Empire State Railway Museum
Phoenicia Railroad Station, home of ESRM
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| Established | 1960 |
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| Location | Phoenicia Railroad Station |
| Type | Railway museum |
| President | Dakin Moorehouse |
| Website | http://www.esrm.com/ |
Established in 1960, the Empire State Railway Museum is a non-profit railroad museum currently located in the historic Ulster & Delaware Phoenicia Railroad Station, Phoenicia, New York. The station was built in 1899 by the U&D, and is one of the few surviving examples left along the line. The museum owns a small collection of historic railroad equipment. The museum was formerly the publisher of the annual Steam Railroad Directory until the 2006 edition, when the title was taken over by Kalmbach Publishing and now released as the Tourist Trains Guidebook.
The museum was established by railroad enthusiasts from the New York metropolitan area in 1960. The organization sponsored many steam excursions and other railfan activities throughout the region, but was working towards the goal of establishing a permanent home. The possibility of purchasing a segment of the New York Central Putnam Division was considered, as the middle portion of the line was abandoned in 1962. Member Jay Wulfson took ownership of the Middletown and New Jersey Railroad, and ESRM equipment began to gather in Middletown, New York. Member Stephen D. Bogen purchased Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-2 #103 from the Sumter and Choctaw Railway in Alabama and had the engine shipped to New York on a flatcar. Additional equipment including coaches and a caboose were purchased and excursions began operating under the name Middletown & Orange Railroad.
In 1964, Wulfson moved on to launch the Vermont Railway, and the M&NJ was acquired by ESRM member Peter Rasmussen. In 1965, ESRM began publishing the Steam Passenger Service Directory, an annual listing of tourist railroads and museums around the country. Regular excursions on the M&NJ ended in 1966 due to deteriorating track conditions and vandalism, and the equipment was stored. The search for a permanent home to run steam excursions began again.
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