Neat story, and some cool older pics in the link within the story.

Thanks for posting.

-Dave

I rode the LIRR growing up on Long Island and it has always been an impressive railroad to me. It is one of the oldest railroads in the United States that still operates under its original charter from 1834. 66 years of operation as an independent railroad, 66 years under PRR ownership, and owned by the State of New York since 1966.

MELGAR

I had a relative who was a conductor on the LIRR. He took me to work with him one day in the summer of 1980, when I was 13 years old. I had a BLAST riding trains all day, with a GP on one end, and an FA on the other, push-pull fashion. Got to ride in the vestibules. Even was aboard when some punk kids put a lawn mower on the track and we ran over it, breaking the train line and going into emergency!

Ah, the GREAT LIRR! Rode the electric MU's to Rockaway Beach with my parents as a young child (1945-48), and to my grandfather's house in Hicksville behind those marvelous G5's. We would take the Atlantic Ave. Line from Brooklyn to Jamaica, and I still vividly remember the heat from the boiler of that G5 as it pulled into Jamaica Station. Later, in my college years, I rode the Atlantic Avenue line from Woodhaven to Jamaica, and then to the Nassau Blvd. station in Garden City, for a short walk to Adelphi College. Once I walked from the campus to the Mineola station to catch the train for a short ride to Hicksville to spend the weekend with my cousins. After having moved to Hicksville in 1962, I frequently took the train into Penn Station with the change at Jamaica to the electric MU's. The ride through Sunnyside Yard before plunging into the East River tunnel was a  always a special treat with those GG1's and DD1's and the  huge passenger car marshalling yard! I well remember ALCO RS1's and the FM C-Liners, after steam had been phased out. As a child growing up in Woodhaven, Queens in the 1950's, my friend and I occasionally rode our bikes out to the Morris Park engine terminal, where the old coaling tower still stood in the early diesel years. Wonderful memories of a GREAT railroad!

Tinplate Art posted:

Ah, the GREAT LIRR! ...

...Wonderful memories of a GREAT railroad!

Art,

It certainly was great. My favorite was riding the double-decker passenger cars from Merrick through Jamaica, past Sunnyside Yards to New York Penn Station. Even today, standing alongside the tracks during commuter rush hours is a thrill. The frequency of twelve-car commuter trains is impressive. Hundreds of people waiting to board. There are still crossings at grade in Mineola. The only G5s I can photograph today shown below.

MELGAR

Kelly Anderson posted:

MELGAR posted:

I rode the LIRR growing up on Long Island and it has always been an impressive railroad to me. It is one of the oldest railroads in the United States that still operates under its original charter from 1834. 

HELLO!!  The Strasburg Rail Road is still operating under its original charter from 1832!!!  And has never been a subsidiary of another railroad either!!!!

Sorry. I stand corrected and have revised my post. However, as much as I like and truly admire today's Strasburg Rail Road, the LIRR moves a far greater number of people. I do wish the Strasburg all the best.

MELGAR

With all due respect to Kelly Anderson, there is NO COMPARISON between your also beloved and wonderful road and the GREAT LIRR. I guess you could say I am partial!  😃

185, not bad.

Once in a great while, I do find something on here of interest. Thanks for the link! 

Dan lives on in my layout!

SIRT posted:

Dan lives on in my layout!

On mine too!

MELGAR

I grew up in Mineola, with the Oyster Bay Branch running past the little league field, my grammar school, over Jericho Turnpike, and had a spur run to what was then Latham Bros. Lumber. I was born after steam stopped running, but the 4-6-0 G5s is one of my favorite engines. And I only run Long Island motive power and passenger cars. Dan lives on my layout too! 

Andy

STEAMFAN77,

Great examples of locomotives that have run on the LIRR.

MELGAR

GREAT LIRR models!

Steamfan77,

My Great Uncle was George Latham!  That was his Lumber Yard.  Did pretty well in the Post War years selling wood to some developer named Levitt! 

Jon

From the PRR era... love the keystone!!!

From 1946 to 1965, I lived just up Tyson Avenue (AKA 260 St) from the LIRR crossing at Tulip Avenue in Floral Park. So I had the great experience of knowing the LIRR in its steam era, and very fortunate to get a round trip cab ride is G5s No. 34 from Floral Park to Oyster Bay.

My teenage friends & I drank beer siting on the tracks of the Creedmore Branch, at what was once was the site of the Central Railroad's East Hinsdale Station. I still remember the LIRR's coal trains to Creedmore on the branch that ran through the backyards of homes in Bellrose and Queens Village.

On my walk to Our Lady of Victory School in Floral Park Village, I would take the underpass walkway at the LIRR's Tulip Avenue Crossing. As I recall, there were 3 tracks at the crossing and the Hempstead Branch cut-in just to the east of Tulip Avenue. The Hempstead Branch was also originally a part of the Central Railroad.

