Railroad Revival in the Catskill Mountains
 The brush cutting crew at MP 19 takes a break on April 29, 2006. We had a big crew of 14 and the weather was great. We cut 2.7 miles that day. Clearing brush is the first step towards restoring track to full operation, and the results can be enjoyed immediately. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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 System map of the various railroads in the Catskill Mountain region as they operate today. |
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CMRR President Earl Pardini at the helm of the 401. Note that the RS-1 is under the Elmendorf Street overpass, hence the brickwork outside the cab window. He is waiting for the crew to finish unloading ties from the flat car at the front of the train on November 25, 2006. Photo by Dave Baker. |
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There’s a railroad under there somewhere! This photo illustrates the amount of work crews had to accomplish before the rails would be plainly visible again. Here is the crew attacking the thick brush and saplings in the deep cut east of West Hurley on September 4, 2006. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The CMRR brush crew completes 4.5 miles of brush cutting on the Ashokan Reservoir, arriving at Ashokan, on April 30, 2006. The structure in the background is the CMRR tool shed. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The crew takes a break at MP 39 after painting the lettering in the milepost. Pictured are (l-r) Burr Hubbell, Dave Baker, and John LaBarre. October 7, 2006. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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CMRR No. 29, Flat No. 272, and Coach 701 at the Phoenicia depot on May 28, 2006. The depot is the headquarters for the Empire State Railway Museum, and contains displays of local railroad history. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The CMRR’s Fairmount BR64 Ballast Regulator in Phoenicia on April 29, 2006. Heavy machinery assists volunteer crews in keeping the railroad clear. Photo by John Isaksen. |
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On December 2, 2006, the CMRR work train, powered by CMRR Alco RS-1 401, approaches Elmendorf Street in Kingston (MP 3.3) to deliver ties to the work crew. Crews have already begun to prime the unit in anticipation of new paint. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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CMRR volunteers at the Mount Pleasant Station on January 20, 2007. |
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Some of our cars had to be moved off a dangerous washout. Two timbers were put under former CNJ 1198. Here is the first, just before the blocks were set on November 4, 2006. Cars were moved to safe ground on November 18, and the washout will be repaired in the future. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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Ed Palmatier (left) and Tom Healy about to spike the last ties in the washout at MP 3.45 outside of Kingston on January 13, 2007. Volunteer crews continue to open more operable track, leading towards the goal of a second passenger operation in Kingston. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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This severe washout at MP 27.95 in Phoenicia is just one obstacle preventing through operations to Highmount. The Route 28 bridge can be seen in the background. The washout occurred in April, 2005; this photo is from February 2006. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The brush-cutting crew is crossing the Esopus west of Kingston at MP 5 on March 25, 2005. This was one of the first movements over the bridge in many years. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The brush cutting crew cleared to just east of the Woodchuck Hollow bridge at MP 39.75 in Pine Hill on July 1, 2006. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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CMRR has several heavyweight passenger cars in storage that will be restored as traffic levels increase. Former EL MU 4322 is in storage on the CMRR mainline near Route 209 in Kingston, New York. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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A settled pier on bridge over the Esopus at Big Indian (MP 36.75) will have to be repaired before full-size trains operate here again. Photo by Freddie Rasmussen, June 25, 2006. |
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This photo illustrates just how bad the washout under the stored equipment was. An ex-PRR gondola sits precariously on washed out track at MP 5.53 in October, 2006. This car and others were moved to safety after rails were temporarily cribbed in November. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The CMRR Santa Train seen departing Mt. Pleasant on an unseasonably mild December 17, 2006. The warm weather drew out many visitors eager to ride with Santa. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The CMRR track crew at MP 4, Kingston Plaza, while taking a break from tie insertions on November 11, 2006. The CMRR hopes to start a modest tourist ride out of the Kingston end of the railroad, generating revenue and publicity for increased operations through the Catskills. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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The future site of Ashokan Station located right off Route 28, after preliminary clearing on December 21, 2006. The structure seen here is the tool house, used by volunteers working on the railroad. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
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A work crew crosses the Boiceville Bridge at MP 21.3 on March 11, 2006, en route to brush cutting along the Ashokan Reservoir. This bridge also requires repairs before it is open to full-size trains again. Photo by Ernie Hunt. |
By Ernest Hunt/Photos
as noted
Originally published February 18,
2007
The scenic Catskill region of New York State was once served by several railroads hauling freight and passengers to the mountains. The Ulster & Delaware Railroad was a major route, stretching from a pier on the Hudson River at Kingston over the mountains to the Susquehanna River in Oneonta. Passenger service ceased in 1954, and freight service ended in 1976. Despite this cessation of service 30 years ago, some 60 miles of the line remains intact today under local government ownership. The 38.6 mile segment owned by Ulster County has been leased to the Catskill Mountain Railroad since 1982. Operated solely by volunteer labor, with little help from local or state governments, the CMRR has run a successful six-mile long tourist train from Phoenicia to just north of Cold Brook. However, by 2005, the remaining 33 miles of track were becoming overgrown and impassable, and a movement to replace the railroad with a rail trail had gathered momentum. By early 2006, restoring the full corridor to rail service looked to be a lost dream.
