Friday, October 10th

In Kingston on Friday- John Marino and Mark Glaser did track work west of Fair St. Maintenance work was done on the MOW pickup at Cornell St.

Oct. 10th at Mt Tremper Engineer was Al Schoessow. Conductor was John Prestopino. Dave Hilliard was brakeman / engineer trainee. Ed Winstanley and Thom Johnson were car attendants. Bruce Devorkin was ticket agent.


Saturday, October 11th

On Saturday,crews returned to HMR,approximately 40 ties were tamped and plated,35 gauge spiked between the old washout and Farmer's Crossing. 5 ties were inserted west of HMR. 40 ties were marked for replacement west of MP6. Participating were: John Patane, George Peck, Art Vogel, Tom Whyte, John Marino, Mark Glaser, Jarrett May.


Mt Tremper crews: Engineer was Al Schoessow. Conductor was Neil Remsen. Tyler Carelli was point protection. Car attendants were, Pat Smalley, Russ Hallock and Bruce Devorkin. Peter Fluchere was Ticket agent.


Sunday, October 12th

Engineer was Dave Heick. Conductor was John Prestopino. Brakeman was Tony Bocchino and Tyler Carelli brakeman trainee. Car attendants were Walt Otto and Karen Vogel. Harry Jameson and Thom Johnson were parking lot attendants. Pat Smalley was ticket agent. Ryan Lennox and Tyler LaRose cut brush at Rock Cut. An extra was run at 4pm.

Sunday Oct.5;John Patane,George Peck,Al Schoessow,John Marino,Tom Whyte,Carl Wick,and Mark Glaser continued work on the HMR project. 47 ties inserted,2 spiked.


George Bain, Neil Remsen, Greg Vaughn and I did coach maintenance.



Monday, October 13th

Monday, Tom Whyte and John Marino returned to HMR,working west toward the farm crossing,they gauge spiked 31 and fully spiked 52 ties.

Greg Vaughn and Al Schoessow did maintenance projects in the yard.

At Mt. Tremper, Dave Heick was engineer, Presto was brakeman, Tyler Carelli was brakeman, trainee, Chris Burtt was car attendant, Walt Otto was conductor, Al Johnson directed traffic, Peter Fluchere and George Bain were ticket agents




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Flashers went up today on Route 209 west of Kingston:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=219680

CMRR 401 west of 209 across the newly reconstructed culvert:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=219653

Track is in service to about MP 5.6, will go further west shortly.

EH

A new addition to the CMRR fleet arrived today, former LIRR 2949:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=219805

We plan to put it in service next month.

EH

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/opinion/201 ... much-sense

LETTER: Rail with trail just makes so much sense

Posted: 10/28/14, 1:19 PM EDT |

“LETTER: Ulster County trail proposal leaves many questions,” Feb. 16, 2014

Dear Editor,

Everywhere I go I talk about my support for the Catskill Mountain Railroad and for an unsegmented rail with parallel trail from Kingston to the west. The most frequent response I get is, “Why can’t we have both rail and trail?” My answer is, “It seems like an obvious choice to me, and we would get the best of both worlds.”

The hard-line and uncompromising approach of the trail-only advocates in this conflict confounds me. How could one local group feel that it would be OK to achieve their goals and dreams by destroying the goals and dreams of another local group?

Do the trail-only supporters feel that, because the county executive is relentlessly working to rip up the railroad tracks in Kingston and to relegate the tourist train to a few miles in Phoenicia, that they don’t need to speak up for a win-win compromise. It would be great to have their support for a solution that brings this community together and allows us to have an unsurpassed and thriving rail With trail which benefits residents and tourists alike. The Catskill Mountain Railway has proposed and supported a rail with trail plan from the very beginning of the controversy.
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Since there’s no indication of a true rail with trail compromise being offered by the executive or the trail advocates, I’m counting on the Ulster County Legislature to lead us to a decent and fair outcome in this conflict.

Meg Carey

Glenford, N.Y.

Friday October 17th

At Mt. Tremper, Engineer was Al Schoessow. Conductor was John Prestopino and Walt Otto was brakeman. Dave Hilliard was Engr. / trainee. Ticket agent was Bruce Devorkin. George Peck and Al Johnson assisted with operations.

On Friday in Kingston,crews worked on the Rte.209 crossing project.Working today were Greg Vaughn,Raphael Demeglio,John Marino,George Peck,Earl Pardini,Tom Whyte,and Mark Glaser.


