New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-21
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
RAILROAD SERVICE TO THE CATsNLLS.
HOW CONSIDERABLE TIME MIGHT BE SAVED
EXPERIENCE OF A CONSTANT TRAVELLER.


TO the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The statement in last Sundays Tribune that
train on the West shore road had run from Weehawken
to Kingston in hour and fortynve minutes has
excited much attention among the summer residents
in the Catskill Mountains also much comment as to
why 1t Is that It takes over five hours by rail to go
from NewYOrk TO the Hotel Kaaterskill, $50 miles.
The clubs and colonies Of cottagers clustering
around the head Of the Schohare River Of which
Tanneisville is the station, deeply interested in a
fast railroad service.
Your correspondent, officer Of one Of those
clubs, IS in position TO know something about It,
The men of the families must go to town often. Some
can only spend Saturday and Sunday away from town.
Five hours the road is entirely too long. II the
train does have to climb $500 feet above level
propose TO demonstrate this by giving the record Of
my last trip up. 1t is fair specimen. and it will
show how time is thrown away. not by slow running,
but by bad mana cement. Year after year We have
been promised a fast service to the mountains. This
. is how the promise Is kept.
We left Forty secOndst. at 8 40 p. IT. The train,
one Of the fastest left Wcehawken at :O5. Twenty
minutes for tho shortest ferry the North River.
The Pennsylvania road allows twelve. Time thrown
away, eight minutesD For thirty odd miles went
along mcrrily at about forty five miles hour Then
it occurred the engineer that this would do.
The management would not forgive him if he showed
the passengers that the to CranstOn's first stop.
forty six miles, could be made in less than schedule
time 50 loitercd along the rest Of the way,
whereas II he had kept his speed he would have been
there ten minutes ahead OF time. Schedule, hour
ten minutes. Time thrown away, ten minuesl
Then to NcwburG stopping AT Cornwall long enough
empty and fiji up the whole train after few had got
on and off, ten miles Schedule, twenty minutes
fifteen enough. Time thrown away, five minutesJ
After leaving NcwburE for miles went rapidly,
and the same speed kept up would have brought MS
to Kingston, thirty-tSo miles, five to ten minutes
ahead of time. Again the engineer remembered him
self and began hi, Offering and by dnt Of hard work
he managed not to beat his time. schedule, fifty
minutes Time thrown away, five minucsD
AT Kingston ten minutes are announced for re
feshmcnts and hungry passengers jostlc each other
I'm caccrncss not to be left by socalcd fast train
on this trip-and 1t IS nearly always so-twenty
minutes were taken up Tho parlor car Is switched
on 10 the Ulster and Delaware track, which crosses the
West shore at right angles at the north end Of the
station. The station il in The angle where a switch
would naturally be- put, and so year after year thS
brilliant management keeps on sending the parlor-
car p the West shore road several hundred feet then
back to the right several hundred feet to the Ulster
track at "A point where IL must run several hundred
more 10 get back to the station altogether journey
OF nearly half mile. which cOuh De oVisluv'" ~ y
shortened in time and distance by switch beyond ne
station curyug ~ the left. Gmc thrown away a'
Kinr,fon ten minutes the schedule time Of ten MN
ute, for rcfrchment, might most OF IL be >aN'u Oh
a limited train by having buiet-carl III.
/ From Kingston a. Phocuic!a, twenty seven H'S,
heavy grade for thrye nile schedule tmr, one hoII
easily make it in forty 10 forty five minutes 'l'Hs
At Phocnicia start, the narrow gauge up through
stony Glove. schedule time to Ianner9vill" one hour
TWO minutes. eleven miles kIsht H'hu''7 WV ,
M Kaafcr-LlH Juu,tlou-n the woods. no one Sel' ~
or of % switch our car ON TO me kaa,eI,N'n 'o''
. Tw, enough. Iim" thrown away, sN minute 800,
Arrived at TanurrSyIlle on time. ~ hNc houT' au u
seven minute from NrW-l"rh haNlhs uI'"" -
by actual count lory four minute IN o'H or. nnd
he tim should been mac li IuNi H''I, '''''