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New Railroad Book on the Catskills

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:21 am
by rkugel
Anyone interested in the railroad history of the Catskills should check out a copy of "Where did the Tracks go in the Catskills - Volume 4" by Michael Kudish. There is really only one volume on the Catskills. Volumes 1 to 3 covered the Adirondacks. The book lists for $25.00 and is published by Purple Mountain Press.

Every railroad (past and present) that ever served the Catskills is covered from major trunk lines such as the New York, Ontario, and Western to obscure logging railroads that barely extended a half a mile through remote forests. The author thankfully provided copious pages of maps, so finding these railroads (most of them have long been abandoned) will be greatly facilitated. One railroad in particular was a remote logging line that was so primitive it used horses for power. It extended about a half a mile from the southern base of Round Top Mountain (the Round Top by Kaaterskill High Peak) to a sawmill located to the south. The northern terminus of the line was very close to the Brantt Fort site at the base of Round Top (not to be confused with the Tory Fort, located in the col between Round Top and KHP).

Although the maps are hand-drawn, they are clear and crisp, and readers should have no problem using them to find any of the fascinating railroads that criss-crossed the Catskills. The author even went so far as to include lines that were partially graded and constructed, but never completed. There are several of these "ghost railroads" in the Catskills, and traces can still be found - if one knows where to look!

In spite of a few minor imperfections (some maps were printed upside-down), this is a superb book and I am very grateful to have a copy in my library.

Rich