Our first volunteer sessions for 2009 will be:


Saturday, January 3rd

On Saturday, January 3rd, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9am. Plans are to retrieve the passenger train from Mt. Pleasant, then work on culverts east of MP 24.5.

On Saturday, the 702 crew should be working starting about 10am. Please confirm with George Liucci or Al Johnson.

On Saturday, Cornell Street will be closed unless someone wants to work on a particular project. In that case, contact Earl Pardini who will open up for you.

Sunday, January 4th

Cornell Street will open about 9am. Projects will include removing decorations from the Christmas Train and performing other projects in the yard.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, January 10th

On Saturday, January 10th, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9am. Plans are to work on bolt replacement and/or culverts east of MP 24.5.

On Saturday, the 702 crew should be working starting about 10am. Please confirm with George Liucci or Al Johnson.

On Saturday, Cornell Street will be closed unless someone wants to work on a particular project. In that case, contact Earl Pardini who will open up for you.


Sunday, January 11th

Cornell Street will open about 9am on Sunday January 11th. Projects will include finish items on the flat car, caboose, and Westbrook Station, as well as general equipment maintenance and repair.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday January 10th

In Phoenicia, George Peck, Dave Mason and Paul Sternitzke performed yard cleanup.

Al Johnson and Ed Palmatier worked on the sills for Coach 702. They have 3 more sections to cut out and then they can begin to assemble the pieces prior to varnishing.


Sunday, January 11th

In Kingston, besides clearing snow and ice as necessary, Earl Pardini, Chester Hartwell, John Patane, John Tuma, Mark Glaser and Jeff Otto replaced the smoke pipe on the boxcar wood stove, set up the Mac dump truck to be hauled away for repair, and organized the east end of the workshop boxcar.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, January 17th

On Saturday, January 17th, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9am. Plans will depend on weather conditions (cold).

On Saturday, the Al Johnson and George Liucci will be working on the 702 starting about 10am. Plans are to continue work on the sills and vestibules.

On Saturday, Cornell Street will be closed.


Sunday, January 18th

Cornell Street will open about 9am on Sunday January 18th. Projects will include finish items on the flat car, caboose, and Westbrook Station, as well as general equipment maintenance and repair.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, January 24th

On Saturday, January 24th, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9-10am. Plans will depend on weather conditions (cold). George may be running late as he is meeting early with Earl at Cornell Street.

On Saturday, the Al Johnson and George Liucci will likely be working on the 702 starting about 10am. If you wish to join them, be sure to confirm with Al or George directly. Plans are to continue work on the sills and vestibules.


Sunday, January 25th

Cornell Street will open about 9am on Sunday January 25th. Projects will include finish items on the flat car, caboose, and Westbrook Station, as well as general equipment maintenance and repair. If the temperatures drop below 20 degrees for Sunday, the session will likely be cancelled. Call Earl Pardini Sunday early if you want to confirm beforehand.




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, January 31st

The CMRR annual volunteer meeting will be held at the Phoenicia Station on Saturday, January 31st, from 10am to 4pm. The CMRR President, Chairman, committee chairman and work foremen will address the volunteers on our planned goals for 2009. If you haven't already, please RSVP if you will be coming so we can bring enough food.


No workparties will be scheduled Saturday.



Sunday, February 1st

Cornell Street will open about 9am on Sunday February 1st. Projects will include finish items on the flat car, caboose, and Westbrook Station, as well as general equipment maintenance and repair.

On Sunday, February 1st, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9am. Plans will depend on weather conditions (cold).



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 7th

On Saturday, February 7th, George Peck will be working out of Phoenicia starting about 9am. Plans are to get the work train out for a line inspection.

Weather is expected to be partly cloudy Saturday with a high of 40 degrees.



Sunday, February 8th

Cornell Street will open about 9am on Sunday February 8th. Projects will include finish items on the flat car, caboose, and Westbrook Station, as well as continuing to reorganize the Cornell Street yard.

Weather is expected to be nice this Sunday in Kingston, sunny with a high of 51 degrees.


Winter Rules Class

Mark your calendars - the annual winter rules class will be held at the Phoenicia Station on Saturday, February 28th, from 10am to 4pm. Please RSVP if you will come so we can bring enough food. New volunteers are especially encouraged to attend, as well as those who have not yet passed the basic operating rules exam.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 7th

On Saturday, George Peck led a team consisting of Greg Peck, Derek Stapleton, Paul Sternitzke and John Patane at Phoenicia. They worked to clear the line to Farmer's Crossing, and cleared the general area around the yard.

Also in Phoenicia, Al Johnson, Terry W. and Ed Palmatier continued work on the window sills in coach 702. George Liucci and Ernie Gehrer continued working on reconstructing the vestibules.


Sunday, February 8th

On Sunday, Earl Pardini led a crew consisting of Jeff Otto, Bob Blake, Joe Marsh, Chester Hartwell, Mark Glaser, Greg Vaughn, and Paul Hintz.

They moved more material from the dock area, sorted bolts in the machine shop boxcar, and rebuilt the muffler for the trolley museum Whitcomb locomotive.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 14th

On Saturday, February 14th, we will have three work parties:

Phoenicia

George Peck will lead a crew opening up the line in preparation for boltwork. He plans to start about 9am.

The 702 crew plan to start work on the 702 about 10am.

Kingston

In Kingston, Chris Bigham will lead a brush crew starting at Washington Avenue at about 9:15am. He plans to cut brush working west in preparation for future track work west of Washington Avenue. Bring clippers, rotary brush cutters, and chain saws for a few trees we have to cut.

Later in the day, the brush crew may go over to 209 and clear brush away from the cars there in preparation for their move back to Cornell Street.


