Caught this link posted on Fox News today. We lost a nice stretch of tracks years ago north of New Orleans to one of the 'rails 2 trails' groups which was a poor exchange.
It sounds as if with $400,000 in the bank for a station they would be off to a good start. Any of you guys know why nothing has been able to be done about the line itself?
Sounds like a very worthwhile project for railfans.
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""It is absolutely absurd" to rebuild the tracks, said trail supporter Lee Keet, an eight-generation Adirondack resident..."
Translation - "History is stupid. I don't care where what made America, America, the Adirondacks what they are in part to the railroad, no - all I care about is "ME". What's in it for me and my children who would likely walk the rail instead of the trail?"
Shame.
/Mitch
One of the most important industries (if not the most important) in the Adirondacks is tourism. I can only think of two reasons why some folks would be against the tourist railroad extension.
Either they think the hiking trail will generate more money than the trains, or they are wealthy people who have either retired to the Adirondacks or have summer homes.
Regardless of the townsfolk, any development in the Adirondack part is highly regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency. Even when the APA approves of a project, environmentalist groups often try to block them by suing.
Folks who own property in the park cannot build on their own land without permission.
There was a post a short while ago with some backstory provided by some locals. This issue has so many interests and sensitive issues that a compromise will be difficult. If I recall correctly, the rr has the upper hand because of some old state legislation. But, the people and interests have changed making any further development and repair of the rr a nightmare.
I find the part about snow machine use amusing. Noise pollution, air pollution, environmental damage and such and they want to complain about the rr, but the snow machines are ok.
I am originally from NY and spent a good deal of my life as a deer hunter, a family tradition. Some years back, while my legs could still carry me, I hiked back to my favorite deer stand to see it one more time.
The deer trails through there, on state land, no longer carried deer tracks but had ruts and tracks of mountain bikes. I took no pictures.....
In Florida now, the memories and pictures of the "good old days" will hang on till the end.
BTW, the whole Putnam Division in NY is "rails to trails" and down here many of the rails on Florida's Suncoast which used to carry the wintering of Circus trains are all "rails to trails".
I am afraid that just talks to the huge expansion of population in America. The way it was moving west!
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