Saturday October 18th

At Mt. Tremper, Dave Heick was engineer. Conductor was Neil Remsen and Tyler Carelli as car attendant / brakeman trainee.

On Saturday, Mark Glaser worked west of MP 6,weed wacking,blowing leaves and marking ties for replacement.



Sunday October 19th

At Mt. Tremper, Engineer was Dave Heick. Conductor was Tony Bocchino and Tyler Carelli was car attendant/ brakeman trainee. Ticket agent was Russ Hallock.

Sunday,Mark Glaser returned to the HMR project,clearing brush on the west side of the crossing and completed marking tie upgrades to MP 6.15.

Tyler LaRose and Ryan Lennox cleared the tracks from MP 14 to 16.


Wednesday October 22nd

Earl Pardini, Walt Otto, Al Schoessow, John Prestopino and Freddie Rasmussen unloaded coach 2949 at O'Neil Street.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=219805



Thursday, October 23rd

Walt Otto and Al Johnson worked on coach 2949.


Friday October 24th

At Mt. Tremper, Al Schoessow was engineer, Neil Isabelle was brakeman, Kathy Isabelle was trainman,
Walt Otto was conductor. Bruce Devorkin was ticket agent.

In Kingston on Friday,Raphael Demeglio and Mark Glaser did track work east of the O&W switch.


Saturday October 25th

At Mt. Tremper, Dave Heick was engineer.Conductor was Neil Remsen and Tyler was car att. / brakeman trainee. Russ Hallock was ticket agent.

Saturday, G.Peck,J.Patane,T.Whyte,B.Blake,R.Demeglio,and M.Glaser continued the HMR upgrade,50 ties were spiked, 31 gauge spiked.


Sunday October 26th

At Mt. Tremper, George Peck was engineer. Conductor was Tony Bocchino and Tyler Carelli was car att./ brakeman trainee. Tx agent was Peter Fluchere.

R.Demeglio,T.Whyte,J.Marino,and M.Glaser final spiked all track from the farm crossing at MP 5.53 to HMR. Track now upgraded from 209 to HMR.

Tyler LaRose and Ryan Lennox cleared the tracks from MP 10 to 16.

Al Johnson worked on coach 2949.


Wednesday October 29th

Al Johnson and Walt Otto continued work on coach 2949 in the yard.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Great Pumpkin Express

The CMRR hosted over 1900 guests over the three weekends from October 18th to November 2nd for the Great Pumpkin Express. In addition to train crew we had Pat Smalley and Gladys in charge of the retail tent area where they had many helpers including Ralph Goneau, Linda Marino, Jan Harrison, Bruce Devorkin, Mary Certoma, Brandon Stanton, and Kyle Wolensky.

Saturday October 18th

Sat. Oct. 18th in Kingston. Engr was Earl Pardini. Fireman was Al Schoessow. Conductor was John Prestopino. Point protection/ flagger, John Marino. Fred Rasmussen was flagger. Car attendants were Karen Vogel and Jan Harrison. Alex Sorenson assisted. Matt Gillis and George Bain were ticket agents.

Sunday October 19th

Sun. the 19th, Engr. was Earl Pardini. Conductor was Walt Otto. John Marino was Point protection / flagger and Karl Wick was flagger. Car attendants were Karin Vogel and Linda Marino.

Saturday October 25th

The train crew in Kingston for Saturday was Engineer Al Schoessow. The conductor was John Prestopino. Flaggers ---John Marino ( point protection ) and Fred Rasmussen. Car attendants, Karen Vogel, Jan Harrison and Thom Johnson. Karl Wick was security.

Sunday October 26th

Al Schoessow was engineer, Dave Hilliard was brakeman trainee, Karl Wick was flagger, Linda Marino and Bruce Devorkin were car attendants, Walt Otto was conductor.

Wednesday October 29th.

Walt Otto and Al Johnson worked on the new coach.

Friday October 31st

The engr. was AL Schoessow. John Prestopino was conductor and Walt Otto was brakeman. Dave Hilliard was flagger. Tix agent was Peter Fluchere.

In Kingston on Friday,R.Demegio,J.Marino,G.Peck,and M. Glaser did track work east of the O&W switch. George Peck inserted 11 ties west of MP 6.

Saturday November 1st

Al Schoessow was engineer, John Prestopino was brakeman, Tyler Carelli was brakeman trainee, Karl Wick was flagger, Karin Vogel was car attendant, Walt Otto was conductor.

At Westbrook Mr. Patane Sr. doing crowd control, Peter Fluchere and George Bain selling tickets, and Pat Smalley and Bruce Devorkin in the big tent.

