89 East Strand
2009 and looking
towards 2010
New Façade for the
Through
Steve Finkle’s office, a new façade for the
The firm
chosen for the
To see the
architect’s renderings, visit our webpage www.tmny.org
and follow the links.
New Façade for the
Sewer Plant
Our
neighbor next door will also be receiving a makeover. The design proposal for the sewer plant, from
Guardia Architects (based in
Our parking
lot entry and the view of the sewer plant rear will change dramatically.
We should
all be very excited with this. The
project is slated to start this spring.
Trolley
Shelter/Guide house
The
artist-designed Trolley Shelter/Guide House is being fabricated by Universal
Metal Fabricators here in
Elevation drawing of Guide
House. The design is undergoing revision
to be more compatible with proposed streetscape design.
The shelter
has been designed to house the wheelchair lift during our operating
season. We can expect regular use of the
lift as word spreads to those with mobility impairments, who can now board and
ride the trolley. As you see from the
photograph below, Sullivan County ARC was here for Santa’s Run; two of their
clients were in wheelchairs, and were delighted to have a ride on the trolley.
Operators Allen Hughes and Dennis
Connors operating the wheelchair lift
The museum
purchased a 40’ long surplus shipping container. It was placed on the new road created on the
north side of the tracks (several hundred feet east of the display shop
entry). The container will primarily be
used as a storage shed for track tools and other items that are used
infrequently; it will also aid in temporary storage as the façade and other
renovation projects are staged in the near future.
40’ shipping container
On the 2010
clean-up docket
Volunteers
will continue in their clean-up efforts throughout our yard and along the
right-of-ways going east to Kingston Point and north towards mid-town
We are
planning volunteer days in the spring focused on yard clean-up, maintenance,
and landscaping. Those dates are the 3rd
Saturdays: March 19th; April 17th; May 15th;
and June 19th.
There will
be 3 crews working in different areas on each day. June 19th is ‘garden day’
especially appropriate for younger volunteers.
We will be planting several gardens around the immediate grounds of the
Museum. Days begin with coffee at 9:30,
breaking for lunch at 1PM.
Please let
Steve Ladin know if you wish to volunteer.
If you have experience, we need crew leaders.
Track work
Joe and crew restoring track adjacent
to Millens Scrap Yard
The above
section of track (adjacent to Millens) was in dire need of repair. During high tide/precipitation events, the
track is underwater. Joe Faulcon and his
crew rebuilt that section of track this fall.
Two new
boarding platforms (at Kingston Point and at the trolley stop in our yard) were
built by Marty Lennox and Rich Edling.
They were built out of ties, and are very durable and functional.
The red retriever seems to insinuate
himself everywhere
Rich Edling
and Marty Lennox also built a track bumper at Kingston Point. As you can see (above), the bumper doubles as
a bench.
On the 2010
track-work docket
Funding Is Part of House and Senate Omnibus
Appropriations Bill passed by House and Senate
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer
announced that both houses of Congress have passed the FY 2010 Omnibus
Appropriations bill which includes $779,200 to support the City of
“This money is a smart investment that will
fuel smart economic growth and promote tourism in the
The
waterfront trolley line and rails represent an important component of
Thanks to Steve Finkle
in his efforts in working with Senator Schumer to bring this funding to the
2009 Gift Shop
& Bookstore
Former trustee
and still dedicated volunteer Glen Moffett has taken on the task of upgrading
and bringing a new focus to our Gift Shop and Bookstore. We are now carrying a wonderful selection of
local history books on railroads, industries, the
Part of our
new philosophy is to carry items that are both affordable and worthwhile. As an example, we now have a line of fine,
well made tools for young railroad workers including hard hats, and children’s
shovels, rakes, and hoes.
We also
carry many local history books and other titles relating to the industries,
personal lives, and recreational opportunities of the
2009 Volunteers
In addition
to volunteers coming to the
The reward
for our Thursday volunteers is a kayak paddle.
We try to knock off by around 3PM, finding ourselves at some creek-side
or river location by around 3:30. If you
have a kayak, why not volunteer, and then join us for a waterborne activity at
a beautiful location. In 2009, Mike
Sadowy led us on kayak tours on the
Thanks to
the many other volunteers and Trustees who worked on the myriad of other
projects, both small and large.
Summary of Volunteer hours for 2009 (compiled by Glenn Moffett)
Name Hours
Bill Banks 22.5
Bill Brandt 147 (these
hours reflect Jan. – June, 2009 for Bill)
Carol
Wickwire 4.5
Dennis Connors 4
Joe Connors 43.5
Kenny Darmstadt 13
Hildegard
Edling 1
Richard Edling 176
Harold Greenblatt
81
Mike Hanna 100
Caroline
Hartwell 47
Allen
Hughes 112.5
William Hughes 0
Evan Jennings 288.25
Marilyn Jennings 6.5
Joe Leister 118.25
Marty
Don McClatchey 80.75
Glen Moffett 242.5
Matt Perricone 6.5
Freddie
Rasmussen 54.5
Shirley Rasmussen
5.5
Mike Sadowy 7
Joe Steipp 2.5
Randy Weingarten 112.5
TOTAL
18295.25 hours
Glenn notes
that the above summary of volunteer hours may be incomplete or inaccurate, as
some of our volunteers did not record all of their hours on the clipboard in
the office. We also had quite a few
‘drop ins’ who were here for only a day or two.