However, by year end 2006, nearly 20 miles of track were cleared, 39 new volunteers had signed up, and track rehabilitation had begun to expand operations at both ends of the railroad. With strong pro-rail support in public meetings, the rail trail plan was modified to incorporate rail use rather than displace it. With this dramatic turnaround, the dream to restore rail service to the Catskill region was on the verge of a great resurgence.
Ulster & Delaware Railroad
The Ulster & Delaware began in 1866 as the Rondout & Oswego. Thomas Cornell, a steamboat operator, chartered the railroad to bring supplies from ports in central New York to his terminal in Rondout. The Rondout & Oswego was intended to go through Oneonta, but only made it 48 miles to Arkville when it was reorganized in 1872 as the New York, Kingston & Syracuse. By 1875, the railroad had reached Stamford, and was reorganized again as the Ulster & Delaware Railroad (the two counties through which it ran). Narrow gauge branches to Hunter and Kaaterskill were built in the 1880's and incorporated into the U&D in 1892. These were later converted to standard gauge in 1900. Also in 1900, the Ulster & Delaware reached its ultimate goal, Oneonta, 107 miles from Kingston, where it interchanged with the Delaware & Hudson.
Business focused on bringing passengers to the resorts in the Catskills from New York City, and freight consisted of bluestone, milk, and coal interchanged from the D&H in Oneonta. Passenger traffic peaked in 1913, the same year that eleven miles of the line were relocated to circumvent New York City's new Ashokan Reservoir. After World War I, passenger traffic declined as the automobile became more popular, and other regions were developed for summer travelers.
New York Central acquired the U&D in 1932 and it became their Catskill Mountain Branch. In 1940 the former narrow gauge branches to Hunter and Kaaterskill were torn up. Passenger service ended in 1954, and the remaining light freight traffic was not enough to support the line. The tracks west of Bloomville were removed in 1965, though a three mile stub in Oneonta was used for tourist service for a short period by the original Delaware Otsego Corp. Service and maintenance continued to deteriorate after the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central in 1968. When Conrail took over in 1976, the line was on its last legs, and service ended October 2, 1976. Conrail continued service on a short segment in Kingston from the Conrail interchange east to the waterfront, but this too ceased in 1980.
Saved From Oblivion
Even before service was ended, local residents and conservationists worked hard to keep the line from being torn up. In 1977, columnist and author William F. Buckley, Jr. toured the line and helped publicize the plight of the line for which the Penn Central estate wanted $2 million. Residents and conservationists succeeded in getting local governments to raise enough money to buy the line. In 1979, Ulster County bought the 38.6-mile segment from the interchange in Kingston at MP 2.8 to the County line near Highmount at MP 41.4. In 1980, a consortium of seven towns in Delaware County bought the right of way from Highmount to then end of track in Bloomville (MP 86). The right of way from the interchange at Kingston east to the Hudson River waterfront was bought by the City of Kingston.
