Massapequa Team Track

When was the last time the Massapequa Team track was used. It seems like it hasn't been used for some time!

Where is this track located, and what is it's configuration?

Wasn't it west of Massapequa station on the north side of the tracks? I'm pretty sure it was facing point going east and that the switch doesn't exist any more.

Joe

emfinite wrote:Wasn't it west of Massapequa station on the north side of the tracks? I'm pretty sure it was facing point going east and that the switch doesn't exist any more.

Joe

Yes.

i dont recall where... you say north side, west of station?

I beleive its North and west of the station, then tracks are there and the switch is removed, (is this the team track that the switch tie plates are still on the ties between the runnin rails, just the rails have been removed but not the tie plates?)

There was an Oil dealer in that siding down at the end of it. We used that siding in the 90's to run our second unit around the lead unit when the windshield was shattered by a kid with an excellent arm. That was the only time in my career I ever went in there.

Massapequa was a trailing point switch off #1 track (WB) and led down to ground level from the elevated ROW above.
The switch was on the inside of a curve that made it necessary for the head brakeman to cross #2 (EB) track to pass a sign to the engine crew on the east facing engine.
We had to look both ways while switching.
One way to see the conductor's lamp sign. The other to watch for an eastbound train.
If the engineer was on the ball, he would blow his horn if an EB was coming my way.
One brakeman was not as lucky as I while switching there one night.
He was taken to Glory by an eastboud passenger train while concentrating more on the conductor's lamp sign than on oncoming traffic.
Wheather or not the engineer blew his horn, I don't know, but it was always a concern for us all.

So this team track was used to serve an oil dealer? Any other customers get served here? It's unfortunate that this spur has notiriety due to the death of an LIRR employee.

Any other customers get served here?

Any team track during the fifties and sixties or until they were taken out would take carloads of lumber for a local lumber dealer.

It was a good spot to preposition track cars for track work, which is the only use I remember until they pulled the switch a couple of years ago.

I've lived in Massapequa since 1982 and remember seeing MOW equipment parked there quite often. I also remember seeing a bright yellow derail.