Something that hit me the last time I rode through the West Islip yard going east of Babylon...
If Babylon was always to have been the end of electrification (as it has been all along on the line), I'd have expected the yard east of the station to have had its multiple tracks all dead ended. However, the majority of the tracks on the east side of the yard all reconvene into one lead just in time to cross Higbie Lane, and continues a while further down (this and the Montauk tracks also have third rail up until the signal gantry).
I assume this was done for extra equipment moves at the very least? Did the yard always look this way, or was this another move to maybe get the line ready for electrification eastward (such as elevating the platforms at Bay Shore in the early 80s)?
Arrts has a "little" bit of info at the bottom: http://arrts-arrchives.com/babelectr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Side note, it is cool how some of the Arrts photos show the evolution of the west end of the yard...
If Babylon was always to have been the end of electrification (as it has been all along on the line), I'd have expected the yard east of the station to have had its multiple tracks all dead ended. However, the majority of the tracks on the east side of the yard all reconvene into one lead just in time to cross Higbie Lane, and continues a while further down (this and the Montauk tracks also have third rail up until the signal gantry).
I assume this was done for extra equipment moves at the very least? Did the yard always look this way, or was this another move to maybe get the line ready for electrification eastward (such as elevating the platforms at Bay Shore in the early 80s)?
Arrts has a "little" bit of info at the bottom: http://arrts-arrchives.com/babelectr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Side note, it is cool how some of the Arrts photos show the evolution of the west end of the yard...