Sunday, February 15th

Earl will open Cornell Street at 9:30. Plans including moving items off the dock to other parts of the yard. Work on the Cornell Street siding may resume if the ground is not frozen.


Saturday Febuary 28th - Rules Class

The rules class is still planned for Saturday, February 28th at 10am at the Phoenicia Station. Please RSVP to me if you are coming and haven't already done so.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 14th

Saturday, we had three crews working:

Phoenicia

In Phoenicia, George Peck led a crew consisting of Greg Peck, Jim Kinns, and Derek Stapleton. They opened the line down to the Boiceville Trestle, clearing trees along the way in preparation for boltwork, which will start next weekend.

Also in Phoenicia, George Liucci, Ernie Gehrer, Al Johnson, Ed Palmatier, Terry W., Bill Kaba, Tom Healy and Dick Wilhelm continued work on 702.

Ernie and George continued work on the east vestibule. Al, Ed, Terry and Bill finished sanding the window sills. Tom and Dick worked on seat parts in the trailer.


Kingston

In Kingston, Chris Bigham, Bob Blake, John Patane, Freddie Rasmussen, Todd Syska and I started our brushcutting for 2009 in Kingston. We cut several trees near Washington Avenue, then another batch west of the Holiday Inn. Finally, we went to 209 and removed vines from the 703 and LG, and removed a big tree west of C9.

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Sunday, February 15th


From Jeff Otto:

The following worked: Ernie Klopping, John Patane, Bob Blake, Mark Glaser, Walt Otto, and I. We did a lot of organization in the trailer, and put parts of the #23 ash pan and cylinder covers into it, and moved all the rest of the #23 parts from the dock to the new area by Boice's fence, along with miscellaneous steel and scrap. We also worked on the new backhoe, did general housekeeping on the dock and in the yard, and protected the steel cabinets that George Peck brought.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 21st


Phoenicia

George Peck will lead a crew to do boltwork. He plans to start at Phoenicia about 9am, and will be working later east of Andrew's Lane.

The 702 crew plan to start work on the 702 about 10am.

Kingston

In Kingston, Earl will lead a crew to continue brush clearing starting at Washington Avenue at about 9:30-10am. Plans are to get the county chipper to clean up what we cut last week and to finish the last trees around the Holiday Inn and work west. Bring brush clippers, rotary brush cutters, and chain saws.

Later in the day, the brush crew may go over to 209 and clear more brush away from the cars there in preparation for their move back to Cornell Street.


Sunday, February 22nd

Earl will open Cornell Street at 9:30. Plans including moving items off the dock to other parts of the yard. Work on the Cornell Street siding may resume if the ground is not frozen.


Saturday February 28th - Rules Class

The rules class is still planned for Saturday, February 28th at 10am at the Phoenicia Station. Please RSVP to me if you are coming and haven't already done so.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Phoenicia

In Phoenica, George Peck, Greg Peck, Dave Mason and Derek Stapleton took the worktrain to Andrews Lane and repaired the crossbucks there.

Terry W. and Ed Palmatier worked on the 702.


Kingston

In Kingston, we cut and chipped more trees at the Holiday Inn:


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The Tally - 7 large pines, 3 large locusts, lots of limbs, all chipped, plus we chipped lots of cuttings from past years.

Helping today were Peter Fluchere, Earl, Greg Vaughn, Tom Healy, George Bain, Russell Hallock, Bob Blake, Joe Marsh, Todd Syska, and myself.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 28th


Phoenicia

The rules class is still planned for Saturday, February 28th at 10am at the Phoenicia Station. Please RSVP to me if you are coming and haven't already done so. This is the basic rules class, which will include track cars. A test will be taken afterwards. CMRR rules are attached to this email, and I would suggest you study them beforehand to get the most out of the class.



Sunday, March 1st

Kingston

Earl will open Cornell Street at 9:30. Plans including moving items off the dock to other parts of the yard. Work on the Cornell Street siding may resume if the ground is not frozen.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, February 28th

On Saturday, the 702 crew continued varnishing window sills. The crew consisted of Terry W., Al Johnson, and Ed Palmatier:

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Ernie Gehrer, Dick Wilhelm, and George Liucci worked on the Mt. Pleasant waiting area roof, removing it for now. Terry, Al and Ed joined them after lunch.

Attendance at the rules class in Phoenicia was good.


Sunday, March 1st:

From Jeff Otto: "The following worked at Cornell St Sunday: Earl, Ernie Klopping, Greg Vaughn, Mark Glaser, and I.

We did some backhoe training, disassembled the yellow air compressor so replacement vanes can be procured, loaded some junk ties into the side dump, loaded some just plain junk into the dump truck, gathered blocking and firewood, and moved the tarp frame from the dock to the West end of the yard."


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, March 7th


Phoenicia

George Peck will lead a crew to do boltwork. He plans to start at Phoenicia about 9am, and will be working later east of Andrew's Lane.

The 702 crew plan to start work on the 702 about 10am.

Kingston

In Kingston, Earl will lead a crew to continue brush clearing starting at the Holiday Inn west of Washington Avenue at about 9:30-10am. Plans are to get the county chipper and continue to cut trees from there west to the Thruway. Bring brush clippers, rotary blade brush cutters, and chain saws.


Sunday, March 8th

Earl will open Cornell Street at 9:30. Plans including moving items off the dock to other parts of the yard. Work on the Cornell Street siding may resume if the ground is not frozen.


Saturday March 21st - Annual Stockholder Meeting

The CMRR Annual Stockholder meeting will be held the evening of March 21st in Phoenicia. Please mark your calendars. Exact location and time will be announced later.

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR