A sneak preview, Delaware & Ulster Railroad tourist train in Arkville, New York

[rwk]

I just started this, and recolored a station from the DLS and put two side by side for a longer building for the Arkville station. I want to do all of the tourist era section as well as some of the out of service part toward Pine Hill and Big Indian past Highmount that the railroad wanted to restore to further extend rides that way but trail people opposed the reactivation of the tracks and a small bridge was even removed to prevent that part of the railroad from being reactivated. West of Phoenicia where the Empire State Railroad Museum is and the Catskill Mountain Railroad was, are several washouts of the railroad heading toward Big Indian. Ulster County is hostile toward the CMRR and wants most of the track ripped up for a trail, some was already by a dam west of the CMRR's Kingston segment with a new bridge built over Esopus Creek at Boiceville for trail users, the old railroad bridge was mostly washed away by Hurricane Irene in 2011. The D&U is mostly in Delaware County with the Highmount end in Ulster County I believe. The only section that is safe from future removal at this point is the D&U section from Arkville to Roxbury and Arkville to Highmount. Beyond Roxbury is a rail trail as well. The D&U tourist railroad is essentially landlocked with no rail connection to the outside world. The other existing segments are as well that are used by the CMRR.

 

[rwk]

This is a tough project. I have to look at satellite maps to see what the layout of the Arkville yard is, and I looked at drone views of Arkville station as well on youtube. What I noticed is that a new track was added right in front of the station maybe last year when the railroad reopened after being closed for five years due to COVID-19 and poor track needing repairs like tie replacement, before there was an extended wood platform at the station to an older track, the platform must have been removed except for a short piece in order for the new track to be built in front of the station. My route will reflect the new track in front of the station based on the satellite map. I want to build the line north to Roxbury and east toward Fleischmanns and Highmount, as well as a few miles of out of service track past Highmount toward Pine Hill and Big Indian. I'm using the ruler tool in Google Maps to measure distances of track as well as the ruler tool in Trainz. I'll post more screenshots when I get further along. This tourist railroad is landlocked, with no outside rail connection. There are other portions of the railroad at Phoenicia and Kingston used by other tourist operators, with Phoenicia now railbikes only. Phoenicia to Highmount is out of service, with a few big washouts west of Phoenicia and a few other breaches in the row. 12 miles is now a rail trail at a dam/reservoir near Kingston with a new foot bridge over Espous Creek which replaced a railroad bridge washed away in Hurricane Irene.

 

[rwk]

Here's a little update on the Arkville station area showing how I'm measuring distances with the ruler.