The Greenport Rotary Club hopes to launch a miniature railroad in Moore’s Woods sometime next summer, according to Rotarian Heather Walker.
The Rotary has planned a groundbreaking ceremony on Moore’s Lane at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, to kick off construction of a station house that will include public restrooms, a ticket booth and storage space for the train, as well as potential public space.
“My dad, Joe Cherepowich, he’s the one who started all this,” Ms. Walker said. “He passed away, it will be three years in October, from pancreatic cancer so it’s my goal to make sure that this gets finished.”
A ceremonial unveiling of the Greenport Express was held in September 2019 while Mr. Cherepowich was still battling his illness. And on that day, the train was nicknamed the “Joe Cherry Choo-Choo.”
Public criticism of the mini-railroad’s location and potential environmental impact has died down, Ms. Walker said, highlighting the work the Rotary has done to clean litter and debris from the woods. “Very few trees actually had to come down,” she said.
Supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic have delayed the project, she noted, and costs have risen. Although the Rotary has raised around $280,000, the organization is still working to raise another $250,000.
“That should cover everything we need to get this project completed,” she said. “And very excitedly, we had two donors come up and say they will give us a matching grant. If we can raise $125,000, they will match it with the other $125,000. So anybody that donates, basically, their money is pretty much going to be doubled.”
The Village of Greenport Board of Trustees voted to move forward with an agreement to construct the railroad at a board meeting last August, after months of arguments from village residents concerned about potential environmental impacts from the railroad. Trustee Peter Clarke cast the lone “no” vote against the resolution.
The railroad was formerly owned by late Greenport resident Frank Field, who ran the miniature train on his property for nearly 30 years. It will now be operated by the village in a manner similar to the carousel in Mitchell Park, according to the agreement. The Rotary Club of Greenport will fund construction of the project and ensure development does not disrupt public use of Moore’s Woods.
The original agreement, which is subject to change, noted that the Rotary will retain sole ownership of the equipment and railroad tracks, even though it’s on village-owned property. The Village of Greenport will assume costs for maintenance and operation, in addition to responsibility for obtaining any necessary permits or licenses for the project.
The railroad will run at a minimum on weekends between May 1 and Oct. 31, for at least six hours a day. Revenue generated by operating the gasoline-powered locomotive will go toward its maintenance and operation. Five percent of anything left over will go toward a reserve fund that maxes out at $5,000, with remaining profits split equally by the village and Rotary on at least an annual basis. The Rotary retains the right to use the railroad for at least two fundraising events each year.
“My dad originally started in 2015, so it’s been like seven years,” Ms. Walker said. “For a while, we had so many stumbling stones, and I can really see it’s going to happen. I’m excited.”