Great thread. The never ending love/ hate of the LIRR.

Adelphi University held classes for several years on metro NY commuter trains, including the LIRR. This was one of our former professors, Greg Gutman, founder of the program, teaching aboard a train.

Back in the early 60s in Suffolk County, I decided to play hooky on occasion and spent all day at the Oakdale station.  I was friends with the station master, a Grandfather type'.  I used to to help him with small maintenance jobs in maintaining the station.  Then wait for the PM trains returning from the city. The motive power was mostly RS-3 if I recall correctly, and they were all in pristine condition...

My grandparents lived close to the Hollis station, and between 1949-54, I would walk to it, and spend a good part of the day watching trains. The electric "locals" stopped at Hollis, and the steam "express"  trains roared past on the center 2 tracks. 

Thank you Mel and Art. Jon, that’s very cool. I used to love going there with my father. I was fascinated by how the tracks came up into the lumber shed. Bob, that is a great story. How long were those classes given?  Nice rolling stock all who have posted. I’ve learned a great deal as I’ve researched LIRR history, and specifically the Oyster Bay Branch. All great memories and stories. I’d like to keep this thread going too. 

Andy 

Another gem from my Facebook feed... some 1891 propaganda!!!

My former work colleagues would, I’m sure, take exception to the tag line “Frequent and Fast Trains to all points. cheap Fares”  

Steamfan77 posted:

I’d like to keep this thread going too.

Andy 

Andy,

I agree and would like to see an ongoing LIRR thread. Will contribute.

MELGAR

Steamfan77 posted:

Thank you Mel and Art. Jon, that’s very cool. I used to love going there with my father. I was fascinated by how the tracks came up into the lumber shed. Bob, that is a great story. How long were those classes given?  Nice rolling stock all who have posted. I’ve learned a great deal as I’ve researched LIRR history, and specifically the Oyster Bay Branch. All great memories and stories. I’d like to keep this thread going too. 

Andy 

I'm not exactly sure Andy but it was a successful program while it ran. I knew Prof Gutman and he was a great guy. He passed away too early in 2004 unfortunately.

I posted this over on FEF yesterday too.

And a bunch more on SWSat today

Bob

Here are some more pictures I remembered I had. Mostly of Mineola and the Oyster Bay Branch.

Andy

Wish I had taken pictures of the LIRR when I was riding it almost 60 years ago from Merrick and Hempstead to NYC.

MELGAR

ANDY: THANK YOU for those great photos and memories! Wish I had taken some photos back in the day!

My pleasure Art! Glad you liked them.

Andy

If anyone is interested in reading about what it was like working on the LIRR you might want to check out this book,

   I purchased a copy several years ago and found it to be an interesting read.

I purchased that book when it was first published and have read and reread it several times! Highly recommended!

Another CLASSIC book on the LIRR is Ron Ziel's Steel Rails to the Sunrise. I have had my paperback copy since 1977. A great photographic essay of a great railroad!

Thanks Robert, I’ll check it out. Art, I have Ron Ziel’s book, and have read it through several times. 

Andy

Continuing on the subject of the Long Island Rail Road:

Beginning in 1910, 33 pairs of PRR boxcab electric DD1 locomotives moved trains from Manhattan Transfer (New Jersey) into New York Penn Station and through the East River tunnels to Sunnyside Yard. In 1924, most of the DD1s were transferred to the LIRR and hauled empty passenger trains from Penn Station to Sunnyside Yard. They ran on 650-volt DC third rail. Each pair weighed 313,000 pounds, developed 55,500 pounds tractive effort and had a rating of 1,580 horsepower (continuous) at 58 miles-per-hour. The LIRR scrapped most of its DD1s between 1949 and 1951 with two pairs remaining in 1962. The last pair was donated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 1978.

Pictured below, on the trestle of my 10’-by-5’ layout, which does not look at all like Sunnyside Yard, is my MTH Premier model of LIRR DD1 electric locomotive #352 (20-5516-1) with PS-2, purchased about 2002.

MELGAR

Believe the DD1's also bought passenger trains to and from Jamaica and Penn Station.

Steamfan77,

Great shots!!   Is that the "spring switch" on the Montauk Line (Sayville) in picture #19?

Thanks to @prrhorseshoecurve for starting this thread.

Let's keep it going. As one of the oldest RR's in the US, constant maintenance and improvements are required to keep it going. For many of us who use the LIRR on a regular basis this can be a double edged sword, often leading to delays, cancelled trains, use of buses around track closures, etc.

The LIRR is in the midst of two MAJOR improvement projects at the present time. The one that grabs the headlines is the East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal. This project still has several years to go and is billions over budget. Unfortunately most of the work is beyond view of the public from Sunnyside Yards under the East River and into GCT.

The second is called the "Third Track Project". This one will add a third track to the existing two on the LIRR Main line from Floral Park to Hicksville. This section of the ROW carries hundreds of daily trains and moves several hundred thousand commuters on the Main Line, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Ronkonkoma and Port Jefferson Branches to and from points west including Jamaica Station and NY Penn Station. This section of track runs through the heart of Nassau County and through all three townships, Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay. The project was met with resistance initially from local politicians and residents but the RR did a good job of working with the community to get the issues resolved and approve the final plans. The unique part of this project is that all of the ROW runs through commercial and residential neighborhoods and is readily accessible and easy to find spots to watch the progress. The project will eliminate 7 grade crossings, upgrade several bridges, upgrade stations along the way and add parking. Major construction started late last year and some significant things are already underway.

So since I live right near Mineola, I will try and post some photos of the progress regularly. Any one else who lives in the area please feel free to add posts. Today I was going through Carle Place and saw the early stages of the Cherry Lane bridge replacement. They are building the new three-track bridge to the north and will slide it into place in June.

Here's the project web site. Enjoy.

Bob

From age 2 (1946) until 22 I resided in Suffolk, County, LI.  First in Lake Ronkonkoma, then Blue Point, and lastly Brookhaven.  All 3 towns at one point had LIRR stations.  My affinity for locomotives with keystone number plates and Belpaire boilers can be traced to the LIRR.  On summer Sundays the LIRR would have several G5's  "hot" for late afternoon/early evening runs back to the city from Ronkonkoma, NY .  After Catechism class I sometimes would ask dad to take me to the ready tracks that lead off a Y just west of the Ronkonkoma station.  On more than one occasion the duty hostler invited me up into the cab of a G5.  At 6 years old the sights, sound and smell of active steam locomotives were impressions indelibly formed in my young mind.  My last sight of an active Long Island steam locomotive was very brief.  One afternoon (I believe 1954) I was playing Little League baseball on a field next to LIRR tracks in Blue Point NY.  Standing in the outfield I heard the whistle of a steamer running light westbound toward the city.  The smoke  (and smell)  floated over the field.  I'm glad no one hit a ball my way as my focus was not on the game. 

My minor contribution - I got these from our friends at the NLOE...

NICE! ☺

My grandfather's house in Hicksville was located at the intersection of Bay Avenue and Woodbury Road, just across from the LIRR grade crossing on the Port Jefferson branch. There used to also be a WYE between the Port Jefferson Branch and the Montauk Branch, and I well remember the occasional "protect" steamer (K4 or G5) .spotted on that WYE in the late steam years to help a potentiallly disabled diesel train. The main diesels on that Port Jefferson branch grade crossing were FM C-Liners.

I will relate a humorous story involving those C-Liners blowing for that grade crossing. I had acquired a very nice Webcor Coronet reel to teel tape recorder at age 16 in 1958, and me and my mischievous cousin, Tommy, decided to record one of those engines, and then we would play it back loud to annoy my Aunt Tillie, who would often cuss when those trains blew for that crossing! (We called my grandfather's third wife aunt instead of grandma.) After playing that recording repeatedly for several minutes, we were finally discovered, and were fussed out accordingly, but some of the adults got a kick out of it! That Webcor unit had a pretty good amp and three speakers, so the recording was LOUD, with the volume turned up. It was quite a hoot (pardon the pun!).

I temember a specific protect engine once spotted on a leg of that WYE and it was a seemingly unattended K4! My friend and I wisely resisted the temptation to climb into the cab!

Tinplate Art posted:

I temember a specific protect engine once spotted on a leg of that WYE and it was a seemingly unattended K4! My friend and I wisely resisted the temptation to climb into the cab!

At this remove, do you still think it was "wise" not to have had a look into the cab? Actually, if it had been me, I would have resisted, too!

MELGAR

Does anyone have any photographic evidence of locomotive #624 having run on the LIRR? This is a K-Line model - I believe of an EMD F10. An engine with the same paint scheme, #413, ran on the Metro-North New Haven Division.

MELGAR

My favorite terminals on the LIRR were Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, Hempstead, Rockaway and Penn Station. Unfortunately, I never made it to Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson or Montauk. 

Tinplate Art posted:

My favorite terminals on the LIRR were Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, Hempstead, Rockaway and Penn Station. Unfortunately, I never made it to Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson or Montauk. 

Mine were Merrick, Hempstead and Penn Station. But who can forget Jamaica? More recently, I get to Port Jefferson and Mineola. And I used to see LIRR trains in Bethpage during the years I worked at Grumman.

MELGAR

Ah, "Change at Jamaica!" I also remember taking a couple of steam trips to Glen Cove to visit my uncle, and getting a chance to swim at Morgan's Beach.

MELGAR: Did you by any chance work with Nick DeMaio or Vinnie Mietta at Grumman? Vinnie was a next door neighbor when we lived in Woodhaven, Queens, and Nick was my uncle. Vinnie worked on the LEM. My cousin, Arlene Brigandi, also worked for Grumman. Small world!

Tinplate Art posted:

MELGAR: Did you by any chance work with Nick DeMaio or Vinnie Mietta at Grumman? Vinnie was a next door neighbor when we lived in Woodhaven, Queens, and Nick was my uncle. Vinnie worked on the LEM. My cousin, Arlene Brigandi, also worked for Grumman. Small world!

I worked on the airplane side of the house - not spacecraft... Did not know them but it was a great company and largest employer on Long Island.

MELGAR

Uncle Nick worked on the airplane assembly line and Arlene worked in HR and retired from Northrup Grumman. My son is currently an airframe design engineer with Northrup Grumman in Melbourne, FL. 

We visited Wading River on the North Shore on rwo occasions in the late fifties and early sixties. The LIRR once had a branch that terminated there in the steam days. Wonder if they had a turntable there, or at least a run-around siding?

Doing some cursory research yielded NO information on the existence of a turntable or passing siding. Guess they ran backwards with a conductor on the rear with a brake valve/whistle to Port Jefferson, where the engine could be properly turned!

Prior to its abandonment in 1938, the Wading River branch ran through some decidedly rural Suffolk County landscape, so slow orders, coupled with the conductor on the rear with his hand on a brake valve was likely the norm.

This is a pic looking eastbound on Atlantic Avenue in Woodhaven, Queens. Taken a few months before the tracks were moved underground. You can see in the lower left, the Union Course Station which was named for the horse racing track that was there in the late 1800's. In the upper right you can see the clock tower of the Lalance Grosjean Factory. The clock tower is still there today. One of the few remnants of the old factory. Being from Woodhaven, this is one of my favorite LIRR pics.

(Not my photo. Credit to the photographer)

WOW! I lived at 92-08 92nd Street from 1950-1961, just up the street from the Lalance and Grosjean factory. I remember on one occasion a worker had an accident which chopped off one or both hands! There was also a Canada Dry bottling plant just a little further up Atlantic Ave about a block from Woodhaven Blvd, and we kids would sometimes go up to one of the windows and get a free soda right off the line. Though not cold, it was still a treat! When I started Adelphi College in 1960, I would catch the LIRR train to Jamaica at the Atlantic Ave station and ride to the Nassau Blvd station in Garden City. From there, it was a short walk to the campus. Ah, memories!

The classic jazz age novel, The Great Gatsby, contains several LIRR references, which I always enjoyed. The fictional East Egg and West Egg were meant to represent the actual Great Neck and the Port Washington Peninsula respectively on Long Island. For a brief period, Scott and Zelda resided in Great Neck.

351_DD-1 posted:

Steamfan77,

Great shots!!   Is that the "spring switch" on the Montauk Line (Sayville) in picture #19?

Hi DD-1, no it’s just east of Birch Hill Rd in Locust Valley, where the two main tracks on the Oyster Bay branch merge into one track heading up to Oyster Bay.

Andy

MELGAR posted:

Does anyone have any photographic evidence of locomotive #624 having run on the LIRR? This is a K-Line model - I believe of an EMD F10. An engine with the same paint scheme, #413, ran on the Metro-North New Haven Division.

MELGAR

Mel, I could swear I do, but I’ll dig around. You have me interested.

Andy

Tinplate Art posted:

The classic jazz age novel, The Great Gatsby, contains several LIRR references, which I always enjoyed. The fictional East Egg and West Egg were meant to represent the actual Great Neck and Little Neck on Long Island.

Art, I always thought it was Great Neck and Manhasset. Interesting!

Andy

STEAMFAN77:  CORRECTION: West Egg was actually the Port Washington Peninsula, and NOT Little Neck!

Nice job Art!

Mel, I found this on Railroad.net. It looks like FL9’s ran with that paint scheme, although the numbers don’t match. See the link here: http://www.railroad.net/forums...hp?f=63&t=158490

Andy

Since reading Ron Zeil's "Steel Rails to The Sunrise" many years ago, I have become fascinated with the Golden's Pickle Works where the LIRR wreck took place. I have been looking for pictures of Golden's before the train wreck to see what it looked like. Do any of you Long Islander's have a picture of Golden's before the wreck?

I believe this picture is after the train hit the building.

Talk about a PICKLE! LOL  😁

Heading to Oyster Bay last Tuesday.

The trip under Atlantic Ave was always interesting when the train emerged from the tunnel onto the brief section of elevated track, and if I recall correctly, a station. Then the tracks once again dove underground to the Atlantic Terminal on Flatbush Ave.

Some pictures I took in Greenport a few years ago. 

Andy

Among my favorite books on the Long Island Rail Road in no particular order are:

What are your favorites, and why? 

Andy

Looks like a great collection of books Andy.

Bob, I enjoy them not only as a reference, but also for the history they provide. 

Andy

My Facebook feed comes through again... 

LIRR to roll out by end of May 'next generation of commuter rail cars'

https://www.newsday.com/long-i...ign=Afternoon-Update

A few pictures passing through Jamaica today...

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

A few pictures passing through Jamaica today...

Andy

Nice pics, Steamfan... thanks for sharing. Do you have any idea of what the car on the right in this one pic is??? Looks like it’s sporting long horns!!!

Hi Paul, I have no idea. I didn’t notice that before. I should be passing through there in the next few days, I’ll try to get a closer look. 

Andy

To all,

I asked Steve Lynch from the Trainsarefun website about the “Longhorns “ pictured above, and here was the reply:

 M3 ex-9775 converted to  #E775 alcohol/sandite car 2018. Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz

The LIRR currently uses two M-1 cars to "slime" the rails during falling leaf season. Modified M1's 9401 & 9591 (now E401 & 591) are utilized sandwiched between a pair of MP15's.They operate entirely at night and are serviced at Richmond Hill during the day.

There are also leaf crusher trains. These consist of two MP15's and gravel hoppers. They crush the leaves on the Oyster Bay , Pt. Jeff, Montauk, and Greenport branches. These trains are based at KO and Wellwood siding and operate at night."  

Both sandites and leaf crushers have run on the branch simultaneously, and have been on the branch with both. Leaf crushers are operated on the branch to pulverize leaves that may be wedged in the circuits for the crossing gates. If leaves are not crushed, the potential for leaves to impede a circuit and crossing gates to stay up while a train goes through a crossing increases. All leaf crushers are run at the direction of the train dispatcher.Information courtesy: Ben Jankowski, Oyster Bay RR Museum

 Steve 

Paul, I hope that gives a little background. I learned something new too!

Andy

Thanks for the input on what the cars do. But what about the "Longhorns"? LOL

Dan Weinhold

Great pix Andy. Thanks for the added info about the longhorns.

Paul- I saw the Newsday article about the M-9's last week. Long over due for deployment.

I remember reading a few years back that the LIRR was looking for new diesel/ electrics to supplement the dual-mode EMD's. Anyone know more?

Bob

I don't know, but my grandmother used to take me with a bowl of popcorn to the Valley Stream station to wave at the engineers in the mid 1960's. Then we would go to what I recall as the Borden's bottling plant.

Steamfan77 posted:

To all,

I asked Steve Lynch from the Trainsarefun website about the “Longhorns “ pictured above, and here was the reply:

 

 M3 ex-9775 converted to  #E775 alcohol/sandite car 2018. Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz

The LIRR currently uses two M-1 cars to "slime" the rails during falling leaf season. Modified M1's 9401 & 9591 (now E401 & 591) are utilized sandwiched between a pair of MP15's.They operate entirely at night and are serviced at Richmond Hill during the day.

There are also leaf crusher trains. These consist of two MP15's and gravel hoppers. They crush the leaves on the Oyster Bay , Pt. Jeff, Montauk, and Greenport branches. These trains are based at KO and Wellwood siding and operate at night."  

Both sandites and leaf crushers have run on the branch simultaneously, and have been on the branch with both. Leaf crushers are operated on the branch to pulverize leaves that may be wedged in the circuits for the crossing gates. If leaves are not crushed, the potential for leaves to impede a circuit and crossing gates to stay up while a train goes through a crossing increases. All leaf crushers are run at the direction of the train dispatcher.Information courtesy: Ben Jankowski, Oyster Bay RR Museum

 Steve 

 

Paul, I hope that gives a little background. I learned something new too!

Andy

 

 

Thanks, Andy (and Steve). The last few years I was commuting, I road Metro North quite a bit and fondly remember “flat wheel season”   My favorite incident was when we were pulling into the Valhalla stop and the train slid completely through and out of the station. It had to back in and they had to send out a diesel with sanding capability to go ahead of our train (I believe it was a set of M7’s). Ahhhh commuting!!!

RSJB18 posted:

Todds Architectural Models posted:

I don't know, but my grandmother used to take me with a bowl of popcorn to the Valley Stream station to wave at the engineers in the mid 1960's. Then we would go to what I recall as the Borden's bottling plant.

https://forgotten-ny.com/2006/...dairies-around-town/

Wow Bob... thanks for that link. When I was a kid we had Renken’s milk delivered in glass bottles. We had a metal insulated box on the front stoop (yes... in Brooklyn, it was a stoop!!!). Can you imagine anyone today using milk that was left in an unlocked box on your stoop???

                          http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...sengercarhistory.htm

sleepmac posted:

Thanks for the input on what the cars do. But what about the "Longhorns"? LOL

Dan Weinhold

Dan, I think that’s someone’s sense of humor, I don’t believe they perform a specific purpose. 

