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Adirondack Scenic Railroad: The conflict continues

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, December 1, 2019 9:10 PM

It'll get built, just as Trump got his casino in Atlantic City built. 

Personally I don't care who winds up owning the place, or how far into debt or the pokey they go doing it.  I do think someone, probably sooner rather than later, will set it up ... knowing as they do that no one will drive there on the available roads, and certainly won't get there by bike or snowmobile.

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, December 1, 2019 9:15 PM

MidlandMike

So now after ARTA has fought and convinced the State to remove the Tupper-Lake Placid tracks, they now want to remove the Thendara-Tupper tracks?

Missed this earlier.

Actually, some portion of the "trail advocates" want the tracks gone all the way to Remsen.  

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, December 2, 2019 9:43 PM

The final proposal can be found here:  http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/62816.html

The following public hearings will be held.  Another is scheduled for Utica, however I don't have the date.

Tupper Lake: Dec. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Tupper Lake Middle-High School, 131 Chaney Ave, Tupper Lake, NY 12986
Lake Placid: Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Placid Conference Center, 2608 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 12946
Old Forge: Dec. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the View Arts Center, 3256 Rt 28, Old Forge, NY 13420

The Draft UMP Amendment/SEIS can be viewed and downloaded from the DEC website, listed above.

The deadline for comments is close of business Dec. 20, 2019. Comments may be provided at any of the public meetings; mailed to John Schmid, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4254; or e-mailed to adirondackpark@dec.ny.gov. 

Before you send any comments, please be sure to read the proposed UMP.  Craft your comments to address what you see as shortcomings to the plan, and what you feel would be the benefits of leaving the tracks in place.

Citing your personal experience (if you have some that relates) can't hurt, either.

"Railfan" comments ("you can't take away our trains!") will do the cause little or no good.  

Noting the value of the rails as a tourist attraction and a source of revenue for local businesses is a plus.   Verifiable information about the shortcomings of trails would be good, too.

There is little chance of any "industrial" use of the corridor.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 10:51 PM

Regarding "industrial use" you mean freight service.   But who knows exactly what the future may bring in that area?

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 8:01 AM

daveklepper

Regarding "industrial use" you mean freight service.   But who knows exactly what the future may bring in that area?

Yes - Freight.

Given APA's track record, the possibility of industrial development in the park is virtually nil, but - never say never.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, December 12, 2019 11:28 AM

Does anyone have any report on how the hearings went?

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, December 12, 2019 11:34 PM

daveklepper

Does anyone have any report on how the hearings went?

Heavily attended by the trail crowd - probably the same people at every hearing.

This is a busy time for the railroad - two Polar Express productions a night four nights a week, plus an single production one night.  All the volunteers and the staff are straight out keeping the trains running, etc. Attending such hearings is truly secondary.  When a sold out train means some 600 passengers, you tend to focus on that.

And this is why the written comments are so important.  If you haven't started drafting yours, you have until January 7th to get it done and in.  Remember - read and address the proposal.  "I love trains and you shouldn't get rid of this one" won't carry much, if any, weight.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Leo_Ames on Monday, August 31, 2020 2:24 AM

Some of the same nuts that were pushing for stealing this asset from the public and future generations, are now pushing for hiker permits for trail users in the Adirondacks.

Another push to keep visitors out of their park.

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 31, 2020 7:14 AM

Leo_Ames

Some of the same nuts that were pushing for stealing this asset from the public and future generations, are now pushing for hiker permits for trail users in the Adirondacks.

Another push to keep visitors out of their park.

Someone did a synopsis of the major players in the rail/trail thing a while back, and pointed out that one of those major players was actually anti-hiker - an interesting position to have if you're advocating for a hiking trail.  

And you hit the nail on the head - "their" park.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:05 AM

tree68
And you hit the nail on the head - "their" park.

True indeed.  I've mentioned it before and there's no harm in mentioning it again, but there is a sub-culture of what I'll call "outdoor snobs" who view wilderness areas as their private preserve and don't want any of the "great unwashed" to gain access.

Lest any of you think I'm making this up, I read about this in an article in "Blue Ridge Outdoors" magazine, a local publication dedicated to outdoor sports.  The author excoriated the "outdoor snob" attitude, both she and the "Blue Ridge" staff are of the belief the more people involved in the outdoors the better, as more will be interested in preservation of wilderness areas. 

She also mentioned a term the "outdoor snobs" apply to those not in the "club," tourons, a combining of the words "tourist" and "morons."  

Nice, huh?

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:12 AM

Flintlock76
True indeed.  I've mentioned it before and there's no harm in mentioning it again, but there is a sub-culture of what I'll call "outdoor snobs" who view wilderness areas as their private preserve and don't want any of the "great unwashed" to gain access.

"fake rich".

 

People with enough money to buy a nice house in a nice area, but not rich enough to buy enough land to enjoy. So they want the gov't to pay for their private pursuits.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:26 AM

zugmann
"fake rich".   People with enough money to buy a nice house in a nice area, but not rich enough to buy enough land to enjoy. So they want the gov't to pay for their private pursuits.

