LIRR Freight operations at Hicksville Yard

Back in the late '70's through the start up of the New York & Atlantic in 1997, did the LIRR have any road freights that were based at Hicksville Yard?

Also, what is the history of Hicksville Yard, as it is today? When was it built, when was the snowblower "Thunderbolt" removed from the Yard, and when did it see the most use as a team yard for off-line customers during the LIRR's freight days? J.J., Clem, Jay or Dave......what say you?

I only have a few pieces of "freight paper" in my collection, but here's what I found:

Scheduled freight service on Jan 5, 1972 shows 17 "L" freights (pre RF) - 11 from Holban, 4 from Ronkonkoma, 1 from Port Jeff and 1 from Patchogue.

Scheduled freight service on Jul 15, 1981 shows 14 RF freights - 6 from Holban, 2 from Hicksville, 1 Greenlawn, 2 Ronkonkoma, 1 Pine-Aire and 2 Pinelawn.

Scheduled freight service on Nov 18, 1991 shows only 4 RF road freights - 2 from Fresh Pond and 2 from Pinelawn

Would the freights based at Pinelawn also service the Port Jefferson, Central and Montauk Branches, or did they get served by the jobs based at Fresh Pond?

Why no freights based at Hicksville? It's centrally located and there's yard and siding space?

I remember seeing LIRR MP-15ac's and, on one occasion, C420's (222 and 228) laying over in Hicksville Yard on weekends every so often back in the '80's. One time three MP-15's (151,152 and 160) were tied up, and there were a lot of El Rexene covered hoppers and other assorted rolling stock in the yard and on the spur that runs between the yard and the passenger station. Some sharp-looking Chessie System boxcars were in the yard that day too, equipped with a handwheel to open the doors. Another time I saw 229 and 157 tied up with a DuPont Alathon covered hopper and a caboose. That's the only time I ever saw a C420 and an MP-15 together at Hicksville.

Legio, re-read my post - there were 2 freights based in Hicksville in 1981.

Ah, I see said the blind man. Two based at Hicksville in 1981. How long did these jobs last?

I didn't get out to the LIRR often in the 1960s. But one trip I made was to Hicksville to photograph the evening rush hour. This was in the summer of 1967.

I was set up west of the station near a highway overpass. Much to my surprise, about 5PM two Alco RS3s showed up running westbound. They parked their short freight train on the westbound main track and proceeded to spend about 20 minutes switching the Hicksville freight yard.

They were the only RSs I saw that afternoon. All the passenger trains had Century units.

tommy

In the 1960s, the L-44 reported at Holban at 8:00AM and when ready, went to Hicksville.
We spent hours switching King Kullen and the team yard.
Switching the team yard meant that Charlot Ave. grade crossing had to be protected by a member of the crew.
On the south side, Friendly Frost and Colonial sand and concrete kept us busy.
When traffic permitted, the 44 headed up the PJ branch as far as Amott.
Georgia Pacific and Cerro among others were active at that time.
Back at Hicksville, King Kullen again and maybe the team yard.
The job was kept busy for a 14 to 15 hour day in those days when the hours of service law was 16 hours.
Two RS-3s would have been used on an east end job and if time permitted, they may have been instructed to stop and make a pickup on thier way in to Holban.
Stopping on the main and switching for 20 minutes sounds like that to me.

Hi All,

While I was with General Instruments, Hicksville, I routinely took my lunch break at the Hicksville yards and the area surrounding. The RS-3 was there most of the time, and got to know the crew members. That engine served all the nearby sidings and yards. You did see some C-420's come through with passenger cars, but the bulk of the traffic was the electric MU's. And they came through at high speed. The conductor and brakeman for the RS-3 did not have a radio, and could not speak to the tower without using the land line phone on a telephone pole. This would be the early and mid 1970's. What also intrigued me were the trackwalkers that checked out the track and tighten the tracks and other light repairs and/ or adjustments. One fellow told me he walked about five miles each day.

dukeoq wrote:Back at Hicksville, King Kullen again and maybe the team yard....The job was kept busy for a 14 to 15 hour day

JJ that sounds like you must have got back to Hicksville well after the evening rush. With an 800 AM start, 14 or 15 hours put you back at Holban around 10, 11 PM, right? Long day! And King Kullen. That name takes me back.

I also remember the LIRR freight station in Hicksville looked fairly new back in the 1960s. Had a big big sign, too I think. "Long Island Rail Road - Hicksville Freight Station." Something like that.

Alan back in 1967 the third rail had not been extended even to Hicksville. It ended at Mineola.

tommy

Hi Tommy,

Sounds about right. That would make the third rail installation fairly new in the early 70's. However, the tracks did not appear to be new.

You did remind me on an incident at the Hicksville yard around 1973 or thereabouts. Seems an RS-3 was there with the crew I knew to do some shifting and moving some full cars to their appropriate sidings. As I remember it several were reefers. Apparently there were companies in the area that needed refrigerated products. Possibly they manufactured products that required refrigeration. This RS-3 was obviously a victim of "Deferred Maintenance." The brake line for the train had been sheared off, and so the engine could use its own brakes for itself, but could not control the brakes of the train. Sad state. The engine and crew were awaiting a replacement engine and so had lots of time on their hands. We had a really good conversation.

Tommy Meehan writes:
"JJ that sounds like you must have got back to Hicksville well after the evening rush. With an 800 AM start, 14 or 15 hours put you back at Holban around 10, 11 PM, right? Long day! And King Kullen. That name takes me back."

Thunder and lightning would have struck the crew if we hadn't been back at Hicksville before evening rush.
The flagman was cooking dinner in the hack while we were on the PJ branch and when we got back to Hicksville it was dinner time.
King Kullen was switched again and our westbound train was made up.
Switching was done while staying in the clear.
For the most part, it was just staying out of the way of the regulars until we had our slot to return to Holban, and, yes, it was a long day.

How things have changed. Today they don't have flagmen or cabooses. Some of the newer diesels have built-in refrigerators and microwaves, I think. But not the engines the NY&A uses. I guess those guys either have to pack a lunch or find a siding near a MacDonalds or Subway store.

JJ what kind of chow did your flagman serve up???

tommy

"Friendly Frost" - I always thought this was an Appliance/Electronics center of the 1970s, much like PC Richards is today.
Did they dabble in other fields?

What kind of chow?
Anything the flagman wanted to cook and prepare.
Start with salad, soup with bread or rolls, main course meat loaf, pork chops and kraut, steak--whatever you may have gotten at home.
Each of these bay window hacks had a coleman stove retrofitted by some crew who got these hacks when they were new a few years earlier
These hacks were wired for 110 and the Montauk hack carried a long snake to plug in (under the tracks of course) at the station where we went into the clear to tie up.
A one legged table was hooked to hardware on the door between the side bunks and we all had a place to sit at the table.
The only thing missing was the candlelight and champaign.
We did have something a little stronger than water to drink, though.
One engineer went high class and had to something Bavarian while the rest of us settled for something made in Brooklyn.

Friendly Frost

Box cars filled with refridgerators, electric ranges, washing machines etc.
Went into the Frost warehouse on the south side.
Switching there required the co-operation of the crew at Devide because, Just like the gravel pit, Frost was within the interlocking limits.
That was one reason that it took so long with our switching.