Railroad Restoration Project Brought to Village Board

A piece of New Paltz history could return in the near future, thanks to a recent proposal by members of the Wallkill Valley Railway Association (WVRA). Spearheaded by the efforts of the town’s Historic Preservation Commission Chair Tom Olsen, members of the WVRA approached the Village Board of Trustees at the Feb. 12 Village Board meeting, outlining the proposed restoration of the town’s old railroad siding. While this may sound like a rather strange addition to the town’s unique charm, a railroad located in New Paltz existed at one point.

New Paltz Station once made up part of the historic Wallkill Valley Railroad, running as a commercial train service from 1886 to 1937 amid the boom of mass transportation to New York City. Initially built for the transportation of produce, milk and passengers from Ulster and Orange Counties to the Erie Railroad exchange, the rail line provided quick access between the Hudson Valley for seven decades.

“1924 was the heyday of the railroad in New Paltz,” the WVRA explained in a statement to the Board. “At that time, the Village population was only about 1,200 people, but because of the Mohonk Mountain House and the State teacher’s college, New Paltz was a significant destination.”

However, the small Wallkill Valley Railroad began to struggle with the arrival of passenger car trains and competing railroad companies. By 1937, it terminated service on the line. The station sat in disrepair until 1977 due to the costly repairs for the old line. By 1984, the tracks were torn up and the old station was left abandoned for good.

The Village used to have six railroad sidings, though only one remains today near Water Street. With preparations underway for the New Paltz Way Hotel on the southern end of Water Street, owner Jesse Halliburton was “willing to donate the last remnants of some ‘siding’ track to the cause of preservation,” according to Olsen.

“We hope to lay down 200 feet of siding track next to the rail trail, along with interpretive signage to explain the vital importance of the railway, and especially the commercial and passenger sidings, to New Paltz’s economic and social history,” Olsen said. The prospect of preservation struck a chord with New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers, who fondly remembers waving at passing engineer trains as a child.

“It’s just one of those core memories,” Rogers explained. “It’s certainly hard to preserve history. If this is a way for New Paltz to protect its history and function as a reminder for the future, it seems like a fantastic opportunity.” Olsen hopes that the WVRA will be able to purchase a train car and additional siding eventually, as well as a plaque commemorating the railroad’s history. But that goal “will take much more time, money and planning,” he said.

Although the project is still in the early phases of development, locals like Olsen and Rogers are nothing but positive in their hopes for preserving this remnant of local history.