LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread

[danielhg121]

Train derailment occurred east of Jamaica. 5 people sustained minor injuries. Wonder what the cause was?

[Far rockaway]

Currently on a 12 car set M3 train on the Babylon express trains. These trains can still run good. 

 

[QM1to6Ave]

How accurate are the arrival times on the display boards in the station? I was at a station on the Far Rock line yesterday and the times seemed inaccurate-- it would say "arriving in 3 minutes" when the train was literally already stopping in the station. The Train TIme app seems pretty accurate, but do the board update with the live info?

[B35 via Church]

5 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

How accurate are the arrival times on the display boards in the station? I was at a station on the Far Rock line yesterday and the times seemed inaccurate-- it would say "arriving in 3 minutes" when the train was literally already stopping in the station. The Train TIme app seems pretty accurate, but do the board update with the live info?

Rather inaccurate, as trains throughout the day are consistently plagued with delays in/out of Jamaica..... The one thing that's all the more conspicuous (compared to how things were, pre-ESA) are the increasing of these last minute track changes on top of it.... The LIRR is just a mess all the way around... This is what you get when you have problems cascading, due to lazy scheduling.

[Jsunflyguy]

On 8/4/2023 at 4:07 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

How accurate are the arrival times on the display boards in the station? I was at a station on the Far Rock line yesterday and the times seemed inaccurate-- it would say "arriving in 3 minutes" when the train was literally already stopping in the station. The Train TIme app seems pretty accurate, but do the board update with the live info?

The old PIS  Are a little behind due to the information being predicated on the last time the train was clocked at a major location. So if a train makes up time that won't be detected. The newer ones have slightly more data streams but a similar quirk exists.

[QM1to6Ave]

23 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Rather inaccurate, as trains throughout the day are consistently plagued with delays in/out of Jamaica..... The one thing that's all the more conspicuous (compared to how things were, pre-ESA) are the increasing of these last minute track changes on top of it.... The LIRR is just a mess all the way around... This is what you get when you have problems cascading, due to lazy scheduling.

 

2 hours ago, Jsunflyguy said:

The old PIS  Are a little behind due to the information being predicated on the last time the train was clocked at a major location. So if a train makes up time that won't be detected. The newer ones have slightly more data streams but a similar quirk exists.

Thank you both! That is very good to know, as I'm taking LIRR more frequently, so I'll just stick to the Traintime app, as that seems most accurate, unless you have a better suggestion. 

Pretty pathetic how far off the data is on the station boards, sheesh. 

[Jsunflyguy]

20 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

 

Thank you both! That is very good to know, as I'm taking LIRR more frequently, so I'll just stick to the Traintime app, as that seems most accurate, unless you have a better suggestion. 

Pretty pathetic how far off the data is on the station boards, sheesh. 

The older PIS was implemented prior to GPS being common. The newer color ones ate fairly accurate. Though if a minute or two raises your ire it wont matter where you look. Another thing to keep in mind is the advertised times are *departure* times. So the RR isnt trying to necessarily depict when the train will arrive.

[Lex]

22 minutes ago, Jsunflyguy said:

The older PIS was implemented prior to GPS being common. The newer color ones ate fairly accurate. Though if a minute or two raises your ire it wont matter where you look. Another thing to keep in mind is the advertised times are *departure* times. So the RR isnt trying to necessarily depict when the train will arrive.

That's definitely good to know.

As an aside, I have to remind myself not to mentally autocorrect "PIS" to "POS"...

[Lawrence St]

How bad was this derailment that service has been skipping stops for the past 4 days?

[danielhg121]

59 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

How bad was this derailment that service has been skipping stops for the past 4 days?

Keep in mind that FRA is also inspecting this derailment so they probably had to gather as much evidence to determine the cause of the accident before the wreck crews could begin their work. It really messed up that interlocking, considering their reconfiguring Jamaica and its interlocking over the course of the next few months, this is unlikely but maybe they're even reconsidering putting the switch elsewhere. Everything has to be tested and approved before trains can use the tracks there but they're still trying to determine the cause so it doesn't happen again. 

[Lawrence St]

35 minutes ago, danielhg121 said:

Keep in mind that FRA is also inspecting this derailment so they probably had to gather as much evidence to determine the cause of the accident before the wreck crews could begin their work. It really messed up that interlocking, considering their reconfiguring Jamaica and its interlocking over the course of the next few months, this is unlikely but maybe they're even reconsidering putting the switch elsewhere. Everything has to be tested and approved before trains can use the tracks there but they're still trying to determine the cause so it doesn't happen again. 

I’m sorry, they are reconfiguring Jamaica AGAIN???

[QM1to6Ave]

19 hours ago, Jsunflyguy said:

The older PIS was implemented prior to GPS being common. The newer color ones ate fairly accurate. Though if a minute or two raises your ire it wont matter where you look. Another thing to keep in mind is the advertised times are *departure* times. So the RR isnt trying to necessarily depict when the train will arrive.

Thanks, that's helpful! I've definitely gotten used to BusTime, which especially for the exp buses, is almost shockingly accurate on arrival times (and if it is wrong, it usually means there was a sudden traffic increase, passenger in a wheelchair, or some other unexpected delay)

[ThatSubwayFan980]

On 8/6/2023 at 8:56 PM, Lawrence St said:

I’m sorry, they are reconfiguring Jamaica AGAIN???

Hate to break this, but it's true.

