^That's the track to the the Kingston trolley museum.

The trail people got a hold of it and the tracks were torn up for a trail.

And the story I heard was the Trolley Museum let them have it, as they had no interest in it, nor had anything that could get up the hill.

From what I understand, the City of Kingston got the trolley museum to sign some sort of agreement that allowed the city to rip up the tracks going up the hill to build a trail. It was a shortsighted decision by a museum board that I venture did not completely understand the nature of the action that the city wished to take. The tracks were only removed so there would be no chance of trolleys (or trains or anything) ever connecting the waterfront with downtown area.

That was two years ago. Guess what has never been built on the right of way? Yup, that's right, no trail, just ripped up tracks and some discarded ties.

-otto-

One would think that connecting the waterfront with downtown would only increase the attraction of both while providing alternatives to more annoying traffic. Anybody from Pittsburgh knows that trolleys do a great job of climbing hills.

Those aren't the reasons that TMNY "gave up" on the track between Downtown and Midtown Kingston. Sure, we had interest. Yes, we have equipment that can go up the hill -- here's a picture from 1999 on the hill:


The reasons were more pragmatic, boiling down to saving money (less liability, no FRA bridge certs) and not wanting to bite the hand that feeds us. TMNY has plenty else to focus on instead, read here: http://tmny.org/vision.html. Besides, the investment so far on the Greenline Trail along our tracks to Kingston Point has benefited everyone. Rail with Trail supporters have pointed to the trail built along the TMNY tracks as an example of what can be done elsewhere in the U&D corridor.

Well, I'd like to think we made a well-informed decision that was strategic relative to the museum's future, even if it resulted in the loss of certain track. However, we were able to include a reversion clause in the agreement-- the museum gets the ROW back after a period of time (40 years if I recall).

You can call it what you want, but the tracks have been ripped up, they will never come back, and they haven't built a trail in the two years since. The removal of the tracks in Rondout is only marginally related to what's happening with CMRR, so I won't comment any further on the plight of TMNY.

-otto-

So... It's an "As Good as Forever" clause then?

Big News:

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... lster-area

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back on track: Catskill Mountain Railroad chosen for train rides in Kingston-Ulster area
By Patricia Doxsey, Daily Freeman
POSTED: 06/17/16, 12:31 PM EDT

KINGSTON >> The Catskill Mountain Railroad is on track to resume operations on eastern segment of the Ulster & Delaware corridor, where the railroad previously operated excursion and special event trains.

In a press release issued Friday, the Ulster County Purchasing Department announced a special selection committee also chose Rail Explorers Corp., which will operate on the western portion of the corridor, in the Shandaken area, beginning in 2017.

The county owns the tracks, which extend from Kingston to Ulster County-Delaware County line.

The county had issued a “request for proposals” from operators interested in running tourist trains on one or both sections of the tracks identified by the county for continued train operations. The remainder of the corridor is to be converted into a recreational trail.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad operated tourist trains on both segments of the track under a 25-year lease with the county that expired on May 31. Under the new plan, it will operate train rides only between Kingston Plaza and the town of Ulster, where it previously has operated popular seasonal rides such as The Polar Express.

According to the press release, the county received one proposal for a tourism train operation on the eastern segment of the tracks and two proposals for a tourist train on the western end.

The county and two companies must negotiate final contracts, which will then go to the county Legislature for approval.

Great news! But out of curiosity, I went to Google Maps and couldn't find it - where is the "town of Ulster"?

^The CMRR currently operates to a spot along Rt 28:

https://bit.ly/1S9yQOy

Is Rail Explorers Corp. the same group that's been offering pedal-power trackcar tours of the Adirondack Scenice RR?

-Philip Marshall

Once the new operators are confirmed, will there be any funds available to those operators for track work, or just for the trail?

Better news than it might have been, but I can't see being crammed into a short length of urban track, with no yard or maintenance facilities and in a political environment where replacing those essential features will be difficult to say the least, as being great news.

What will become of all the equipment in the other section of track? Will CMRR be allowed to bring that equipment into town, or will it be deemed "junk" by the regime?

Hopefully this contract will allow the railway to survive until the time when an enlightened local government is in place.

Steve Hunter