Has anyone heared about the Central RR?

I was just wondering if anyone has heard any additional info on the reconstruction or deconstruction of the Central RR in the Garden City secondary siding area? I am pretty sure they removed the tracks that cross over stewart ave.

I will be taking a mountain bike ride down the line hopefully tomorrow and will provide pics if anyone is interested, hopefully I will not have any law enforcement problems.

MIke

Damn. If I didn't have to be here for a family BBQ tomarrow, I would've loved to go too. I've done 3 walking tours of the CRR between Franklin Av and Mitchell Field Spur, as well as the ROW from Mineola to former Hempstead Crossing station, and the industrial spur(which had the now torn up crossing over Stewart Av).

The only other destruction I can think of is the yard where that industrial spur branched off. It's more or less all torn up. Also, the spur past the LIB yard has the crossing ripped up across Oak St.

The CRRLI is a great rail line, especially the remaining Garden City-Mitchel Field Secondary. ENJOY!

Also, Nassau County has a plan to use the line for a nassau hub rail system.

Oh yeah, I can see that happening, especially with all those Garden City residents who will absolutely love to have a train pass right in front of their million dollar houses!!! It's because of them that the NY&ARR wasn't able to run those garbage trains that were proposed at one time in the past. What I find amazing is that those same idiots who complain about reactivating the Garden City secondary, are the same ones who ride the LIRR to and from work and stand every year trackside with their kids to watch the circus train pass by!

mark. they come to visit their friends in the 'clown car'

Garden City-A world of idiocy.

Sorry for the delay guys, Im guessing railroad.net site was down for the last 2 days because I couldn't log on? Heres the deal. After the garden city station the "Central RR = CRR" converts from two tracks to one for apox 1/4 mile then goes back to two tracks, for the 1/4 is has elec. 3rd rail. After it passes heading east over Washington Ave it converts back to two tracks again all the way to the Garden City siding, to this point all the tracks are in good shape for the most part with just the normal rust for not being used. also along this line on the 2nd track sides 2 dozen flat cars with old track on them. Unfortunately at the garden city siding all but the first siding track have been removed and paved over including the line that runs over Stewart Ave. this is now called the Communications and signal yard for the LIRR. Still heading east from the yard is only a single track with no evidence of it ever being two tracks though there is more then enough room for a second. this track is completely weathered over with ground soil covering the entire track at some points. The tracks come to an end at Endo Blvd. where they seem to be paved over so well that I can't even tell if they make it to the other side of the road and if they do you could never tell there's a parking lot on the other side with no depressions in the pavement showing any sign of track at all. so for all extensive purposes this is where the CRR now ends. Because of factories now built I cannot tell if there are any tracks leading up to meadowbrook parkway because of no way of getting behind the buildings, though the power lines do still run over head leaving me to believe there may just be tracks till the parkway. I would love to get a look at them just to see if they still exist. my only way of doing this would be to enter the entrance ramp of the meadowbrook heading south pull over on the side of the ramp and make as if I had car trouble and walk up to the bushed area where in theory the tracks should be. -MIke

I thought it was only one track from Franklin Av until it reaches between Washington and Clinton. And the 3rd rail ends just west of Washington. BTW....they use it to store MUs sometimes. Just thought you'd like to know that.


I think that the end of tracks is Endo, and that there are no more tracks beyond there. However, there is still a bridge in the brush between an entrance ramp onto the parkway and the actual parkway. May want to wait til fall to try to see it.

And the thing with Stewart Av crossing, they actually took out the rails rather than simply paving the crossing over. Take a look on the north side of Stewart. You can see the rails end about 1 foot before the street.

Did you by any chance happen to spot the Mitchell Field spur? It was just after you passed that yard that's more or less paved over. It's the little spur of track that isn't connected to the central anymore that comes out through a fence.

Hope you had fun. It's really a great line.

Its A great line, Through well populated & some industral areas in the middle of LI. The CRR is a line that has alot of potential if it were not to be torn up .

Ultimatly it would be nice for the State to take over the ROW for exclusive tourist runs. with approations from the state have the line totally rebuild ignoring all nimbys and so on. then (during regular business hours) run G5's 35, 39, RS3 1555, and the RS1 if the twin forks can aquire it. with the central fully restored, for exclusive privite meusium use, it would eliviate the need to have to arange excursions over MTA owned ROW. (yes i know it is currently MTA properity. and yes, i know that neither steamers nad or the rs3 have ever ran on the CRR).

How ever it is a plan that can allow for totally trubble/hassel free operation of a RR meusium on LI.

this plan with only some alterations would be able to incorprate the origional plan of the RMLI.

UNFORTUNATLY NY is not a big railfan state, and does not think that it would benifit from such a meusium, also its to plotitical in that area.
all-in-all the line would be a roling history lession.
though such a great thing like I discribed above would NEVER happen.

just give it a thought of how it woul work out, to not always have to "share" tracks w/ the MTA on Active LIRR ROW's all the time.

"LONG LIVE THE CRR"
"Its Not Only The Trains, But The Educational History That The Line Played In The Building Of This Island".
Joe

After reading this thread, I looked through some of my old slides. I caught RS-1 461 at Global Frozen foods making a delivery in 1974 (rare back then!), and going across Meadowbrook Pky., back to the yard, and at the spring switch at "Garden" (with my trusy 126 instamatic!)
I hear all the wooden light poles are gone from the parkways!
It was a great line, what a thrill to see the first circus train parking its cars by the old platform at Nassau Comm. college, and the 35 when it was there.

I say they just re-open it as a commuter line. New service area and more capacity.

I agree reopen at least just part of the CRR for a new commuter line

They should do it in stages:

1. fix up existing tracks and start new hub service
2. extend tracks back out to B tower and reopen bethpage junction station
3. extend tracks back up the ROW to Shea Stadium.

Nimby,

I totally agree w/u but i think a tourist line would go better then a commuter line, simply becaus the NIMBY's are just not mentally,phsycallyy,or emotionally able to handle such a line rebuilt for local commuter/freight service.

there is way to dam much railroad resment from thoes A$$holes.

How ever a seprate excursion line as i discribed above would work just fine. it would get the CRR re built and beable so give back to the communites it will go through.