CMSL Tuckahoe - Richland Service

Hey guys,
Thought I should let everyone here know that CMSL sources indicate to me that there will be no service on 3/15 or 3/22...no further information, but this should save anyone who was planning on attending the drive out of the way if you don't live close.

CMSL hasn't provided any information about service following those two weeks.

Mike DiMunno

JJMDiMunno wrote:Hey guys,
Thought I should let everyone here know that CMSL sources indicate to me that there will be no service on 3/15 or 3/22...no further information, but this should save anyone who was planning on attending the drive out of the way if you don't live close.

CMSL hasn't provided any information about service following those two weeks.

Mike DiMunno

I know im probably one of the most hated posters with regard to the CMSL, but hey, i can only call it as I see it.......

Anyway, this is yet another example of what RRbluesman was talking about. What if it was a nice weekend, and I brought my family down to ride the CMSL, i get there, and low and behold, there is NO service and NO information. (and I didn't check this thread and see Mr. DiMunno's post) What if I was planning a trip in April down there with one of the reasons being to ride the trains? And no info about any kind of schedule? Im sure many people have been burned because of this lack of information. This is not a "company secret" this is public relations and advertising to get customers and riders, and in turn, their money.

Maybe if it was run more like a railroad, and they had more of a stake in it, it would operate better, and they would be more professional. However, it sure looks like they just "play with trains" on a 1:1 scale when they want to. Maybe if they owned the track or owned the equipment they would do a better job at operating the service and RR. Sure they are responsible for the upkeep of the equipment (the 7000 looks AWESOME) but really, what other expenses do they have? They have been basically given everything they need to operate the RR - the track (owned by NJT) and equipment (most, if not all, owned by URHS). Offer a consistant and reliable service, both freight and passenger, and you will get riders. Its that simple.

If I was a business and I saw how they operated their passenger/tourist operation, I would be very very hestitant to ship ANYTHING with them. I would need a reliable and consistant service, not risking service being stopped at the drop of a hat and no information "following those two weeks"

If they didn't burn their bridges with the towns down there, and probably NJT as well, they might get some more assistance and support from other than railfans and tourist trains. Mr. Macrie is not new to this. im SURE he knows that this is NJ, and EVERYTHING is politicial. Its live or die, and you gotta play the game. He just seems to be absolutely horrible at it, and is loosing the game, big time. Like it or not, thats how it is.

Oh well, flamesuit is ON.

Gentlemen - May I ask what service and from what town has been cancelled - their website does not list anything besides ""developing the schedule""
thank you

From the website:


Thank you for your interest the Cape May Seashore Lines. The schedule for the 2008 season is being developed and will be posted this spring. We look forward to seeing on the train in 2008!

mb38 wrote:Gentlemen - May I ask what service and from what town has been cancelled - their website does not list anything besides ""developing the schedule""
thank you

Exactly - these "Easter Bunny Specials" which were to take place for the 15th and 22nd of this month were not officially advertised on the company website. However, a number of railfan groups had discussed their existence prior to this, and I thought that I'd try to alert anyone here who might be planning on making a trip this weekend, to prevent any other issues that might result from this here on my forum...ya know, like the famous "NO CMSL TODAY AND I DROVE 100 MILES TO RIDE"...and then we have a flame-athon...

Thanks,
Mike DiMunno

Mike - would it be proper to give a list of forums or other on line sites that has more activity (postings + discussions) on the CMSL
Also a few times at the Cape May end of the line - Service was cancelled with no notification. Believe one of those days was a Saturday during the Thomas the train day plus atleast two others.

JJMDiMunno wrote:

mb38 wrote:Gentlemen - May I ask what service and from what town has been cancelled - their website does not list anything besides ""developing the schedule""
thank you

Exactly - these "Easter Bunny Specials" which were to take place for the 15th and 22nd of this month were not officially advertised on the company website. However, a number of railfan groups had discussed their existence prior to this, and I thought that I'd try to alert anyone here who might be planning on making a trip this weekend, to prevent any other issues that might result from this here on my forum...ya know, like the famous "NO CMSL TODAY AND I DROVE 100 MILES TO RIDE"...and then we have a flame-athon...

Thanks,
Mike DiMunno

Trains were advertised to be running these two weeks according to a newsletter by Buena Twsp which is responsible for the Richland Village project. Also listed on their website as running the next two weekends. Hate to be those people who show up and find no trains running.

mb38 wrote: ...Also a few times at the Cape May end of the line - Service was cancelled with no notification. Believe one of those days was a Saturday during the Thomas the train day plus atleast two others.

