Passing of Walter Rich

A friend e mailed this to me:

Oneonta Star, 8-10-2007
Flap over lowering flag leads to arrest

David Butler of Fly Creek, former chief of police for the New York Susquehanna & Western Railway, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Cooperstown for disorderly conduct. Butler, who had intended to raise an American flag that had been lowered to half-staff by order of Cooperstown Mayor Carol Waller, was obstructing traffic, according to Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols.

http://www.thedailystar.com/news/storie ... tler4.html

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All controversy aside Walter Rich was a true rail fan in an era when most other railroad "bosses" are not. I had the good fortune to lunch with him at
one of the Maplefests that ran steam and a few years later he opened
his home for the U&MV chapter NRHS and others for a luncheon. A gracious host, you could tell he has a love of trains that extended beond
the business side. I 'm glad I got to know him if just a little bit and he'll
be surely missed. Godspeed Walter.

August 10, 2007

Reading the obituary for Walter Rich in the paper I notice that while his accomplishments and accolades are listed his passion for what he did was not there. To put it bluntly, he loved trains and railroading.

In the mid 1960s he and a handful of other rail buffs secured the former New York Central railroad station in Oneonta, a little over a mile of track heading into the Catskills, a small steam locomotive and a couple of cars. With it they operated a small tourist train on a railroad they called the Delaware and Otsego or DO Line. The construction of I88 cut their right of way too short to be of any value. However, the state and others were instrumental in securing the Cooperstown branch of the Delaware and Hudson. With the need for freight service the railroad was no longer just a tourist railroad. Within a few years Walter Rich and company were operating short line railroads like the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville, the former Lackawanna branch from Cassville to Richfield Springs, NY, and the Lackawaxen and Stourbridge in Pennsylvania. When the NJ shortline New York, Susquehanna and Western was searching for a new owner, the Delaware Otsego System (as the DO Line had become incorporated) was able to take control of that. When Conrail wanted to get rid of the Lackawanna lines in New York from Binghamton to Syracuse and Utica, the DO Line became the operator. With trackage rights between Binghamton and New Jersey, a new railroad emerged. Having lived in and near Otsego and Chenango counties Walter had had an interest in the former New York, Ontario and Western Railroad which he had almost recreated with these lines!

On paper all this is dry and boring business, but to Walter Rich it was something quite different: he relished the work with a passion. In the 1980’s Walter Rich and the New York Susquehanna and Western not only had accumulated miles of track but also passenger train equipment and thus Marathon Maple Festival and New York State Fair trains and just plain “daisy picker” specials into the countryside. I had to make arrangements for some special trains from Syracuse to Binghamton and Binghamton to Utica when the Board of Directors of the National Railway Historical Society chose Binghamton as their site for a spring convention. When I sat down with Walter in his office full of railroad memorabilia from the railroads he had under his wing and his favorite New York, Ontario and Western, all he wanted to talk like a railfan! I in fact had to steer him into talking business! And when we did get to business he offered arrangements that only railfans could appreciate and understand.

Still later Walter purchased a newly built steam locomotive from China to appease his lust for railroads. When the ship carrying the engine sank off the east coast of Africa, Walter undauntedly made arrangements to purchase a sister locomotive from the Essex Valley Railroad in Connecticut and used that with his passenger equipment for all to enjoy. In the early 1990’s I was working with a few friends seeking ways to return rail passenger service from Binghamton. I talked with Walter and he exclaimed how his managers would never allow a passenger train to interrupt freight operations east of Binghamton. In the next breath he was telling me how great an idea it was if we could get it to work!

Walter’s accomplishments in the business side of railroading should be applauded. But his passion in making it happen must be recognized to fully appreciate those accomplishments.

O-6-O wrote:A friend e mailed this to me:

Oneonta Star, 8-10-2007
Flap over lowering flag leads to arrest

David Butler of Fly Creek, former chief of police for the New York Susquehanna & Western Railway, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Cooperstown for disorderly conduct. Butler, who had intended to raise an American flag that had been lowered to half-staff by order of Cooperstown Mayor Carol Waller, was obstructing traffic, according to Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols.

http://www.thedailystar.com/news/storie ... tler4.html

This guy has some serious issues.... He is bitter and doesn't know how to let go..

I met Walter Rich in early 2000 when he gave a talk at a local meeting which also included several other railroad officials.

I learned of his attendance far enough ahead of time to arrange with Micro-Trains to get a couple of the Susquehanna boxcars that they had produced. I presented him with one and he signed the insert label of the one that I had for my personal N Scale accumulation. He was very gracious and appreciated the gift from Micro-Trains of a car that commemorated the Susie-Q.

I personnally never met him, I only saw him once while up at the Cortland-Marathon trips a few years ago. From the stories I hear, I missed out on meeting a good man. I'll always regret not walking up and atleast shaking his hand that day.

Uncle Walter was a real class act. He invited me to hire on his railroad after I was referred to him by fellow Suzy engineer "Raul". An avid rail enthuisiast, very knowledgeable, and very "down to earth", if you didn't know he was the President of the road, you would have thought you were just hanging out with a super-buff. He always had a kind word, time to chat, and was a great guy to "hit up" for some swag, if you wanted anything for your collection. Guys like Walter, Ben Freidland, and their kind, are bright shining lights, in a dark world of greedy corporate pirates, driven ONLY by their lust for a dollar. Walter will be missed by all who knew him, and by the railfan community as a whole. I will always appreciate the break he gave me, and will count him as one of the "good guys".......

washingtonsecondary wrote:I personnally never met him, I only saw him once while up at the Cortland-Marathon trips a few years ago. From the stories I hear, I missed out on meeting a good man. I'll always regret
not walking up and atleast shaking his hand that day.

Same here. A few years back, an OCS was run on the southern division. It stopped at Lasinski Rd, just east of Franklin, to let off some passengers
who then got into a couple of black Suburbans and drove away. I too will always regret not walking up to Walter to say Hi.
Bill T.

A nice tribute/bio here:

http://www.thefreemansjournal.com/ThisWeek.html

Very nice piece, O-6-O, thanks for sharing. Recommended reading.

I first met Walter Rich shortly after the takeover of the Cooperstown
Branch. I made many a trip to Cooperstown to help out with the operation
between Cooperstown and Milford in any way that I could. I had many an
interesting conversation with Walter and enjoyed working with him.
I remember one evening at Milford after the passenger train had made its
last trip of the day when Walter said that there were four cars at the
junction for Milford and Cooperstown. I offered to go with him and we
took the RS-2 down to Cooperstown Junction light and brought back the
four cars. The regular crew delivered the cars the next morning.
I also remembered seeing him in Franklin, NJ after a nasty spill on the
former L&HR and he was obviously upset but he still had time for some
good words with me.
I always tried to attend the stockholder's meetings in Cooperstown over
the years and they always were festive occasions as well. Walter treated
his supporters very well over the years.
Walter was my friend and I will miss him.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for that bit of info, Noel. What time period were these visits?

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Thanks for that bit of info, Noel. What time period were these visits?

-otto-

Cooperstown and Milford in the early to mid 1970's, New Jersey from
1985 or so on to about late 1987 and the annual meetings from 1971 to
1990's when the stockholders were bought out. I did not attend every
single annual meeting but I attended most of them.
Noel Weaver

For those that loved him as much as I did....Will be remembering the memories today
It's been 17 years and not a day goes by that I don't think about all he did for so many.