"1st Revenue Run in 42 Years!" Utica-Tupper Lake NY

Ride along on Adirondack Railroad's "High Peaks Limited," the first revenue passenger train to the Adirondack Mountain town of Tupper Lake NY in 42 years. This historic trip took place on October 16, 2022 and originated in Utica, 107 miles to the south.
Tupper Lake had not seen a passenger train in revenue service since August 1980.

[@timothytrainful]

I can’t believe 1972 is 50 years ago. It’s still feels like 1972 is 30 years ago

[@lie-berry]

It's lovely to see people take pride in their history and work to preserve it. Very gracious of them to share their memories.

[@dskomsky]

Tupper lake is a great little town , wish I was going .

[@tyrese3745]

I'm listening to the Steve Karmen Band's version of "I Love New York". Big hit song for the State's campaign back in 1977.

[@vtperson]

Didn’t think I would ever see a train on the line at Sabattis. Great to see.

[@erichsh58]

This railroad guy Doug Ellison starts telling a story about the last train in 1980, which he operated, around the 32 minute mark. He recounts every detail, every name as though it all happened yesterday. He says 42 years later he's back for the return trip. Fascinating story!

[@railroadingrambler218]

I've known Doug many years; his memory is truly fantastic!

[@zillboop4687]

I grew up in Tupper Lake NY and when I was a kid the train station was just a memory torn down way before I was born i spent many years playing in a public playground right next to the old tracks literally a 2 minute walk down from wear the old station once stood . I remember the OWD Oval Wooden DIsh factory and the Veneer factory and the abandoned rail road tracks that ran behind both factories that at one point had a switch point right near the old station us kids used to old tracks as short cuts

[@patrickninocn2205]

Great video! I’m impressed he says Ottawa and Montreal correctly lol

[@jeffjensen27]

🤔🤔😀😀🥰🥰Very Informative Crystal Clear Video. You Do A Awesome 👏 Job Of Putting Visiting Guests In The Mood For A Good 👍 old Train 🚂 Ride. Thanks For Taking Us Along.

[@anthonyculver9315]

I would love to take that ride

[@tltc191]

I have great memories of Utica

[@leonardoglesby1730]

Thanks for this trip which was nostalgic for me, taking me back to the early 1970's when I lived in Inlet in the Adirondacks, not far from Old Forge, and Thendara. That was also a time I lived in Utica and worked at Faxton hospital. Now I live on the California Central Coast.

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

An interesting video about a Great Train Ride. Thank you for taking me.

[@MrSafetysteve1]

Glad to see the Train back in Action!!All the train haters should watch the revenue coming in before the bad comments!

[@Adirondack_Gimp92]

Just wanted to say thank you for the trip down memory lane! I spent my childhood summers at our family camp on a Upper Saranac Lake between the mid 1960s and early 1990s, often passing through Tupper Lake on the way there. Or shopping at the A&P Market or going to one of the many Tupper Lake area sawmills to get slabwood pine to use as kindling. It was $5 a truck load back then, amazing. Then there was the annual Lumberjack Days every summer where you could always see some amazing woodsman skills! Boy those were the days. But I also spent a lot of summers walking and motorcycle trail riding the access roads along these rails in the floodwood area, near Lake Clear junction, between Tupper and Saranac Lake. Many times around what we used to call "the washout" where the tracks went past Rollins Pond. This would have been the early 1980s after the tracks were shut down after the Olympics, where the rails were literally hanging in midair over the open water underneath. If I can ever find them, I know I had pictures we took back then. We also used to hunt the area in the fall often walking the rails, or running into several other fellas that had a motorized pump cart they used to traverse their favorite hunting spots. The same again in the winter time on snowmobiles; it was a very popular area especially Charlie's Inn at Lake Clear junction. A friend of mine as far as I know still runs it today as a bar restaurant. Thank you again for the memories. I was at one time in touch with the scenic rail people in the early 2000s discussing wheelchair accessible recreation on the line. My concept at the time was to get more people with disabilities access to the Adirondacks, often into areas they would never be able to otherwise. If nothing else for the therapeutic effect of just being in such a gorgeous place. And what better way but a nice scenic ride up through that area. Unfortunately back then for health reasons I had to discontinue that project. But as I seem to recognize some of the names from your video today, everyone involved was certainly good people. I still use a wheelchair today from a motor vehicle accident in 1992, but I can definitely put this on my to-do list in the very near future. That would certainly be a great recharge of the mental batteries, especially the way society is today. Get back to what's important in life, slow down, and enjoy the little things along the way. Thank you again. J - Saratoga Springs

