So is the railroad open-or closed? website does not mention the railroad-unless I am missing something. Anybody know?
Below is from the NY Canal times website.
TAH.
Western Erie Canal
Erie Canal Village Brings the Past to Life in Rome
By Richard Palmer
The historic Erie Canal Village in Rome, located at the site where the original canal, “Clinton’s Ditch,” was begun in 1817, is in the process of being revitalized through the efforts of its new owner, Ron Trottier of Railstar Corporation of Cape Vincent, New York. Mr. Trottier purchased the attraction from the City of Rome three years ago.
Ever since then, he and his staff have put in long hours and have breathed new life into the living history museum. Mr. Trottier’s main business has been restoring and operating tourist railroads in the west, but he turned his attention to what he felt had great potential.
Not surprisingly, one of his first acts of revitalization was to restore the village’s mile-long narrow gauge railroad with its small nearly century-old steam locomotive and newly constructed passenger cars that he found at the old Frontier Town amusement park in Elizabethtown in the Adirondacks. The train was one of the original attractions at the village, but when an earlier locomotive broke down, the train ride was discontinued. For a short time, the trains were pulled by a simulated diesel locomotive, but this was not in keeping with the old time theme of the museum, and it was also shunted off to the shed.
Mr. Trottier also operates the famed Georgetown Loop Historic Railroad near Denver, Colorado which has several operational three-foot narrow gauge locomotives. It is operated in conjunction with the Colorado Railroad Museum. Another one of his enterprises is the Erie Canal Cruise Lines, a fleet of self-operated rental boats.
More recently he turned his sights to the Erie Canal Village, located along Routes 46 and 49, which had experienced mixed results as an attraction since its inception in 1973. Over the years since it had been leased to various operators, and gradually deteriorated.
Mr. Trottier purchased the property for $217,000 and set to work on restoring it. Melody Milewski has returned as general manager, and she reports that “things are beginning to turn around.” The staff has been increased to 15 employees with many of them being members of the same family. And as programs were added and buildings rehabilitated, volunteers began to return. Today, there are about 25.
Ms. Milewski’s husband Mike is the village’s all-around handyman. He does everything from fixing windows, to driving horses that pull the packet boat replica Chief Engineer, to driving mules that pull a hay wagon and farm machinery.
Renovation is continuing on the 13 historic buildings as time and resources permit. The buildings were previously relocated to the site from nearby communities. The Village is primarily a self-guided tour that starts at an orientation building. A 15-minute DVD program highlights the historical significance of the area, from the time Native Americans used Wood Creek and the Mohawk River for transportation, to the period when the Erie Canal was built. The museum interprets the history of the canal system through a series of exhibits tracing the development of water transportation.
Other structures at the village include the blacksmith shop, print shop, ice house, Wood Creek School, Maynard Methodist Church, Shull Victorian House, Settler’s House, Crosby House and the Canal Store. The Erie Canal Village was conceived as an outdoor living history museum and is a reconstruction of a 19th century settlement. Near this site, on July 4, 1817, the first shovel full of earth was turned for the construction of the original Erie Canal.
Ms. Milewski said she has concentrated on an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign. She has expanded the events and program schedules and redesigned the museum shop which includes an extensive array of canal-related books and materials available for purchase. The result has been that attendance has steadily increased over the past three years.
Last spring, more than 5,000 school children from throughout New York State and Pennsylvania visited the Village for a unique educational experience. Special events are held in conjunction with many major holidays. Other events include family days, re-enactments, historical seminars, a blue grass festival, living history programs, and special events focusing on various aspects of transportation, antique farm machinery, railroads and canals.
There are also seasonal events in conjunction with harvesting, Halloween, and the Christmas holiday season.
For further information about Erie Canal Village, call (315) 337-3999 or visit their website at www.eriecanalvillage.net.
