I have to agree with Russ Nelson of Potsdam [Letter to editor, March/April 2013] that to dismantle a functioning railroad in this day and age is a mistake. Just because it’s only used by an excursion train now does not exclude its possible use for scheduled passenger service and freight in the future.
I know that there is at least one abandoned roadbed that could serve the purposes proposed for the Adirondack Rail Trail. There is a wonderful rail-less roadbed that runs from Saranac Lake, through Lake Clear, Gabriels, Rainbow Lake, Loon Lake, and continuing through undeveloped land to Lyon Mountain, Chazy Lake, Dannemora, and even to Plattsburgh.
It’s the D&H Railroad. Parts of it are already informally used by hikers, bikers, ATVs, skiers, snowmobiles, etc. Why not develop this and possibly open some underutilized portions of the Park to possible development and tourist trade that does not yet exist?
Tony Goldsmith, Wilmington
