by Marianne Christy
The Utica and Mohawk Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) is hosting the NRHS 2015 Fall Conference in Utica on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24th.
A highlight of the conference will be an Adirondack Scenic Railroad excursion to Big Moose Station where the unveiling and official dedication of a new sign at the Big Moose Summit will take place.
The sign, which replaces the current rusted and illegible signage, marks Big Moose Summit—at an elevation of 2,044 feet—as the highest point in track elevation on the contiguous New York Central System.“This summit elevation is one of the many significant attributes of a railroad that runs through the largest wilderness in the eastern United States,” said Harry Lenz, initiator of the effort.
The sign was installed on Tuesday, October 20 by Lenz, president of the Utica and Mohawk Valley Chapter of the NRHS; an Adirondack Scenic Railroad crew led by Dave Van Pelt; and area rail buffs Bud Bennett and Doug Masters, among others.
The public is invited to take a drive to Big Moose Station for the dedication that is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Big Moose Summit is located within the Remsen-Lake Placid travel corridor which is under the operation of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.
The corridor is listed on Federal and New York State Historic Registers.