Final Report Reconstruction and Electrification of Trolley Track City of Kingston M ay 2008 This document was prepared for the ew York State Department of State with funds provided under Title II of the Environmental Protection Fund. RECONSTRUCTION AND ELECTRIFICATION OF TROLLEY TRACK I Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………1 II Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..... 5 Scope of work ……………………………………………………………………………….5 Special Considerations……………………………………………………………………..6 Utility Concerns ……………………………………………………………………..6 Environmental Considerations …………………………………………………….6 III Evaluation of Existing Infrastructure …………………………………………………………..7 Field Survey – Track and Rights-of-way …………………………………………………7 Analysis of Existing Rail Infrastructure Condition ……………………………….7 Primary Track Study Area: Kingston Point Line & West Strand Line …7 Overall Track Conditions …………………………………………..8 West Strand Line State of Existing Track ………………………10 Kingston Point Line State of Existing Track ……………………11 Areas of Concern ………………………………………………….11 Secondary Study Area: Brickyard and Kingston City Lines …………..12 Kingston City Line Extents ...……………………………………..12 Brickyard Line Extents ……………………………………………12 Existing Conditions – Secondary Track Study Subject Areas in General……… ………………………………………………….13 Existing Conditions – Kingston City Line ……………………….13 Existing Conditions – Brickyard Line ……………………………15 Areas of Concern ………………………………………………….15 Kingston City Line …………………………………………15 Brickyard Line to Hudson’s Landing …………………….15 Field Survey Streetcars …………………………………………………………………..18 Field Survey – Existing Traction Power and Overhead Line Equipment ……………18 Electric Utility Service …………………………………………………………….18 Catenary Hardware ……………………………………………………………….19 Meetings ……………………………………………………………………………………20 Kick-Off Scoping Meeting ………………………………………………………..20 Meetings with Central Hudson Gas and Electric ………………………………20 Public Meeting …………………………………………………………………….22 IV Recommendations and Specifications for Reconstruction of Infrastructure ……………23 Track Reconstruction – Broadway to Kingston Point …………………………………23 Traction Power and Overhead Equipment Design …………………………………….25 Proposed Electrified System …………………………………………………….25 Traction Power …………………………………………………………………….26 Overhead Contact System ……………………………………………………….28 Design and Construction …………………………………………………30 Specific Area Requirements – OCS …………………………………….31 Leakage Current Mitigation ………………………………………………………33 Streetcar and Trolley Vehicles …………………………………………………………..35 Streetcar Types ……………………………………………………………………36 Wheel Profiles ……………………………………………………………………..38 Vehicle Condition and Restoration ……………………………………………...39 Restoration Options ………………………………………………………………43 Page 1 of 59 Off-Site Restoration Firms ……………………………………………….43 In-House with Hired Restorers …………………………………………..44 Replica Streetcars ………………………………………………………...45 Restored Historic Streetcars ……………………………………………..46 Modern Battery Powered Streetcars ……………………………………49 V Environmental Considerations ………………………………………………………………..53 Regulatory Background …………………………………………………………………..53 Environmental Permits Potentially Needed for the Proposed Improvements ………54 Environmental Considerations …………………………………………………………..55 VI Recommended Future Expansion Options …………………………………………………56 VII Cost Estimate for Initial Stage of Electrification …………………………………………...58 Appendix A: Photos and Figures Appendix B: T Series Track Drawings Appendix C: Traditional Line Hardware Illustrations Appendix D: Possible Funding Sources Appendix E: Minutes of Meetings Page 2 of 59 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HDR was retained by the City of Kingston to perform a condition survey of track and other Museum infrastructure and provide recommendations and a cost estimate for electrification of the Trolley Museum of New York system. A project kick-off and scoping meeting was held on July 17, 2007 at the Trolley Museum of New York, with the HDR project staff and representatives of the Trolley Museum of New York and the City of Kingston. Following this meeting a physical survey of the facilities was performed. HDR performed a physical survey of the existing conditions at the Trolley Museum of New York. This work was performed between July and August of 2007 by Trolley Museum Staff and HDR personnel. Track conditions on the 1½ mile mainline, in the yard, and the on two future extensions (Brickyard – Hudson’s Landing and Kingston City lines) were examined and photographed. Each vehicle in the Museum’s collection with a potential for use in passenger service was evaluated based on current condition, restoration needs, and wheel profiles. Existing traction power equipment on hand and in storage was inspected and catenary materials examined, inventoried and evaluated. HDR personnel became familiar with