By 1983, three entities operated on the former Ulster & Delaware. In Kingston, the Trolley Museum of New York obtained a 99-year lease on the right of way from Kingston Point (MP 0) to Rondout (MP 2.4) for use as a trolley museum. Similarly, in Delaware County, the seven towns that owned the right of way formed the Catskill Revitalization Corporation, and through its subsidiary, the Delaware & Ulster RR, started operating a segment of the line from Highmount to Arkville (MP 48.4), which has now been extended to Roxbury, (MP 59.4). The track currently ends at Hubbell Corners (MP 60.2) and the right of way to Bloomville is now a recreational rail trail. The Catskill Mountain Railroad is the third operator, initially hauling tourists from Phoenicia to Mount Pleasant. In 1984, two additional organizations joined the struggle to restore the Catskill rail corridor. The Empire State Railway Museum relocated from Connecticut to the former U&D depot in Phoenicia, and the Ulster & Delaware Railroad Historical Society was formed.
Through the 1980s, the Catskill Mountain Railroad grew slowly into a full-sized train operation, and entered into a series of short-term leases with Ulster County. Two small locomotives were trucked to Phoenicia; a Davenport 0-4-0 became CMRR 1, and a 50-ton Porter became CMRR 29. Cabooses and flat cars fitted with benches formed the typical train. Looking forward to increasing business, the railroad obtained two Alco RS-1s, three ex-DL&W MU trailers and two ex-CNJ coaches, which were stored in Kingston. The Empire State Railway Museum purchased ex-Lake Superior & Ishpeming 23, a 2-8-0 the museum hoped to restore and operate over the CMRR. In 1987, the ESRM shipped its heavyweight diner the “Lion Gardiner” from Connecticut to Kingston, where it was put in storage.
In 1991, CMRR entered into a 25 year lease with Ulster County, and focused on extending its operations east towards Kingston. Expansion plans were slowed by difficulty in obtaining permission to reopen the Route 28 crossing in Mount Pleasant. Meanwhile, two of the DL&W coaches were trucked to Phoenicia, where one was restored and put in service in 2003. Finally, after years of hard work and help from a government grant, the CMRR was able to cross Route 28. 2005 marked the first full year of operations to MP 22.7, just north of Cold Brook, increasing the ride to 5 miles.
Despite dedicated work by CMRR volunteers to expand operations towards Kingston, only 6 miles of the 38.6 miles were operable by 2006. The limited number of volunteers had to stretch their time thin between maintenance, equipment restoration, and train operation, leaving little room for brush clearing and route expansion. Because of this apparent lack of activity, and the deterioration of the line in Kingston (the seat of Ulster County), sentiment began to grow for a "rail-trail" on the unused sections of the line. The January 24, 2006 edition of Kingston's Daily Freeman said it all: "Trail Plan Could Mark End of Line for Railroad." After so many years of hard work by so many, the dream to restore rail service in the Catskills was in jeopardy.
Resurgence and a Call to Action
Prior to 2006, I had often wondered about the overgrown railroad right of way in Kingston. I had been a member of the U&DRRHS and the ESRM, but I knew little about the line beyond who the current operators were. When the article about the rail trail proposal appeared, myself and several concerned members from the U&DRRHS and the Trolley Museum of New York went to meet Earl Pardini, president of the CMRR, to offer our help. After touring the CMRR's facilities in Kingston and learning about the history and condition of the line, we signed up as volunteers. Earl immediately put us to work with the CMRR's skilled but understaffed brush crew, which was meeting the following weekend to clear brush along the line just west of Kingston. Publicity from the rail trail article and our initial brush clearing efforts encouraged twelve new volunteers to sign up in the first quarter of 2006. At about the same time, there was a vacancy for CMRR Chairman of the Board. Harry Jameson, owner of Town Tinker tube rental in Phoenicia, and long-time member of the CMRR board, volunteered to become the new Chairman. His main strategic goal was to start operations in Kingston, a rich potential market for additional revenue.
On February 11, 2006, I joined the CMRR's brush crew at MP 5.6. Together, we cut 500 feet of brush towards two freight cars and 4 passenger cars stranded in thick brush over a washout in the line. On February 25th, we returned to completely clear the brush around the cars stored there. We were amazed at the change in just two weekends!
When this project was complete, the main clearing crew went up to the Ashokan Reservoir area to open the line east of MP 20.8. There were also those of us who wanted to continue cutting in Kingston. On days the main crew was not working on the reservoir, we continued cutting east from Route 209 towards Kingston through the densest brush imaginable. One volunteer brought his gas powered track car, enabling us to shuttle to and from the "end of track".
