New, higher speed on the River Sub in Kingston......

I should point out that I don't know the track layout relative to the streets in Kingston, I was simply wondering why there never had been an attempt, the grave yard sounds like a very good reason.

The fact that Kingston has a yard on the edge of town likely has played a role in the lack of a grade seperation in town. That and the old junction (diamond) with the U&D right in town, just a couple blocks north of B'Way. Plus there used to be several trackside industries. The cemetary would have been a minor inconvenience, especially 50 years ago. Moving dead people is easier than moving living ones!

Broadway used to be a grade crossing including the trolley line. After a number of trolley-train accidents, the trolley line was grade separated (I don't know the exact date, but in the 19teens). Eventually Broadway was grade separated in 1955. It was during the 1955 project that the trolley tunnel was filled in.

The only other crossing that could be 'conveniently' grade separated would be Flatbush. All the others would require extensive changes to buildings and traffic patterns. I'd rather see four-quadrant gates be installed first, especially at Foxhall.

Having now made a few runs over this segment of trackage, I can attest that each time the crossing protection was working properly. As noted, there is a "temporary" slow order from the south end of the bridge to the north end of the tunnel, approx 2/10th of a mile, between MP QR 86.4 and 86.6, for 40 MPH(Someone in the engineering dept get cold feet?). I usually go north through Kingston anywhere between 3:00 and 4:15AM on Q109 and once I know I am off the bridge, I give it "8 and sand", and my TV train usually is up to 50 before the cemetary crossing. As for the horn, I try not to be too obnoxious, but if it looks like a potential close call, or if I am passing another train and my head end meets his hind end near a specific crossing,THEN I'll lean on it somewhat. Of course, another situation is that Q417 sets off cars in town enroute south, and usually cuts off north of Flatbush Ave on the siding and then has to sit and tie up more than one crossing(depending on the amount of cars to set off) while the conductor unlocks and throws the switch, derail, then gets in position to protect Flatbush Ave on the shove, and the gates aren't generally actived on the yard lead until about a half a car length(25-30 ft) away from the road. And train length permittinmg, we try to stop the train so that when we go back to it with the engines we are positined to be able to walk across to the Dunkin Donuts, through the porno store's parking lot and across Ulster Ave(I think thats the name of the main drag there)!

Ah yes gotta hit the Dunkin Donuts before the rest of the trip south eh? Hey i guess anything to keep you guys going is pretty good. We will soon have our first D&D in our neck of the woods in the next few weeks.