Strates Circus Train Status in New York

Be aware that the Bing map is maybe 6 years old or longer. Try the google map view,a little newer,you can see that if the track is still
there its buried under years of dirt and dust.

CRAZY4TRAINS wrote:Wow still a lot of track in there and a lot a gons too for a place that no longer had any rail left. Could not see the engine though it could be hidden in a building. But they are still getting rail service.

That map is old the current google Map shows no track to be seen in the area. The Gons are Ex Conrail Cars and were cut up for Scrap I went back in there on foot looking to snap photos last summer.

Sorry I ignored the fact that the GG1 next door is still in PRR paint and paid attention to the fact that Pictometry's copyright of the imagery is 2012. My bad.

According to that imagery though there really appears to be only one building that the tracks entered at that time (though that doesn't mean there weren't more at one time where the loco could be stored if it is still there) - right at the southwest corner where the tracks enter the facility.

I'm not going to go into detail, but rest assured when I said your information is wrong, I was correct. They're not going to magically levitate the engine out of there.

Ok, some of the track is gone, not all of it. One gon remains on the site and has been donated to the NRHS chapter and is slated for MOW service with Iowa Pacific and to be restored in the paint the car had when in service with the line that purchased the car new. That might be Conrail or one of the lines folded into CR. As for the 45 ton ge, it is a running locomotive and the track is there but needs to be repaired first and a contractor is in place to do the job as soon as the snow melts. I had a service crew over there in December and the unit was sound but missing the bell and horn, we have these so not a big deal. The engine will be restored in Crucible as built paint. The plant has told us they ARE NOT REMOVING ANY MORE TRACK than has been already. They may want to do rail service again someday and also likes the idea of being able to have the museum run the 45 ton ge and a coach into the plant for a event in the future. If this happens it will not be a public event and only riders will be those Crucible allows. This year is going to bring a lot of new changes to the NYS Fair dispaly, A new locomotive, the E-8's gone, the Strates car gone and the new Office car from Rio Grande. We are looking at other changes as well, including a possible new gift shop car and returning the B&O car to a "as it ran" look inside. We are also looking at a new coach for the train and might and mean might put a CN lunch counter dinner in the train for a year. The chapter is interested in making the fair all it can be so please stop by and see us during the fair. We are also planning to stock the gift shop with new items as well as new fair only deals. As a side note the chapter is always looking for new faces for the two displays at the fair, one being the train and the other is a model train display in the Art and Homes building, anyone interested in helping out, please PM me and we can set it up. When working the fair you get to park in the fair grounds and you get a free ticket or tickets depending on how many days you work the display, we do have a hard time filling all the spots during the show so help is ALWAYS welcome.

JJ-

That 45 tonner is still the steel company's or is it donated to the railroad society

I feel like I need that facepalm picture again.

The 45 ton ge has been donated to the CNY NRHS and will be displayed and operated as needed at the New York State Fair.

JJ-

Here's a look at the little GE hard at work at the mill back in 1979.
Charles

While it's not in NY yet, I was informed that the James E. Strates carnival train left Orlando earlier this evening and is headed north. Last information I had, it will be heading for Middletown, NY, similar to past years. Figured I'd share the information, as I know there are folks here who want to photograph it on it's way north.

Any idea what route it's taking. According to their site (http://www.strates.com/event_schedule.htm), it's going to be at the Hudson Valley Fair in Wappingers Falls NY May 3-19. Any idea what route and when it'll hit the NYC area?

Strates site shows it just outside Croxton now:

http://www.strates.com/james-e-strates- ... -page.html


In the past it went to Middeltown, does this mean it takes a NS trip up the southern tier?

jtunnel wrote:Strates site shows it just outside Croxton now:

http://www.strates.com/james-e-strates- ... -page.html


In the past it went to Middeltown, does this mean it takes a NS trip up the southern tier?

Should be taking the CSX River Line north according to a reliable source...

You'd better check that "reliable" source.......

chuxter26 wrote:You'd better check that "reliable" source.......

Exactly........better chance of the moon being made out of cheese.

Charlie