Main Line Derailment West of Hicksville

Head-end View wrote:Well ExCon90, I'm not sure about the mathematics but you seem to be making the same suggestion that I was, so yeah that's probably it. Especially as those two stations are the only ones in the area of single-tracking. Westbound trains would start running on Track-2 at Divide-3 at the west end of Hicksville Station and cross back over to Track-1 at Nassau-3 , the crossovers just west of Carle Place, right at the Meadowbrook Pkwy.

I'm not sure about the math, either--that's why I posted the question, hoping that someone on here who works in dispatching would have a more exact answer. Dispatchers have that kind of knowledge in their heads. I still think it would be useful to quantify just how many trains would have to be set back for every train that made those two stops.

As someone pointed out above, there was an additional complication late Wed. night with a broken rail at Nassau-1 Interlocking between New Hyde Park and Merillon Ave. That caused single tracking from Hicksville all the way to Queens Interlocking at the Nassau-Queens line. Good thing it happened at such a late hour, but even so lots of trains were stacked up with lots of delays. The operators at Divide Tower should get a weeks extra pay for their performance the last few days.

I absolutely agree that we need the third main-line track, elevation thru New Hyde Park and Mineola and Ellison Ave. type bridges at the two grade crossings in Westbury. Those elevations thru those villages should have been done back in the 1960's when the State wanted to do it and they should have used eminent domain to accomplish it no matter what opposition came from those villages.

Think of all the lives that would not have been lost and the hundreds of hours of delays that would not have happened with the elimination of all those crossings. And all the inconvenience to passengers who would not have had to cross over from one platform to the other during track changes, if those villages would have had island platform elevated stations.

LIRR did it right on the Babylon Branch.

Head-end View wrote:As someone pointed out above, there was an additional complication late Wed. night with a broken rail at Nassau-1 Interlocking between New Hyde Park and Merillon Ave. That caused single tracking from Hicksville all the way to Queens Interlocking at the Nassau-Queens line. Good thing it happened at such a late hour, but even so lots of trains were stacked up with lots of delays. The operators at Divide Tower should get a weeks extra pay for their performance the last few days.

I absolutely agree that we need the third main-line track, elevation thru New Hyde Park and Mineola and Ellison Ave. type bridges at the two grade crossings in Westbury. Those elevations thru those villages should have been done back in the 1960's when the State wanted to do it and they should have used eminent domain to accomplish it no matter what opposition came from those villages.

Think of all the lives that would not have been lost and the hundreds of hours of delays that would not have happened with the elimination of all those crossings. And all the inconvenience to passengers who would not have had to cross over from one platform to the other during track changes, if those villages would have had island platform elevated stations.

LIRR did it right on the Babylon Branch.

Head-End View: Great post - I feel exactly the same way concerning the Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville...

I feel that there could be a third track added with a minimum of property disruptions by shifting tracks and building retaining walls where it is
necessary...In some parts it will be complicated - but doable - by shifting platforms and constructing new stations - New Hyde Park would be a
perfect place for an elevated station but...NIMBY opposition in surrounding towns - in some cases backed up by local politicians - has held up
this necessary project for the last half century...This was noticeably needed beginning in the 1970s since the Mineola-Huntington Electrification
was completed at the beginning of that decade...

Another observation I will add is that the LIRR runs more trains over this two track section of the Main Line then Amtrak and SEPTA operate
over the four track equipped 20 mile section of the former PRR "Main Line" between 30th Street Station and Paoli...

MACTRAXX

Main Line is just going to get worse when the Ronkonkoma Double-Track project is completed and we have half-hourly service on that branch in both directions. As far as elevating New Hyde Park, I've said it before that all Merillon Avenue and NHP customers use the Nassau Blvd. and Stewart Manor stations. There is absolutely no room for shoo-fly tracks, and make NHP look like it resembles Lindenhurst with a viaduct that goes from that road under Nassau Interlocking all the way to Floral Park. As far as Mineola is concerned, just dispose of the Main Street crossing since that's where the Oyster Bay breaks away and turn Willis Avenue into an Ellison Avenue.

Westbury deserves a pedestrian bridge as a backup in case somethin foes wrong in the tunnel, Lynbrook could a bridge near the elevator to go over Montauk-2 and Long Beach-1.