MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale

[MattAmity90]

Either way the switch was confusing, even more than DK when the project was underway.

It is official, the rail/tie replacement from JS to the former site of BRENT is completed, so I'm pretty sure that both tracks will be in use by as early as tomorrow or Friday.

Although the 8:13 PM to Ronkonkoma is one minute late, as it has arrived at Deer Park and is now in transit to Brentwood.

[MattAmity90]

It is official as of the morning of October 7th, 2019. Track 2 is now back in service at Deer Park and Brentwood. Edward Hand's photos of the departure pylons installed at the station kept showing trains to Ronkonkoma as arriving on Track 2/Platform B (incorrect at the time) and trains to Hicksville arriving on Track 1/Platform A. Today, both tracks are back in service and the pylons are correct. With both tracks back in service, will we see more skip-stop trains on the line? (aside from Pinelawn which doesn't see Rush Hour and nighttime service)

Only questions now are the following pertaining to rail/tie track replacement:

1.) Both tracks, and linear storage track from East of Pond Road to KO Yard. Will that undergo track work?
2.) Both tracks from Republic Westward through Farmingdale, Bethpage to Hicksville?

[MattAmity90]

Things have just gotten a little more interesting and complicated. Now, we all know I've been documenting the rail/tie replacement of the original tracks so that both of them are new to match with newly laid second track that has been in service for 13 months when the Double-Track Project was completed. I mentioned that from East of the Pond Road grade crossing into Ronkonkoma station the tracks are still laid on top of wooden ties. This past week, CWR was laid in the gauge of Track 1. What's got a question mark over my head is with one track only in service at the station, how will this logistically work? Closure of T1 between KO and POND and redo that part first, then T2 the same? Afterwards T1 or T2 at the station is rehabilitated with both tracks from KO Westward rehabilitated and in service?

[MattAmity90]

It turns out that this weekend's outage on the Ronkonkoma Branch is NOT because of the new DEF track, it is actually due to rail/tie replacement between the Pond Road grade crossing and the KO Yard (This includes through the station). Track one already has concrete ties laid down, and a new switch will be installed to connect the electrified siding on the North side of the ROW. Ballast has been vacuumed out, the third rail removed, and non-stop work has commenced. Most likely there will be another outage from November 16th-17th to switch to Track two.

The two switches for the Double-Ended Freight Track have been installed, but no ties have been laid, but the CWR has been laid when they eventually start work.

[DaveBarraza]

Are you talking about the new track East is Brentwood?

What will that be used for?

[MattAmity90]

The track East of Brentwood will be a DEF track for freight cars to replace DK that had existed West of Deer Park. It's going to be about half a mile long and laid to the North of the ROW. Only the switches have been installed like before. Yes, this is what I was talking about, you could read it in New BRENT.

[DaveBarraza]

Ok thanks

[MattAmity90]

Ever since the Double Track project was completed, they have done rail/tie replacement work on the original tracks. They have been replacing the tracks at Ronkonkoma station into the yard. All of this taking place between Pond Road and the train wash.

Track 1 was completed in 3 days, while Track 2 is seeing the third rail being reinstalled. Obviously with KO Interlocking, I'm not sure if they replaced the switches, but they are going to replace the third track to the North of the ROW in which the Greenport Scoot is usually kept.

Track 1 was also out in between POND and CI because of the power supply being cut?