The motion filed with the federal Surface Transportation Board last week states there us “no present or prospective need for freight services” on the route between North Creek and Tahawus, Sun Community News reports. The move will seek to have the S&NC formally removed as the operator of the route through the Adirondacks.
The S&NC was owned by Iowa Pacific. It shut down in May
Warren County employees were dispatched last week to remove debris that the railroad had left behind at the North Creek train station. County officials tell the Post Star that they were fed up with the slow pace of the cleanup following the S&NC shutdown. The railroad will be billed for the work. All of the S&NC equipment has been moved out of the county except for one boxcar that will likely be scrapped.
I remain am a firm believer that politics played the most important roll in shutting down the Colorado Midland during WWI by the D&RG. The CM had the shortest route across the Centenniel State at the time and only priority war traffic should have been routed via CM. Instead, it got chocked to death because the USRA moved everything including the kitchen sink over the Midland. Not much has changed since then when you permit a cage of braindead idiots in DC Comicville attempt to run a railroad, e.i. AMTRAK!
Apologizes to David Hawkins,
I stand corrected, the name of the party who recently bought the mine from National Lead is Paul Mitchell’s Mountain Endeavor LLC.
Here is a good story form the local area which covers most of the points of present status.
http://www.suncommunitynews.com/articles/the-sun/counties-work-to-put-brakes-on-railway-abandonment/
I strongly agree with Mr. Miller. What is the S.T.B.’s ultimate role as a regulatory agency?
For example, is it literally the case that the S.T.B. is only required to consider “present or prospective need for freight services” along a given line and not ALL future needs (e.g. passenger services)?
As the years pass, I find it increasingly unconscionable that our society continues to ignore transport realities, blindly embracing the status quo while irrationally dismissing potential alternatives.
The mine is owned by Mr. Miner? Seriously?
I just finished reading all of the local press about this. OMNITrax has solicited an offer to operate, but under the law, it must be put out for bid. They are also negotiating to purchase the remaining ROW in various places (like Corinth) so it comes under a single entity.
The local response has been about 80% negative as the locals feel like they have wasted their money with Ed Ellis and the excursion trains. They do not want any car storage of any type on the existing county owned rails, let alone what a new owner or operator would try to do to increase revenue.
Transloading titanium tailings and having access to quality limestone aggregate is why several entities are expressing interest in acquiring/operating the line.
With the recent negative action against the Catskill Mountain RR, The Iowa Pacific in Santa Cruz in the past 12 months, there is a large amount of animosity against marginal rail operators. A little too much sentimentalism and hobbyism in some of the operators are making the local government entities irritated and frustrated (and vice versa). When they confront the operators, some of their stridency is a large turn off and they eventually send them away.
Anyone who reads railroad history will know that in the 1870-1900 era, failing, fly by night underfunded railroads were the norm and by extension the bain of locals who put up the money to make them work.
Well, for starters, no traffic must have moved over the line in at least 2 years. Given the equipment was all just rounded up in the last few weeks, the STB is likely to laugh this one out of the office. Also, if there is a credible Offer of Financial Assistance (OFA) that stops the process. And OmniTrax is a credible operator, not just a fan with a dream trying to find someone to finance it.
This story could use a bit of perspective, especially some explanation concerning STB processes.
Can’t get someone to do something by asking nicely? Crush them like an ant and get what you want.
Trying again…
“no present or prospective need for freight services”…other than Omnitrax. See:
https://poststar.com/news/local/colorado-company-plans-to-purchase-tahawus-rail-line-wants-county/article_d52286e0-e377-5493-9677-aa65f42adeba.html
This Post Star story is another inconvenient truth flying in the face of Emperor Cuomo’s bid for re-election as Governor with eyes for the White House.
This is fake and old news. The Adverse Abandonment application was made months ago with the STB regarding the Sanford Lake Ry from North River to Tahawus, 27 miles owned by San Luis & Rio Grande RR (IPH). The town of Newcomb, and Essex county that contains Tahawus filed a strong objection because a new owner, Mr. Miner, owns the mine property and the million tons of tailings,
They want to move the trailing by rail instead of their present method by trucking that would take 70 years, Their is also good ore under that tailing pile that could later be sold, Canadian Pacific has held up the shipping of the stone as it was busy moving oil trains to Albany and did not have track space. Now the oil trains are traveling another way to Saint Johns, NB, and Mr. Miner will make another try. Mr. Ellis still has a contract to move garnet to Williamsburg VA from a mine at north Creek, the northern end of Warren County RR, good to August 2019. Mr. Ellis also owns the branch that goes into Corinth to where the paper mill existed. There are plans to re-purpose the mill site and that may need rail service. The track from Saratoga Spring to the Warren County line is owned by the town of Corinth over which Ed Ellis has operating right. This is all pushed by Governor Cuomo. You can’t be more anti business than to make STB attempts to tear up railroad tracks where the industry, town, and counties want to have the rail movements.
Great instance of government weasseling their way into the private sector.
Finally.