was to keep the highway clear of this traffic so that the tourist attractions in the area were more readily accessible.

[Jeff Smith]

I think I've said this before, but between Canaan and New Milford, Route 7 is bereft of civilization. That's the portion that CtDOT owns. The track, including at NM station, is in piss-poor condition. From NM to Danbury is Housy-owned. That's the busiest stretch in CT. Meanwhile, MNRR continues to want to abandon in New York, in spite of the fact that they're contractually obligated to maintain the line to freight standards, and Housy has potential interchange business with CSX. CtDOT wants to run pax service to at least NM; they should just take the line off Housy's hands.

[FatNoah]

Meanwhile, MNRR continues to want to abandon in New York, in spite of the fact that they're contractually obligated to maintain the line to freight standards, and Housy has potential interchange business with CSX

Based on recent STB filings, it looks like the abandonment process is being held in abeyance whilst Housatonic and MNRR negotiate.

[shepaug]

well...The Housatonic is still running which I guess is better than nothing.

I hate when things get abandoned and end up a state with no rail left.

Rights to run in New York and the 'trail people' are the trillions and they are acting like they own the Maybrook in 2022. What makes a line 'not abandoned' ? I would run ANYTHING over it to say it is used.

Then to Derby-Ansonia ? NOTHING ? The 'stone trains' used to go over it and it must have been in reasonable shape at one time.

Maybrook Line the only connection by rail out of Connecticut vs. via Massachusetts. (freight) Yes. There is an interchange with the Long Island Railroad.

[Trainman14]

Keep an eye out for another GMTX GP38-2, # 2142 to go to the Housatonic railroad.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Last word I had was Housy's traffic South of Canaan (Becton Dickinson) comprises company material and garbage. I guess if they spill either, It's just a case of sweep/pick it up. If any kind of an OS&D claim ever arose from handling garbage, I'd say the sun rose in the West.

Next year is SKS's Centenary; God willing I'm going back, but better not forget the checkbook (well, the password to my Donor Advised Fund). This one is the "Kickoff"; they also plan a "closing" during '24, but I'm not committing to that one. Of course, if someone is considering running for POTUS @ 82yo (and be 86 should he complete the term), maybe I'm too quick to count myself out on that one.

[FatNoah]

Well, looks like we have an answer to what's happening to the Beacon Line: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 306070.pdf (Be warned, it's a 369 page PDF)

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 10502(a) and 49 U.S.C §1152.50, et. seq. Housatonic Railroad
Company, Inc., ("HRRC"), a Class III rail carrier, hereby provides verified notice of its class
exemption from the application and prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. § 10903, for
discontinuance of its common carrier rail service and operations over the rail line known as the
"Beacon Line" between milepost 0.0 at Beacon, New York and milepost 71.2 1 at the
Connecticut/New York state line, a distance of 41.1 miles, in Dutchess and Putnam Counties,
New York (the "Line" or the "Beacon Line"). The Line has had no freight traffic for more than
eight years.

The Parties have now settled the issues raised in that Adverse Abandonment proceeding
and have executed a Settlement Agreement, in which, among other items, HRRC has agreed to
discontinue its common carrier rights and operations and to support Metro-North's request for
interim trail use on the Beacon Line and to transfer its reactivation right related to the proposed
trail use to Metro-North. MNCR and HRRC will be filing a joint motion for withdrawal of the
Adverse Abandonment proceeding in Docket AB-No. 1311 upon publication by the Board of the
Federal Register Notice contemplated by the first sentence of 49 CFR § 1152.50 ( d)(3).

[BandA]

So CT is getting a rail-trail "for free"? Any possibility to reactivate anything?

[shepaug]

Makes me sick. The last rail connection out of Connecticut to the west..from SW Connecticut besides Metro-North. Everything via Albany.

Housatonic. The end. The future ? Limestone last forever ? Any industry in it's area is in fancy suburban territory. New customers ?

Did not the owner run a golf coarse ? Run a railroad. Any books ? This ROW land given free ? Usually money plays a factor.

Get rid of a line with potential customers in an area not so exclusive fancy suburban. Can't blame them to the east if the Derby bridge is a problem.

So the forever future is CSX Pittsfield south to customers who probably will not be around long.

I asked somebody there once why not run anything over the west line just to use it ? Seemed not interested.

Who in SW Connecticut is interested in rail freight via Albany ? I can remember the New Haven and all the customers. Yes..times changed.. BUT one observe all the potential customers in these populated areas. Sounds weird but.. Customers in rural areas and none in heavy populated areas ? No..I would not use rail with it at 10 mph and might fall off the tracks ?

Really though..future of this railroad ?

[shepaug]

ps..map....Ever hear of a bike trail reverting back ?

[NaugyRR]

I mean, realistically freight going out to the west would have to go up to Albany anyways. There's not even much freight on the Hudson Division left, the yard at Croton is all torn up. Anything that's bound for major interchange would have to go up to cross the Castleton bridge into Selkirk anyways. Any southbound traffic would have to travel through Oak Point for then what, cross harbor ferries? It's not like the Poughkeepsie bridge is gonna get reclaimed lol.

Plus it's not like between Danbury and Beacon that there is a whole ton of customer potential. That's a whole big long stretch of hilly, curvy, nothing. Even if the old IBM campuses along the Beacon and Hudson get further developed by Amazon and the likes, that freight is being handled by CSX Hudson crews, to then go north to Albany.

If there was any serious potential to the west, I would think Pan Am or P&W would have bought out and rehabbed the east end, and then the west end by now.

[Jeff Smith]

Although I hoped something could come if the Beacon portion (I still think a passenger shuttle from Hopewell might be worthwhile, or at least Fishkill), the west is dead. It’s only useful if they abandoned the Berkshire in the middle, from Canaan to New Milford. They can also interchange at Derby. It makes sense for P&W/G&W to buy out HRRC. That to me works. At least the southern part.