Main Line Derailment West of Hicksville

It is not pretty and the mess will affect tomorrow morning's commute. The railroad handled this very poorly, having trains skip Carle Place & Westbury in the PM rush. It seems as if they enjoy discriminating against our area. I was in Smithtown, they cancelled the 6:49pm from Stony Brook, and too add insult to injury sent a westbound train OOS past our station. The 8:55pm was about 30 minutes late and our connection at Huntington was not held. Had to wait for the 10:03pm.
More delays around Hicksville. Didn't get back to Westbury until 11pm.
I do not understand why no buses were used for the 6:49pm, especially when the incident happened earlier in the day.

Pour yourself a drink or two and get over it.

Slippy wrote:Pour yourself a drink or two and get over it.

Thank you, I've been trying to tell people to quit sulking and get over it, you've been a customer and commuter for the railroad for years. Be grateful you have a railroad that runs, and anticipate delays, it's all a part of being a commuter. Then again I'm a guy who wouldn't mind living in a train, I grew up with the LIRR and having Autism makes it a lot better, I've been to ALL 124 stations and have a photograph of every station sign as proof. When it comes to the East River Tunnels, blame AmTrak since they own the tunnels.

Slippy, do you want to go grab a beer at Penn, or if they still existed the bar car?

I heard that in this morning's rush-hour all trains were by-passing Westbury and Carle Place. I don't know why they would do that, since there are platforms for both tracks, so if they're single-tracking, it shouldn't matter. But I'm guessing they were trying to move trains as fast as possible thru the single-track area and didn't want to delay them with station stops.

Of course now at mid-day all service is suspended between I believe Mineola and Hicksville to help speed repairs. Last I heard they were hoping to restore both tracks by 5PM. We'll see................

I've been trying to estimate--I would guess that a stop at either station would cost at least 2 slots, so that a train making both stops, using 4 slots in all, would take up track space which could have accommodated 4 other trains. Does that seem like ballpark?

Matt, I am not quite seeing your Autism connection to the topic by Piney. Piney has a long withstanding reputation of the same rhetoric for years now, singing to his own beat. Have you ever watched some of his YouTube rants?

I am more of a bourbon drinker, beer was during my junior years when I first hired out.

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.

It's definitely a mess, not something that can be cleaned up easily. The terrain or lack of access to the track area doesn't seem to be helping the cause.

Skipping Westbury and Carle Place Stations seems to be an easy answer, slowing down, stopping trains, and then re-accelerating in this area for just 2 stations would just back up an already clogged section of track. Remember, they are trying to run a large amount of trains through 1 open track when both tracks, say again both tracks, are used to funnel westbounds in the morning. I'm sure they aren't running the same amount of trains they would with 2 tracks on 1, but certainly are maxing it out with what they have to work with. Having trains stop in the middle of this relatively short section, I'm guessing approximately 4 miles from Divide 3 to Nassau 3 doesn't seem prudent.

This service disruption once again shows the need for the 3rd track from Queens to Divide. It shows just how much can be screwed up by having less than 100% of the infrastructure available when this main trains are scheduled through that area.

Handtamp wrote:It's definitely a mess, not something that can be cleaned up easily. The terrain or lack of access to the track area doesn't seem to be helping the cause.

Skipping Westbury and Carle Place Stations seems to be an easy answer, slowing down, stopping trains, and then re-accelerating in this area for just 2 stations would just back up an already clogged section of track. Remember, they are trying to run a large amount of trains through 1 open track when both tracks, say again both tracks, are used to funnel westbounds in the morning. I'm sure they aren't running the same amount of trains they would with 2 tracks on 1, but certainly are maxing it out with what they have to work with. Having trains stop in the middle of this relatively short section, I'm guessing approximately 4 miles from Divide 3 to Nassau 3 doesn't seem prudent.

This service disruption once again shows the need for the 3rd track from Queens to Divide. It shows just how much can be screwed up by having less than 100% of the infrastructure available when this main trains are scheduled through that area.

I watched some of it this morning. I was expecting a "conga line" of westbound trains, but it was far from it. Generally about 5 minutes between each train passing thru, so I don't see how stopping at Westbury would beack things up that much, at least at the time I was there beteen 7 & 7:30am. What was really unexpected was eastbound trains, appearing to be out of service, 4 in a row, heading past around 7am, with a nearly 20 min gap in any westbound trains. I guess they had to send equipment out to head west, not sure why that wasn't done earlier. They had plenty of buses fortunately. Not sure why they sent people in the PM to Hicksville, to only go back west again on shuttle bus, detraining at Mineola for Carle Place & Westbury would make more sense.
They also could have had some "Z" trains, Ronkonkoma dual modes using the Central branch to go via Babylon.

pineywoodsman wrote: They also could have had some "Z" trains, Ronkonkoma dual modes using the Central branch to go via Babylon.

They barely have enough diesel trains as it is

Slippy wrote:Matt, I am not quite seeing your Autism connection to the topic by Piney. Piney has a long withstanding reputation of the same rhetoric for years now, singing to his own beat. Have you ever watched some of his YouTube rants?

I am more of a bourbon drinker, beer was during my junior years when I first hired out.

