Back in business!!

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... rain-rides

Catskill Mountain Railroad secures permit from Ulster County to resume scenic train rides
By Freeman staff
POSTED: 07/18/16, 3:06 PM EDT

KINGSTON >> Ulster County has granted a permit to the Catskill Mountain Railroad that allows the company to resume scenic train rides in the Kingston-Ulster area starting Aug. 1.

The permit, which the railroad has signed, is good through the end of 2020, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein said Monday.

The county also has granted the railroad a short-term permit to provide scenic train rides in the Mount Tremper-Phoenicia area this fall. Starting next year, that stretch of track, plus the section between Boiceville and Mount Tremper, will be used for “rail bike” rides provided by Rail Explorers Corp.

The Rail Explorers permit still must be drawn up, Hein said.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad is to pay the county a $50,000-per-year user fee; the annual fee charged to Rail Explorers will be $20,000.

The two sections of track are part of the former Ulster & Delaware rail corridor, which is owned by the county. The Catskill Mountain Railroad’s 25-year lease to use both sections for scenic train rides expired at the end of May, but in June, the county chose the railroad as one of two vendors to provide rides going forward.

Hein at one time proposed converting most of the 38.6-mile corridor to a recreational trail, with only the Mount Tremper-Phoenica section being used for train operations. But Hein later proposed, and the county Legislature approved, a compromise under which train rides also will continue in the Kingston area.

Theme and seasonal rides offered by the railroad on the Kingston-Ulster section, including “A Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine” and “The Polar Express,” have been popular among young people and families.

The Kingston-Ulster section of track that will be used by the Catskill Mountain Railroad starts at the east end of Kingston Plaza and ends at Route 28A in Ulster.

permit as opposed to lease?

Personal feeling here,

50k seems steep vs the other group. Even worst if CMRR gets NO help in maintaining the line from any outside source for the several miles they will be on.

CMRR has been doing plenty of trackwork, the county sure aint no railroad operator, they should be credited for helping maintain the line.

So.....after years of litigation and drama, things are basically back to the way they were (except for the user fee)?

No, they lost the Phoenicia section to a company offering "rail bike" tours of the line, and also lost their Cornell St. Yard in Kingston. Now they have no yard or facilities, all their equipment sits out in the open in Kingston.

Plus, last time I checked they had their Ex-Navy crane and some other equipment in Ashokan, and I guess that entire portion along the reservoir is going to be turned into a trail, so what will happen to all their equipment at all three points along the line is a real mystery.

I have been following this for a number of years - silently. This is a real spunky group and I really enjoy their "can do" attitude and their professionalism in spite of all of the natural and man-made obstacles that they have had to deal with.

That being said, I did a Google Maps search form 8.33 to 10 and it looks like this section contains more industrial properties than the other sections.....including an asphalt plant. My history with Conrail goes back to when I was in charge of marketing aggregates service in NY State. There is one very lucrative commercial opportunity available that nobody has talked about. The plant could take in the AC-20 by rail as well as propane to fire the kiln. My customer outside of Hornell wanted AC -20 service and my customer out in Holtsville, Long Island fired their plant with propane. The reason was emissions.

Some day I might tell about the stone business.

The environmentalists would support a change in fuel and you might win some support there. I don't know if the bridge supports 286K so that may be an issue.

I have also talked to my good friend from CSX who has since retired. He is the one that would have helped with the restoration of the switch. Basically, there has to be a good business reason and the fact that as an engineer, I can understand that there should not be a switch on a curve. It just makes it harder to do but not impossible.

Now the business opportunity may be history, but this story has may twists. The other opportunity is that between 8.33 and 10 is a perfect place for a shop. I have an eye for facilities design as I got my PE while at Conrail and did a lot of intermodal terminal design. I can't see if there are elevation issues from above but the industrial users in that area offer a clue.

In accordance with its new permit with Ulster County, on July 22, 2016, the CMRR removed all its equipment from the Ashokan Reservoir Easement, placing the equipment within the new permit area east of MP 8.33.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231635

https://youtu.be/TGUPaY0mSw4

https://youtu.be/dNfKwZcrHhY

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231636

https://youtu.be/zMCkLs9gNes

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231637

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231681

https://youtu.be/asNllbBIqAg

EH

^Amazing, Ernie! 10 years ago we started clearing the line of brush...

Saturday, July 23rd

On Saturday, the CMRR/ESRM crew led by Art Vogel, with help from Dave Heick, Tom Whyte, Al Johnson, and others completed moving ESRM 23 to its new home in the ESRM carbarn:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231646

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231647

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231648

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=231650

Walt Otto and Steve Stanton worked on the coaches in Kingston.


Sunday, July 24th

On Sunday, Ryan Lennox led a crew consisting of Hunter Downie and the Lane Brothers who chipped brush on High Street in Phoenicia.


Tuesday, July 26th

Paul Sternitzke moved the Kalamazoo from Shokan to the Dog Crossing.




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday, July 30th

On Saturday, Al Johnson and John Prestopino made repairs to the unloading platform at Mt. Tremper.

Jeff Otto picked up the remaining ties at Shokan and cleaned out the section house there.

Tom Whyte, Harrison Balduf and Hunter Downie ran the sickle bar from Phoenicia to Mt. Tremper.

Al Schoessow and Dave Hilliard conducted the brakeman class at Phoenicia with about 10 attendees.


Sunday, July 31st

Walt Otto and Ed Winstanley worked on the coaches in Kingston.


Monday, August 1st

Joe Michaels worked on the flat car 273 at Phoenicia.




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

To all:

The CMRR received its new operating permits for the eastern and western segments of the line today. First train on the western end will run this weekend, Saturday, August 6th. First train in Kingston is scheduled for Saturday August 20th.

We are all glad to be back in business.

Ernie Hunt
President
CMRR

Ernie,

Congratulations! Considering where things stood when you took over, you played your hand brilliantly!

I wish you the best of luck in continuing CMRR's endeavors!

Sincerely,

Art S.

Back in Business

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-SC0hb7oso

EH

Tuesday August 2nd

Tom Whyte, Hunter Downie, Harrison Baldof, Brian Wade, Arthur Vogel all worked cutting brush around Mt. Tremper and Phoenicia.

Joe Michaels continued work on flat 273.

Wednesday August 3rd

Whyte, Harrison Balduf, Bryan Wade ran the sickle bar from Phoenicia to X and back. Dave Hilliard joined for overhead brush cutting from Phoenicia to Mt. Tremper.

Thursday August 4th

Joe Michaels continued work on flat 273.

Friday August 5th

Hunter Downie led a crew including Harrison Balduf, Art Vogel and Jordan Torregrossa and continued cutting overheads near Mt. Tremper.

Saturday August 6th

First day back at Mt. Tremper! Engineer was David Heick, Conductor was Ray Farrell, brakeman was Tyler Carelli and brakeman trainee was Jordan Torregrosa. Hunter Downie also assisted. Peter Fluchere and Thom Johnson were ticket agents.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-new ... nt-tremper

http://media.dailyfreeman.com/2016/08/0 ... mt-tremper

http://www.tout.com/m/299ber

Joe Wolff cut brush on the west end as needed.

Walt Otto, Ed Winstanley and Steve Stanton worked on the coaches in Kingston and completely repainted the vestibules of the 2962.


Sunday August 7th

Engineer was Dave Hilliard, Conductor Hunter Downie, Brakeman Tyler Carelli and Trainee Jordan Torregrosa. Harrison Balduf was ticket agent. John Prestopino helped as well.


That's it for now.

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator