Sub Stations

I believe you and I are referring to the same spur.

According to the map, the 1956 spur branched off at General Bronze Co. and headed north, crossing Meadowbrook Parkway via bridge in the form of an "S" curve then continued north with a passing siding then swerving east to serve, at the time (1958) Reeves Instrument co; and American-Bosch Optical Co.

There's no indication of electrification of this spur.

I don't know of any spur into Roosevelt Raceway. Raceway trains stopped at Meadowbrook-Roosevelt Raceway station, which was located on the Garden City Secondary on the east side of the Selfridge Road crossing.

This was, of course, electrified to the west side of Meadowbrook Parkway as mentioned in my earlier response.

Dave

Oh ok Dave. I seen a spur while walking that bronz ceiling branching east just off the meadowbrook overpass, before it headed into the "S" curve and passing sideing. If you follow that spur east (the one directly off the bridge) it would take you in direct line to go to the old raceway, right on to the properity. I beleive that was the portion of the spur that they wanted to restore today but build it to american refuge for NYA to run the garbage train. It is in direct line. Maybe it could have been a part of a "Y" or a small sideing for the Bronze company?

As you're heading north in the "S" curve and you've crossed the Meadowbrook Pky bridge, you say another spur branches off at that point (heading E or NE)?

As it does not appear on my 1958-59 map it most probably was added in the years following.

As for your electrification question: did you notice, while walking the spur, any 3rd rail ties? If not, then you can tell it wasn't electrified.

Thanks for the info about the spur. I often wondered why the LIRR never put a spur into the raceway as they did years ago at Belmont Park (electrified in 1905!) and having station stops at all the other tracks over the years (Aqueduct, Union Course, Jamaica Racetrack, Sheepshead Bay).

Why stop at Meadowbrook and rely on buses to get to the track? After all, that new spur by General Bronze was installed in 1956 and that was about the year that Raceway trains started.

Might have been poor planning. Might have been a lack of money. Might have been ROW acquisition problems.

Dave

As you're heading north in the "S" curve and you've crossed the Meadowbrook Pky bridge, you say another spur branches off at that point (heading E or NE)?

The spur that I'm stating is 2-400' (railorad west) of the zecondorf Xing (which was pulled last summer) Immediately (railroad East) of the Meadowbrook Parkway bridge there is a hand operated switch heading (straight to the bronze ceiling and into the “S“ curve) and (diverging point heads “east/north east“ to there the raceway used to be.) the fact that a switch and spur heading directly to the raceway grounds was visible it lead me to believe that Mitchell field was discontinued for raceway trains. And as for spotting 3rd rail ties, I honestly do not remember, but I will go and make another trip to see if the ties are there or not. Sense you don’t see it on your map maybe it was just a stub remaining from a siding that used to exist?

My map shows only one siding branching off eastward and heading north, crossing Stewart Ave. bound for General Bronze. At Bronze, it curved west into the grounds, while the main spur continued north, going into the "S" curve and, in the process, crossing Meadowbrook Parkway, as mentioned previously.

There are no other sidings on the north side of the GCS indicated on the map in that vicinity.

Dave

Your map is showing NO sidings or spur tracks right off the bridge?

I will try yo get a photo or draw a map and post it as to show what I'm saying.

Dave, 7285, it's been awhile, but the way I remember that spur that went accross Stewart Ave & Meadowbrook could not have gone into the raceway if it wanted. The main road that went through the industrial park entered off Old Country Rd at the Long Island Inn and ran along the southern edge of the raceway before making a 90 degree right turn at the southern entrance of the raceway, and on into the industrial park. The road had quite a rise to it going south to north. The spur ended about half way from the south entrance to the raceway to Old Country Rd, it ran into the side of the hill this road was on, they would to have had quite a grade to get it up to raceway level. There was never a third rail on the spur, it would have been real dangerous for one thing, remember that stretch that ran along side the east Stewart Ave entrance into mall, the tracks were just a couple of feet off the road with no barriers.

7285 said HE thought it went into the racetrack.

I said my map didn't show that. All it showed was the spur being constructed in 1956 to service two customers: Reeves and Allied Bosch.

The racetrack was serviced by trains stopping at Meadowbrook/Roosevelt Raceway station to the east of the former Mitchel Field station.

The map did not indicate the spur as being electrified. So it most probably wasn't as you say.

And, Joe . . . NO. my map shows the tracks crossing over Meadowbrook Pky with NO SPURS or sidings branching off at that point. Just the one track spur until you get to the run-around track prior to it hanging a right eastward to reach the two customers mentioned above.

Dave

Sorry guys, just trying to share a few of my remaining brain cells....

Share away . . .

That's what makes this fun!

Dave

When the 3rd rail end's to begin diesel territory, is the current that flows through the running rails still present, or is that current isolated on the terminus of the third rail?

The running rails are isolated at the end of electric territory with insulated joints for the sake of the signal circuits which share the running rails with the propulsion return path.

In practice, however, a train can "bridge" these insulated joints and liven the running rails on the cold side of the joint. As the running rails are not insulated from ground, all rails, ground, stop signs and any other conductor for a long radius from the third rail can actually be a path for the return current.

Thats why folks in homes near the railroad often complain of corrosion in their copper plumbing.

Make sense?

Clemuel

The running rails are isolated at the end of electric territory with insulated joints for the sake of the signal circuits which share the running rails with the propulsion return path.

In practice, however, a train can "bridge" these insulated joints and liven the running rails on the cold side of the joint. As the running rails are not insulated from ground, all rails, ground, stop signs and any other conductor for a long radius from the third rail can actually be a path for the return current.

Thats why folks in homes near the railroad often complain of corrosion in their copper plumbing. If that plumbing serves as a better return path than the damp ground, even for just a few feet, power will flow through it.

That causes electrolysis, or the transfer of metal from the pipe.

Make sense?

Clemuel

Thank's clem. I had no idea that the current can effect homes near by. I though that the RR grounded it and made the complete path and it would have no harm to any thing around it. If you step touch sit or stand on a running rail or rails you will not get buzzed, is this becaus they are "grounded" and is that what those black boses are in between the rail. If some one were to get to close or to stand on them will they get zapped?

As for the train crossing from eletric into diesel land. when one wheel is in eletric and the other is in diesel, is that the moment that insulation is bridged? and is that where it sends the current into the ground and damageing the copper pipeing rails or other mettle laying around?