Not to highjack the topic, but "social justice" is the latest buzz phrase for politicians and government agencies to use to explain the need to spend monies on trails, sidewalks, and other issues a community may request or qualify for based on socio-economic factors. Been hearing it for about a year now.

I have several federally funded projects I am designing for the local government agency I run and we have heard this new phrase, and have had to perform the necessary research on all of them.

My guess is someone in Ulster County is or will be applying for federal funding for the trail and that "social justice" research was performed for the application.

Once again, you've put yourself into a situation where there's no coming out of. You think you've won now and the trail people are happy with a compromise, bet you wait another year or so then. Ernie if there is one thing I can tell you about these people is that they will never stop fighting your success. Politicians like Hein only care about their election to a new term and public rating so forth. Personally if it were up to me I wouldn't have agreed to the deal and kept going. When you stopped pressing and I know this from students who live up yonder, you lost a whole community with it too. They saw the CMRR as a weak power only giving in to typical government bureaucracy more so a great loss in public recreation . Whether you'd like to hear it or not I think for the first time you gave the people in your town something worth fighting for. That's why Hein and the others reacted in the way they did and were so hell bent on destroying every last vestige of local history. At this point you're left with a two way scenario.
Scenario 1:
You can continue fighting the county keep in mind they'll cut off all monetary grants and resources needed to effectively manage the system. I do remember hearing that Hein has interest in "cutting" all local federal jobs with individuals related to your organization. He absolutely hates you to death and favors the trail guys for a good reason. As what happened to Adirondack Scenic regarding locomotive vandalism I wouldn't be surprised if that were to ever occur at the CMRR. I would strongly consider reaching out to your local high school to find support especially among younger students. The longer you keep the trail group at bay, the longer you have to gain national support, try the NY Dept of Transportation for starters. Lastly, try to market the railroad not just as a tourist commodity but as a regional commuter venture offering not excursions but a feasible revenue passenger service connecting the two largest centers in the county. Only then can your competitors realize they're playing with a kite in a hurricane.
Scenario 2:
For say you keep your word and play the dreidel with Hein, you risk stepping into a trap. If there is any way to win in politics, it's of tricking your enemies into pure assurance of policy. All the trail group has to do Ernie is request a few acres added each year. If truly backed by the executive you'll do as he says may you risk losing your own business in the process. They can keep doing this until the day you're out of available trackage.

My only suggestion for you is to play it safe until you know your business is in the upmost certainty of no eviction. Otherwise I wish your staff a great year and can only say that you keep on rollin, that's how you'll get your revenge,

Cameron

Cameron -

If you had any inkling of what's actually been going on in Ulster County for the last five years, even you would likely see how absurd your last post is. What you've seen in these online posts is only the tip of the iceberg. If you want to help, write a letter to the County, State and NY Congressmen/women asking them to keep and expand CMRR.

Ernie, it blows me away how Hein will mischaracterize things when he says that with a plan for a trail, now the public will finally have access to Ashokan Reservoir! What a blow hard! How long has the RR been there? How many miles are you from seeing Ashokan Reservoir from the track? That should be your ultimate next goal my friend! Keep pressing forward! Prove this politician WRONG!

Sincerely,

Rob Gardner

RFP Just Came out:

http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default ... 0RFP_0.pdf

EH

There are no roads in Kingston?

There are several roads that run parallel to the railway... There is no advantage in terms of time or distance walking along the CMRR to the Kingston Plaza, versus the trail, as far as I could see after examining the area on google maps.

Because a rail trail is certainly a better allocation of funds than say more police to reduce crime or better schools.

Think of all the "social justice" if he could convert CSXinto a trail.

Aside from that, it looks like the RFP reduces the line to two short disconnected segments. Am I correct that it ends any chance of extending the line westward?

Until the rails are pulled, there is always the possibility of the other trackage being put back into service. No track can be pulled up without a specific resolution of the legislature per resolution 275 of 2014 and 488 of 2015.

