Defining Democracy

 

The story of the Catskill Mountain Railroad is one of historical preservation, local tourism, grassroots railroading and political intrigue.  What a combination!

Take a look at this movie before we discuss it…  You’ll see what I mean.

In the 1860s, a train connected Kingston, NY, into the Catskill Mountains.  It brought tourists, timber, farm goods, and bluestone to resorts in the Catskills.

But in 1932, passenger service gradually declined due to the rise of the automobile.

  • By 1954, all passenger service had ended.
  • The line deteriorated over the decades and was largely abandoned.
  • 1983, the Catskill Mountain Railroad, Inc. was founded as a nonprofit volunteer-run heritage railway.
  • Its goal: preserve and operate a portion of the old U&D right-of-way under a lease with Ulster County, which had acquired the rail corridor from Penn Central.
  • Over time, CMRR restored several miles of track between Kingston and Phoenicia.
  • The railroad operated tourist trains, including scenic rides, holiday-themed trains, and railbike excursions.
  • It became a favorite for tourists and train enthusiasts visiting the Hudson Valley.

But then.In the 2010s, CMRR faced legal battles with Ulster County, which had competing interests to convert parts of the corridor into a rail trail for biking and hiking.

Today, the Catskill Mountain Railroad operates mainly in Kingston, with popular events like The Polar Express Train Ride, the Pumpkin Express, and Fall foliage excursioIt continues to be a community-driven effort, run largely by volunteers dedicated to preserving railroad history.

The relationship with the county continues to be contentious and, at the time of this writing, 2025, its viability is very much in doubt.  

https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/catskills/article/catskill-mountain-railroad-state-grant-20240104.php

 

 

Bu8t the reqal stgor y has to do with. learnhbing.  Learning roles and social. behavior.  The store y of how I met Tom Whyte in The Platter one day.  He comes in wearing a T shirt with FDNY  and an engine or oadder c ompanyu7 that I know is not purchased ojn 42nd street tgouriost shop.

 

 

The ride along

So, here’s the story.
I was in a small cafe having a sandwich in Pine Plains when I spotted a guy wearing a  FDNY T-shirt.  I recognized it right away.ss not the e kindof tourist T that you can p;ick up in Times Sqwauaszre bu t azs something the at on wit h a ladder or engine company y would ldhave . I asked him if he had been a firfdefishter and, then, when he said y es, I asked what was he doing here in Pin Plains.  That started a conversation about my. background as a filmmaker in NYC jhuaving been embedding in the department and actually knwiing the firefighters life quite well.  We chatted about and then I finally asked what”What are yu ou doing in Pine Plains?
“I’ve been learning how to drive a  locomotive for passenger trains.”  And then he told me about.  t he Catskill Mountain RR.