[@CindyBrandreth]

Watching from Castleton, NY. Was at Brandreth Station on 10/16. What a thrill to see a train go by there once again.

[@p.mckenzie2921]

Looks like wonderful train 🚂 ride.thanks for sharing.🥰

[@stanicarlos2244]

They were using the ex-BC Rail locomotive. I love the sounds of that K5L horn.

[@bluesplayer1959]

beautiful trip on the rails. Great people doing the work so we can enjoy the majesty of riding on these lost routes. I hope more old forgotten lines can reopen for leisure and scheduled travel. what a great way to ease the road congestion and stressful travel..

[@louislamonte334]

I hope this line gets lots and lots of freight customers!!

[@wesleywright6484]

Wow!! I'm jealous!!!! This was quite the trip! Great weather great company! Great stories! And general great time!!! Thank you for taking us with you! As always be well and be safe! Looking forward to the next installment!!

[@PlanetMezz]

Great video. Thank You!

[@gregmoyer8959]

Thanks great job from Mooresville N.C.

[@peteheyde7999]

Good ballast, good track, good service, great video! It's a pleasure to see, learn, and experience the history of how New York truly became "The Empire State"! A welcome diversion from continuously being forced to focus on the Empire State being dismantled by government!

[@RC944jim]

Well another one of your videos I will have to watch several times to take it all in, thank you for making the trip!

[@buzzoffthischannelisdeleted]

Thank you for showing my hometown (utica). I havent seen it since i left ny in 3 years. I loved hearing the stories doug told!

[@floridadave224]

My uncle Luke Wood lived in Tupper Lake and worked on the RR for years. He was in his 90s when he passed a few months ago, I'm sure he would have enjoyed seeing the train back in Tupper.

[@timtraver7152]

Many years ago we ate at the Big Moose Station Restaurant, the staff said they so wished trains would once again pass the station, but they said it would probably never happened again, nice to see this video and the excitement it brought!

[@tropicalties3806]

This is a awesome video. Thank you for making this. The interviews make it 💯

[@railroadingrambler218]

Thanks, glad you liked the video! I enjoyed doing those interviews as well

[@JeffRyman69]

What a great video of a great ride. I have to visit this railroad when I visit my granddaughters in Hensonville NY.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Another very cool video including the ride along and the commentary at the end. have a nice rest of your evening.

[@ramachandral8584]

What a ride u took us through! The conversations were so nice and informative. Enjoyed it😊🍻

[@Terk131]

We saw the train heading up North through Remsen and my wife and I were trying to figure out what was going on. I live in Thendara right by the Thendara station. This would have been a nice ride last week with the vibrant colors. Thanks for the video.

[@jaywinn481]

Absolutely stellar video!!!! It brought back a ton of memories... I watched the NYC night train leave Utica for Lake Placid numerous times with my grandfather in the 1950's, audio recorded the 1965 CNY Chapter trip to Lake Placid and recorded The Adirondack Ry operations during the 1980 Olympics. Seeing this video means a lot.. Thanks again for a wonderful video...

[@NorthCountryTrains]

Jay, what a cool story of growing up around the Adirondack Division. You will have to check out my detailed documentary on the line when it releases later this year. Would love to hear from you, maybe even an interview for the video?

[@railroadingrambler218]

Hey, great to hear from you! That open air car was a blast! Despite the extra noise, I think those segments really added to the video. It was an all-around great day (getting that extra turkey wrap was a nice bonus too)!