the Museum’s current public passenger-carrying Operations and historic documentation was reviewed. Two meetings were held with representatives of the City of Kingston, the Trolley Museum of New York, and Central Hudson Gas and Electric personnel. The first meeting was on August 9, 2007, and was held to formally initiate contact with all parties. The second meeting was held on September 14, 2007 and continued the technical discussion addressing the Utility’s concerns regarding corrosion and harmonic interference caused by the proposed electrification. A public meeting was held on November 8, 2007 at Kingston City Hall to describe the project and what it would accomplish. The meeting was well attended. Based upon the above field survey, discussions and subsequent deliberation, HDR recommends a complete subgrade-to-railhead reconstruction of all trackage that has not been recently rebuilt by Museum forces. This includes all embedded trackage and the two major crossings along the Rondout - Kingston Point line. For electrification, HDR recommends a commercial, off-the-shelf, twelve-pulse, 1000 kW rectifier substation be purchased to electrify the initial 1½ mile system. Utility concerns about stray-current effects will be addressed using rail insulation, negative power return feeders, and insulated rail joints in critical locations. Active monitoring of leakage currents will utilize the Utility’s existing Bullhorn monitoring system and impressed current network. Page 3 of 59 Power line harmonics will be reduced to an acceptable level through use of a substation sized larger than the predicted power demand on the Rondout-Kingston Point line, and by state-of-the-art line-filtering equipment devices included with the substation. The overhead catenary system will be designed to achieve the “look” of a traditional trolley line. The overhead system should use traditional bracket-arm supports or span wires attached to both wooden or telescoping steel poles, depending upon location, with cap- and-cone hangars, grooved 4/0 trolley wire, and traditional “backbone” trolley wire construction techniques. Reconditioned parts should be utilized where possible. The overhead system should be designed to be trolley and pantograph-compatible. HDR’s examination of the two proposed extensions revealed that they were both in poor condition. Both extensions will require complete tie replacement, track, and subgrade reconstruction, with rail replacement where rail is currently removed. On the Brickyard line to Hudson’s Landing, parts of the causeway and a number of bridges will need reconstruction (including one which has collapsed) before rails can be reinstalled. The grade crossing of Delaware Avenue will also have to be restored, likely with safety devices such as flashers and gates. A number of grade crossings will also have to be similarly re- opened on the Kingston City line segment. Additional items in need of reconstruction include four bridges (two of which will most likely be removed and replaced by fill) and a tunnel which will need to be refurbished. HDR believes that electrification of the currently active portion of the proposed trolley system, the Rondout-Strand area, can best be accomplished with a deliberate evolutionary approach. The pathway to electrification would be as follows: 1. Reconstruct the existing Rondout - Kingston Point trackage to meet electrification standards. 2. Fully electrify the existing Rondout - Kingston Point Line 3. Reconstruct sufficient trolleys to operate on the newly electrified system 4. Begin planning of reconstruction of the two extension lines (Brickyard – Hudson’s Landing and Kingston City lines) Finally, integrate trolley operation with mass transit service in the area. Page 4 of 59 II. INTRODUCTION The Trolley Museum of New York, which recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary, has been a presence in the City of Kingston since 1983. Prior to that time, TMNY was a "museum without a home", forced to move their historically valuable collection of rolling stock time and time again, all the while continuously looking for a suitable permanent location. The unfortunate scrapping of a number of pieces of historic rolling stock in 1982 prior to their acquisition brought the TMNY to the attention of the City of Kingston, which, with considerable foresight, allowed the TMNY and its collection to finally find a home in Kingston in 1983. The former Penn Central Ulster & Delaware branch line, abandoned in the early 1980s, was leased to the Museum for 99 years and became the basis of Museum operations. Since the 1980s, considerable progress has been made by the Museum’s volunteers. Protection of the most important vehicles in the collection, construction of permanent maintenance facilities, and a visitor's center to