Pulling up the former D&H Albany Main

First they removed the diamond at VO in 2000... now it looks like they are lifting rail, and we can say farewell to the Albany Main...

The track in question:

http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/ra ... vorrun.gif

-otto-

I beleive that only the track from milepost 0.0 to milepost 10.0 is affected.

Went over the track over the weekend and it is already gone from milepost 0.0
What a shame...It should have been railbanked for later use.
Now it's gone forever.
John

I don't think it will be truly gone as long as the ROW is still there. It could
be revived as long as that exsists. The fate of the Normans Kill bridge
should be the concern. Still I agree it's a shame to "waste" an asset
like this.

STEAM ON
/--OOO--:-oo--oo-

Unlike the UK, relaying track on old right of ways in the USA is very rare. Pretty sure its not a material cost issue- its a property ownership issue. Thank God the track was rever removed between Remsen and Lake Placid- game over it it had. And now its game over for the Albany Main too.

Joshua

Tracks are removed quicker in New York State than other areas because even idle tracks are taxed at a much higher rate. Once you remove the tracks, they never go back down in NYS. The only reason the Adirondack Division was saved was because of the state owership after 1976.

-otto-

Sad to see this line go, would have been a good candidate for a tourist excursion line. Makes you all the more thankful for lines like the E-L between Meadville, PA and Hornell, NY not getting torn up.

Did Amtrak ever run on that D&H line? I took the Lake Shore Limited through Albany way back in 1976, and although I'm not that familiar with the area, I noticed the distinct Albany government center buildings close by.

Or does the CSX Selkirk Branch get close enough to the government buildings that it could have been there I'd seen them from.

No, the Late for Sure Limited uses the former NYC. The government buildings you see are clearly visible across the river from the Amtrak station in Rensselaer, and again as you cross the river to go up West Albany Hill.

Amtrak did indeed run a special excursion over the D&H in the early 80s (83??) from Rensselaer down to Oneonta. Not sure of whether it went out the Albany Main (I think it did) or connected to the D&H at the station in Schenectady. Schenectady would have required a run-around move, so I'm thining they used the Bull Run Connector in downtown Albany and went out the Albany Main.

I was living in Montana at the time, so I only have second hand info.