By April 29, we cleared the line from MP 20.8 to Ashokan (MP 16.3). Another session on May 6 widened the clearing from the Boiceville Bridge (MP 21.3), to MP 20.8. A total of 568 hours was spent on clearing and widening the reservoir section, about 113 hours per mile of track cleared. The Kingston crew cleared the line to Kingston Plaza on May 29. This took 291 hours of labor at about 229 hours per mile, by far the most labor-intensive section of the line, as the brush had grown 5-6 feet high. Suddenly, the cleared section of the line jumped from 7 miles to 13.5 miles.
During the spring of 2006, I regularly posted photos of our work on the NERail photo site, and posted progress on our efforts on Railroad.net and other Internet discussion groups. In July 2006, Railpace Newsmagazine published a short write-up on our progress renovating the line. As a result of this publicity and increasing word of mouth, an additional 13 volunteers signed up during the second quarter.
Because of the approaching summer heat, brush crews moved to the western end of the line, clearing the CMRR-leased track east from Highmount. We reached Pine Hill on June 17th, and a July 7 NARCOA/NERCA meet on the Delaware & Ulster was extended onto this newly opened section. Crews continued cutting down to the Giggle Hollow Bridge (MP 38.9). This project took 302.5 hours of volunteer labor to complete, about 121 hours per mile of track cleared.
Brush crews completed clearing the last segment of the line from MP 6 to MP 16 on October 29th. About 426 volunteer hours were needed to open this section of the line, about 42 hours per mile. This section was not as thickly grown as the others, and the experienced brush crew opened the line quickly. Our brush cutting efforts reopened 16.85 miles of the CMRR mainline from Kingston to Phoenicia in 2006, and 2.5 mile of the segment from Phoenicia to Highmount. Almost 2,000 hours of labor were spent to reach this goal. Tracks were now clear to allow track cars to pass. However, the purpose of the railroad is to run trains, not track cars, so the real work was just about to begin - restoring the line to full sized trains.
The surge in volunteer labor in 2006 allowed the CMRR to start working on long-delayed track rehabilitation projects. In late summer, the Phoenicia-based track crew repaired a significant washout that had shortened the ride by 6/10 mile through the summer. This was repaired on September 16, and the ride extended to the current end of track at MP 22.7.
Another urgent project was moving four passenger and two freight cars off a washout that occurred during the floods in April 2005. Sections of track were washed out under the cars, so the track needed to be cribbed before anything could be moved. Volunteer crews cribbed the affected track and all six cars were moved to safety by November 18.
On November 11th, volunteers began long-delayed track rehabilitation in Kingston armed with 300 ties donated by the New York State Department of Transportation. Tie replacements began west of Downs Street (MP 3.2), with CMRR president Earl Pardini removing and inserting ties with his backhoe, and volunteers completing the installations by hand. Many of the volunteers had never done track work before, yet 41 ties were inserted, tamped, and spiked over four weekends, extending operable track to just past Albany Avenue (MP 3.43). With each additional work session, the new volunteers picked up speed and became more efficient. The crew hopes to do 15-20 ties a day in 2007 as more volunteers are trained in track rehabilitation work.
In preparation for Kingston tourist service, in October, volunteers began to prepare the CMRR's Kingston-based Alco RS-1 No. 401 for a new coat of paint. Currently wearing the green and yellow applied by former owner Green Mountain Railway, the new paint scheme will be based on New York Central lightning stripes and CMRR colors. Work also started on renovating an old Conrail caboose for possible tourist service. In November and December, the Phoenicia work crew reshingled the Phoenicia Section House roof, which involved new structural bracing. The coach restoration crew, now freed from brush cutting duties by the addition of new volunteers, started work to finish the second ex-DLW coach for revenue service. The Catskill Mountain Railroad also helped the Empire State Railway Museum on its steam locomotive restoration project, nearly completing the tender reconstruction in 2006.