Saturday, A.Vogel,T.Whyte,R.Demeglio,J.Patane,J.Marino and M.Glaser continued upgrading track west of Hurley Mountain Rd.



Sunday November 2nd

On Sunday Nov. 2nd., the engr was Al Schoessow. Conductor was Tony Bocchino. Walt Otto was trainman. Tyler Carelli was brakeman trainee / flagger. Car attendant was Linda Marino. Ticket agent was Matt Gillis.

Sunday,J.Patane,T.Whyte,J.Marino,R.Demeglio,and M.Glaser returned to the HMR project. Several overhanging trees were removed from the ROW, track upgrades and grading on the west side of the crossing was done. I worked on the cars on 209.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Wednesday, November 5th

Cleaning the new coach were Pat Smalley, Ed Winstanley, Bruce Devorkin, Tyler Carelli, and Alex Sorrensen. Al Johnson and Walt Otto worked on the floors. Al Schoessow did maintenance chores. George Bain worked later in the day.


Friday, November 7th

On Friday, Al Schoessow, John Marino, and Mark Glaser machine tamped just west of the Rte.209 crossing. Earl Pardini and George Peck installed ties west of CR5.

Ryan Lennox cut brush west of 209.


Saturday, November 8th

Saturday, John Patane, Tom Whyte, John Marino, Art Vogel, Bob Blake,and Mark Glaser inserted, spiked and tamped ties in the cut immediately west of the Hurley Mountain Rd. crossing.

Walt Otto and Al Johnson continued work on the coach, along with Harrison and George Balduf, Jim Bruck, Greg Vaughn, Fred Rasmussen, Pat Smalley, Ernie Klopping, Bruce Devorkin, Neil Remsen and George Bain.


Sunday, November 9th

Sunday, John Patane, Tom Whyte, John Marino, Dave Hilliard, Gary Lowe, and Mark Glaser finished spiking ties in the HMR cut. Ties were inserted west of MP 6 up to the graded areas on the north and south sides of the track.

George Bain continued work on the coach along with Jim Bruck, Harrison and George Balduf and Alex Sorenson.


Monday, November 10th

Monday,John Marino,Jeff Otto,Jim Bruck,and Mark Glaser gauge spiked and inserted additional ties west of MP 6.


Tuesday, November 11th

Tuesday, a track crew including John Marino, Tom Whyte, George Peck, Jeff Otto, and Mark Glaser inserted 22 additional ties and spiked 50.

George Bain led a crew on the new coach including George Balduf, Ed Winstanley, Alex Sorenson, Greg Vaughn, Jim Bruck and Matt Gillis.


Wednesday, November 12th

Working today on the new coach were Al Johnson, George Balduf, Tyler Carelli, Matt Gillis, Freddie Rasmussen, Ray Perrone, Jim Bruck and Walt Otto.

Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Friday November 14th

Bruce Devorkin cleaned the 2949 seats. Jim Bruck and Walt Otto cut a window for one end of 2949. Neil Remsen worked under the car, and John Prestopino worked to free up one of the door tracks in 2940.

Mark Glaser did trackwork in Kingston.


Saturday November 15th

At Cornell Street, George Bain worked on coach 2949. Others working included Bruce Devorkin, Pat Smalley, Ernie Klopping, Joe Michaels, Earl Pardini, and Jim Bruck.

At Hurley Mountain Road, Mark Glaser led a crew finishing tie insertion and spiking. The crew included Tom Whyte, John Marino, Dave Hilliard, Jeff Otto, bob Blake, Art Vogel, George Peck, Greg Peck and John Patane.


http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220370

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220371


Sunday November 16th

Mark Glaser lead a crew that completed trackwork west of Hurley Mountain road. The crew included John Marino, Tom Whyte, Jeff Otto, George Peck, Greg Peck, Steve Porter, Ryan Lennox. Matt Gillis worked on the North Pole.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220372

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220373

Later John Patane and Neil Remsen brought the 401 and moved the storage fleet to the new end of track at MP 6.23.

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220378

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220379

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220380

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220381

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220382

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220383

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220384

At Cornell Street Alex and Walt Otto installed the windows in 2949's end doors, Jim Bruck worked on moving seats to 2940, Pat Smalley and George Bain did some painting, Ernie Klopping and Joe Michaels worked on 2949's generator, Bruce Devorkin continued cleaning seats. Walt Otto worked on the 2949 floors. Greg Vaughn worked on the air system.


