Catskill Mountain Railroad coaches finally move

FL92002
FL92002
756,153
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Published 2013-04-26
We are back at the Route 209 crossing along the Hurley Flats in Hurley, where we finally get to see movement of the two coaches that have been sitting on the east side of the crossing for the past 15 or so years. The two coaches in question are 6 axle heavyweight diner Lion Gardiner (formerly New York Central 519) and an old DL&W "Edison" MU. On the west side of Route 209 are two more MU's, as well as a hopper car and a gondola. Those cars have been sitting there just as long. The fact that these two cars are moved now means that progress can be made to cross Route 209 and continue on through Hurley, up Hurley Mountain, and eventually, reach Ashokan Reservoir. This is a proud moment for the CMRR. The good people there have worked extremely hard to achieve this milestone, which included restoring C9 Bridge, which is an old truss bridge over Esopus Creek, as well as laying and spiking new ties to reach these coaches. If you are in the Kingston area or are able to come up to Kingston, please do so. The good people at the CMRR are always looking for a few good volunteers. It is definitely a worthy cause. For more information, visit www.catskillmtrailroad.com. Enjoy the sight of these two old cars moving for the first time in over 15 years, as well as the chug of ALCO RS1 401, and the cheers from the people who have worked so hard to make this day happen. If you have any questions about the video, feel free to message me. Comments are welcome. The video was taken on April 21st, 2013.
All Comments (21)
  • @jamesgovett2501
    Good on you fella’s for saving these old carriages for future restoration! I think it’s the same as restoring old cars & trucks as they deserve it! And it doesn’t matter what part of the world we are in, it’s good to see like minded people who care about our transport history! Greetings from Melbourne, Australia.
  • @countrypaul
    Update, July 2018: the cars are in various stages of restoration - the Lion Gardiner was sold and shipped out to be restored - and with some additional track work, this section of track is once again "high iron." The volunteer staff at CMRR is a pretty amazing bunch!
  • @xCoolBreezex
    I remember seeing them sitting on the rails like that for many years and one day they were gone Crazy seeing this after all this time
  • @johnnym.6610
    Great job guys, that railroad is coming alone nicely.
  • @GIguy
    Thanks for posting this, each one of those cars represents a big part of our history, I’m Canadian, but this is obviously in the United States, but both of our great nations were connected and founded by the railways. I hope they take those beautiful old cars and totally restore them back to their original grandeur. If ever you’re in Toronto, which is where I live, just near the base of the CN Tower, is the old railway round house, which is now a railway museum that has cars from the 1800s all the way up to today, all in perfectly restored order. I can’t explain the feeling you get when you walk into it, it’s like stepping back in time. Much like every major city in North America, Toronto had a huge railway system, which is now completely gone, replace mostly by trucks and public transit trains. But I’m glad that the area where the railway lands used to be, at least a small part of it, has been saved and restored back to the original condition. They even restored one of the conductors booths, one of the very first train stations from the mid-1800s. I’m assuming it’s the same in the United States, because I’ve been to most of your cities, and it’s the one thing we all share in common. Because were a waterfront city, as is most of the East Coast from Nova Scotia all the way down to Florida, goods were brought in by ship, and then distributed via railway. It’s more than just nostalgia, it’s almost romantic in a strange sort of way, as you walk through all the old rail cars, or climb on board the old steam engines, and first diesel trains, you feel like you’re connected to the time period. And while that era is long gone, it’s nice to see that they have preserved so much of it, which is why I pray to God they do the same to these real cars in the video. They have no price, because they’re irreplaceable.
  • @TOTALCAMARO
    It’s sad to see them in that condition. I love seeing the trains and see there are people who actually care to try and bring them back to life. Those cars are a big part of our history.
  • @TheGonzo1960
    that is amazing and a testament to how well they're built
  • @JonBrooks105
    On one side of our family we're descended from Lion Gardiner, and on the other side we had a mason who actually built the station at Hurley(ville), Middletown and others. Nice to see!
  • @microbusss
    well I HOPE the cars will be restored & not scrapped
  • @prestonmcknew2300
    Me and my family rode the train last year with the 0-4-0, enjoyed it very much. Every one needs to remember it takes money and muscle to make it happen.
  • @cweve
    I remember driving by them many times.
  • @emdman1959
    Love he hand and whistle signals, my conductor and I use them all the time.
  • @digitalmoviedv
    Hi! Very nice video and interesting carriages. Greetings from Italy. Ciao, Stefano :-)
  • @THEATREofPAIN270
    Nice. I must have driven by them 100 times when I lived up in Grahamsville.
  • @countrypaul
    Update, end of September, 2019: NEW WEBSITE: www.catskillmountainrailroad.com. NEW TRACKAGE: The CMRR is running on all available track, from MP3 at Kingston to the east, all the way west to MP 8:33, Route 28A at Stony Hollow. All track has been upgraded by mostly volunteer workers, and the derelict-looking cars are either off the property or have been restored! Unfortunately the 28A crossing was paved over by Ulster County, but CMRR is trying to get it reopened as the track is still on the ground further west to just before Basin Road (around MP10); it easily hosted inspection trains about 3 years ago. Unfortunately, the county has removed the rails west of there, but restoring an additional 1-to-1.5 miles of track would bring CMRR to Glenford Dike, a scenic point of interest on the Ashokan where the tourist ride could terminate. In the meanwhile, if you're reading this is 2019, some great fall foliage runs, pumpkin trains and the Polar Express are all scheduled for the rest of the year. Come on up to Kingston!