Additionally, none of the hours expended during the salvage/scrapping
operations of the five cars in our yard were recorded. We had crews of as many as five people here
over 3 or 4 weekends working 12 hours days on this clean-up project.
We will
look for new opportunities for volunteer recruitment. Our priority continues to be more operators
for 358. Anyone with similar interests
and skill sets to any of our volunteers (listed above) would be most welcome.
‘Experience Works’
We had two
placements this fall from Experience Works.
Arthur Mann and Margarita Robiero were invaluable in manning the Museum
Gift Shop, working as flag persons and conductors, keeping the Museum building
and grounds neat and tidy, and generally being goodwill ambassadors to the
public. As you recall, Norman Herbert
came to us through the Experience Works program. We hope to continue our relationship with
this federally funded program as we begin our operating season in 2010.
Collaborations,
events, festivals
The
The 5K Trolley Run, May, 2009
The
We are
currently planning our Artist-In-Residence for 2010.
An imagined view of Kingston Point
Another
tremendously successful event was “Working on Water” during a weekend in September. The trolley plied the waterfront,
transporting visitors to the historic vessels docked along the waterfront. We ran full capacity for the entire weekend. Thanks to Ann Loeding and the crew at
Kingston Historic Waterfront for pulling this very complex event together.
Working on Water, 2009
2009 marked
the Henry Hudson Quadricentennial. The
Tulips planted in the scheme of the
In October,
the trolley transported (from Kingston Point to the Rondout waterfront) both
the redcoats and rebels (separately) during the ‘Burning of Kingston’.
Are there any redcoats hiding on the
trolley?
Thanks
again to Allen Hughes and Norman Herbert for making both the ‘Fright Train’ and
‘Santa’s Run’ a success.
The ‘Dark Knight’ (far right) luring
the victims into the haunted trolley barn
Santa and Allen Hughes standing
along-side their handy-work
The
We hope
that 2010 will be a more prosperous year for the City and its residents.
Summary of
Operations
In 2009,
there was a sharp decline in visitation to the
We have
several more volunteers interested in becoming certified motormen. This will help us to expand our days and
hours of operation for 2010.
As the city
continues to develop and improve the waterfront, the
Planning for the
future
Evan
Jennings has recognized that the Museum should be revising its master-plan,
which is more than 10 years old. Many of
the plans that were envisioned have come closer to reality; others have proven
more elusive or impractical. Below are
Evan’s recommendations, adapted at the December, 2009 Board Meeting.
Trolley Museum
of New York
Vision: The museum and the trolley operation become a vital
part of the growth and visitor appeal of the Kingston Waterfront.
Goal 1: Conserve the museum collections, including
preservation and restoration of the historic fleet.
Goal 2: Enable people to discover, enjoy, and understand the
importance of the trolley and similar modes of transportation through exhibits,
trolley operation and community education.
Goal 3: Significantly expand the museum's audience and
strengthen its impact on both new and traditional members.
Goal 4: Bring the museum facilities and operations up to
accepted standards of safety and efficiency.
Goal 5: Establish the long-term financial security of the
museum.
Trails and trolleys
with trails
At the
December, 2009 Board Meeting, the trustees voted to explore the option of
‘rail-banking’ the section of track running towards mid-town Kingston, ending
near Kingston hospital. A trolley has
never run along this mile-long track, which has 3 street crossings, goes over 3
bridges and through a tunnel. Much of the
rail is missing; the bridges may not be safe for rail operations; the tunnel
needs a structural inspection and new grading for water drainage; and the road
crossings need to be built and certified.
The TMNY ROW
looking north & The Delaware Tunnel.
Tracks emerge from tunnel south of Rondout Savings Bank on Broadway.
Rail-banking
this section of track will not foreclose on its future use as a trolley or
railroad line. It will allow a
non-motorized use of the right-of-way for a fixed period of time (such as a
hiking/bicycling trail).
The conversion of the
ROW to an urban trail will benefit the
·
Providing
the amenity of an attractive, moderately pitched hiking/biking trail from
mid-town to the
·
Bringing
in a new audience and volunteers, and additional visitors directly to the
grounds of the TMNY.
·
Fostering
a collaboration/partnership with trails, environmental, and health advocacy
organizations.
·
Expanding
new funding streams and individual contributors and supporters.
·
Connecting
the Museum to an expanding network of trails throughout
Building a
trail on the ROW is both relatively simple and cost effective. The design, planning, and construction can be
accomplished at minimal cost, with pools of funding not presently available to
the
Safety and
liability issues for the ROW will no longer be the responsibility of the
With the
new façade, the improvement and revitalization of the waterfront and Kingston
Point, as well as the new Kingston ‘link’ trails now being planned (connecting
Kingston to the Hurley Rail-Trail and the Route 28 corridor), the Trolley
Museum can become a ‘green’ transportation hub: hike and bike from uptown and
board the trolley for a ride to Kingston Point (and beyond to the new
developments planned along the Hudson just north of the city).
Below is a
section of a study commissioned by
.
Shirley Rasmussen’s
passing
As most of you know by now, Shirley passed away in
2009. She was a dedicated volunteer
during much of the Museum’s history here in