MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale

[MattAmity90]

The Ronkonkoma Branch that I knew as a child has been transformed into anew with the one from my younger days being cast as yesteryear.

Project update after the July 14th-15th outage according to Edward Hand's photos:

1.) KO Interlocking gantry has been razed.
2.) The second track connection has been connected to what looks like the already existing second track East of Pond Road (both tracks had the BARRICADE octagons placed).
3.) Track work was done at CI
4.) Brentwood was not connected, but patchwork was being done to the platforms.
5.) Platform slabs were installed for new ramps at Deer Park.
6.) Wyandanch now has both the existing platform and new second platform at 12-car lengths. Wouldn't be surprised if the Western half of the current platform is put into service tomorrow since they are already installing the yellow line rumble stripe.
7.) Canopies installed on both sides, elevator shafts surrounded by bricks.
8.) DANCH Interlocking has its' new signals covered, and third rail installed around it.
9.) Nothing done at Pinelawn as far as I'm concerned.'
10.) Track work with a ballast car near FARM.

[MattAmity90]

The route of the trains has changed dramatically. Before I get into that, KO1 has been renamed POND while KO2 is now just KO, and the new crossover switch in between Ocean and Pond is now in service. What they did was realign the tracks to make it two parallel tracks, and they ripped out a section of track that was a siding West of Ronkonkoma. There is a gap with no third rail for either track East of Pond Road where I'm uncertain if a switch will go in there or not.

Trains to and from Ronkonkoma now take a route similar to the chicane at Watkins Glen.

-When a train approaches the new CI Interlocking they go from the original and switch to the new track and stop at Central Islip's platform B.
-After traveling the 4 miles on the current revenue track and going over Ocean, they switch to the new track using the new crossover and go over Pond.
-When coming into the station where the two tracks are of course in service (since 1987) they use the utilize the Eastern crossover switch of POND to enter either Track 1 or Track 2.

MTA's website did not specify whether Wyandanch's newly rehabilitated platform will serve a full 12-car train since the Western half looks passenger ready despite only one Solari.

[geico]

The route of the trains has changed dramatically. Before I get into that, KO1 has been renamed POND while KO2 is now just KO, and the new crossover switch in between Ocean and Pond is now in service. What they did was realign the tracks to make it two parallel tracks, and they ripped out a section of track that was a siding West of Ronkonkoma. There is a gap with no third rail for either track East of Pond Road where I'm uncertain if a switch will go in there or not.

Trains to and from Ronkonkoma now take a route similar to the chicane at Watkins Glen.

-When a train approaches the new CI Interlocking they go from the original and switch to the new track and stop at Central Islip's platform B.
-After traveling the 4 miles on the current revenue track and going over Ocean, they switch to the new track using the new crossover and go over Pond.
-When coming into the station where the two tracks are of course in service (since 1987) they use the utilize the Eastern crossover switch of POND to enter either Track 1 or Track 2.

MTA's website did not specify whether Wyandanch's newly rehabilitated platform will serve a full 12-car train since the Western half looks passenger ready despite only one Solari.

As of last night (monday), Wyandanch is still 1st 6 cars only in both directions. The original platform is still being rehabbed on the west end, there are still missing fence sections

[berlintransit]

Hey everyone,

http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/ ... 0_LIRR.pdf LIRR Committee Meeting July 2018 - p.46 - 49

Construction Schedule
* Weekend outages Farmingdale - Ronkonkoma on August 4-5, August 11-12, August 18-19 & August 25-26
* August 6-10 second track Deer Park - Brentwood out of service, single tracking Farmingdale - Central Islip, it seems Central Islip - Ronkonkoma will already be used in double track configuration in this time
* during weekdays until August 4 and from August 13, special schedules for single tracking within Central Islip are in place

September 4 timetable change: completion of the Main Line Second Track Project Farmingdale - Ronkonkoma
* Train 2300, the 6:07 AM Reverse Peak train from Penn Station to Farmingdale, will be extended to Ronkonkoma, arr. 7:30 AM, with new connection to Train 202 to Greenport
* Train 2351, the 6:25 PM Reverse Peak train from Farmingdale to Penn Station (arriving 7:22 PM), will be extended to originate at Ronkonkoma at 5:57 PM
* Train 2355, the 7:00 PM Reverse Peak train from Farmingdale to Penn Station (arriving 7:56 PM), will be extended to originate at Ronkonkoma at 6:36 PM, making connections from Train 253 from Yaphank
* Train 2008, the 7:39 AM train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, will add stops at Bethpage and Wyandanch
* Train 2061, the 4:48 PM train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station, will add stops at Brentwood and Wyandanch

[MattAmity90]

This is the perfect example (along with the elevation of the Babylon Branch) of the magnitude of a project that back in the day would take over half a decade to complete, yet only to be completed ahead of schedule. It shows off how far railroad technology and railroad construction has improved since the latter half of the 20th Century.

