LI #163 and a snow blower in Hicksville Yard on 12/05

Yesterday around 4:30 pm LIRR MP-15ac 163 was parked on the eastern spur in the Hicksville Yard, down where it begins to curve towards the Main Line. Behind it on the spur that parallels the Main Line was one of the snow blowers that looks like a jet engine on rails. The 163 was blocking NYA access to the KCS boxcar and the covered hopper it was coupled to, if they came to pick them up, or spot additional cars for unloading. I thought that the LIRR relinquished the yard to NYA? If the LIRR is going to use the yard to have locomotives and snow-removal equipment on standby for emergency use, are they required to give a "courtesy call" to NYA saying access to the yard will be impeded?

My understanding is that several MP15's and snow blowers are scattered around the ROW before storms as snow protects to quickly rescue any train that might get stuck. Once the storm passes and the rails get cleared the extra equipment is moved out; since everything is usually cleared within a few hours, typically overnight, I doubt this would cause a problem for NYA.

161 was at valley last night 12/5

LIRR giving NYA a courtesy call?? LOL No way. They just show up and block the tracks. It turns out to be a big problem for NYA at times. However at times NYA crews "repositioned" the protect engines to service customers. In Hicksville team yard, protects usually park on the "RIP" track which is a small 2 engine stub off of the freight track. That is a good place to store MOW equipment.
But on the brighter side, a LIRR dispatcher once offered me and my crew a protect engine out of Speonk when my lead unit started to crap out. He just said "Take it if you need it, but drop it off at Morris Park later on". I was tempted but my road foreman told me to run around the east unit to the west end!! So much for that idea. Wasted a hour on a runaround move LOL. Thank you to the courteous DSPR, a once in a lifetime offer!!

Offers like that is what keeps things moveing, why caus an arguement, power leasing or borrowing for a few hrs. big deal.