[@peterjohnson617]

Great Stuff...........well done by all. ,thanks so much.

[@NorthCountryTrains]

At 27:13 I can be spotted. Thought that was you. Glad you made the trip! I just got my video up as well.

[@likklej8]

Glad to see the USA restoring old railway lines

[@vettebecker1]

Awesome trip, a lot of nostalgia on this trip. Wonder if anyone got a cab ride video or outside locomotive video of the trip?!?!

[@kevinhenry7273]

Great ride. Liked the history of Tupper Lake.

[@thomasmccartney2661]

Very much looking forward to the "High Peaks Limited" this coming October 14. In particular the section from Remsen to Tupper Lake Junction (Faust). My great-grandfather worked for Dr. Webb when the Mohawk and Malone RR was being built in 1891-92. My grandfather worked for the NYC RR from 1910-52, being transferred from the "Junction" to Malone in 1927, along with his family. Including my Mother, Mildred (Black) McCartney, 1920-2011.

[@mikew.4165]

What a great video. Thanks for this. I will have to check this out when snowmobiling.

[@BilgePump]

Very Nice. I’ll be a passenger soon. My father would have taking this trip a few times during WW2.

[@valeriebassett3107]

How exciting! I hope there are many more. This is a fantastic video. Love everything about it. Thanks for sharing!

[@Steve-xf4uv]

Interesting anecdotes; Doug might have been the engineman on the trip I took from Lake Placid to Utica in 1980 during the Winter Olympiics. I did not have a camera and was only a wannabe railfan but I seem to remember the train was pulled by "F" units . How short-sighted that the State of New York pulled up part of an operating railroad. Very nice trip; good video !

[@warrens.5933]

I love all the history wrapped up into this one rail line. What a fun ride and a fun video, thanks for sharing!!!

[@interstellarphred]

This line has been a case study of the predatory tactics in the rails to trails movement. Dupes of the highway and anti transit lobby.

[@rogerb5615]

A fine video indeed. Doug Ellison's memories of the last revenue runs in 1980 were remarkable: Hard to imagine the owners shutting down the pike so suddenly. We wish you years of successful and enjoyable runs!

[@johnchambers8528]

Thanks for this great video. I have vacationed several times in lake Placid and saw the old station there. The closest I got by train to Lake Placid was Amtrak to Albany and then rented a car to drive to Lake Placid. Its a shame that New York State doesn’t consider reopening the line all the way to Lake Placid since it is such a major tourist and sports fan destination. With a good connection with Amtrak at Utica I feel limited service to Lake Placid as well as some of the other towns along the route would do good. I enjoyed all the commentary as well as the scenic views you showed on this run. I hope they continue to have runs to Tupper Lake and do well promoting visiting the area.

[@robertkirchner7981]

The Tupper to Placid section of the line is being converted to a multi-use recreational pathway. This has been controversial, but the rehabilitation of the Utica - Tupper section is part of the compromise that was reached.

[@Bret4207]

What it comes down to is the enviro crowd has more pull than those looking for rail transport. They can't abide rail/trail, gotta be no trains!!! I grew up in the Park, lived in Tupper. The spandex and granola crowd just won't share.

[@marryannlamb9853]

Great trip. Have a great day .

[@marka5478]

I hope to ride this line next year. I could see this line being used to test zero-emission rail equipment.

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

This railroad will be the hotest railfan destination. Alco powered and close to Salmon fishing. What's not to love ?

[@mrfingerlakes8735]

Awesome video

[@trainchef7870]

Awesome video, Thank You!! Would be so much more interesting with some information as to the sights you show. What are the lakes and ponds, or the burnt buildings? Where is the train when people are filming? Just a little more history of the reason the Adirondack Railroad existed. All in All i loved it!!

[@railroadingrambler218]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Point taken re add'l info, should've added a few captions.

[@brianfalzon6739]

That’s awesome!

[@workingfolk]

Thanks for the video. Looking forward to riding next year. Hope to see one-way tickets sold with the ability to bring a bicycle for some cycle camping. Watching from NE Pennsylvania, along the NS Sunbury Line, Milepost 659 Dalton Siding.