Sorry, it meant that I see things the different way, and that I love the LIRR and have patience unlike most. I don't care what happens just as long as they are running, even if I were working in New York City or were still living on the Island, the bosses would understand.

Yes, I've seen his videos and his beat has lost interest and is just down on the charts. By the way I don't drink and I do have a solution in which they can electrify the siding East of Westbury and use it as somewhat of a right lane to let the fast go by then get back in line.

MattAmity90 wrote:

Slippy wrote:Matt, I am not quite seeing your Autism connection to the topic by Piney. Piney has a long withstanding reputation of the same rhetoric for years now, singing to his own beat. Have you ever watched some of his YouTube rants?

I am more of a bourbon drinker, beer was during my junior years when I first hired out.

Sorry, it meant that I see things the different way, and that I love the LIRR and have patience unlike most. I don't care what happens just as long as they are running, even if I were working in New York City or were still living on the Island, the bosses would understand.

Yes, I've seen his videos and his beat has lost interest and is just down on the charts. By the way I don't drink and I do have a solution in which they can electrify the siding East of Westbury and use it as somewhat of a right lane to let the fast go by then get back in line.

Isn't that what the plan to have a third track from Hicksville to east of Westbury is? It needs to be done and should have been done years ago. Certainly alot more important than the Massapequa Pocket Track. Seeing as your signature indicates you're a Babylon Branch rider, I could see how my videos may have offended you.
The facts are that the Babylon Branch gets the best treatment. Not perfect, but better than the Main Line due to various political reasons.
BTW there has been a broken rail tonight in New Hyde Park causing more problems.
I have patience too, and for the most part, incidents like these are out of the LIRR's control. It is how they handle them that I do not always agree with.
That said, all these problems indicate how important a reliable, modern Main Line is. A third track and complete elevation (like the Babylon Branch) is paramount to that. Unfortunately funding and some narrow-minded NIMBY's (of which live in my town & other areas around here) are still against it. They are shooting themselves in the foot, since unreliable or less frequent train service makes the area less appealing. Part of the reason why the Babylon Branch towns have become so desirable and now expensive to live in.

jackintosh11 wrote:

pineywoodsman wrote: They also could have had some "Z" trains, Ronkonkoma dual modes using the Central branch to go via Babylon.

They barely have enough diesel trains as it is

That is the problem for sure. Too bad the full Central Branch through Levittown was torn up. They could have rerouted Ronkonkoma trains via Central/Hempstead branch.
Alot of bad decisions in the past, and that was one of the worst ones they ever made, especially with the development of Levittown.

pineywoodsman wrote:

MattAmity90 wrote:

Slippy wrote:Matt, I am not quite seeing your Autism connection to the topic by Piney. Piney has a long withstanding reputation of the same rhetoric for years now, singing to his own beat. Have you ever watched some of his YouTube rants?

I am more of a bourbon drinker, beer was during my junior years when I first hired out.

Sorry, it meant that I see things the different way, and that I love the LIRR and have patience unlike most. I don't care what happens just as long as they are running, even if I were working in New York City or were still living on the Island, the bosses would understand.

Yes, I've seen his videos and his beat has lost interest and is just down on the charts. By the way I don't drink and I do have a solution in which they can electrify the siding East of Westbury and use it as somewhat of a right lane to let the fast go by then get back in line.

Isn't that what the plan to have a third track from Hicksville to east of Westbury is? It needs to be done and should have been done years ago. Certainly alot more important than the Massapequa Pocket Track. Seeing as your signature indicates you're a Babylon Branch rider, I could see how my videos may have offended you.
The facts are that the Babylon Branch gets the best treatment. Not perfect, but better than the Main Line due to various political reasons.
BTW there has been a broken rail tonight in New Hyde Park causing more problems.
I have patience too, and for the most part, incidents like these are out of the LIRR's control. It is how they handle them that I do not always agree with.
That said, all these problems indicate how important a reliable, modern Main Line is. A third track and complete elevation (like the Babylon Branch) is paramount to that. Unfortunately funding and some narrow-minded NIMBY's (of which live in my town & other areas around here) are still against it. They are shooting themselves in the foot, since unreliable or less frequent train service makes the area less appealing. Part of the reason why the Babylon Branch towns have become so desirable and now expensive to live in.

I ride all the branches when I get the chance to go out to the Island, I moved to Easton since it got too expensive, believe me, if I had the money and if it were possible I'd elevate the entire Main Line myself especially New Hyde Park, and Mineola. I can eliminate the School Street crossing, and convert the Urban Avenue into an Ellison Avenue type.

That is the problem for sure. Too bad the full Central Branch through Levittown was torn up. They could have rerouted Ronkonkoma trains via Central/Hempstead branch. Alot of bad decisions in the past, and that was one of the worst ones they ever made, especially with the development of Levittown.

And Levittown, in the area of the former ROW would have been a dump if they had not torn up that Branch. Luckily for Levittown, that Branch is gone.

I don't know what the complaining on here is about with curtailed service. The LIRR suffered another setback by NYAR. It's not the LIRR's fault but they are dealing with it the best they can. Give them some credit for running the service in spite of what happened.