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  • Delaware & Ulster Railroad (DURR) Discussion

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

 #1354021  by Otto Vondrak
 
Sorry, I should have shared this earlier. They made the announcement a couple weeks ago:

http://www.catskillmountainnews.com/new ... seaso.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mechanical issues force early shutdown of D&U season
Tourist ride misses heart of foliage season
By Joan Lawrence-Bauer

The Delaware and Ulster Railroad (DURR), with its terminal in Arkville, ended its season abruptly last week, just prior to the biggest weekend of the year, when malfunctions of equipment put one locomotive out of commission and left another with safety violations that could not be repaired in time for Columbus Day visitors.

http://www.watershedpost.com/2015/major ... its-tracks" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Major repairs stop Delaware & Ulster Railroad in its tracks
By Rebecca Andre
10/14/15 - 1:37 pm

Above: A crane lifts a Delaware & Ulster engine into the air on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Photos by Rebecca Andre.

The 2015 season of train rides aboard the Delaware & Ulster Railroad, a scenic railway that runs from the Delaware County hamlet of Arkville to the town of Roxbury, was forced to end unceremoniously early this year due to "mechanical difficulties," according to DURR president Dave Riordan.
Unfortunately, they are missing out on the fall foliage season.

=otto-
 #1354091  by thebigham
 
I bet that's why the CMRR had to run extra trains a few weekends ago!

I wonder if they considered borrowing #29 from the CMRR? It would be an easy haul from Phoenicia to Arkville.

#29 would have been a little light but it probably could have hauled 2 cars to Roxbury and back.
 #1354146  by workextra
 
This is a good reason why the line must be restored between Highmount and Phonecia, both counties should work to get that damaged trackage restored and a new roadbed built where it is now in the Espous.

Enough of this trail nonsense already. Ulster has the O&W and then some, be happy with that.

What a shame to loose out in peak tourist train season with the fall foliage.
 #1354173  by thebigham
 
^I wish the r.o.w. could be restored from Highmount to Phonecia.

From Shandaken to Phoenicia, most of the r.o.w. has been washed away or shifted due to landslides.

Plus, the bridge at Big Indian which was removed by Ulster County...
 #1354199  by litz
 
Ouch ... this is pretty much the nightmare of any tourist operation (other than a derailment or other accident) ...

We're very lucky in Blue Ridge that we have an entire shortline behind us, in a support role.

(we also run a 2-headed train, so if need be we can shove)
 #1354310  by RussNelson
 
thebigham wrote:From Shandaken to Phoenicia, most of the r.o.w. has been washed away or shifted due to landslides.
That's not accurate. Between Shandaken and Phoenicia, 1.4km of track is washed out. The total length of track is 9.8km. That's only 14% of the track, which I wouldn't call "most".

Also, the bridge over Woodland Creek is out. Otherwise the washouts could be fixed pretty easily. There are three washouts between there and Phoenicia, but why fix them when you're stopped at Woodland Creek? All you could gain is 1.6km of track. Much MUCH more important is fixing the Boiceville Bridge, because that would connect the two operating sections together again.

If you want to see where the washouts are, look at https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4746646" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . I walked this entire section in May of 2013, so the map is pretty accurate. It might be off by a few feet one way or another because the data are based on GPS recording, not surveying. Also, the washed out areas might have increased a bit through continued erosion in the last 2.5 years.
 #1354512  by Otto Vondrak
 
I would like to gently steer this conversation back to the topic of the DURR's mechanical woes, please. Restoration of the entire U&D Corridor is best served in a new thread or perhaps in the CMRR thread since you're discussing the track washed out between Highmount and Phoenicia.

-otto-
NYS Moderator
 #1355591  by sd80mac
 
Matt Langworthy wrote:I like your thinking Chris... but here's the catch: there's no crane at the DURR to lift the a loco off a truck bed and place her on the rails.

and its very costly to transport by truck... also I believe that they would get permit to haul heavy over the road. I may be wrong but I dont think so.
 #1355725  by sd80mac
 
Kuyahoora Valley wrote:42, a heavier locomotive, was moved to CMRR at Kingston on a low boy and did not require cranes to load or unload. The cost to move the locomotive was very reasonable.

That's good to hear. it's totally the opposite from what I heard about moving loco or rolling cars.. Glad to hear that price was reasonable for you guys.
 #1355731  by Kuyahoora Valley
 
Generally if its less than 50 tons and height isn't an issue it's a very practical way to move the smaller engines around. The 43 was pulled up onto the trailer by a U23B and driven off under its own power in Kingston. Most critical part is finding a spot where the ground is close to level with the railhead and there is enough room to maneuver the trailer and detach the gooseneck.
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