Monday November 17th

Jim Bruck continued work on coach 2940.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
CMRR

Includes a video of CMRR's new locomotive!

This weekend is going to be huge for Kingston and the CMRR.

http://hudsonvalley.twcnews.com/content ... in-tracks/

City Council to Review County’s Proposal to Remove the Catskill Mountain Train Tracks

Tents are already starting to go up for the Polar Express train ride on the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston. 14,000 tickets have been sold for the rides that start Friday, but a county proposal could put an end to this holiday tradition. As Time Warner Cable News reporter Candace Dunkley report, residents are fighting to keep the trains running.

KINGSTON, N.Y -- Almost 14,000 children and their families have signed up to celebrate Christmas aboard The Polar Express train. The train rides inspired by the popular book and movie leave from Kingston starting Friday.

Kingston resident Ralph Mitchell loves to see people come from all over to see the movie come to life aboard the train, bringing to life also, the local economy.

"It's an economic development generator. A flash point if you will, right here on exit 19," said Kingston resident Ralph Mitchell.

“Once the folks come to ride the train with us then they go into the restaurants and sit down to have a meal either before or after the experience with us and then they have all the shopping in uptown Kingston, and so we do bring an incredible amount of people here,” said event coordinator Matt Gillis.

But could this be the last holiday season for the train? The county wants to remove the tracks from Cornell Street in midtown Kingston to Boiceville and replace it with a walking and biking trail. It's a move the city signed off on a few years ago. But now that the railroad has started to host large events – residents wants the city to reconsider.

"To rip it up would go against any business sense," said Mitchell.

“We’ve seen a significant change from what happened two years ago to the present and that’s something we need to evaluate in deciding how to go forward,” said Common Council Majority Leader Matt Dunn.

Kingston's Common Council will talk about the future of the tracks on November 26. But regardless of what the common council ultimately decides – the county has the final say because the railroad tracks are on its land.

New Engine at the CMRR

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220449

RMNE 42 is now CMRR 42. Engine arrived today in Kingston.

Photographed by Bill Hayes, November 20, 2014.
Railroad: Catskill Mountain RR.

Let's see, 11,000 tickets for Thomas, and now at least 14,000 here--that's 25,000 people for a railroad with some equipment that is not as classic as Strasburg's, and without the scenery of Cass or Durango & Silverton. . .

I doubt a trail would do as well.

This means that, above all perhaps, we have to PERFORM! It won't convince your opponents--the trail people there are poo-pooing this as using "cartoon" trains--but it pays the bills, and besides, how many cartoon characters are great promoters, such as Smokey the Bear, Reddy Kilowatt, the whole Disney cast, Tony the Tiger, the Standard Oil--Exxon tiger, the Michelin man, assorted sports mascots. . .

"Kingston's Common Council will talk about the future of the tracks on November 26. But regardless of what the common council ultimately decides – the county has the final say because the railroad tracks are on its land."


In fact the US Supreme Court told the Penn Central Railroad the opposite, New York City had the final say at Grand Central Station not the landowner.

Paul

I hadn't realized that Penn Central and the city had gotten into it over the branch Post Office.

The SCOTUS decision re Grand Central Terminal, PENN CENTRAL TRANSP. CO. v. NEW YORK CITY, 438 U.S. 104 (1978), concerned whether or not the landmarks law constituted a taking of the property so long as the owner was able to use it in the manner intended and the owner still had the ability to sell the development rights for use on other properties (allowing adjacent buildings to go higher than would otherwise be permitted). Remember that this was not settled by the decision but ultimately by the purchase of the property by the State through the MTA.

I don't believe it would apply here as: 1) This is a landlord-tenant situation, it is neither a taking by an outside power nor an historical preservation law issue; 2) The landlord is a superior government to the town; and, 3) there is no 'public purpose' in the normal legal sense as applied to railroads in the Catskill Mountain operation per se.

Having said that - The reported numbers are encouraging as is the town's action. While the county may well be within its legal rights to evict the CMRR at the conclusion of the lease it does not strike me as being a terribly bright thing to do.

GME

I'm glad to see 42 arrived safely up there. I rode it last on the rails at RMNE and shut her down for the last time here once she finally made it up onto the trailer. Took several tries and readjusting the ramps she was towed up and a good part of a Sunday to make sure it got loaded right.

Jason

Sadly, some people still think getting rid of the railroad is a smart thing to do:

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/opinion/201 ... l-corridor

Let's hope more rational heads prevail in a year or so.