[Jsunflyguy]

I don't know what reconfiguration you guys are referring to. Jamaica has been fundamentally the same since WW1.

[Calvin]

P32 201 now has a new appearance, Conrail style 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvtQbMVNiEF/?img_index=2

[B35 via Church]

2 hours ago, Jsunflyguy said:

I don't know what reconfiguration you guys are referring to. Jamaica has been fundamentally the same since WW1.

I'm trying to figure out what they're referring to, myself....

[danielhg121]

6 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I'm trying to figure out what they're referring to, myself....

The capacity improvements that they’re trying to implement to reduce merging points and delays. Currently, trains have to cross in front of each other to access their various terminals. That’s why movements are made at restricted speed. 
They’re also going to build a sort of flyover track that might skip Jamaica if I remember correctly or goes on the top of branch that goes via Locust Manor and Laurelton. 
 

Maybe the LIRR just never advertised this project so no one knew about it. I believe 2 wks ago they started filing of the use of eminent domain to get some buildings around Jamaica

[Lawrence St]

So in terms of announcements, the M8’s operating on SLE finally have updated programs. They are still glitchy, such as the signs displaying “Branfford” and “Old Saybrok”. Some M7’s/M8’s have new programs with a new announcer and various PSA’s (some closely resembling from the subway) as well as transfers.

From my trip yesterday on the Harlem Line, there’s a new bus transfer announcement to the 12 bus to Westchester County Airport at White Plains, a new transfer to Wassaic at Southeast, a local transfer announcement at White Plains, and more. Also, at White Plains, if the next stop is Harlem-125th St, the first announcement that normally says “This is the train to: Grand Central” now says “This is a Grand Central bound express train”. 
 

Pretty cool stuff.

[xD4nn]

8 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

So in terms of announcements, the M8’s operating on SLE finally have updated programs. They are still glitchy, such as the signs displaying “Branfford” and “Old Saybrok”. Some M7’s/M8’s have new programs with a new announcer and various PSA’s (some closely resembling from the subway) as well as transfers.

From my trip yesterday on the Harlem Line, there’s a new bus transfer announcement to the 12 bus to Westchester County Airport at White Plains, a new transfer to Wassaic at Southeast, a local transfer announcement at White Plains, and more. Also, at White Plains, if the next stop is Harlem-125th St, the first announcement that normally says “This is the train to: Grand Central” now says “This is a Grand Central bound express train”. 
 

Pretty cool stuff.

Are there any recordings of these?

[Lawrence St]

1 minute ago, xD4nn said:

Are there any recordings of these?

 

[xD4nn]

5 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

 

I mean the new metro north ones.

[QM1to6Ave]

A few observation from using LIRR a few times this week:

Is it me, or are the cell signals weirdly weak between Harold Interlocking and Jamaica? I kept noticing my signal getting very low and I could not figure out why, since it is above ground in a populated area. The signal seemed to stay strong after Jamaica. Is this just me or have others had this too?

I also am noticing the issue with the permanently fogged windows that was posted here a while back. I got a headache trying to peer through the window.

C/Rs continue to seem irritable and somewhat rude overall, so at least some things have stayed the same since I last used LIRR regularly LOL

I was surprised to read all the complaints about the Atlantic Terminal trains at Jamaica being "so far away" on tracks 11/12. The walk didn't seem so bad to me for the transfer.

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, xD4nn said:

I mean the new metro north ones.

Not yet, I didn’t have my camera with me. Hopefully I can catch that set again.

 

49 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

A few observation from using LIRR a few times this week:

Is it me, or are the cell signals weirdly weak between Harold Interlocking and Jamaica? I kept noticing my signal getting very low and I could not figure out why, since it is above ground in a populated area. The signal seemed to stay strong after Jamaica. Is this just me or have others had this too?

I also am noticing the issue with the permanently fogged windows that was posted here a while back. I got a headache trying to peer through the window.

C/Rs continue to seem irritable and somewhat rude overall, so at least some things have stayed the same since I last used LIRR regularly LOL

I was surprised to read all the complaints about the Atlantic Terminal trains at Jamaica being "so far away" on tracks 11/12. The walk didn't seem so bad to me for the transfer.

I sorta understand why C/T’s are irritable. I overheard a passenger scream at a conductor because they asked for an ID to verify the fare today. Don’t take it personal, they just go through a lot.

[xD4nn]

5 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

A few observation from using LIRR a few times this week:

Is it me, or are the cell signals weirdly weak between Harold Interlocking and Jamaica? I kept noticing my signal getting very low and I could not figure out why, since it is above ground in a populated area. The signal seemed to stay strong after Jamaica. Is this just me or have others had this too?

I also am noticing the issue with the permanently fogged windows that was posted here a while back. I got a headache trying to peer through the window.

C/Rs continue to seem irritable and somewhat rude overall, so at least some things have stayed the same since I last used LIRR regularly LOL

I was surprised to read all the complaints about the Atlantic Terminal trains at Jamaica being "so far away" on tracks 11/12. The walk didn't seem so bad to me for the transfer.

The glazed windows are a result of sun damage. Only the south-facing side have glazed windows.

[QM1to6Ave]

17 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Not yet, I didn’t have my camera with me. Hopefully I can catch that set again.

 

I sorta understand why C/T’s are irritable. I overheard a passenger scream at a conductor because they asked for an ID to verify the fare today. Don’t take it personal, they just go through a lot.

I hear that, and I also get yelled at by crazy customers at my job but I try to keep a positive face on.