Possibility of a 2010 Croton Tour?

Hello all,

I am a Marylander but I have heard a lot about MN's tour they offer at the shops in Croton-Harmon. Last I heard they had them in 08, but not 09 for construction was going on there. Now 2010 I was wondering what is going to happen. Is there a chance they will open the shops again this year? I have never gone to the tour before and I was more than willing to go up this year if there was some kind of confirmation it was going to happen. It seems they are usually in October and we're almost halfway through September here.

Thanks guys for any insight!

Davis

There will NOT be an open house this year, With Budget constrains its just not possible.

I suspect that if and when MN offers it again, it will be well worth it. Several years ago, my son and I took Amtrak from BWI to Harmon to attend the open house. We enjoyed both the ride and the tour. My favorite part was seeing the NYC and NH liveried FL-9s up close, and my son's was the snowblower.

I was impressed by the open house. Clearly a lot of MN people worked hard to prepare the shop, the equipment, and the displays at what I know is a crucial operation on a busy railroad. I also appreciated the hospitality and courtesy the MN folks demonstrated to the many guests, because I know that they did not have to do that.

The hospitality reminded me of when I was a kid and railroaders on PC, B&M and P&W, whom I did not even know, took time to indulge my railroading interest. Thanks to them thirty or more years ago I enjoyed cab rides in E's and Geeps on the B&A, the chance to operate a locomotive on a siding while coupling to a freight car, and sitting in the engineer's seat of a live G at Penn Sta., NY.

Given safety, security, and operational factors, opportunities to experience railroad operations up close and personal are rare. Dont' pass 'em up.

Actually I think Metro-North hosted a Harmon Shops tour today, didn't they? But it was only for new hires.

I think it's kind of a nice touch they do that.

The annual open shop was a great thing public relations wise. I do hope that they resume doing it in the years to come.

DutchRailnut wrote:There will NOT be an open house this year, With Budget constrains its just not possible.

That's really too bad, I (and most likely many others) would have road MNRR to get there.

Well maybe next year?

Davis

I don't see an open hour for some time to come unfortunately. Not like MTA will have a better budget in 2011 or even 2012.

Not to be too much about the figures but what exactly do they spend the money on these open houses? I know they must be pretty expensive if MNRR is just dropping it for now. I was wondering if anyone had an idea what they would be paying for? I would guess one thing would be to pay MNRR workers to show up and be available? What else?

Davis

Well it takes a day to set up, so no work is performed on equipment, then a day for the openhouse, then a 1/2 day for the cleaning up and restarting of regular business.
Add to that the extra labor needed to clean up shop , the extra security, countless hours by Managers and volunteers, cost of running excursions, parking, bus service etc etc etc.
and after the event is over they play catchup for a few days to get their repairs and inspections back on schedule.
railroading is a 7 day a week organization, interupting it for 2 1/2 days does cost a fortune.

ohh forgot couple of $$$ thousands for trinkets for railfans , extra folders etc etc.

Yes it is sorely missed. I do hope that it returns, but I fear that it may not.

BTW, aside from the trains and exhibits, etc., a highlight for me was always the sausage and peppers at the staff canteen (which was way better than the food in the big tents)...

Certainly can't argue that MTA, like all public agencies, is subject to public scrutiny. While the open house is a great time, it's definitely an "extra" that simply can't happen when the funding isn't available.

However, if and when financial conditions allow the open houses to return, I'd still be happy with a scaled-back open house. For example, a significant chunk of expense could be saved by eliminating the foliage excursions. If people really want to ride north to see the changing leaves, they can buy a ticket and go on their own.

I understand that a lot of money is also spent on giveaways, like whistles, pens, pencils, frisbees, and the like. Don't give anything out. The time and effort it takes to put on the open house should be enough. I'll admit, I love free stuff as much as the next guy, but it's not "the" reason to attend the open house. I go because I like to see the trains, including the older ones, up-close. This will sound silly because I've since learned what a complete disaster the SPV-2000 trains were, but as a kid, they were among the first trains I ever rode, so it was always nice to see them in the yard.

It's cool to see the exhibit that demonstrates how block signaling works. It's nice to walk the sunken floors of the shop, looking UP at the trains from an angle you usually don't have the chance to see. And as someone else mentioned, it's neat to see "oddities" like the snowblower. Best of all, the Open House is almost like a one-day history lesson of Metro-North, as they usually have on display at least one car and one locomotive of every type used since MNR was formed. Sure, Wikipedia makes it possible to look up a lot of the stats and see pictures anytime, but there's nothing quite like being there and seeing it all in one room, in person. And I dare not forget the demonstrations on skilled crafts like wheel-truing, a good reminder of the ongoing maintenance that's required to keep the fleet in good operating condition.

Long story short, even if many "extras" are cut out if/when the Open House returns, I would still be very appreciative of the opportunity, and I'm sure many railfans would agree. But I certainly understand that, even without the "extras," it's still a massive undertaking and it may be a long time before it happens again... IF it happens again. I'm glad I was able to get to the last one, and I was able to go a few years before that... I certainly won't forget them.