Something that hasn't been mentioned yet was that there was a rally for the rails at the last county legislative session. It wasn't what I would call huge--perhaps 50 people outside, a somewhat smaller number in the legislative meeting room to express their opinions--but if I were a member of the legislature, I would want to start asking what was going on.

A big part of this would be that these protests would not have happened as recently as ten years ago. I can personally remember when a railroad would just come up, nobody would mourn it but rail enthusiasts. I recall that only a couple of dozen architects protested the demolition of Penn Station, and that was in huge New York City. Now we are seeing this involving scores of people in tiny Kingston, and possibly hundreds in the Adirondacks. Something is changing, has changed--and it shows in the increasing ridership of these heritage railroads, and also in carriers such as Amtrak.

This situation is escalating--and if I were a member of the legislature, it would start making me nervous. I would want to know what was behind the escalation, the protests.

These things don't happen without a reason.

Phoenicia is very friendly towards the CMRR.

Going back a bit what ever happened to the engine work that was supposed to have been applied to the #400? Last time I checked it was still sitting in primer at the east point of Cornell yard. I understand the block had cracked years ago and they had another 539 on stand by supposedly:what's the current story on that end?

Cameron

I had read something in the posts here that Phoencia did not want all the equipment stored there. However if they are favorable to it that better for the railroad.

What also should be noted is the CMRR has only did minimal amount of repairs to reopen the line to MP 6 and beyond. This is a great success considering the limited resources and having only really started to get more work accomplished in the last 10 years. Even with the long out of service trackage it was possible to repair it to reasonable conditions. Also a lot of hard work by the volunteers to reopen the line in the last 10 years. To bad this hadn't happen 15 or 20 years ago to help get this line back in service.

Dale Brown

To all:

The CMRR finally reached its goal of the Glenford Dike with a work train on April 19, 2016, the day the settlement agreement was signed with the County. If it weren't for the $600,000 we spent in legal fees defending our lease for the last three years, we would have had passenger trains running regularly to this location by now.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229930

EH

Will any of the Kingston trains next month travel that far?

Please watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olt7AfNr9YE

To help save this historic rail line, please contact the Ulster County Legislatures directly and let them know you support maintaining a functioning tourist railroad from Kingston to Highmount:

http://ulstercountyny.gov/legislature

We have no plans to go beyond MP 6.45 with any trains carrying paying passengers. EH

Saturday, April 2nd

Saturday, Earl Pardini, Vince Guido, Tom Whyte, Jeff Otto, Peter Fluchere John Marino and Dave Hilliard continued cleanup at Cornell Street and cleared the track fully to the Dog Crossing. The yard is now looking better than ever:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229270

In Phoenicia, Art Vogel, Al Johnson, and Bill Kaba assisted the ESRM with aligning and tamping their No. 1 track in their carbarn. The track is now ready for storage of cars.

Ryan Lennox and Hunter Downie cut brush near the Route 28 crossing in Shandaken.


Sunday, April 3rd

Ryan Lennox continued cutting near the Route 28 crossing in Shandaken.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday, April 9th

Saturday, Earl Pardini, Vince Guido, Tom Whyte, Jeff Otto, Martin Elbrecht, Peter Fluchere, John Mariono and Dave Hilliard performed trackwork west of Hurley Mountain Road.

In Phoenicia, Art Vogel, Dave Heick, Neil and Kathy Isabelle and the ESRM crew moved the D&H Caboose and Baggage car into the car barn for restoration. Second track will house the steam engine.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229503

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229504

Ryan Lennox cut brush near the Route 28 crossing in Shandaken.


Sunday, April 10th

Ryan Lennox and Hunter Downie continued cutting near the Route 28 crossing in Shandaken.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229506

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229505




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Thursday, April 14th

On Thursday the 14th, Earl Pardini led a crew consisting of Todd Syska, Vince Guido, Jeff Otto, and John Marino, who did trackwork west of Hurley Mountain Road.


Saturday, April 16th

Saturday, Tom Whyte, Jeff Otto, Russ Hallock, Martin Elbrecht, and John Marino performed trackwork west of Hurley Mountain Road.

In Phoenicia, Art Vogel, Dave Heick, Al Johnson and the ESRM crew laid ties in the car barn and started installing rail.

Walt Otto replaced windows in Chitty and I painted the east nose of the engine.

Ryan Lennox, Hunter Downie and Victor Lane cut brush near the Route 28 crossing in Shandaken.


Tuesday, April 19th

Earl Pardini led a crew consisting of Thom Whyte, Russell Hallock, Vince Guido and John Marino who completed trackwork to the Glenford Dike at MP 11:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229930

This was the first train to reach this location since 1976.

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Saturday, April 23rd

Dave Heick and Al Johnson led an ESRM crew installing track in the ESRM carbarn:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=229797

Earl Pardini, Tom Whyte, Vince Guido, Al Schoessow, Burr Hubbell, Jeff Otto, Bob Blake, John Marino and Dave Hilliard did trackwork between the Dog Crossing and 28a.

Ryan Lennox and Hunter Downie cleared track in Shandaken.

Walt Otto and Ernie Klopping painted CMRR 400. It is now 1/2 painted.



Sunday, April 24th

The CMRR ran a special inspection all-CMRR train from Westbrook Lane to the Glenford Dike:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=574324

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=574335

Paul Sternitzke cleared trees from the ROW from MP 7 to MP 21.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

The CMRR ran its first train east of Cornell Street in over ten years today:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=230003

It will likely be the last train to ride on those rails.

EH

http://www.examiner.com/article/county- ... ttractions

County shuts down one of Ulster's top tourist attractions
April 26, 2016
1:45 PM MST

Just days after Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announced the end of the Catskill Mountain Railroad’s (CMRR) lease on the county owned tracks, effectively shutting down the CMRR, its President, Ernie Hunt, said “If you look at the county’s major tourist attractions you see Belleayre Mt. Ski Center, HITS, and the Headless Horseman. With nearly 40,000 visitors between Kingston and Phoenicia, we are now within the top five tourist attractors in the county, and certainly the biggest in the city of Kingston.”

According to the Register-Star website CMRR reported that ridership in 2015 was nearly 40,000 with $1 million in revenue, and estimates that is the equivalent of $3 million in economic impact to Ulster County. The “closure of the railroad could result in a devastating loss of tourists to the Kingston and Ulster County.”

The CMRR announced on their website that this is the last chance to ride this incarnation of one of Ulster County’s top tourist attractions. The Farewell to Kingston train will operate Memorial Day Weekend with Monday May 30, 2016 as the last day of service. Trains will depart from the Westbrook Station in Kingston next to Hannaford Supermarket every two hours between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. all three days. Tickets are $14 for Adults, $8 for children 2-11, Children under 2 ride free with paid adult fare.

To All:

The CMRR just completed evacuation from its Cornell Street yard a few minutes ago, to meet the requirements of the recent settlement with the County. It was a huge job. Some photos below:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=230055

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=230056

Here is a video of the last train out of the yard, an end of 150 years of railroading at this location:

https://youtu.be/zNDJ7WsQghw

EH