Andy

Apples55 posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Todds Architectural Models posted:

I don't know, but my grandmother used to take me with a bowl of popcorn to the Valley Stream station to wave at the engineers in the mid 1960's. Then we would go to what I recall as the Borden's bottling plant.

https://forgotten-ny.com/2006/...dairies-around-town/

Wow Bob... thanks for that link. When I was a kid we had Renken’s milk delivered in glass bottles. We had a metal insulated box on the front stoop (yes... in Brooklyn, it was a stoop!!!). Can you imagine anyone today using milk that was left in an unlocked box on your stoop???

When and if, Lionel ever gets its' Milk Car tooling issues resolved, a Renken's Milk Car would be a nice one to have.

Apples55 posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Todds Architectural Models posted:

I don't know, but my grandmother used to take me with a bowl of popcorn to the Valley Stream station to wave at the engineers in the mid 1960's. Then we would go to what I recall as the Borden's bottling plant.

https://forgotten-ny.com/2006/...dairies-around-town/

Wow Bob... thanks for that link. When I was a kid we had Renken’s milk delivered in glass bottles. We had a metal insulated box on the front stoop (yes... in Brooklyn, it was a stoop!!!). Can you imagine anyone today using milk that was left in an unlocked box on your stoop???

Some of my neighbors still had milk delivered to the "stoop" when I was a kid. I had a NY Daily news route so I was out with the milk man every day. We went to Dairy Barn for ours.

Bob

MELGAR posted:

Does anyone have any photographic evidence of locomotive #624 having run on the LIRR? This is a K-Line model - I believe of an EMD F10. An engine with the same paint scheme, #413, ran on the Metro-North New Haven Division.

MELGAR

     619-622  PC-7EMD      http://www.trainweb.org/willstrainart/Long_Island.htm

     I could find a #624 any where I looked...  just #619-almost a #623

                  http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...dieselroster2009.htm   

Nice link about the dairies Bob! We used to have our metal box on the front porch, and every morning there would magically be milk in it! 

Andy 

More milk car info: http://www.trainsarefun.com/li.../LIRR3000MilkCar.pdf

NYandW posted:

More milk car info: http://www.trainsarefun.com/li.../LIRR3000MilkCar.pdf

 

As I already stated, when Lionel gets its' Milk Car production up & running again, RENKEN'S.

Steve, I’ve always enjoyed that story, thanks.

Andy

Steve

Thanks for that info on the LiRR milk car 3000. I'd seen that photo of the car and always wondered about it.

Great story Bob.

Andy

Adding to Bob’s post about freight operations, here is a link from Steve Lynch’s site: http://www.trainsarefun.com/NYA/nyafreight.htm

Andy

I mentioned Latham Lumber on the first page of this thread. Here are some pictures I took a few years ago. It’s a great old structure that still stands today. In the third picture, you can still see the tracks that came off of the Oyster Bay Branch. I know it’s ambitious, but I plan to try and scratch build this structure.

Andy

Old PENN STATION LIRR FLIP SIGN

If there is an electrical guy out there who knows how to make this motor flip the signs, I would appreciate it.

Need a schematic.

Very cool Steve!

Andy

Andy,

Is Latham Lumber now a Riverhead Building Supply ?

Great photos of Latham Andy. Shows how Home Depot has taken the fun out of lumber shopping. I can still remember going to the lumber yard with my Dad as a kid. They had a huge radial arm saw that always scared the you-know-what out of me when I was little.

Riverhead Lumber on Roslyn Rd. has a similar lumber shed off the back of the building too.

SIRT- where did you get those old flip signs? It was like playing a slots in Atlantic City waiting to see what town came up when they stopped flipping. I'm sure there's a few retired LIRR electricians out there who know all the details on those signs.

Bob

Steamfan77 posted:

To all,

I asked Steve Lynch from the Trainsarefun website about the “Longhorns “ pictured above, and here was the reply:

 

 M3 ex-9775 converted to  #E775 alcohol/sandite car 2018. Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz

 

 

Until I read the caption, I thought this must be the latest iteration of the "Creedmore Creeper"!

What is the "Creedmore Creeper " ?

CHOO-CHOO MIKE posted:

What is the "Creedmore Creeper " ?

It was the name given to the passenger trains to Creedmore Psychiatric Hospital by LIRR employees.  The name "Creeper" referred to the speed the trains traveled down the branch but may have had other, less politically correct implications, as well.  The histories of the branch and hospital are quite interesting:

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Creedmoor_Branch

http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...edmoor/creedmoor.htm

Had some spare time over the weekend and I was able to put together a video of my LIRR trains in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oWew5TtpVY&t=2s

  Thanks for the links Holmes !  In the 60,s us kids would sleigh ride down from the old siding on 249th st. in Queens.  Had to walk or ride over the" big hill " to get to school. You knew you were a big kid when you could ride over the hill on your bike without stopping. Later we would hangout in what was know as pigeon town. The tunnel under the Cross Island Parkway.

Arthur posted:

Andy,

Is Latham Lumber now a Riverhead Building Supply ?

