Catskill Mountain Railway


The Catskill Mountain Railway was a narrow gauge railroad, long, running from Catskill to Palenville in Greene County, New York. Organized as the Catskill Mountain Railroad in 1880, it bas built in 1881 and 1882. The principals had interests in shipping on the Hudson and in hotels in the Catskill Mountains.
Unlike most railroads, the CMRR was built primarily for the purpose of transporting passengers and was intended to operate seasonally. Most people using the line were summer tourists who travelled by steamboat from points along the Hudson River. Their final destinations were hotels and boarding houses located high in the Catskill Mountains. While the railroad served its purpose of bringing passengers closer to the mountain top resorts, it still left them with an arduous hour-long stage trip up the face of the Catskill Escarpment. In 1885 a branch was built to Cairo, New York, with the intent to carry bluestone, hay and fruit, and was run year round. That same year, the CMRR was reorganized as the Catskill Mountain Railway.

Competition

Competition soon arose, in the form of the Stony Clove & Catskill Mountain and the Kaaterskill railroad companies, both controlled by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad. These narrow gauge railroads brought passengers much closer to their final destinations, saving them the difficult stage trip CMRR patrons had. To counter the competition, the Otis Elevating Railway was formed, hiring the company of Elisha Otis's sons to build a cable railroad. This railroad was completed in 1892. in length, it raised passengers in 10 minutes - saving a one-hour stage ride. At the summit, of track was laid to connect with the terminus of the Kaaterskill Railroad.
By 1897 connecting service on the Kaaterskill Railroad had become so bad, that a new railroad, the Catskill and Tannersville Railway was constructed to run from the Otis to Tannersville. This line paralleled the existing Katterskill one as far as Tannersville. Hastily built, this line had curves as sharp as 20 degrees and a maximum speed of 7 miles per hour. Locally, it was affectionately known as the "Huckleberry" for the fruit which grew along its right of way.
During a 1904 reconstruction of the Otis, a switch was installed to connect with the C&T permitting through freight to operate from Catskill to Tannersville. Because of the slanted seats necessary on the Otis, passengers still had to change cars.
A great boon to the CMRR was the development of the shale brick in 1888 by the Elmira Shale Brick Company. By 1898, raw material mined on the Cairo branch for the Catskill Shale brick company comprised, by tonnage, 95% of the freight carried.
The last trains were run in 1918.

Locomotives

NumberNameBuilderTypeDateShop No.Notes
1S. Sherwood DayDickson Manufacturing Company1882335
2John T. MannDickson Manufacturing Company1882336
3Charles T. Van SantvoordDickson Manufacturing Company1885522Retired in 1911.
4Charles L. BeachSchenectady Locomotive Works18954333Burned in 1908. Boiler used on #2.
2nd #4Charles L. BeachALCO Schenectady190946645Sold in 1920 to Oak Grove and Georgetown Railroad.
5Alfred Van SantvoordALCO Rogers191251126Sold in 1920 to Oak Grove and Georgetown Railroad.

Passenger Cars

NumberBuilderTypeDateCapacityNotes
1Jackson & Sharpbaggage car188212 tonsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
2Jackson & Sharpbaggage car188212 tonsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
3Jackson & Sharpbaggage car188212 tonsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
4Jackson & Sharpbaggage car188212 tonsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
5Jackson & Sharpcoach188250 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
6Jackson & Sharpcoach188244 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
7Jackson & Sharpcoach188244 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
8Jackson & Sharpcoach188244 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
9Jackson & Sharpcoach188252 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
10Jackson & Sharpcoach188252 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
11Jackson & Sharpcoach188252 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
12Jackson & Sharpexcursion car1882longitudinal bench seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
13Jackson & Sharpexcursion car1882longitudinal bench seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
14Jackson & Sharpexcursion car1882longitudinal bench seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
15Jackson & Sharpcoach189346 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.
16Jackson & Sharpcoach189346 seatsSold in 1920 to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.

Freight Cars

NumberBuilderTypeDateCapacityNotes
1Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons30 feet long.
2Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons30 feet long.
3Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons30 feet long.
4Jackson & Sharpgondola188212 tons30 feet long.
5Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons30 feet long.
6Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons30 feet long.
7Jackson & Sharpgondola188212 tons31 feet long.
8Jackson & Sharpgondola188212 tons31 feet long.
9Jackson & Sharpflatcar188212 tons31 feet long.
10Jackson & Sharpgondola188212 tons31 feet long.
11Jackson & Sharpboxcar188212 tons30 feet long.
12Jackson & Sharpboxcar188212 tonsConverted to caboose by railroad.
13Jackson & Sharpboxcar189312 tons24 feet long.
14Jackson & Sharpboxcar189312 tons24 feet long.
15Catskill Mountain Ry.gondola1906 or 19078 tons22 feet long. Built for interchange with Otis Ry. and Catskill & Tannersville Ry.
16Catskill Mountain Ry.gondola1906 or 19078 tons22 feet long. Built for interchange with Otis Ry. and Catskill & Tannersville Ry.
17Catskill Mountain Ry.boxcar1908 or 19098 tons22 feet long. Built for interchange with Otis Ry. and Catskill & Tannersville Ry.
18Catskill Mountain Ry.boxcar1908 or 19098 tons22 feet long. Built for interchange with Otis Ry. and Catskill & Tannersville Ry.