CI Rail Spur and Locomotive

Hello, any body got any ideas what happened to this locomotive? looks like an ex PRR 0-6-0. hows the current shape of whats left of the spur?
for those who dont know what im talking about. . here is a link
http://www.lioddities.com/Bygone/CIrail.htm

the switch was supposedly removed during electrification, 1986-87 or so... curved to south where the CI station is, along the west side of Lowell Avenue. See the web site below, Arrts Arrchives for more photos and details. I hope this link answers your questions.


http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/sthosp3.html

There is some tracks left around the warehouse area. The coal trestle pilings are still up behind the powerhouse.


Mike

The locomotive was an ex-PRR class A-3 locomotive, wheel arrangement 0-4-0 and numbered #03.

It was the Central Islip State Hospital drill engine and the name "Central Islip State Hospital" was painted on the tender.

It was manned by LIRR crewmen.

Once a year it made a trip into Morris Park Shops for an annual inspection.

I don't have any idea when it was acquired from the Pennsy nor when it left Long Island as it doesn't appear in any roster, being owned by the State Hospital itself. I have a shot of it taken by George Ayling, the agent at C.I., switching a REA car at Central Islip in 1933. I've not seen any shots of it with a later date.

Richie Harrison has a shot of it in his book as well. The close-up shot of the crew on the front of the engine as seen on the L. I. Oddities site was taken by George Ayling the same day as the one I have mentioned above.

When the drill engine was out of service, due to repairs or during its annual run to Morris Park Shops, it was replaced with a LIRR engine as a substitute drill engine. I have a shot of D16sb #228 and crew in service as relief engine and crew for the hospital drill, also at C.I. c. 1933.

Here's the shot on the C.I. team track (running parallel to Suffolk Avenue) with the express car. Note the old election sticker in the window of the car, supporting Herbert Hoover during the 1932 presidential election!


The LIRR guys, from left to right are: Gus Newman, Engr.; Frank "Dusty" Rhodes, Trainman; Bill Blake, Trainman; Walter Webb, Conductor; last man (far right) is unidentified.

Dave Keller

For anybody interested. .
Myself and LI 7285 found the old spur today. A few shots in the link following.
Not all that much left railwise, its all scheduled for demo as you can see by the powerplant pictures.

http://espeemw.rrpicturearchives.net/ar ... px?id=6030

Nova55 and 7285: It is interesting seeing these pictures-I live just over one mile away and have spent more than 30 years in that area. The crossing that you photographed with the slope ramp to Lowell AV runs to the O'Neill Elementary School and was built in the 60s to allow access from E of Lowell to the school and the N end of the CI Recreation Village or REC as we called it. This ramp had a folding gate the height of the fence that was kept blocking the track to be folded out when trains would use it. It seems to me by my observances all the major changes occured in the 80s. - everything from the construction of the new station,removal and realignment of the main line tracks and old CI siding to the abandonment of the CI hospital spur-done formally when most of the hospital was sold or closed in the late 80s. The siding to Waldbaums was also discontinued arond that same time-a provision for a switch area-just a triangled area of ballast on the south track just E of the Lowell AV crossing is noticable but the siding was never reconnected-it ends on the Waldbaum's property behind the substation. The station itself was built on a athletic field behind the O'Neill School that was acquired by the RR in the mid 80s to allow the station to be moved. The old station 1/2 mile west was hampered by a lack of parking. The crossing at Clayton Street over the CISH spur was redone in the 80s after the removal of the track-the height of the track at that point made for a angular slope between the track and Lowell AV that was somewhat steep. There was a platform down by the south gate going in the direction of the powerhouse where the passenger trains boarded. I remember it was a busy place-who thought back in the 70s that CI would have a college campus-NYIT,Court Complex and in recent years a ballpark down there. YES- ARRTS Archives has good CI Photographs-some memories there! MACTRAXX

Great photos guys! More and more of these old sidings and spurs are going, going, gone! We have to get out there and photograph these sites before they're gone for good. Joe, you didn't 'borrow' anything, did you?

Mike

Thanks for sharing Mac!, Mike, Joe cant chime in here because he was banned again. I herd that they might wanna make Pilgrim into a museum byt the powerhouse as its the only one with the coal dock complete.

LIRRNOVA55,

Yes, I know about Joe. He still reads here though. I don't know about Pilgrim State, I was there about 6 months ago and it looks bad, but you never know.

Mike

Anybody interested. . CI Powerplant is supposdly getting imploded tommorow at 9AM.

The pictures of the CI grounds brought back memories of picking up my Grandmother who was a nurse at the hospital during the 1950-60's. I remember the Alco diesels sitting on the spur at that time. Thanks for the pictures.