Arthur, yes, it changed over some years ago.

Andy

RSJB18 posted:

Great photos of Latham Andy. Shows how Home Depot has taken the fun out of lumber shopping. I can still remember going to the lumber yard with my Dad as a kid. They had a huge radial arm saw that always scared the you-know-what out of me when I was little.

Riverhead Lumber on Roslyn Rd. has a similar lumber shed off the back of the building too.

SIRT- where did you get those old flip signs? It was like playing a slots in Atlantic City waiting to see what town came up when they stopped flipping. I'm sure there's a few retired LIRR electricians out there who know all the details on those signs.

Bob

Bob, 

I was afraid of that saw too. Riverhead Building Supply took over Latham Lumber on Roslyn Rd. Thankfully places like this still exist.

Andy

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

CHOO-CHOO MIKE posted:

What is the "Creedmore Creeper " ?

It was the name given to the passenger trains to Creedmore Psychiatric Hospital by LIRR employees.  The name "Creeper" referred to the speed the trains traveled down the branch but may have had other, less politically correct implications, as well.  The histories of the branch and hospital are quite interesting:

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Creedmoor_Branch

http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...edmoor/creedmoor.htm

Wow, RTH, I haven't heard "Creedmoor in almost 60 years'...When I was a kid, if my friends and me, did something stupid... we would hear' Keep it up, and you'll wind up in "Creedmoor"........(LOL)  

Bob, 

Great picture of the Fair Grounds.

Andy 

I paid a visit to the Mineola Historical Society a while back. I looked through some amazing albums, and was able to take a few pictures. This is a nice shot of Swift & Company. This is a spur off of the main line just east of Roslyn Rd. 

Andy

Nice! What year is this photo? Any others like this?  Note: Sunrise Coal Co.- Ex-Burns-Bros. in the view east, back right of photo.

Sorry Steve, no date indicated on the back of the photo or with any other documentation. It’s the only picture of this building that I’ve seen. Thanks for the info on the silos in the background. Any other info on Swift & Co.?

Andy

First photo I have ever seen. Nice. Now as to the freight received... Once again it comes down to CR4s, waybills, etc. of which I find none. ☹ Based on the freight dock it wasn't refrigerated meat products, thus I'll go with other non-refrig commodities as follows:  Wiki: In addition to meatpacking, Swift sold various dairy and grocery items, including Swiftning shortening, Allsweet margarine, Brookfield butter, cheese under the Brookfield, Pauly, and Treasure Cave brands, and Peter Pan peanut butter. Swift began selling frozen turkeys under the Butterball brand in 1954. Gustavus Swift also championed the refrigerated railroad car.  I sure would like to know the lading it received!

I think this picture also came from the Mineola Historical Society. The quality isn’t so hot, but it’s the only picture I’ve seen of Wilson & Co., in Mineola. I’d be thrilled if someone else has a better shot. The Oyster Bay Branch is in the foreground, just after it comes off the main. 

Andy

Thanks for the map Steve! 

Andy

Thanks Bob. That was impressive! Thanks for the links too. 

Andy

A few more photos on the 3rd Track Project: 3rd track Project  I'm waiting for my contact to send the photos of the "roll-in". Will post when available. Bookmark the page as it grows! Please add as you see fit. Thank you.

The most familiar bridge for me was the one over Post Avenue in Westbury. I guess it will be replaced during the 3rd Track Project.

MELGAR

Final LIRR Design Builders bid: Existing/Final Alignment Third Track Project MTA

Westbury: School St. and Urban Ave are grade crossing eliminations.  http://www.trainsarefun.com/li.../3rdTrackProject.htm :-)

Wish MTH or Lionel would do a set of P54 Ping Pong cars.

MELGAR posted:

The most familiar bridge for me was the one over Post Avenue in Westbury. I guess it will be replaced during the 3rd Track Project.

MELGAR

Mel- the video I posted was the Post Ave bridge getting replaced last year. When they did the job they put up the third span as part of the new structure.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

MELGAR posted:

The most familiar bridge for me was the one over Post Avenue in Westbury. I guess it will be replaced during the 3rd Track Project.

MELGAR

Mel- the video I posted was the Post Ave bridge getting replaced last year. When they did the job they put up the third span as part of the new structure.

Bob

Thanks Bob. I hadn't noticed the link. Whatever anyone says about the MTA or LIRR, they are very capable organizations. My family lived near the Westbury Station when I was a youngster. My father bought Oldsmobiles from Mack Markowitz on Post Avenue, a block or two north of the bridge. Picture below shows an LIRR calendar opened to the month of March 2000 with a photo of G5s 39 on the Post Avenue bridge (photo date March 26, 1954). The calendar has hung on the wall of my train room opened to this photo for 19 years. A reminder of my youth on Long Island.

Another reminder is my MTH model of LIRR G5s 21 which has been on my layout almost as long as the calendar.