The section from 8.33 to 10 is still understudy and won't be pulled up anytime soon.

It is also highly unlikely the County will pull up any rail in the Ashokan Easement until they get it railbanked, and we have no idea how they could get it railbanked without the line returning to freight service, especially with the first mile of the railroad being converted to a trail.

EH

The Latest:


http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... or-ud-line

KINGSTON >> The official call has gone out for future operators of a tourist train on two portions track along the former Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor, and the Catskill Mountain Railroad said it plans to answer that appeal.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad, which currently runs tourist trains between the city of Kingston and Hurley and from Boiceville to Phoenicia, was among eight organizations to receive a request for proposals packet, which outlines the county’s expectations for operators along the county-owned track.

Ulster County Legislature Chairman Ken Ronk said request packets were also sent out Thursday to the Delaware and Ulster Railroad; The Trolley Museum of New York in Kingston; the Tourist and Railway Museum Association; the National Railway Historical Society; Adirondack Explorers; and Railmark Holdings.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad, an all-volunteer for-profit organization, holds a 25-year lease on the tracks that expires May 31.

Here is a example of what happens to trails when those who abuse it damage it. This is in Urbana, OH. and several of the trails share space with railroads. Who picks up the bill for the repairs, TAXPAYERS?

Thursday, March 10th

No. 23's tender was moved successfully from Cornell Street to Mt. Tremper. Crew consisted of Earl Pardini and Tom Whyte.


Saturday, March 12th

In Kingston, Earl Pardini, Jeff Otto, Vince Guido, Dave Hilliard, John Marino and Tom Whyte continued cleanout of Cornell Street yard.

George Peck and Dave Heick continued building out an area for new track in the ESRM carbarn for No. 23.

Ryan Lennox continued cutting along High Street in Phoenicia.


Sunday, March 13th

Ryan Lennox and Joe Wolff continued cutting along High Street in Phoenicia.


Monday, March 14th

Engine 23 was successfully moved to Mt. Pleasant. It was reunited with its tender and both were moved by rail to Phoenicia.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228925

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday, March 19th

In Kingston, Earl Pardini, Vince Guido, Dave Hilliard, John Marino and Tom Whyte continued cleanout of Cornell Street yard. Jeff Otto and Martin Elbrecht cleaned up old ties along the ROW outside of Kingston.

George Peck, Art Vogel and Dave Heick continued building out an area for new track in the ESRM carbarn for No. 23.

Ryan Lennox, Hunter Downie and the Lane brothers continued cutting along High Street in Phoenicia.


Sunday, March 20th

Ryan Lennox, Hunter Downie and Hunter's Dad continued cutting along High Street in Phoenicia, finishing this section.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228926

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228927

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228928



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Friday, March 25th

Jim Bruck and Vince Guido cleaned up used ties outside of Kingston.


Saturday, March 26th

In Kingston we ran five sold-out trains for the Easter Bunny Express. There were 1,126 riders, up from 629 in 2015.

Engineer was Earl Pardini, followed by John Marino. Brakeman was John Marino, followed by Tony Bocchino. Conductor was Walt Otto. Conductor trainee was Tom Whyte. Flaggers were Karl Wick and Harrison Balduf. Car attendants were Russ Hallock, Jim Bruck, Jordan Terragrosa, Pat Smalley, and Jess Pucchio. Ticket agents were Vince Guido and George Bain. Egg patch crew was Dave and Elissa Hilliard, Linda Marino and Bruce Devorkin.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229028

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229029

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229030

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229031


George Peck and Art Vogel continued building out an area for new track in the ESRM carbarn for No. 23.


