How the CRC Came to Be
The last commercial train ran through the Catskills in 1976. However, in the years following the rail line’s closure, several individuals with the support of the A. Lindsay & Olive B. O’Connor Foundation Inc. endeavored to give the Catskill Mountain Branch of the once great railroad a new life as a tourist attraction. The Catskill Rail Committee was formed to purchase and take over the right-of-way and to connect the leaders and stakeholders of towns that the tracks ran through for 45 miles in both Delaware and Schoharie Counties. A workable vision to preserve the railroad was forged and resulted in the launching of the “Delaware & Ulster Rail Ride” which in 1983 started offering scenic rides aboard vintage train cars from Arkville to Fleischmanns and Highmount and back. The D&U quickly became the biggest single tourism draw that Delaware County had to offer. In 1986 the organization formally incorporated as the Catskill Revitalization Corporation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, with the following mission:
Among the enduring purposes and goals envisioned for the CRC are the operation of a recreational rail ride, education of the public as to the historical significance of the Catskill Mountain Branch Railroad Line, providing recreational and park facilities, development and improvement of commerce, industry, and tourism, and promoting the general welfare of the communities served.
Subsequently, the creation of the Catskill Scenic Trail divided the right of way between the remaining 19 mile active railroad area from Highmount to Roxbury and the 26 mile rail trail from Roxbury to Bloomville, and the CRC manages and maintains both.
