Rails to the Catskills

Written and directed by Tobe Carey, Rails to the Catskills is a love letter to the sometimes-forgotten railroads that once served the northern and southern Catskill Mountain areas of New York State. In our age of omnipresent highways, it might be hard to imagine the importance of the rail routes, but especially in this part of the U.S., they were the lifeblood for communities, commerce, and general transportation (anyone traveling in the region today will witness how their absence has contributed to economic decline in many towns). Built near waterways, the Catskill routes had their origins in the canal-building era of the late 1820s, picking up steam—so to speak—in the post–Civil War period to achieve prosperity with mergers, only to be followed by bankruptcies in the 20th century. Carey tells this story using an artful combination of historical photographs and documents, vintage and contemporary film and audio clips, period-correct songs (expertly performed by Dick Staber and Paul Lounsbury), and interviews with a series of historians, whose love for the subject matter is evident throughout. Covered here are the Canajoharie & Catskill Railroad; the D&H Canal; the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad; electric trolleys; the Catskill Mountain Railway/Otis Elevating Railway; and many others, including the restored Catskill Mountain Railroad, whose volunteer workers built and now operate a line that carries tourists through a scenic stretch of countryside. Marked by successes and failures, crises and conflicts, this tale of the Catskill rails is engagingly told. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Block)