The Messenger - October 1998

The former Ulster and Delaware Railroad's Phoenicia station, home of the Empire State Railway Museum (ESRM), will be one hundred years old next summer. To celebrate the centennial, ESRM is planning an exhibit about the mutual growth and development of the railroad and the hamlets over the last century. Next year's exhibit will focus on the period between 1870-1940: the grand hotels, the furniture factor in Chichester, Simpson's ski slope, Kingston Point Park, as well as other local cultural and industrial history.

The museum is seeking photographs, clippings and other memorabilia for the exhibit. The museum would be especially interested in any photos that show the station under construction in 1899. All photos and other materials will be carefully copied and the originals returned. For more information, call Lonnie Gale, ESRM Curator, at (914) 688-7199, or contact the museum through its Internet web site, www.esrm.com

The most recent exhibit at the museum, "Watershed Engineering Marvels" about building the Shandaken Reservoir and Schoharie Reservoir, closed on Columbus Day but will be on display at the Ulster County Office Building from November 1st, 1998 through the end of the year.

New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) Commissioner Joseph Miele is seen fourth from right in the back row. On his left are his son and daughter-in-law. On his right are Earl Pardini, Beth Waterman and Lonnie Gale (rightmost in photo). In front of Miele are his three grandchildren and Ralph Goneau is foremost in the photo which is posed in front of the Catskill Mountain Railroad caboose. The family party also rode the CMRR train. NYC DEP has been a major sponsor of the 1997 and 1998 exhibits on the Catskill Watershed System.

The following item is taken from the Kingston Daily Leader of July 7th, 1899:

"NEW STATIONS

The Ulster and Delaware Railroad is building a new depot at Phoenicia. At Tannersville, on the Stony Clove Railroad, another new depot is also being built. These improvements became necessary owing to the rapidly increasing summer traffic on the roads."

The following advertisement for a July Fourth excursion train is transcribed in part from the Kingston Daily Leader of June 30th, 1899:

"There is a great rejoicing throughout the Haunts of Rip Van Winkle this year, as the new Standard Gauge Line through the famous Stony Clove to the Tannersville Valley and the Kaaterskill Plateau is now complete. The first excursion train over this new line will be run on this occasion. This train will be equipped with modern new day coaches, and is to be hauled by one of the new powerful 70 ton, six driver locomotives from the City of Kingston to Kaaterskill, and without change of cars to the top of the Mountain, over 2000 feet about the level of the sea."

"Only One Dollar For Round Trip"
"The Special Excursion Train will
Leave Roundout: 8:40AM
Kingston: 8:50AM
RETURNING trains leave:

Kaaterskill: 2:27PM, 5:29PM
Laurel House Station, 2:30PM, 5:32PM
Haines Corners 2:30PM, 5:32 PM
Tannersville 2:41PM, 5:48PM
The tickets will be good to any of the above points and passengers will have from 4 to 7 hours in the mountains as they may desire."

Our Curator, Lonnie Gale, tells us, "This is a seldom seen picture of the wreck of Engine 29 at Brodhead's Bridge on June 14th, 1907. It was pulling a heavy load of coal cars at a speed of 40MPH and, unable to stop, crashed into a freight train that was standing at the depot. This wreck is written up on page 135 of the Ulster and Delaware by Gerald Best. I have four real-photo postcards of this wreck and this is a photo copy of one of the postcards.".

The Board of Directors took the following actions during the July to October period. Ralph Goneau commended Doug Trout for his efforts cleaning the station basement and the CV auto carrier workshop. Bill Davis donated lumber worth $1,000 to restore the CV car. No progress has been reported on land acquisition. A preservation architect has been consulted for the heating and insulation project. A letter proposing a scholarship has been sent to the Phoenicia Elementary school. Kalmback has agreed to provide two pages in the front of the Directory to publicize the station centennial. Ralph Goneau reported that gift shop sales for 1998 were down 20% and donations down 33% compared to 1997. It has been necessary to reorder the Ulen Shandaken book.

Sponsors are being solicited for next year's exhibit. A telegraph key used in the station in 1903-04 as well as historical HO scale replicas of the U&D will be sought for display during next year's exhibit.

Ernest Myer, West Hurley, NY, and Harold Oakhill, Poughkeepsie, NY, submitted correct solutions to the history mystery posed in the July, 1998, Messengery. Ernest Myer was first and he was presented with the ESRM mug in recognition of his achievement.

The solution follows: Donald, the engineer from West Shokan, ran the Roundout/Phoenicia Way Freight. Evan, the rear brakeman from Phoenicia, worked the Hunter local. Jim, the head brakeman from West Hurley, worked the Rip Van Winkle. Sam, the conductor from Kingston, worked the Stony Clove local. Tom, the fireman from Rondout, worked the Rondout yard. Thanks go to all who participated.

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