Shuttle service between Cape May City and Cold Spring Village with a single Budd RDC was scheduled during the Thomas event. There were no passengers on the first two trains from Cape May, as I recall. Then at some point air conditioning problems rendered a car on the Thomas train unusable, so CMSL management made the quick decision to run a Thomas train south instead of north to add the shuttle RDC to the Thomas train (thus cancelling the Cape May service), thereby giving the passengers the experience of riding the first steam powered trip into Cape May since a charter twenty years earlier. Of course, few of the passengers were aware of the significance of the trip.
I was granted permission to detrain and photograph the event, and got the only photos of Thomas on the Cape May Canal swing bridge.

any word about the coming season? doesnt seem like anything new on thw website since december

rrbluesman wrote:any word about the coming season? doesnt seem like anything new on thw website since december

Slightly off topic, but this was posted today from the New Jersey Railfan forum:

According to the Gazett (free local paper)page 4 ,the CMSL should start train service beginning the end of may? per Mayor Chuck Chiarello in the mayors column.look for further updates in the BVT township website.Also on sunday June 8th, 10 to 3 pm,there is going to be an event featuring trains, old fire trucks,Patcong model railroad will be open and trains rides on the Cape May Seashore line will be running Richland to Tuckahoo and back.

I was hoping to see the CMSL running this weekend but I see nothing on the website.

In the event there's no rides, where's a good place to see freight running? Is there any places other than the Phillly/Trenton/Camden areas.

Also, is there anything by Woodbine Junction? I've never been there before but noticed it on the SPV map.

Thanks.

Ken

NJ Vike wrote:I was hoping to see the CMSL running this weekend but I see nothing on the website.

In the event there's no rides, where's a good place to see freight running? Is there any places other than the Phillly/Trenton/Camden areas.

Also, is there anything by Woodbine Junction? I've never been there before but noticed it on the SPV map.

Thanks.

Ken

Hey Ken,
Are you going to be here on Saturday, Sunday, or both? If you're here on Saturday, there's a few options. First, there's MI-21, a CSAO freight from Millville to Camden and return. Comes north through Woodbury around 9-10AM, arriving at Camden before 11. Should come back south out of Camden around 12-1PM. Additionally, there's the Saturday CA-11, Camden to Deepwater CSAO freight. Out of Camden usually around 6-7AM, arriving Deepwater at around 10-11AM, back north through Paulsboro around 12:30 - 1PM, and back to Camden most likely by 2PM.

You can try heading to Paulsboro...there's always local units there, and they do shift on Saturdays/Sundays. SMS serves the Valero plant there, and they also have their facility at Pureland in Bridgeport. You might want to try heading there, and see if anything's workign around. Should be some activity on a Saturday.

Woodbine Junction: It's been rebuilt to a degree, with a new spur to serve Modern Gas (eventually). No power or anything of the sort there, but if you want to drive by to check things out, it's not far from Tuckahoe.

Hope this helps,

Mike DiMunno

JJMDiMunno wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:I was hoping to see the CMSL running this weekend but I see nothing on the website.

In the event there's no rides, where's a good place to see freight running? Is there any places other than the Phillly/Trenton/Camden areas.

Also, is there anything by Woodbine Junction? I've never been there before but noticed it on the SPV map.

Thanks.

Ken

Hey Ken,
Are you going to be here on Saturday, Sunday, or both? If you're here on Saturday, there's a few options. First, there's MI-21, a CSAO freight from Millville to Camden and return. Comes north through Woodbury around 9-10AM, arriving at Camden before 11. Should come back south out of Camden around 12-1PM. Additionally, there's the Saturday CA-11, Camden to Deepwater CSAO freight. Out of Camden usually around 6-7AM, arriving Deepwater at around 10-11AM, back north through Paulsboro around 12:30 - 1PM, and back to Camden most likely by 2PM.

You can try heading to Paulsboro...there's always local units there, and they do shift on Saturdays/Sundays. SMS serves the Valero plant there, and they also have their facility at Pureland in Bridgeport. You might want to try heading there, and see if anything's workign around. Should be some activity on a Saturday.

Woodbine Junction: It's been rebuilt to a degree, with a new spur to serve Modern Gas (eventually). No power or anything of the sort there, but if you want to drive by to check things out, it's not far from Tuckahoe.

Hope this helps,

Mike DiMunno

Hello Mike!!

Thanks for the information. I will be down for Saturday, Sunday and possibly Monday. I was hoping that the CMSL was running the trains from Richland to Tuckahoe but their website is still showing that the schedule is being updated.

Hope all is well.

8 June Sunday,the train will be running from Richland to Tuckahoe, plus lots of old fire trucks,also the Patcong model train building will be open for display.

south jersey trains wrote:8 June Sunday,the train will be running from Richland to Tuckahoe, plus lots of old fire trucks,also the Patcong model train building will be open for display.

Hi guys,
To avoid confusion from folks visiting the region, I've just received word from CMSL sources that they will not be running on the 8th. It's unknown when service will begin. The remainder of the events taking place at Richland for this event will continue as planned.

Mike DiMunno
SJRA / SJRail.com