This is just history repeating itself. Look up D&RG historical at Monte Vista, CO some time. (including on the STB website) ... and like Monte Vista, both sides need to clean up their act. (both need out behind the woodshed)
I'd guess the Catskill Mountain Railroad is ran mostly by volunteers who have a limited time and energy. They should try to get more volunteers.
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
I mean the rail road did little to improve its operation or its ties to the community. I'll give you an example. The county invested in cleaning up the corridor, 9 North . the road runs North / South and parallels the foot hills of the cat skills mtns, it's a very pretty vista and leads up to the ski resort. It also built a very popular bike/ people trail that follows the road. In the middle of this scenery is the Catskill railroad end of the main line storage track is a string of close to derlict passenger cars on both sides of county road. These cars have not seen service in decades. Some painted in their original c&o blue and yellow paint jobs, now mostly rust and peeling paint. Parking this string of cars out in an area that the county prides it self was like poking a finger into the county eye. It's yard in the city of Kingston wasn't much better.
It's not to say that the city or county is opposed to historical museum. The city is the home to the trolloy museum of new York that has a unique collection of trollies including PCC cars, subway cars and trams from Europe.
It's also home to fleet obsolete, a group based in Brooklyn but is restoring it's fleet of ww 2 PT boats in Kingston NY . the fleet includes PT 48, 728 459 and 615.
I think the city recognized it's rich history which included being the first capital of new York. Kingston NY was one of the end points for the not to famous Delaware and Hudson canal which barged coal honesdale pa to Kingston, then onto NYC.
Kingston also was a major port during the steam boat era on the Hudson river. Steamers would carry passengers from NYC to Kingston where they boarded the train to the Catskill mountains. These grand steamers continued until 1948, when the steamer Robert folton made its last run from NYC to Albany.
With all that said, What would the Catskill railroad say, in my opinion, " we had 20 years and we blew it" what shame with an area rich in history and scenery.
Do you mean the city counci?
If the truth be told they been an eye sore for years.
I think politics is influenced by developers, people who make money by demolishing something and building something new, and promising economic development. Marginal railfan operations are vulnerable.
I wonder if everyone in that organization is soft spoken? If I was part of their team I'd say to the city "please leave us alone". The city obviously has been targeting them with tactics like blocking the line with a dump truck and several other things. I have posted a few strong but civil comments on their FB page and they seem to have the approach of Mister Rogers. The city obviously wants a trail and must have some train haters among them. What if the ideology of every city council with a tourist train operation within its borders sours to the same thinking then what happens to rail preservation in the US?
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