To think that all of this began in August 2015 and the track laying didn't really begin until 2017. Then we begin to lay the second track West of Central Islip to Farmingdale in the matter of just a few weeks, thanks to a fancy piece of a equipment known as a NTC. What really got me was how fast they were able to install the third rail, or how much work they could get done in a weekend. I've got a lot to say about how ecstatic I am keeping up with this project since they announced it. The branch had only been electrified for a little less than 3 years when I was born, and now just a month and a half short of my 28th birthday the Ronkonkoma Branch will join the Babylon and the electrified area of the Port Jefferson/Huntington Branch to make all three major and busiest (aside from Port Washington) East-West branches to be double-tracked.

I can't wait until October when I go out there, I'll be purchasing several cameras to take photos, and to go along with it that's when I'll be visiting the Amityville Historical Society to pick up photos to add to the forum!

[Head-end View]

MattAmity90, good post re: the speed of this project re: the improved track laying technology, and the historical significance of the project itself. Now here's a question for you: Given all the grade crossing accidents that are going to continue happening in the coming years, how many years do you think it will be until the MTA/LIRR decides to elevate the section thru the Brentwood/Central Islip area and build an over/underpass at Wyandanch. Really too bad they couldn't have done that stuff as part of the current project.

[adamj023]

MattAmity90, good post re: the speed of this project re: the improved track laying technology, and the historical significance of the project itself. Now here's a question for you: Given all the grade crossing accidents that are going to continue happening in the coming years, how many years do you think it will be until the MTA/LIRR decides to elevate the section thru the Brentwood/Central Islip area and build an over/underpass at Wyandanch. Really too bad they couldn't have done that stuff as part of the current project.

The elimination of grade crossings on the mainline itself will take forever which were scheduled for removal. I don’t know if it ever will be done for Suffolk County or if there is huge demand for it.

[MattAmity90]

MattAmity90, good post re: the speed of this project re: the improved track laying technology, and the historical significance of the project itself. Now here's a question for you: Given all the grade crossing accidents that are going to continue happening in the coming years, how many years do you think it will be until the MTA/LIRR decides to elevate the section thru the Brentwood/Central Islip area and build an over/underpass at Wyandanch. Really too bad they couldn't have done that stuff as part of the current project.

Well, the grade crossing accidents on the Babylon Branch didn't increase until the 1960's when the MP72-MP75 cars were in service and then eventually in 1968-1969 as shipment after shipment of the 770 M1-cars came in. Most of the time it was just inconvenience, but when the M1's came out there were still 22 grade crossings between Babylon and Freeport. Most were well protected, but a few stood out such as Babylon Turnpike, all 5 Bellmore crossings, essentially all 3 Massapequa Park crossings especially Unqua Road, John Street and Rt. 110 in Amityville (thank you Amityville Historical), Little East Neck Road in Copiague, and one of the crossings in Lindenhurst I believe was hazardous.

The Ronkonkoma Branch is going to be just like the Babylon Branch before 1980, before 1968, essentially when my Mom was in elementary school and my late maternal grandfather took the train to Penn Station from Bellmore. He along with my maternal grandmother are interred at St. Charles, about a mile South of the ROW. The only way I see a reduction in grade crossing accidents is to convert them into four-quadrant gated crossings (like Little Neck Parkway). South Oyster Road, Stewart Avenue, Wellwood, Little East Neck, Straight Path, Commack Road, Executive Drive, Wicks, Carleton, Lowell, and finally Ocean and Pond are going to be mentioned in the newspapers. Two trains in each direction every hour/half-hourly service (Babylon's level of service), all I can say is don't even think about going around the gates! The train will always win, the train is a foot while the car is a soda can. All of us on this forum know how to drive, walk, bike, and in any other way negotiate a grade crossing, and hopefully drivers do the same.

[newkirk]

I'm probably gonna catch hell for possibly being off topic. But, the historic Farmingdale Station Bldg. is closed for rehabilitation.
Is this part of the Main Line second track project, since the Main Line is involved ?

[freightguy]

Is the Pilgram double ended freight being interlocked this week into the work for Aug 6th-10? The siding near Pineaire.

[MattAmity90]

Edward Hand's photos made me teary-eyed yet puzzled in unison. The reason why I don't post photos is because there are so many that are worthy, and the limit is 3.

Get ready for the following:

1.) Not sure what has happened at Ronkonkoma, probably something with POND and OCEAN.
2.) No change at CI. The CI2 bridge however is still standing, should be removed during one of the weekends.
3.) BRENT's signals have been bagged, and the switches are gone!
4.) JS Interlocking has the pedestal signal bagged, and the switch removed!
5.) The Pineaire siding has been interlocked with a working dwarf signal just to the West of the Executive Drive crossing. It was green! It is only connected via MAIN 1
6.) Wyandanch still has work to be done regarding the new platform, but the entire spans of both are finished. Elevator shaft, some stairs, and the Western half of the current platform still needs a few adjustments (installation of signs, canopy touch-ups etc.)
7.) DANCH has been completed but these third rail "feeders" are sticking out of the ground like weeds with their tubes up in the air.
8.) He didn't take any photos past DANCH, so I don't know what Pinelawn and the West end look like.

To clarify, when it comes to service it's in the same configuration before electrification. That means one operating track from FARM to Ronkonkoma. The existing tracks that were installed during electrification from Deer Park and Brentwood have been disconnected! This will make service unpredictable despite service changes from the 6th-10th, and the remaining August weekends being outages. If it's possible, they can have double-track service from Ronkonkoma to the new CI Interlocking, then it would shrink to one operating track from there all the way to Farmingdale. The fact that BRENT, and the crossover switch at JS have been removed puts it in a tough position.

At Brent and JS, the lips look ready to be connected. What they would have to do at BRENT is work the ballast quick, connect the track, and extend the third rail. At JS, all they have to do is connect the lip to the existing track since the new JS switch (which is further West) is installed, and extend the third rail a bit, but the ballast has already been prepped.

[nyandw]

I'm probably gonna catch hell for possibly being off topic. But, the historic Farmingdale Station Bldg. is closed for rehabilitation.
Is this part of the Main Line second track project, since the Main Line is involved ?

What date do you have for this photo, Bill?

"...Photo was taken anywhere between August/1909 when the line was extended to Farmingdale and Amityville and September/1919 when the entire trolley company shut down. A 10-year window..." Info: Dave Keller

[MattAmity90]

Something interesting in configuration and track work during this revised week (August 6th-10th).

Right now they are straightening out the Southern track and finally connecting it with the new second track. I'm assuming they are probably doing it now or will next week or over the weekend at JS. The other is that Edward photographed TWO trains at the new Central Islip Interlocking with one on each track! I'm also assuming that we do indeed have the project completed from Ronkonkoma to the new CI Interlocking! That means the new track between KO and CI is in service, unless the train originated from Central Islip. Other than that most likely Central Islip is seeing both platforms in service with straight shots for both tracks.

What I think is serviceable.

1.) Only single-track service for Pinelawn, Wyandanch, Deer Park, and Brentwood. Then full double-track service from CI Interlocking through Central Islip to Ronkonkoma.

[braves]

When is the LIRR finally going to be adding the off peak & weekend half hourly service to this busy branch, starting September 4, they will finally be adding additional reverse commute.

[geico]

Something interesting in configuration and track work during this revised week (August 6th-10th).

Right now they are straightening out the Southern track and finally connecting it with the new second track. I'm assuming they are probably doing it now or will next week or over the weekend at JS. The other is that Edward photographed TWO trains at the new Central Islip Interlocking with one on each track! I'm also assuming that we do indeed have the project completed from Ronkonkoma to the new CI Interlocking! That means the new track between KO and CI is in service, unless the train originated from Central Islip. Other than that most likely Central Islip is seeing both platforms in service with straight shots for both tracks.

What I think is serviceable.

1.) Only single-track service for Pinelawn, Wyandanch, Deer Park, and Brentwood. Then full double-track service from CI Interlocking through Central Islip to Ronkonkoma.

Actually it looks like you can go from Ronkonkoma to Deer Park at this point.