Re: (rshsdepot) Albany, NY

["Steven Delibert" <STEVDEL_@_prodigy.net>]

That spectacular chateau was the D&H office building, which many used to
mistake for the state capitol, and which now, I think someone has already
told us, is used by the state, I think the State University.
Question I asked isn't quite being answered:  The NYC "Union" Station was
built in about 189x; but I don't think I've ever seen what NYC used BEFORE;
and did D&H share the NYC depot BEFORE the Union Mausoleum went up, or what
did D&H use?
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Paul S. Luchter <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>
To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Albany, NY


> Whose station, or where was that big French chateau-like station up there?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ERIE LACKAWANNA SD45-2 <ERIE-LACKAWANNA_@_prodigy.net>
> To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net <rshsdepot@lists.railfan.net>
> Date: Saturday, May 12, 2001 4:41 AM
> Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Albany, NY
>
>
> >D&H never owned a station in Albany. They used the New York Central
station
> >which is now a museum and has a highway in front where station platforms
> >were and across Hudson River where rail bridge was. were.
> >
> >Jerome
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Paul S. Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>
> >To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
> >Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 10:59 PM
> >Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Albany, NY
> >
> >
> >> Why don't they just use the Albany D&H station? (he says tongue in
cheek
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: James Dent <james.dent_@_itochu.com>
> >> To: RSHS List <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
> >> Date: Friday, May 11, 2001 4:26 PM
> >> Subject: (rshsdepot) Albany, NY
> >>
> >>
> >> >From the Albany (NY) Times Union...
> >> >
> >> >Station funds held up
> >> >Albany -- Citing cost overruns, state Senate Majority Leader Joseph
> Bruno
> >> >demands an accounting of the Rensselaer project
> >> >
> >> >Calling the Rensselaer railway station construction project "a runaway
> >> >train,'' Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said Thursday he would
> >> withhold
> >> >further funding from the project until its managers account for
> >escalating
> >> >expenses.
> >> >
> >> >Politicians on both sides of the aisle assailed the Capital District
> >> >Transportation Authority for running tens of millions of dollars over
> >> budget
> >> >on the project. CDTA officials this week revised their cost
projections,
> >> >saying the new station will probably cost more than $60 million by the
> >time
> >> >it is completed. It was at least the third major cost revision since
the
> >> >original estimate of $35 million, and it drew fire from the same state
> >> >officials the CDTA hopes will help bridge the massive shortfall.
> >> >
> >> >"Since it was first announced, the cost of this project has been a
> >runaway
> >> >train,'' Bruno, R-Brunswick, said. "I will not commit any additional
> >state
> >> >funding to the new rail station until I receive a full and complete
> >> >accounting of how these cost overruns occurred.''
> >> >
> >> >CDTA officials say the station could still open in spring 2002 on the
> >last
> >> >budget estimate of $52.2 million, but that additional track and signal
> >work
> >> >they call "Phase Three'' will be needed afterward and will push the
> >budget
> >> >past the $60 million mark.
> >> >
> >> >The CDTA has secured between $41 million and $47 million for the
station
> >> and
> >> >is looking to state officials to help complete the project, which
broke
> >> >ground in June 1999.
> >> >
> >> >"We appreciate the senator's concern and we will provide him with the
> >> >information necessary to receive his continued support for this
> important
> >> >project,'' said CDTA spokesman Carm Basile.
> >> >
> >> >The remarks recalled a similar exchange the CDTA had earlier this year
> >with
> >> >U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, when he criticized the authority's handling of
a
> >> >Saratoga Springs-to-Albany commuter rail project. Sweeney demanded
> >> accountin
> >> >g records and other documents before lending that project further
> federal
> >> >support.
> >> >
> >> >CDTA officials said the cost overruns at the Rensselaer station are
> >largely
> >> >due to unanticipated track work that involved moving less than a mile
of
> >> >rail and more than 100 signals to accommodate the new station's
> >platforms.
> >> >
> >> >The so-called third phase of the project that will continue after the
> >> >station is open will involve further track and signal work to provide
> for
> >a
> >> >freight rail bypass and high-speed rail capability, said Dennis
> >Fitzgerald,
> >> >the CDTA's executive director.
> >> >
> >> >But some legislators have grown skeptical after watching the CDTA
raise
> >the
> >> >construction project's price tag and push back the completion date
from
> >the
> >> >original plan in 1998, when they said the $35 million station would
open
> >in
> >> >2001. The projected opening has been pushed back a year.
> >> >
> >> >"This is not the first time and that adds to the predicament,'' said
> >> >Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, who sits on the Assembly's
> >> >transportation committee.
> >> >
> >> >"There is going to have to be serious justification for us to commit
to
> >> much
> >> >more,'' Canestrari said. "What isn't finished may have to be scaled
> >back.''
> >> >
> >> >Canestrari noted that the state voters' defeat of the Transportation
> Bond
> >> >Act last fall has cramped the budgets of projects statewide and made
> >> >officials especially sensitive to cost overruns.
> >> >
> >> >A spokesperson for Gov. George Pataki did not return calls for comment
> on
> >> >the rail station's revised cost estimates.
> >> >
> >> >More than 600,000 passengers pass through Rensselaer station each
year,
> >> most
> >> >of them traveling to New York City, making it the 13th busiest in the
> >> >nation, Amtrak officials said
> >> >
> >> >Bruce Becker, president of the Empire State Passengers Association, a
> >group
> >> >that lobbies for better rail service, said he has received assurances
> >from
> >> >the state Department of Transportation that the station will open in
> >early
> >> >2002, but he said the cost overruns are worrisome.
> >> >
> >> >"We are concerned that there is still a funding shortfall and in light
> of
> >> >the new cost overruns, that concern is heightened. The gap is
widening,
> >not
> >> >narrowing,'' Becker said.
> >> >
> >> >Meanwhile, CDTA officials are waiting for a bid on one of the final
> >> >construction pieces of the station project, a walkway over the tracks.
> >The
> >> >80,000 square-foot brick station appears, from the outside, to be
nearly
> >> >complete. Painters have been hired for the interior.
> >> >
> >> >"The station is going to open at some point, somehow,'' Becker said.
> "For
> >> >the CDTA to say 'We ran out of money, we're going to stop,' that's not
> >> >realistic.''
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
>

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