[@HavelockYard]

Nice to see vintage MLW power hauling that return to revenue!

[@pbcanal1]

There was a beautiful station at Sabattis at one time. It was called Long Lake West because some felt that LL would move there to be next to the RR. It never happened. It was the home of the Whitney estate. I had an aunt who was a governess for the Whitney's.

[@Bret4207]

Used to live in Long Lake. Lots of people could give history on Long lake West and jobs that used to be there. Sad that it's all gone now.

[@vmaxride06]

We were honored to be on this beautiful and historical run. Sat a few seats from you in diamond lower. We were celebrating our 35 year wedding anniversary. Watching this video allowed us to once again celebrate that special day, well done sir. Thank you for sharing. What a ride 👍

[@railroadingrambler218]

Glad you commented! Nice to ride along with you guys & congrats on the anniversary!

[@carrieann1640]

Thanks for a fantastic video.

[@francistheodorecatte]

neat that the train goes through Remsen, and passes Adirondack No.25!

[@ericsvalland4417]

Congrats. It has seemed like one step forward, two steps back in getting the section up to Tupper Lake operational again these past few decades. One has to wonder with the state involved, will the success be short lived, or will it hang in there for the long haul. Best of luck!

[@paulbergen9114]

Looked like a fantastic trip through those rural areas and still had some Fall Foliage to brighten things up. For this route to come back certainly must have taken some minor miracles especially with 42 years elapsed. Unfortunately here in Wisconsin and upper Michigan it's pretty much too late because the tracks have been ripped up and some has reverted back to property owners. It will be interesting to see what happens with the former Algoma Central since CN sold it off but with very minimal Freight it's a lot of miles of maintenance so the next few years will be pivotal as to whether passenger service resumes

[@tucobenedicto109]

Real nice Utica club beer to boot. They must back in and fill it off the dock. Lol. Great time of year with the leaves.

[@Kimzapoppin]

Love it. Wish I could have been there.

[@railroadingrambler218]

Hopefully you’ll be able to ride next year!

[@mackenziezimmerer7926]

Now this is railfanning

[@alcopower5710]

Truly an awesome video

[@chriswarner126]

I am watching from Bellefonte PA. Home of the Nittany and Bald Eagle RR.

[@kenlee5509]

Congratulations!

[@MichaelJones-ng7zq]

At 23;16 what did DeAndre say to you? The grade crossing leads into Robinwood Park at Sabattis, a private club with 135 members and approximately 8000 acres of essentially "forever wild" forest used principally for logging by a lumber company and recreational pursuits (ATVs, UTVs, hiking, canoeing, etc.) by club members.

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

August 5th 1980 the day I was born in Herkimer.

[@tvtoms]

Really fun and great weather for capturing it on video too! The track is looking really good and all the stations along the way had plenty of people around. Nice seeing the landscape looking so good. I guess earplugs are recommended for the open air car.

[@railroadingrambler218]

Despite the noise (due in no small part to being right behind the engines), the open air car was the "bees knees"!!!

[@deaustin4018]

brought up just north of Tupper Lake, then lived in Alaska for awhile. If you wanna know what an Alaskan wilderness looks and feels like, just ride this train into the Adirondack wilds in New York State not all that far from the city.

[@Terk131]

I have heard that from others that have been to Alaska.

[@tyrese3745]

19:37 The Big Moose Station, now a seasonal restaurant.

[@ItsjustChris95]

I loved it ! Thank You. You are extremely knowledgeable. Have you ever worked for the railroad ?

[@railroadingrambler218]

Glad you liked the video! No, I’m not a railroader but I’ve had a lifelong interest in railroad history and operations.

[@wilber53]

Haven't seen Doug in years. Threw out names of Lester Foley and Durwood Carman that I've worked with. Good to see Bill M. in the video. Where's Waterman?

[@samanthab1923]

Was this a one off or are they bringing back the tourist line to Tupper

[@railroadingrambler218]

Service to Tupper will begin next year though exact details still in the works.

