The Adirondack Railway Preservation Society is getting State funding to help build a new maintenance facility in Utica for the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.

Executive director Bethan Maher says the Preservation society will get $791,000 to build the new facility somewhere on the north side of Union Station, preferably between Bagg's Square and Harbor Point.

The Society needs to first secure land for the project, but they anticipate construction will only take about a year once the land is bought.

Maher says since their contract ended with the Girffiss Business Park they have been making repairs in small facilities and outdoors, and with a fleet that includes eight locomotives and 21 rail cars that isn't very productive.

She added that the project was born out of a need for a repair facility, but they have a chance to make up to $500,000 extra per year by contracting the facility out to other rail companies who need repairs.

The new building will be 220' long and 75' wide with two tracks inside, jacks, a crane and will house two or three cars and a few locomotives. It will also include storage, offices and extra tracks outside to store equipment.

Maher says the Adirondack Scenic Railroad has seen a 35% increase in riders in the past two years and they're currently holding a fundraiser to restore two passenger cars that will give them about 11,000 additional seats per year.

For more information on the fundraiser visit the Adirondack Scenic Railroad website.

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