See the photo and red arrow from Google Maps of a LIRR grade crossing near Hicksville. I have seen these on the NH routes as well. It looks like the pipes used to pneumatic control switches in switch tower areas. However this is a manual switch and no tower. The pipe heads along the the side of the spur.
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Possibly a pipe connected derail.
See the photo and red arrow from Google Maps of a LIRR grade crossing near Hicksville. I have seen these on the NH routes as well. It looks like the pipes used to pneumatic control switches in switch tower areas. However this is a manual switch and no tower. The pipe heads along the the side of the spur.
Wow, that brings back memories. That's the New South Road crossing of the LIRR Main Line, facing railroad east. I used to get my barbecue tank filled at the propane gas supplier on the right, just out of the picture. One of their large storage tanks can be seen at the upper right.
Off in the distance is the one of the Bethpage Water District's towers.
I lived 2 blocks south of the Bethpage station which was located at the next street crossing east of here. (Stewart Avenue).
I agree with Big Jim about it being a linkage to a derail.
This Street view is dated August 2011. The overall Earth view aerial photo is dated 2015, and somewhere in between them the switch was removed, severing the connection to the spur track.
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