[@samanthab1923]

@@railroadingrambler218 That’s great to hear! Was so sad when they did away with the Catskills Railway 🚂

[@MichaelJones-ng7zq]

At 22:55 minutes:seconds into the video, you show the partially installed new turn out at Sabattis. Do you have any additional "raw footage" between MP 94 marker (which you have included in this video) and the newly partially installed turn out at Sabattis, that you video graphed but deleted from the finished video that you published? If so, I would be most interested it viewing it, especially 5 - 15 seconds immediately prior to the approach to the new turn out at Sabattis as currently shown in your posted video.

[@garymoreau8601]

I'll never set foot in this train My son 20 years ago who couldn't speak at the time and has Autism ,and absolutely loved trains was promised to ride the first train back in service Gene Falvo jr was in charge and Because he didn't like me ( I worked with his father at Falvo mfg) wouldn't allow my son to ride This effected him for years because he looked forward to it He has a Conductor from a southern Train company give him a tour and had his company send a hat and swag which he still has.Just that little event stopped our family from ever step foot in the Union station

[@SupaFly10579]

Where can I find a map of all the tracks in the area?

[@tylerg7567]

👍👍❤️

[@phillwolf3321]

Would revenue service in 1950-1980 have used 3 locomotives?

[@railfansamantha7241]

Did anyone document the last train between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake?

[@phillwolf3321]

According to the video, there was no advance notice.

[@jeremycarroll4443]

Great video , couple questions. 1 what's the fare for that trip and 2 what are your track speeds ?

[@railroadingrambler218]

Highest speed is 50 MPH. My ticket (lower level dome) was $211, after a $24 "senior" discount, one of the first times I took advantage of my "senior" status. Included in my ticket: continental bfast, lunch, one beer & soda. I'd imagine upper level dome seats were higher. Unsure what coach fare was.

[@robk1310]

Does anyone know if you are allowed to bring your bicycle onto the train so that when you get to Tupper, or Thendara, you can ride around town while at your destination?

[@joshmetzger5334]

wow 1845 almost looks like 1847 I wonder if they are related?

[@tyrese3745]

20:30 And I think this is Buck Pond, right?

[@railroadingrambler218]

Yes, Buck Pond at milepost 70

[@raymondleggs5508]

Scree!!!

[@gregjewers8291]

Now if they can just get back the route all the way to Lake Placid that they want to make a rail-trail out of...

[@relentlesscactus]

Difficult in that they are actively removing the rails. Dumb arses

[@Bret4207]

The odds are incredible against it. Makes no sense to me. If "green" is the future, then rail is necessary. Politics are bigger than common sense.

[@MichaelSmith-ym2rz]

What kind of freight business is on the line?

[@alanbutler2417]

There is no freight business on the state owned portion of the route. Line was abandoned by Penn Central some time in the 1970's I believe.

[@samsnapchat7686]

Amtrak NYC New Jersey NJT

[@georgedoolittle7574]

Nice to see Governor Hoeshcel present! Any other dignitaries?

[@alanbutler2417]

They may have been on the " executive train" a couple of weeks ago. Don't think they are on this first "public train".

[@Bret4207]

Unlikely Horrible Hochul even knew Tupper Lake existed...

[@samueladams7]

"Let's Go Brandon"

[@Bret4207]

@@sindlero And torturing law abiding taxpayers! Go Zeldin!!!

[@danielunger9340]

Wish they would redo the rails at the Blackshear Waycross Jesup train stations in Georgia n return passenger rail service if they did A would ride the train n ma dream is ta own ma own steam train passenger n freight train service n redo the rails in Blackshear Waycross and Jesup Georgia n in Bethlehem Pennsylvania on sand Island fix up the train station or depo n redo the rails n have a passenger train service going ta that train station n depo too that's ma dream n dream job

[@herzschlagerhoht5637]

Also a fantastic video, love your "little" documentaries!

[@herzschlagerhoht5637]

Great that also some coloured people took part in this ride!

[@katzgar]

The guys on the front of the loco are in violation.