Loves the LIRR

Dashing...rabbit

Location? pedestrian crossing at nassau?

The ROUTE of the Dashing Bunny...

Yup. (Hope the little critter found some high ground--the 24 hours following this photo saw the immediate area get 7 inches of rain.)

Doc Emmet Brown wrote:Location? pedestrian crossing at nassau?

The ROUTE of the Dashing Bunny...

That's taken at Mineola alright. The pedestrian crossing right next to Nassau tower. They have quite a thriving rabbit population and they seem to live in harmony with the railroad nearby quite easily. It's not uncommon to see rabbits running on the tracks over in the vicinity.

This reminds me of a trip to Montuk a couple of summers ago when I got on the train to return west several minutes before departure and three deer were roaming around the yard at Montauk. I think over the years the most common creature to find around the railroad often in yards, enginehouses and towers were cats, the railroaders loved them and the cats loved the railroaders and their railroad homes as well. We liked them for their companionship as well as their ability to keep the mice and rat population much lower in their area which in many cases is much of the facility. They asked for little in return, some food, maybe a fuss once in a while and a good place to hide and sleep. There was a big cat population at Grand Central Terminal back in the 80's when management decreed that the cats must go and the made a big effort to get rid of them, it met with some success in the eyes of the MTA but the rat population at Grand Central Terminal skyrocketed and they never were able to control it again. A few of the cats got adopted by the troops but most of them were simply killed as ordered by management. Another dark day in New York there was reported a dog wandering around the tracks in area of 138th Street, The Bronx. I was running a deadhead equipment train bound for Grand Central Terminal when they ordered me to pick up a railroad police officer at MO (Mott Haven Tower). I did so and he opened up the head door in the head car to watch for the dog. He saw the dog and ordered me to stop where he pulled out his gun and shot the dog right there on the spot. I was so disgusted after that one that I would have booked sick when I got in to GCT if it hadn't been the last leg of the job I was working that particular day. I was so disgusted that day that I felt like going to the press but decided against it and just went home. That cop was a real hero, he shot a defenseless dog that was probably scared beyond belief.
Noel Weaver

Finally!!!! When I owned Nassau tower about 7(?) years ago, I saw a rabbit there many times. The maintainers refused to believe me. One of the maintainers even brought a dead mouse in a small fluid filled bottle. He said "there's your rabbit." I know the difference. VINDICATION!

Rob