OK, Then why is the response zero when I throw out questions about northeastern narrow gauges? Are there any folks out there interested in the Catskill Mt. RR, Hudson River Ore & Iron Co, Deerfield River RR, Sage Brothers Lumber Co, Crown Point Ore & Iron, ETC.
Regarding the Catskill Mountain RR. We have just discovered the ramp of stone work leading up to a turntable at Mountain House Station that was there only one year, 1882 to 1883, when it was moved to Palenville. A gun club was just about to clear the area for a parking lot when they questioned the stone work and we discovered a 37' span of a gallows type turntable. The area will be preserved and the pit cleared.
At Cairo, the turntable pit there just came under the ownership of new owner of adjacent home and they have taken a wonderful interest in it and its history and have cleared it to display the great stone work. The owner said he has enjoyed the work on the pit so much he has not worked on his house since he moved in.
Mr Helmer book never explained where the clay pits were on the railroad and they have now been found branching off the Cairo branch 400 feet east on jct of RT 23 and 32 at a wye that lead to a 0.8 mile lone branch (one curve) that went to the clay and shale pit. The mountain of clay in the photo had all been shipped to Catskill and only a small lump of the hill remains at the big scared area. Many new things have greatly added to a history which was not fully complete. This was a extremely well run and maintained railroad which can be explored at many points, yet today.
The Deerfield River Logging Railroad was the northeast's (NY&NE) largest 3' gage logging railroad (1906-1922) Phoenix RRiana Research.