History of County’s Railroads Told Through Photographs

Oct. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Ulster County Railroads from local authors Stephen Ladin and Glendon Moffett. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.

Five railroads once passed through Ulster County, with Kingston being the main hub. These railroads—the Central New England Railway, the West Shore Railroad, the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, the Wallkill Valley Railroad, and the Ulster & Delaware Railroad—provided a means to transport produce and products from New York State’s emerging frontier to New York City, some 70 miles south of Ulster County.

Ulster County Railroads provides a glimpse into the lives of the people who worked on the railroad and those who depended on it for transport of goods and personal transportation. The authors hope the book will “allow people to imagine what it was like to ride the railroads during the era when rail transportation was the most popular form of mass transportation.”

Highlights of Ulster County Railroads:
•   Author royalties from the sale of the book are being donated to the Trolley Museum of New York.
•   The majority of the images have been donated from private collections of local residents.
•   Several of the defunct railroad beds have become rail trails enjoyed by hikers, bicycle riders, runners, and cross country skiers.  Some of the features depicted in the book are still standing today.
•   The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge (Central New England Railway) has become The Walkway Over The Hudson, a linear NY State park receiving 500,000 visitors yearly.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.