Ulster and Delaware Railroad Corridor Forum

[scoostraw]

What is the proposed Kingston tourist train going to consist of? The 401 and a flat?

And will trips originate from Kingston plaza and go to end-of-track at the River Line and return?

[Otto Vondrak]

From what I have gleaned from earlier discussions. I think the idea is to use the Davenport, a flat outfitted with benches and safety railings, and a caboose.

As business improves, I think the idea is to use the 401 and a coach.

-otto-

[scoostraw]

So they would be trucking the Davenport and the caboose from Phoenicia to Kingston?

[Otto Vondrak]

Nope, there's already a caboose in Kingston that is being rebuilt. Can you come out to Kingston some weekend and lend a hand?

-otto-

[bhubbell]

Welcome aboard!

No definite decisions have been made on the consist. Based on the time frame and what is available, it will likely be 401, a flatcar outfitted for passengers, and the caboose.

As for the route, that too remains to be seen. Likely it will just be along the Kingston Plaza area for starters. Route will depend on how much of the track and crossings can be rehabbed between now and then. Route is unlikely to go to the River Line due to the street crossings.

BH

[scoostraw]

[eehiv]

Scoostraw,

The forum is open to members and "friends" of the corridor. I only ask that non-members let us know one way or another who they are as this discussion group is mostly for internal discussion. You can either update your profile, or if you prefer not to, just let me know directly who you are.

Best,

Ernie Hunt
Site Administrator
U&D Corridor Forum

[kilroy3488]

When is the Kingston trackwork starting and can the track equipment make it all the way there?

[eehiv]

I believe the Kingston trackwork will start September 29th or October 6th.

Plans are to bring the Tie Handler and Scarifier down to Kingston, plus the backhoe based in Phoenicia. This will give us two backhoes to remove ties, plus the tie handler and scarifier to insert them.

The ballast regulator would be brought down to cleanup after trackwork was completed.

Equipment will be trucked, as the equipment located off 209 blocks the ROW, and also the washout at Butternut Cove may be too unstable to pass heavy equipment over it.

EH

[eehiv]

The Buckeye Central railroad is being replaced by a trail, and they are auctioning off their surplus equipment. Here is a Davenport 50 ton ready for children's train service for Kingston:



This and other Buckeye equipment is being auctioned off on October 13th:

http://dougsmithrealtyauction.com/Oct%20info.htm

The engine appears to be operable. More photos:

http://home.insight.rr.com/pcaravan/pumpkin.htm

Anyone feel like going to Ohio on October 13th?

EH

[Otto Vondrak]

Forget the Davenport... go after the SW-1!

In my humble opinion, the scary disembodied face on the front of the Davenport is not an asset. If I could offer my humble opinion, the CMRR should stop worrying about creating "characters" for the Kingston train, and just present a nice, clean, and professional image to the public. Adding faces and other "kid stuff" will only make the CMRR look like an overgrown amusement park ride. You don't need to put giant googly eyes on everything to make it attractive to kids and their parents!

Further- to make a point about making your own characters. Everyone knows McDonald's has a cast of costumed characters they introduced in the 1970s as an ensemble to join Ronald McDonald in "McDonaldland." They are well-known- Grimace, the Hamburglar, etc etc. They are used less and less, but we all remember the radio and TV commercials.

An small upstate chain of hamburger places called Bill Gray's decided that with their expanding restaurants, they needed their own ensemble cast (in an effort to compete with Burger King and McDonald's, I guess). Their early 2000 campaign resulted in some grotesque and stiff characters that no one could relate to or understand. The campaign has floundered since then, but the quality of the product keeps them going. They spent millions on printing cups and other support materials with these weird characters that no one really pays attention to either. The Bill Gray's "spokesburger" is a large figure in a white liesure suit with a hamburger for a head!

The difference? The McDonald's campaign was created by a large advertising and marketing firm and was supported by a multi-million dollar ad campaign in print and on TV and radio. The Bill Gray's concept was created in house, and executed locally. What's more, McDonald's is national (and global, even); Bill Gray's is regional (Rochester). Bill Gray's overshot their intended mark.

My point is- I would concentrate on making CMRR-Kingston the best it can be, the cleanest, well-polished railroad it can be. Theme days are okay, but don't deface the equipment with circus colors and giant grinning eyeballs. Sell the public with service and a smile!!

Okay, I've said my peace! I have many years of experience in design, advertising, and marketing. If you think I can help with future marketing efforts, please let me know.

McDonaldland History


Bill Gray's of Rochester Official Site

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is an offbeat late-night cartoon about fast-food products turned "bad"

-otto-

[chefwrg]

Go for the brush cutter!!!!!! Chris Bigham will kick in some money!


And I agree with Otto, the CMRR needs to look like a first class operation if we are to be taken seriously.




Win

[eehiv]

The CMRR ran its summer shuttle in Kingston for the last time yesterday. Here is a video crossing Washington Avenue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cl8IQJIDiU

Here is another of the ride from Fair Street to Washington Avenue and back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHbNAD1iMcc

The Shuttle will be back in November and December for the holiday season. In the meantime, we will be extending the track further west and doing maintenance on the 401.

Finally, here is an interesting tribute to the CMRR I found on the internet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUZS66MOv1w

EH