Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum (BSRM) Thread

Ain't that the truth!

Sooo with no money coming in from excursions, how will the BSRM be able to pay the bills with the recent real estate and motive power purchases?

And Mr Pease overlooks the fact that HRRC can not operate on MNCR trackage, not even for a few feet, without a MNCR union crew as pilot.
the Beacon line is basicly shut down, now after a fire at bridge behind Brewster Honda.
Mr Pease has big dreams, and only hope on public money to execute and once again stiff the taxpayers of Connecticut.

Mebbe, just mebbe, HRRC will make BSRM an offer they can't refuse.

DutchRailnut » Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:27 pm

Mr Pease has big dreams, and only hope on public money to execute and once again stiff the taxpayers of Connecticut.

Thanks to his time at Guilford, Mr. Pease also has years of experience with the Fink 1.0 play book. All the squeezing that took place over the painfully protracted implementation of Downeaster service serves as a model to those who wish to attempt maximizing gain.

It may be time to de-aquisition a few things.....as much as that may stink. Is there any other loactions where they may be able to run? They may need to look at a move, or other ways to stay alive. This is suck.....(Russian friends way of saying this sucks).

jaymac wrote:

DutchRailnut » Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:27 pm

Mr Pease has big dreams, and only hope on public money to execute and once again stiff the taxpayers of Connecticut.

Thanks to his time at Guilford, Mr. Pease also has years of experience with the Fink 1.0 play book. All the squeezing that took place over the painfully protracted implementation of Downeaster service serves as a model to those who wish to attempt maximizing gain.

Wrong outfit to be deploying the Fink 1.0 playbook. If HRCC loses any more business they're insolvent...period. They don't have the captive customers Guilford had to prop it permanently up in the bad old days. It's anybody's guess beyond pure incompetence what he's after. No revenue = no leverage. They're not going to be long for this world if they keep shrinking while doing a damn fine job salting the earth with would-be revenue generating partners and pitching these nonsensical low-margin passenger plans that require the exact multi-party cooperation they're too abrasive to provide.

Well, I had been tossing the idea around of making a trip out their to hop on board but I guess I can scratch that off the list. Are there anyother areas in western MA they could possibly look into? This is the second time I was planning to ride a train that ended before I could get on board; Wilton Scenic was the first. I guess I will set my sights on Maine Eastern now.

Don't say that!!! With your track record now they're going to close.....

Otto Vondrak wrote:Here's a nugget... Now Housatonic wants to run their ghost trains to Brewster? Over what track? Their ownership ends at the state line...

Pease, the Housatonic executive, emphasized that the breakup with Berkshire Scenic is not connected to Housatonic’s plans to seek $200 million in public and private financing to operate passenger service between Pittsfield and Danbury, connecting to the Metro North commuter line in Brewster, N.Y.

-otto-

Perhaps they're going to resurrect the Danbury & Harlem Traction Company line through Ridgebury. Makes about as much sense as 55-year-old FL9's hauling bilevels.

Last year, I rode the Mass Bay RRE's Berkshire County Rambler. It was a truly great excursion, running from Lenox (BSRM HQ) north to Pittsfield, then south to Great Barrington, and back, utilizing BSRM and HRRC motive power, plus cars from the BSRM. There was a lot of great cooperation on this trip, as it went far beyond BSRM's regular jaunts. Last summer, the HRRC and BSRM again teamed up for excursions out of the Canaan (CT) Union Station. I was hoping to get on the one from Canaan to Great Barrington to complete my "Berkshire Line" mileage from Danbury to Pittsfield, but opted out, as it would've put me back home in VT way too late. I'm kicking myself now that I passed on that trip.

Hopefully this is not the end for BSRM. They had a really great operation going, a descent amount of equipment (rolling stock and locomotives), and descent patronage, especially during the holidays.

Editorial that from the Berkshire Eagle BSRM posted on their Facebook Page:

The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum is too important to South Berkshire County to simply go off the tracks for no apparent reason. We urge the Housatonic Railroad Company to reopen the door it has shut on a renewed operating agreement and allow our elected officials to mediate a solution.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/editorial ... derailment

If I didn't plan on riding a train, would the BSRM be worth checking out? I guess the real question is, is it worth the trip from Boston? How far is the location from The Hoosac?

According to Google maps, it is about 45 miles from Lenox to the Tunnel.
Seeing that much of the travel is on two lane roads, they are estimating
that it is about a 90 minute trip.

I guess the political games go with the territory, but it sucks. And not for nothing, if HRRC is looking for good PR, this ain't the way to do it. They don't get a heck of a lot of good press to begin with given their previous governmental relations (see dump, Newtown).

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_204830 ... ost_viewed

It isn't clear if Housatonic, which has had a shaky relationship with Berkshire Scenic, is unhappy with the museum or with the state Department of Transportation, which was essentially the middleman in an expired operating agreement en abling Berkshire Scenic to use Housatonic's tracks for its 90-minute ride between Lenox and Stockbridge. Housatonic, which received $3 million in state DOT funds to maintain its tracks, is seeking public funding for its $200 million plan to operate passenger service between Pitts field and Danbury that would link up with Metro North for service to New York City.

Housatonic will need state and federal allies to realize its dreams. State and federal officials want to see Berkshire Scenic, which drew 16,000 patrons in 2011,
stay in business. Housatonic officials should get together with Berkshire Scenic officials, state Representative "Smitty" Pignatelli of Lenox, state Senator Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield and 1st District Representa tive John Olver and hash out a new operating agreement that would be in the best interests of all. If this is impossible, Berkshire residents deserve to know why.