Housatonic Railroad Thread (Maybrook, Berkshire, Pittsfield)

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 11:10 am ....the west is dead. It’s only useful if they abandoned the Berkshire in the middle, from Canaan to New Milford.

Oh, but how will I get to "my 100th" at SKS (in the next life)?

Charter a Budd RDC ?

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:47 pm Charter a Budd RDC ?

Jeff where was your avatar photo taken?

scoostraw wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:16 pm

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:47 pm Charter a Budd RDC ?

Jeff where was your avatar photo taken?

Katonah late 60's or early 70's I think.

Looks like I'm going back for SKS's "kickoff" of the Centenary this June (better have the password to my DAF with me). They will also have a "closing" during '24, but I'm not committing to that.

"Get you once, get you twice"!!!

Meantime, back on that "excuse of a railroad", I trust if they did chop up New Milford-Canaan,
CDOT would find a new home for the welded rail they laid along Hatch Pond.

Last May, what I observed around New Milford, sure looked like FRA Class 1, if even that!!!

While likely covered prior in this "epic", what's left of the industry that the New Haven recruited during the '50's to locate in New Milford? I think Scovill with their brass fittings is gone (wow, no OSD to worry about there, if they spill, just pick 'em up). Kimberly Clark? is shipping a "ton of feathers" worth it to HRR or any road?

Is there anything at Brookfield anymore?

In short, I'd think the whole road Danbury-Canaan is a candidate to be abandoned; who'd really miss, other than fans, the entire HRR?

I’d suggest CtDOT purchase the remainder of the ROW they don’t own from Derby to State Line and New Milford and P&W make a deal to serve it. Housy remains on the Northern Berkshire to Canaan. The “wilderness” be allowed to reclaimed by nature or used for weekend excursions which is how the Housy started.
P&W

Sgt. Smith, I'm a bit confused. Is the State Line you address that where the road X's into Putnam County NY, (NH Maybrook Line) or are you addressing the interchange with the B&A in Berkshire Cty MA (thought that was chopped up)?

Yes Putnam

I'm going to post these over in the Model Railroading section of the forum but wanted to share them here as well.

Last year I sent an Atlas RS3, a Walthers caboose, and a Proto GP9 out for custom painting and just got them back today. I'm pretty thrilled with the results...













All three were painted and customized by Accurate Custom Finishing http://www.accuratecustomfinishing.com/.

654 was a cheapo Walthers caboose in Guilford paint that was stripped down, repainted, and provided with new couplers.

9935 was an undecorated Atlas unit that was kitbashed to represent it's DeWitt Geep conversion modifications.

7324 was a Proto Rock Island unit that was stripped, repainted, and provided with new drive gears.

The GP35 and 529 are production Athearn and Atlas units, respectively, and are shown just for comparison purposes.

This is my second time sending trains out to Mr. Tyrrel and I couldn't be happier.

Sweet!

I guess I still have life in me if I get frustrated by another abandonment.

Last rail connection to the west from Connecticut.


..give it up..(or metro-north to..)

Housatonic alot of future traffic base in suburban Connecticut. More luck tapping CSX west of Danbury vs. scrapping it. I see CSX videos of New York City getting served from in 'east Hudson line' but have not snooped how active.

Fatality in Great Barrington near Sheffield.

As reported by Trains.com reporting that the Berkshire Eagle said it was https://www.berkshireeagle.com/breaking ... ad4a8.html

...near Lime Kiln Road in Sheffield, and the dispatch suggested someone had been "run over" by equipment.

https://twitter.com/NTSB_Newsroom/statu ... 6059051013

NTSB Newsroom @NTSB_Newsroom
NTSB investigating a Housatonic Railroad contractor fatality that occurred this morning in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. NTSB investigators are traveling to the scene.
7:58 PM · Aug 4, 2023 5,548 views

According to the reporter Heather Bellow, the track is owned by MassDOT and it is unclear whether the track equipment is owned by the railroad or MassDOT.

Eastern portion of Maybrook to be rehabbed: PDF link (railroads.dot.gov)

Connecticut – Housatonic Railroad Service Restoration and Safety Investment Project (Up to $5,372,500) Housatonic Railroad Company Inc. (HRRC) The proposed project involves final design and construction activities for various track-related improvements and upgrades to multiple bridges. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving system and service performance and ability to meet existing and anticipated demand as it will restore a portion of HRRC’s rail line that is out of service and improve approximately 18 miles of rail line to increase freight rail capacity and improve operational safety. Also, the project will help HRRC maintain its connection with Pan Am Southern/CSX Transportation and Metro-North. A combination of funds from HRRC and two customers (Oak Ridge Waste and Interstate and Lakeland Lumber) will provide a 30 percent non-Federal match.

Not gonna lie, I looked at the calendar after reading this just to make sure we weren't still in April lol

. Yup it’s true. The HRRC fan group on Facebook is quite excited. I have to admit I’m optimistic this will get P&W back onto the Maybrook.