NYSW Passenger Rolling Stock

When a non-profit asked for grant money sometimes the grant givers actually perform due diligence and as a result they sometimes say no.

Then perhaps you should lend your expertise in their books and your knowledge of 990's and volunteer your consulting services.

uzplayer wrote:So then I wonder...Especially in New Jersey, there are many towns that could benefit from Passenger Service. I know NJT has talked about bringing service back in New Jersey and down the line, NYSW was going to do regular service in New York State and tried something with OnTrack in Syracuse. Is there enough population along the route to support some sort of service between New York and New Jersey?

No passenger train is operated without subsidy. Excursions are not regular passenger trains. Your excursion ticket fare is much higher because you are paying the full cost of what it takes to run that train. Commuter/Amtrak ticket prices are subsidized, and do not cover the full cost of operation. NYSW never had any intention of being a passenger operator, except for the OnTrack service, which was subsidized and allowed NYSW access into Syracuse as a result.

Otto Vondrak wrote:No passenger train is operated without subsidy. Excursions are not regular passenger trains. Your excursion ticket fare is much higher because you are paying the full cost of what it takes to run that train. Commuter/Amtrak ticket prices are subsidized, and do not cover the full cost of operation. NYSW never had any intention of being a passenger operator, except for the OnTrack service, which was subsidized and allowed NYSW access into Syracuse as a result.

If that is the case, why all the previously owned rolling stock?

uzplayer wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:No passenger train is operated without subsidy. Excursions are not regular passenger trains. Your excursion ticket fare is much higher because you are paying the full cost of what it takes to run that train. Commuter/Amtrak ticket prices are subsidized, and do not cover the full cost of operation. NYSW never had any intention of being a passenger operator, except for the OnTrack service, which was subsidized and allowed NYSW access into Syracuse as a result.

If that is the case, why all the previously owned rolling stock?

i think they used to run passenger sevice way back in the 60's and before. they needed passenger cars then. i dont think so now. (feel free to correct me)

uzplayer wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:No passenger train is operated without subsidy. Excursions are not regular passenger trains. Your excursion ticket fare is much higher because you are paying the full cost of what it takes to run that train. Commuter/Amtrak ticket prices are subsidized, and do not cover the full cost of operation. NYSW never had any intention of being a passenger operator, except for the OnTrack service, which was subsidized and allowed NYSW access into Syracuse as a result.

If that is the case, why all the previously owned rolling stock?

Walter Rich was a big railfan at heart and his beginnings go back to creating an excursion train on the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley RR in the 70's. As his Delaware Otsego system increased in size with various acquisitions, he over time simply amassed a large collection of rolling stock to help show off his system. Some pieces were acquired for practicality, some were for show and some simply for the railfan in him.

In fact it even predates that, his original operation was to lease the west/north end of the New York Central Catskill Branch, which sat out of service after the NYC abandoned operations past Stamford, and for 2 or 3 years they ran excursions on that line with the ex-Army 0-6-0. The construction of I-88 wiped it out and sent them over to the D&H C&CV branch. I have a few slides I picked up at a show that I believe show this operation - one, the photographer was nice enough to catch a D&H freight with a C628 on the point in the background.