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Copake Falls (NYCRR station)
Encyclopedia
Copake Falls was a former NYCRR
train station
that served the residents of Copake, New York
.
. The railroad between Dover Plains (to the south) and the end of the line at Chatham (to the north) was constructed between 1848 and 1852. The current train station was built in 1905.
In 1968, the station and the railroad became part of Penn Central. After a tumultuous court battle, passenger service north of Dover Plains to Chatham came to an end on March 20, 1972, and the station was closed (although a clause in the building's lease states that if passenger service ever resumes, space must be provided in the building for a waiting area). The tracks were then only used by freight trains sporadically until that service ended in 1976. The rails were removed in 1981, and the right of way was converted into a rail trail
in the 1990s.
The building currently houses a small, seasonal convenience store, catering primarily to visitors to the nearby Copake Falls portion of Taconic State Park
and nearby Bash Bish Falls
.
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
that served the residents of Copake, New York
Copake, New York
Copake is a town in Columbia County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 3,278 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name from a lake, which was known to the natives as Cook-pake, or Ack-kook-peek, meaning "Snake Pond." The town borders Taconic State Park.The Town of...
.
History
The station catered to a local community that was served by the New York & Harlem Railroad, later the Harlem Division of the New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
. The railroad between Dover Plains (to the south) and the end of the line at Chatham (to the north) was constructed between 1848 and 1852. The current train station was built in 1905.
In 1968, the station and the railroad became part of Penn Central. After a tumultuous court battle, passenger service north of Dover Plains to Chatham came to an end on March 20, 1972, and the station was closed (although a clause in the building's lease states that if passenger service ever resumes, space must be provided in the building for a waiting area). The tracks were then only used by freight trains sporadically until that service ended in 1976. The rails were removed in 1981, and the right of way was converted into a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
in the 1990s.
The building currently houses a small, seasonal convenience store, catering primarily to visitors to the nearby Copake Falls portion of Taconic State Park
Taconic State Park
Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and north of New York City...
and nearby Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls, a waterfall in Bash Bish Falls State Park in the Taconic Mountains of southwestern Massachusetts , is the highest waterfall in the state...
.