Did the railroad serve any viable purposes? Was there enough logging in that area. Mining seems to have petered out. There doesn't seem to be enough population density for inbound merchandise that couldn't be handled by highway.
It just hit me like a ton of bricks today, when I spotted the Youtube video with the work train - like an icicle right through the sternum. It would not be in any way an exaggeration to describe my overall feelings as ‘devastated’ or ‘on the verge of tears.’
I don't live anywhere near upstate New York, and could never have had any impact on the fight, either as a voter or as a donor (I'm destitute, so I couldn’t ever contribute more than a few bucks here and there to the railroad), but I always felt like the line into Lake Placid was one of the most unique railways left on the continent. And now, like so many a darling, bucolic branch, it too will be gone.
Though I have always felt it to be true, of late I’ve become almost hyper-aware about how morally bankrupt we have become as a country – we pour billions into stadiums and cruise liners; spend our days vapidly snapping selfies and crafting inane memes, all while libraries cut hours, and museums of all colors have to bow and scrape just to get by. This isn’t universal the world over – it’s decidedly an American thing, and it’s repulsive. And, for whatever reason, this rail removal thing just pushed me over the edge. How dare they. How dare we.
mudchickenTree has been over all of this so many times in the past.
Yep. And those who commented that the forever wild crowd will be all over this are likely oh, so right. Redefining the corridor definition to include trails kind of set the precedent for completely removing the definition, IMHO. And I have little doubt that this will be the next step.
The folks behind this simply want everyone out of their woods.
The snowmobilers backed the concept because (and I get this) it takes a packed eight inches of snow (probably a two foot snowfall - and snow has been increasingly rare) to be able to ride over the rails without tangling with them. I believe they'll find that they've been willing dupes, and will soon regret that support as use of the ROW for snowmobiling, and possibly most other uses, fades from view.
I'm sure the originators of the "trail" had this in mind, but they couldn't get rid of the sledders until they got rid of the tracks.
Word is that the sledders have been advised that the state won't be maintaining the corridor, IIRC. There are also indications that funding for building the trail is also being pulled back.
There are restrictions on what can be cut in the Adirondack Forest. After the big blowdown in 1995, loggers were prohibited from harvesting that fallen timber. So it lays there, rotting.
Even the railroad is restricted to cutting back fallen trees to what restricts passage of trains.
mudchickenThe state owns the property under whatever color of title it has. (and I suspect they never even tried to look).
The state was forced to look, as this was the basis for the railroad's suit. While the state owns most of the adjacent lands, removing that aspect, there were several parcels where others had the rights. I'm presuming that the state has remedied this issue.
There is good news - work has begun on rehabilitation work from Remsen north. Six cars of ties are being dropped as I write this. I wouldn't bet on riding a train all the way to Tupper Lake by next fall, but it is a possibility.
Fortunately, I'm qualified all the way up to Tupper (need a refresher on Big Moose north), so I may be running one of those trains.
EDIT: It's not really fair to blame the rails-to-trails crowd for this debacle. IIRC, the official R2T folks actually "disowned" the effort. This was the work of a few rich people in the high peaks area who - yes - want everyone out of their woods.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
It couldn't be railbanked because NYC abandoned it prior to the Olympics and prior to to the Rails to Trails Abandonment legislation was formed and passed into law before 1976-83.
There is no NITU or CITU on the property. The state owns the property under whatever color of title it has. (and I suspect they never even tried to look). Similar situation exists at Peoria and the direct opposite exists in Bucky's backyard.
Tree has been over all of this so many times in the past.
EuclidSo I assume that means that it is not "rail banked" with the State having the option to rebuild track and host a rail operator?
I would presume that, as a transportation corridor, it would be possible to re-lay track should the State decide to do so. I would not expect this to take place for a variety of reasons.
As they reap, so shall they sow.
I'm watching primarily for exactly when certain people associated with 'forever wild' act to shut down further trail development on the 34 miles ... that the state says it does not have development funding for. My bet is on the day the last load of track material is removed at state expense.
At least much of the 'removed' material will help in renewing the track on the preserved section.
So I assume that means that it is not "rail banked" with the State having the option to rebuild track and host a rail operator? Although even if that were the case, I doubt it would ever happen.
Euclid Does the removal of the rail preclude the possiblity of there ever being the resumption of rail service on that corridor? Who will own the corridor after the track is removed?
Does the removal of the rail preclude the possiblity of there ever being the resumption of rail service on that corridor? Who will own the corridor after the track is removed?
There was a hybrid plan, but the state/trail folks didn't want that. The Adirondack Scenic was a lessee, and NY owned the right-of-way. The railroad won a court case about 3 years ago, but the trail people (being boundlessly wealthy NIMBYs) came back again, and this time they won. So the last 34 miles of the railroad (and undeniably the best 34 miles, since these were the parts that ran through the mountains) are being removed as we type.
Flintlock76 I don't know what we can say here that hasn't been said before, but I will say again the day may come when those tracks are going to be sorely missed, and who know how many millions will have to be spent putting them back? I'll make another prediction. It won't be long before the hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers start having a turf war over that trail. Count on it.
I don't know what we can say here that hasn't been said before, but I will say again the day may come when those tracks are going to be sorely missed, and who know how many millions will have to be spent putting them back?
I'll make another prediction. It won't be long before the hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers start having a turf war over that trail. Count on it.
There's no doubt. But all I see are the thousands - literally - of miles of trails in the Adirondack Mountains... and the one little railroad. And those thousands of miles of trails just weren't enough for these people - the railroad had to die, too.
In a larger sense, this isn't just about railroading - it's about the sacrifice of unique history on the altar of the mob. Those rails are never coming back, and there's a huge crowd of people who are elated by that news. And, frankly, I'm beginning to believe that they should be stripped of their say.
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Work-begins-on-track-removal-for-34-mile-15668846.php
There was a time when the trail people were actually about 'corridor preservation,' but it has long since passed. We need to wake up and realize that R-t-T and their affiliates are an insidious enemy of low-traffic and tourist railroads across the country. These people no longer want cooperation - they want to sieze and destroy. In fact, I would argue that they are the single greatest threat to shortline service in America today.
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