LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread

[Joel Up Front 793]

For some reason the car I rode in today had working lights and HVAC but the automated announcements and screens were busted and the C/R made announcements the old fashioned way.... also, other than the inevitable squeaks from the truck, it was M3-quiet in the car. I didn't even hear the motor...

 

Also, at NHP, an eastbound train of M3s wrong-railed into the station. The first two and a half cars were near the crossing and it seemed as though the cars were locked. What was this?

[Amtrak7 427]

Also, at NHP, an eastbound train of M3s wrong-railed into the station. The first two and a half cars were near the crossing and it seemed as though the cars were locked. What was this?

 

 

What train were you on? There's no westbound that's scheduled to meet 1256 (the Hicksville local that wrong-rails from Queens eastward) at 18:08 in NHP.

 

As you probably know already, NHP and Merillon are only 10 cars long, eastbounds don't platform the first two/westbounds the last two. Were there passengers in the first two cars?

 

The Sept 4, 2012 cycle still has it as 5-DE, with the same rotation as above.

 

 

Wait...I just did the math and got 99% load for 5 cars! I would hate to ride that train every day...

Edited September 7, 2012 by Amtrak7

[Joel Up Front 793]

I forgot the train number but it's that 5:11 PM train from Huntington to Penn. I got off at NHP for the N25 and I just make note of trains that actually stop as opposed to just blasting through the crossing at well above 45 MPH.

 

I think passengers who were in the first two cars just made their way backwards to the car that was at the marker and got off there. It must have been crowded because at least 40 people got off there.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[Amtrak7 427]

It must have been crowded because at least 40 people got off there.

 

 

Its a crowded run because its the only train leaving Penn in the 5 o'clock hour to serve NHP, Merillon, and Carle Place.

[Joel Up Front 793]

I was sitting at Baldwin and around 6:00 PM, DM30 508 (or 503, I can't remember) was pulling 6 C3's and engine 511 through the station. I'm used to seeing diesels on the Main Line but not down south.

[Via Garibaldi 8 9,649]

Maybe you were seeing things... Lack of coffee can do that...

Edited September 8, 2012 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Amtrak7 427]

I was sitting at Baldwin and around 6:00 PM, DM30 508 (or 503, I can't remember) was pulling 6 C3's and engine 511 through the station. I'm used to seeing diesels on the Main Line but not down south.

 

 

Montauk trains that use the South Shore:

 

2707

2709

2710

2720

2733

2735

2745

2764

2798

8707

[VWM 404]

Yeah, double deckers run on the Babylon all the time...

[Joel Up Front 793]

That was an interesting LIRR day for me as well, M3s were on every other train that came through. Too bad I never got to ride any this week.

[CDTA 724]

Are M7's ever used on the New Haven Line trips from GCT-Mount Vernon? Because IIRC the third rail goes to Pelham.

[Amtrak7 427]

Are M7's ever used on the New Haven Line trips from GCT-Mount Vernon? Because IIRC the third rail goes to Pelham.

 

 

There are no such trains.

[Truckie 374]

Are M7's ever used on the New Haven Line trips from GCT-Mount Vernon? Because IIRC the third rail goes to Pelham.

 

 

Yes the third rail goes just less then a mile east of Pelham Station. As Amtrack7 stated, being the local zippers that stop at Pelham also stop at New Rochelle, running M7's would not be an option.

 

The only time they could run M7'd to Pelham would be if there was a problem with the catenaries near the phase gap and they bussed people to Pelham. The chances of seeing M7's would still be slim since they are committed to service on the Harlem and Hudson.

[Joel Up Front 793]

What are those little vents on top of the M7As? I know the LIRR M7s don't have them.

 

I still find it hard to believe that the M7 had WORSE sway than it does now. They're the reason why I hate Bombardier so much. The is trying to kill the M3's off and it isn't working...

[Vistausss 678]

Bombardier is kind of a hit or miss. Sometimes they make a exceptionally good train, sometimes they make an awful train.

 

Yeah, double deckers run on the Babylon all the time...

 

There are also M7's running to Babylon.

[VWM 404]

There are also M7's running to Babylon.

Thanks, captain obvious.

[Joel Up Front 793]

What's the point of only having a car length's worth of concrete ties at crossings?

[Amtrak7 427]

Because concrete ties last longer and replacing the ties in crossings ("renewal") is an expensive time-consuming process when compared to replacing regular ties.

