This item poped up in the TRAINS Newswire of this date: The awards to operators in N.Y. State for various ‘improvements’.
Found the following included in that article: (Bullet point) “…Adirondack Railway Preservation Society, Essex County: $1.5 million to rehabilitate passenger cars and locomotives for expanded excursion service…”
This is the Association that operates the Adirondack Scenic Railroad (ASR).
The concurrent running threads on this Forum have recently been about the apparent desires by the active law suites, instituted by the advocates of the “Trails Advocacy Groups”, to ‘lift the rails’, and ultimately do away with the ASR. The last indications were that the matter was under advisement by the State Adencies, and Courts. (?)
This is from the article in the NEWSWire:
FTA"…ALBANY, N.Y. — New York officials recently announced the recipients of $25 million in grant funding under the state’s freight rail assistance program. The grants are designed to help strengthen rail infrastructure and promote economic development throughout the state.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the grant funding leverages an additional $5.4-million in public and private investments to help complete the projects…"
What in the World is goin on? If the State is still examining their position with the ASR, this award seems to be slightly schizophrenic,in light of that position?[:-^]
ASR is the current iteration. I believe the Olympic version was the Adirondack Railway (no ‘Scenic’).
Either way, it’s not unusual for folks to leave out the “Scenic.”
A cynic might view the state’s gift as throwing out a bone in hopes ASR (and ARPS) will forget about losing the north end, or hoping to placate the railroad for the loss.
Or, that there are those in the state government who support the railroad, and the actions regarding the north end are purely political, fed by contributions…
COOL STUFF ! (tree68)Larry. I suspected that the ‘reporting’ might have been somewhat skewed in the area of the current name ASR vs. the AR ( and the Association). Still a cash infusion to help maintain the rolling stock, is a really good thing! Lets hope this is the start of a new ‘turn of luck’ for the Adirondack Scenic, and its umbrella Association. [tup][tup]