Sunday, March 27th

Harrison Balduf and Jordan Torregrosa started painting Engine 400.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Hugh Reynolds: Workin’ on the railroad

http://www.kingstonx.com/2016/03/27/hug ... -railroad/

Like a well-ordered train schedule, the Ulster County-advertised request for proposals (RFPs) came right on time for the future operation of portions of the old D&H railroad. The legislature in 1991 signed a 25-year lease with Catskill Mountain Railroad to upgrade and operate the 38 miles of track from Kingston Point to Highmount. The lease expires May 31.

It’s been a bumpy ride. The first edition of CMRR featured upland railroad buffs from the Olive-Shandaken area, dedicated to establishing a tourist run from Boiceville to Phoenicia. By dint of backbreaking labor and perseverance, the ol’ boys did a fair to middlin’ job of creating a tourist run in their back yard. The rest of the line they’d get around to when they got around to it. Twenty-five years is a long time, after all.

The stated goal of rehabbing the neglected century-old tracks and rights of way from Kingston to the Delaware County line was, as everybody knew at the time, well nigh impossible without massive infusions of county money or grants.

Over the past few years, a new generation of railroad enthusiasts, younger, more Kingston-centric, family-oriented, PR-savvy and expansionist, took over railroad leadership. The upshot was the rehabilitation of tracks from Kingston to Hurley and the acquisition and rehabilitation of vintage rolling stock. Tourist trains running that route have attracted some 30,000 passengers over the last few years, almost all from outside the county.

The county could have gotten behind this train-tourist operation run by volunteers, but County Exec Mike Hein, backed by those who wanted to turn the rails into a rail trail, took a different track. Leave the Boiceville to Phoenicia run for trains, he initially proposed, to rip up the rest of the tracks and create walking, biking and hiking trails. Placing the cart firmly in front of the iron horse, he even penciled in $600,000 in one of his budgets in revenue for scrapped rails. Against that backdrop, Hein moved to evict the railroad, claiming failure to meet the terms of the 1991 lease.

Nobody is exactly sure how much lawyers have collected since. The railroad puts its share of legal expenses at around $300,000. Taxpayers are on the hook for who knows what, but with consultants and in-house lawyers (that, a moving target) it’s probably close to what the railroad spent.

What’s in the RFP?

Late last year, safely past elections, the legislature finally got off its collective butt. A special railroad and trail committee called in both sides and in short order forged a compromise similar to what Hein had previously proposed and ordered RFPs drawn up by March 15. Of some interest, which passed my notice at the time, the legislature did not order the administration to drop the budget-busting lawsuit on a lease that will soon expire.

Some background on RFPs. While the issuing agency in its “request” describes in detail what it requires or desires of a given project, contracts do not necessarily go to the lowest responsible bidder. Very often the “proposals” that come in augment the requests, thus producing a better outcome. Or so goes the theory.

Given its history with the county and the ongoing lawsuit, CMRR, which will submit a proposal, has reason to suspect that the county might word the RFP in such a way as to exclude it. In the world of RFPs, it’s called a “poison pill,” tough to swallow and almost always fatal.

CMRR President Ernie Hunt, successor to the aforementioned “Hat,” is, unlike Pardini, careful with words. “We really haven’t had a chance to go over the RFP in detail,” he said, “but we’re a little concerned about the cost of insurance coverage,” about double what the railroad is now required to carry under its lease with the county.

Insurance could be the least of their worries. Paragraph F of Section 1 of the RFP might give pause. It asks respondents to submit “description of any pending, current or concluded litigation involving the responder, parent company or subcontractor or any of their respective directors, officers or other key personnel involving any railroads owned or operated by responder for the past seven years.” Gulp.

After failing to bully the railroad into submission through lawsuits, county officials could cite the RFP’s litigation clause in rejecting the homegrown railroad.

There is one other possibility, of course. If this crew had the cunning foresight to launch a lawsuit against the railroad two years before its lease expired, it may have already lined up a “responsible” successor among the handful of would-be applicants who have already picked up RFP material.

Deadline for submissions is April 15. We’ll see how many responses the county will get to its RFP.