[Snowblock 3,503]

Huh? There's no train that only runs to Mt Vernon East. If there were, it would be nicknamed The Foamers Delight.

 

They did run the ACMUs to MVE on the farewell trip....

Edited October 3, 2012 by Snowblock

[Joel Up Front 793]

There are these freight cars filled with ballast and wooden ties just sitting there on a siding in between Hicksville and Westbury. This afternoon I actually saw two MP15's moving westbound and one moving east with those cars in tow.

 

Then during the middle of the rush announcements kept playing about a non-passenger (had to be a work loco, it's not like they put an International work truck on wheels and sent it down the Main Line) train "failure" east of Hicksville. The LIRR page said something happened near Wyandanch and that it was blocking trains, and the 4:48 from Ronkonkoma to Penn was delayed well over 30 minutes. The 5:24 KO train that everyone waits for as well was delayed and as usual people flocked to the Huntington train which came on time at 5:29. People sat onboard confused while a conductor tried to explain to the 5:24 train passengers what was going on. He simply gave up and said "I'm not in charge of the doors" and retreated to the very rear of the train where the engineer would sit if the train was headed east.

[Amtrak7 427]

There are these freight cars filled with ballast and wooden ties just sitting there on a siding in between Hicksville and Westbury. This afternoon I actually saw two MP15's moving westbound and one moving east with those cars in tow.

 

Then during the middle of the rush announcements kept playing about a non-passenger (had to be a work loco, it's not like they put an International work truck on wheels and sent it down the Main Line) train "failure" east of Hicksville. The LIRR page said something happened near Wyandanch and that it was blocking trains, and the 4:48 from Ronkonkoma to Penn was delayed well over 30 minutes. The 5:24 KO train that everyone waits for as well was delayed and as usual people flocked to the Huntington train which came on time at 5:29. People sat onboard confused while a conductor tried to explain to the 5:24 train passengers what was going on. He simply gave up and said "I'm not in charge of the doors" and retreated to the very rear of the train where the engineer would sit if the train was headed east.

 

 

Why would the 5:24's passengers be extremely confused if the 5:29 was operating on schedule? They're both going to NYP anyway...

[Joel Up Front 793]

I suppose the 7 extra minutes it takes for 655 to reach Penn makes a difference. Something like this happened last week as well, only it was because of a police investigation and the C/R on 655 left the doors open so people could get on the 5:24.

 

As much as I hate the M7's, they seem to ride more smoothly and quietly (relatively speaking) if it's extremely humid or raining.

[Amtrak7 427]

You're mistaking train numbers: on the Port Jeff schedule, Huntington trains with Port Jeff connections display the number of the connection. The number of the Penn-Huntington train isn't listed, the only way to get it is through GTFS.

 

This particular train is #1715. 600-series trains are Port Jeff runs.

 

I took #2062 several times (17:31 to KO at Hicksville), upon exiting and going down to the ticket office I would always come across a couple of confused and disgruntled passengers when they started to realize the next westbound isn't for 64 minutes.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Amtrak7

[Joel Up Front 793]

It's why I never use them. If I ever use the LIRR, I go by the schedules at the terminal or online. Those paper tables are a giant waste.

[RestrictOnTheHanger 318]

There are these freight cars filled with ballast and wooden ties just sitting there on a siding in between Hicksville and Westbury. This afternoon I actually saw two MP15's moving westbound and one moving east with those cars in tow.

 

Then during the middle of the rush announcements kept playing about a non-passenger (had to be a work loco, it's not like they put an International work truck on wheels and sent it down the Main Line) train "failure" east of Hicksville. The LIRR page said something happened near Wyandanch and that it was blocking trains, and the 4:48 from Ronkonkoma to Penn was delayed well over 30 minutes. The 5:24 KO train that everyone waits for as well was delayed and as usual people flocked to the Huntington train which came on time at 5:29. People sat onboard confused while a conductor tried to explain to the 5:24 train passengers what was going on. He simply gave up and said "I'm not in charge of the doors" and retreated to the very rear of the train where the engineer would sit if the train was headed east.

 

 

Non passenger train doesn't necessarily mean a work train. It could be a non-revenue passenger train deadheading or a NYA freight.

[LIRR 154 169]

Tonight at work I seen a odd equipment move. Two DM 30's leading 6 C 3's with another DM 30 in the rear.I work in JAM yard so I'm always seeing cars and engines towed by protects . But this was the oddest move.