MELGAR

Thanks for the links Steve. I’m with you Art, I wouldn’t mind seeing them either. Mel, thanks for the history, the calendar, and #21.

Andy

When I located my grandfather's draft application in July 1918 on Ancestry .com   ..it read, OCCUPATION.....Railroad Man..LIRR. 

rat

Courtesy of the Mineola Historical Society, this is the Mineola station in September 1923. 

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Courtesy of the Mineola Historical Society, this is the Mineola station in September 1923. 

Andy

Thanks, you just made me homesick.  I've been at that station many times when I lived in Mineola and road the LIRR.

Stuart

You’re welcome Stuart? 😁

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Courtesy of the Mineola Historical Society, this is the Mineola station in September 1923. 

Andy

It looks pretty much the same today.

MELGAR

Thankfully it does Mel. Great design, as are most of the stations on Long Island.

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Thankfully it does Mel. Great design, as are most of the stations on Long Island.

Andy

Yes Andy, great design for the ones that are still standing. Why they tore down the East Williston station, a real shame, but they tore down Penn Station also, so really, no surprise.

Amagansett was a huge loss too! 

Jon

Both beautiful stations on the Island. Penn Station was the biggest sin of all. I watched the PBS special: The Rise and Fall of Penn Station. Well done, but tragic and just plain sad. 

Andy 

Some pictures of the downtown area behind the Mineola station aka Station Plaza North. The first picture is from the Mineola Historical Society taken from the Mineola Blvd overpass, and I took the second picture at ground level in November of 2017.

Andy

Passing through Jamaica today, I noticed this passenger car wasting away at the Hillside facility. It looks like it’s a P74B passenger car. This information from the Trainsarefun website: 

P74B DETAILS

Exterior:  Lightweight, arch-roof locomotive-hauled coach; large, square paired windows; diaphragms; four-wheel trucks.

Interior:  84-seat coach; 2/2 reclining seats; mechanical air conditioning; recessed incandescent lighting; full length baggage racks; four toilets.

Modernization:  2/2 reclining seats replaced with 3/2 vinyl reversible seating for 117; three toilets removed; safety chains replaced diaphragms; mechanical air conditioning replaced with undercar diesel generator; electric marker lights.

General:  Built for the Boston & Maine for general long distance service.  Cars were delivered as follows:

          ex-          Date          ex-       Date           ex-       Date

Car #      B&M      Rec’d          Car #      B&M   Rec’d           Car #   B&M   Rec’d

7521       4593       9/9/1958          7531       4602    1/23/1959     7541    4601    5/14/1959

7522       4586       9/9/1958          7532       4606    1/23/1959     7542    4614    5/14/1959

7523       4588       9/9/1958          7533       4610    1/23/1959     7543    4605    5/14/1959

7524       4585       9/9/1958          7534       4612    1/23/1959     7544    4608    5/14/1959

7525       4591       10/15/1958      7535       4613    5/2/1959       7545    4599    5/16/1959

7526       4590       10/15/1958      7536       4604    5/2/1959       7546    4607    7/18/1959

7527       4594       10/15/1958      7537       4611    5/2/1959       7547    4595    7/11/1959

7528       4589       10/15/1958      7538       4609    5/7/1959       7548    4603    7/24/1959

7529       4587       10/15/1958      7539       4597    5/7/1959       7549    4596    7/29/1959

7530       4592       9/9/1958          7540       4598    5/7/1959       7550    4600    8/11/1959

Andy

That rundown yard might make a good scene on a model railroad.

MELGAR

I agree Mel. I would if I had the room! 

Andy

Hi Folks, A little more info on the passenger car photo lising: http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...sengercarhistory.htm   Steve

MELGAR posted:

That rundown yard might make a good scene on a model railroad.

MELGAR

Graffiti ruins it for me.

Build the concept without the Graffiti 

Thanks for the additional info Steve.

Andy

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

CHOO-CHOO MIKE posted:

What is the "Creedmore Creeper " ?

It was the name given to the passenger trains to Creedmore Psychiatric Hospital by LIRR employees.  The name "Creeper" referred to the speed the trains traveled down the branch but may have had other, less politically correct implications, as well.  The histories of the branch and hospital are quite interesting:

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Creedmoor_Branch

http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...edmoor/creedmoor.htm

Wow, RTH, I haven't heard "Creedmoor in almost 60 years'...When I was a kid, if my friends and me, did something stupid... we would hear' Keep it up, and you'll wind up in "Creedmoor"........(LOL)  

Creedmoor, before the "loony bin," was the home of international shooting competitions. Growing up in the NYC metro area, I heard the "You'll wind up in Creedmore" used.

More siding pics in Jamaica from yesterday. The first caboose has been repainted, but #69 is still in the orange. 

Andy

                 http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...ners/lirrCliners.htm

Beautiful C-Liners Brian! Sharp looking engines. 

Andy