MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale

milepost39 wrote:Your Junior High School...I guess that now would be the JFK Intermediate School on Lake (my son's school, daughter's middle school is Robert Frost). No activity since before Xmas. Track is missing from the switch to the Carls Path Xing with the old ties piled up off to the side.

Yup. Showing my age.......

They are working in the rain today, removing the switch.

Happened to drive by the Carl's Path crossing yesterday. The siding track just east of Carl's Path has been removed but the switch to the old Pinter siding was still in place. The track into the siding had been severed. Just past the east side of the switch the double ended siding track rails have been removed for a distance and I believe the smaller double ended siding rails had been removed as well.

Looks like some revamped stations are in the works...
http://www.mta.info/news/2017/01/10/gov ... ove-system" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the area yesterday. Crews working removing the rails and ties from the double ended siding have reached the Deer Park Ave. overpass.
There is a very large crane on Long Island Ave. driving large steel pilings into the ground by the pedestrian underpass that connects Long Island Ave. and Acorn St.
Retaining wall construction slowly continues on the grade between Wyndanch and Deer Park Ave. overpass.

Everyone:

Between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma third rail is now installed on the new concrete tied second
track. I want to check the status of progress between Central Islip and Brentwood during this next
week in particular the Islip Avenue/NYS 111 crossing which I recall there was no provisions yet in
place for the second track. With the winter weather break (lack of any significant snowfall or any
snow/ice for any extended period needing to be removed) progress is being made in this project.

MACTRAXX

Oh man! It feels like that section could go into service by May!

Not without any signalling along the new track.

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone:

Between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma third rail is now installed on the new concrete tied second
track. I want to check the status of progress between Central Islip and Brentwood during this next
week in particular the Islip Avenue/NYS 111 crossing which I recall there was no provisions yet in
place for the second track. With the winter weather break (lack of any significant snowfall or any
snow/ice for any extended period needing to be removed) progress is being made in this project.

MACTRAXX

Everyone:

I was able to get to the Islip Avenue/NYS 111 grade crossing on President's Day weekend and
noticed no changes there meaning no provisions have been made to install a second track there
at this point. The progress westward looks to be similar to what I have seen previously - second
track to just west of the Peters Boulevard grade crossing and then graded ROW to a point east of
the CI team siding in which there is more third rails being stocked for installation.

The snowstorm of Thursday 2/9 dumped around one foot of snow in central Suffolk County and
perhaps set back some work but now with significant weather breaks coming into the beginning
of March it could help progress in other places along the route between Deer Park and Republic.

When the Central Islip-Brentwood track segment is completed and goes into service later in 2017
(being optimistic) it will be interesting to see what changes are made to the Central Islip station
concerning westbound trains - will they cross over and continue to serve the south platform or do
they go west on the new track and serve the north platform? CI is the only station built new back
during the Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification (completed 30 years ago-1987) in which facilities
are on the south side - with the new second track will there be TVMs and any waiting room added
to the north side in the area of the pedestrian overpass or near the Lowell Avenue crossing?

MACTRAXX

When do you think the Ronkonkoma-Central Islip segment will go into service?

It's been quite a while since anyone posted on this topic, but I need a little fill in. From the last time we discussed, work was still going on where the old Deer Park station was as they pile drove buttresses and retaining walls to widen the Southern bank for the second track in Wyandanch. Obviously all the brush and trees have been cleared from the East end of FARM Interlocking to the West end of CI we know that. I also heard that the second track that has been laid between Ronkonkoma and Central Islip is fully installed, embedded in ballast, and that they have installed the third rail from what I heard. Either way I hear that despite a couple of snafus from winter weather the project is going along smoothly and more efficiently. Care to reply if you have any updates regarding what I mentioned.

Just found out that this weekend two things are going to happen:

1.) The temporary switch West of the Ocean Avenue crossing will be eliminated.
2.) The second track will be laid down West of Central Islip (they didn't specify if it would be all the way to Brentwood, but I guess it will). Carleton Avenue, St. Peters Boulevard have been converted into two track crossings, but I'm not sure about the Rt. 111/Islip Avenue crossing.

Does anyone know if the Route 111/Islip Avenue grade crossing in between Central Islip and Brentwood was rehabilitated from a one track to a two track crossing?

The new intersection of Wellwood Ave and Long Island Ave.\Conklin St. is finally in operation. Since the new 2nd main will go through the existing Pinelawn station I'm guessing the station will be razed next. Anybody know where the new Pinelawn Station is to be located?
The small one row parking lot located between S 18th st crossing and Straight Path crossing in Wyandanch has been torn out and a crew is working on the new 2nd track roadbed.

It wouldn't be on the other side of Wellwood because of the NY&AR siding switch, doubt it would be moved to where the East Great Neck Road grade crossing is, my guess would be where it is. I'm sure they left enough room between the new intersection and the roadbed for the second track. Then all they have to do is build the new platforms, and preserve the station building, al la Lindenhurst and Wantagh.