That's certainly part of it, the others are the fanatics, fanatic skiers, trail bikers, trail runners, white water kayakers, and others who won't welcome anyone who doesn't have their level of fanaticism.  

What those folks do for a living when they're not indulging in their sports is a mystery. 

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:34 AM

Flintlock76
That's certainly part of it, the others are the fanatics, fanatic skiers, trail bikers, trail runners, white water kayakers, and others who won't welcome anyone who doesn't have their level of fanaticism.  

I would say level of investment.  The people who are really into it seem to be the ones that are cool.  The ones that just spend money and want the "look" are the ... um... sphincters. 

 

It's like the guy that has the Harley hat, harley shirt, harley wallet/chain, harley mug that you never see ride his bike, and the dude that doesn't have any of that stuff, and rides his bike to work in a snowstorm. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:35 AM

zugmann
 
Flintlock76
True indeed.  I've mentioned it before and there's no harm in mentioning it again, but there is a sub-culture of what I'll call "outdoor snobs" who view wilderness areas as their private preserve and don't want any of the "great unwashed" to gain access. 

"fake rich". 

People with enough money to buy a nice house in a nice area, but not rich enough to buy enough land to enjoy. So they want the gov't to pay for their private pursuits.

Fired up my TR-7 with the top down for a ride yesterday cruising the back roads around my relatively rural county.  Seeing many 1930's & 40's houses that were built on high ground overlooking 'vistas'.  They may have overlooked 'vistas' when they were built, however in the 21st Century they are overlooking McMansion developments.  If you aren't rich enough to own the vista, you don't control the vista and have to live with the decisions of the actual owners of those properties.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by 54light15 on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:37 AM

It is a thing where the fanatics regard the woods, the bike trails, the perfect train-spotting location and what not as theirs and you aren't welcome. I recently saw the Werner Herzog film called Grizzly Man about a guy who loved grizzly bears. He regarded them as his property and he resented anyone else like forest rangers who would also have an interest. Only he knew what the bears were thinking! I guess they thought he was delicious. 

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Posted by samfp1943 on Monday, August 31, 2020 12:12 PM

54light15

It is a thing where the fanatics regard the woods, the bike trails, the perfect train-spotting location and what not as theirs and you aren't welcome. I recently saw the Werner Herzog film called Grizzly Man about a guy who loved grizzly bears. He regarded them as his property and he resented anyone else like forest rangers who would also have an interest. Only he knew what the bears were thinking! I guess they thought he was delicious. 

 

    An absolute lesson, to be learned here!  One can get so tied up in the details; they are off-guard.       Consumed by the passion they were focused on. Failing to see the building storm; til they were scattered across the landscape by the storm, they had failed to note.

 

 

 


 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, August 31, 2020 12:22 PM

54light15
Only he knew what the bears were thinking! I guess they thought he was delicious. 

Oh yeah.  He looked at the bears and saw a magnificent species of wildlife.  The bears looked at him and saw lunch!

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, August 31, 2020 12:45 PM

Flintlock76
 
54light15
Only he knew what the bears were thinking! I guess they thought he was delicious.  

Oh yeah.  He looked at the bears and saw a magnificent species of wildlife.  The bears looked at him and saw lunch!

While bears are looking for all the protein that they can get - a human is a rather meager source.  Doubt that he was lunch, more like a appetizer.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, August 31, 2020 3:35 PM

zugmann
I would say level of investment.  The people who are really into it seem to be the ones that are cool.  The ones that just spend money and want the "look" are the ... um... sphincters. 

This is true, certainly as far as ARTA goes (and I wish they would go further, away... but I don't live there).

The issue is that some of the really well-heeled proponents of preservation in the Adirondacks -- and one of them is married to someone I knew in high school -- are both motivated and patient enough to get 'forever wild' to work.  And there is little love lost between them and the snowmobiling petty-bourgeois community.  There are reasons you haven't seen the reversion arguments raised publicly.  Yet.  No wine before its time.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Monday, August 31, 2020 10:03 PM

Any update on the results of the hearings held last Dec.?

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 31, 2020 11:04 PM

MidlandMike

Any update on the results of the hearings held last Dec.?

Don't buy a ticket to Lake Placid...

LarryWhistling
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Come ride the rails with me!
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Posted by Harrison on Sunday, September 6, 2020 12:05 PM

tree68

 

 
MidlandMike

Any update on the results of the hearings held last Dec.?

 

Don't buy a ticket to Lake Placid...

 

CryingCryingCrying

I used to love riding and railfanning the Lake Placid-Saranac Lake section. I'm guessing there's not much hope of things being restored... 

Harrison

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 11:55 AM

Harrison, I'm so glad you're here.  This thread and others will give a young man like yourself an idea of how the "real world" works, not how some think  it works or should  work. 

Use it to your advantage!  

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Posted by MMLDelete on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 12:45 PM

Amen. Harrison, you are a welcome addition here!

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