At year-end, membership for 2006 included 45 full members and 30 provisional members; an increase of 39 from 2005. Volunteer crews cleared 16.85 miles of track between Phoenicia and Kingston, opening this stretch of track for the first time in many years. Further work to allow full-sized trains to pass can now begin. Additionally, 2.5 miles on the western end of the railroad, from Giggle Hollow to Highmount were cleared in 2006. The regular CMRR tourist train operation out of Mount Pleasant enjoyed a record year for attendance, with an increase of revenues of 44% over 2005.
Goals for the Future
Looking to build on our recent success, the CMRR's plans for 2007 focus on tie replacements to open more track from Phoenicia east towards Cold Brook, and rehabilitating enough track in Kingston to start a second passenger operation there. If enough track can be rehabilitated, and a suitable train can be put together from existing equipment, limited tourist service is planned for Kingston sometime late in the 2007 season. Freight business will also be aggressively pursued in 2007, and the CMRR will be included in a proposed multi-modal transportation hub planned along its right-of-way in Kingston.
Restoration projects slated for 2007 include bringing a second coach on-line in Phoenicia to supplement group tour charters. Plans also include bringing two of the passenger cars currently stored off Route 209 back to the Cornell Street yard in Kingston for restoration and eventual operation. The RS-1's new paint job should also be completed in 2007. At the future Ashokan station site, plans are to build a foundation for the section house located there so that volunteer crews can properly renovate it for their use.
Improvements to the out-of-service section of the main line slated for 2007 include repair of the washout west of Route 209 at MP 5.5, repair of a broken rail at MP 6.5, and placement of fill just east of the Stony Hollow crossing, MP 8.3. This will allow the remaining four cars in storage to be moved to a new siding at West Hurley. A new siding is also planned at Ashokan to store the crane and other equipment. These two projects will allow us to store equipment off the mainline, opening the line for work crews and equipment movements from Phoenicia to Kingston.
To bolster our brush cutting efforts in 2007, CMRR plans increasing mowing and maintenance from Kingston to Phoenicia, so that brush never builds up again on the line. Less time spent on brush cutting means more time for tie replacements, which leads to more operable track. Although we cleared the whole line from Phoenicia to Kingston, we need to perform some additional clearing to widen the right of way in the Kingston area. Brush cutting plans also include clearing the Ashokan site for the new siding, and for its future role as a terminal for the CMRR. Along the right of way from MP 6 to 16, we will do additional widening, and we also plan to narrow the 11-mile gap between Phoenicia and Giggle Hollow.
There are several obstacles to overcome if we are to fully reopen the CMRR mainline between Kingston and Phoenicia. First, the connection to CSX in Kingston (removed by Conrail in 1996) will need to be reinstalled. Second, several grade crossings will need flashers and gates, notably Washington Avenue in Kingston and Route 209. A serious washout at Butternut Cove (MP 18.6) will need to be repaired. Finally, the abutments of the Boiceville Bridge must be repaired and strengthened. None of these items will be completed in 2007, but the long-term planning begins now.
As for the rail trail proposal, we are pleased that the final plan as drafted envisioned keeping the CMRR intact from Phoenicia to Kingston, and in fact envisioned the CMRR transporting hikers from Kingston to West Hurley. Strong rail support in planning meetings was very helpful in providing this result. The CMRR plans to continue to work with the rail trail commission in 2007.
Another project for 2007 is the development of a long-term plan for the entire Catskill rail corridor from Kingston to Roxbury. The first meeting of all five related organizations--ESRM, U&DRRHS, DURR, TMNY and CMRR--is planned for late January. A single master plan for the corridor approved by the boards of all five organizations should give us greater strength to apply for restoration and rehabilitation funds. Another plan under consideration is a " Catskill Rail Pass," amounting to a joint marketing effort that would entitle holders access to all five organizations for one price.
In order to build upon our unprecedented success of the past year, we need to continue to add new members to our ranks. You are invited to come out and volunteer on a variety of projects up and down the line. Contact me directly, or just show up at one of our volunteer sessions (frequently posted in the New York State Forum). You will get your hands dirty fast, but you will learn how to build and maintain a railroad even faster, and will help preserve the Catskill rail corridor for future generations to come.
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About the Author
Ernie Hunt is a member of the Ulster & Delaware Historical Society, and
the volunteer coordinator for the Catskill
Mountain Railroad. This is his
first RAILROAD.NET byline.