Belmont Spur

[MNCRR9000]

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking about the Belmont Property and the new potential Islanders arena. One of the points they brought up was the railroad spur and how it would need a lot of upgrades since it is not up to code and can't be used during the winter months. How much work would have to be done to bring the spur up to code to be used during the winter months. Not to long ago they completely redid the station with new high level platforms.

[vince]

I thought the spur and thr wye were had a complete rebuild a year or so back.
Video here >>>===> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NlFPvb ... e=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What's with "does not meet code for winter"?

regards,
Vince

[Backshophoss]

Most of the Belmont spur will still need some trackwork,and replacing Hand thrown switches with Dual control machines connected to Queens tower.
Will Need TVM's installed,platform lighting,and other work needed to bring the station into ADA compliant status.
While there's been talk of redeveloping Belmont Park,believe NYRA owns/controls the racetrack.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Most of the Belmont spur will still need some trackwork,and replacing Hand thrown switches with Dual control machines connected to Queens tower.
Will Need TVM's installed,platform lighting,and other work needed to bring the station into ADA compliant status.

Wasn't Belmont upgraded to ADA for the 2015 Stakes with all new high platforms?

While ADA at Willets Point still has yet to come.

[cam36]

Not to hijack this thread, but given the Belmont property was awarded to the Islanders for their new stadium, how does that effect future rail service here? In the article I read that it would include year round LIRR service. Is it possible other lines would be connected to Belmont?

[Crabman1130]

Not to hijack this thread, but given the Belmont property was awarded to the Islanders for their new stadium, how does that effect future rail service here? In the article I read that it would include year round LIRR service. Is it possible other lines would be connected to Belmont?

I would think a shuttle from Jamaica.

[krispy]

Part of the year racing shifts from Aquaduct to Belmont and there is usually (depends on funding from USRA) a scoot, sometimes two that runs Jamaica - Belmont Race Track. If they start out at Penn, they'll run Penn - BRT, scoot back and forth from Jamaica, layover during the races and then repeat as they end, running back to Penn just before the rush. It's no problem going from BRT to points west. During the big race day put in a switch tender, block operator and boss, and they have no problem running the trains, it's just a matter of getting the people from the track into the station. If they rebuild Queens 3 (old Bellerose Interlocking) to have switches going from the East Leg of the Wye to the Mainline, then that will open up going east much easier, as opposed to doing a reverse move past SB 1. They can do that when they put in the third track.

[CentralValleyRail]

If LIRR had any common sense they would put in one-seat ride service from Penn Station and from Hicksville and points east either Huntington or Ronkonkoma (the double tracking should be done by then so it won't be a reverse peak issue). Then again they could follow NJ Transit and what NJT did with the Meadowlands, build a Spur for PVL customers and then NEVER USE it and add an additional 25-35 minutes to their commute to the stadium. Which DEFEATS the purpose and makes it un-useable for PVL customers. Imagine if they had a shuttle from Teterboro right in to the Meadowlands. That (new and improved capacity) lot would be full with people not wanting to deal with the traffic out of Metlife. (ONLY NJT would do something so stupid) So please LIRR don't do that.

[BM6569]

"MTA chairman Joe Lhota said Thursday that he’s “concerned” about the complications involved with expanding Long Island Rail Road service to the Islanders’ new arena at Belmont Park and added that a study is underway.

Lhota, testifying before a state budget hearing in Albany, said two obstacles include the design of the current Belmont spur off the main line and the LIRR’s inability to add more trains during the evening rush hour, when most Islanders fans would be traveling to weeknight games."

"Lhota added that the spur off the Hicksville line to Belmont currently allows for trains coming only from the west. “There’s no way going from where most Long Islanders would take [it] if they were taking the Long Island Rail Road as opposed to driving to go see the Islanders,” he said.

Lhota said he will not know the cost of potential upgrades at Belmont — where trains currently run only on race days — until the study is complete. He provided no timetable."

https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/i ... 1.16348814" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BM6569]

Perhaps if someone how they could expand the 3rd track project west through this area (as originally planned), they could add some crossovers so WB trains could access the station. I know it's an unlikely solution but they don't have many options. Maybe the developer will kick in some $ lol

[vince]

FYI, the main line has 4 tracks where the connection to Belmont Park station via the Belmont wye.
The line goes two tracks East of Floral Park.

If your interested, there's a picture of the Belmont Station as it was in 1950 included in the link to the LIRR build photos I've included below.

Regards,
vince

LIRR Build Photo's
https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/album.php?albumid=248" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A short Video LIRR Long Beach Branch Island Park to Long Beach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkJzw0MwL1k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nyandw]

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/racetr ... tracks.htm
Belmont maps, photos, etc.

[MNCRR9000]

MTA chairman Joe Lhota said Thursday that he’s “concerned” about the complications involved with expanding Long Island Rail Road service to the Islanders’ new arena at Belmont Park and added that a study is underway.

Lhota, testifying before a state budget hearing in Albany, said two obstacles include the design of the current Belmont spur off the main line and the LIRR’s inability to add more trains during the evening rush hour, when most Islanders fans would be traveling to weeknight games.

“We’re at capacity on the main line during rush hour, and so we’re going to have to look at that and weigh that in,” Lhota said under questioning by state Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach). “I’m concerned about how that’s going to all fit in at any one particular point in time.”

Lhota added that the spur off the Hicksville line to Belmont currently allows for trains coming only from the west. “There’s no way going from where most Long Islanders would take [it] if they were taking the Long Island Rail Road as opposed to driving to go see the Islanders,” he said.

Lhota said he will not know the cost of potential upgrades at Belmont — where trains currently run only on race days — until the study is complete. He provided no timetable.

The LIRR had said only that it’s committed to expanding service at Belmont but had not provided any details.

Making the LIRR station at Belmont full-time was a key to the Islanders’ proposal to develop up to 43 acres of state-owned land at Belmont. Their winning proposal, as announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last month, calls for an 18,000-seat arena, 435,000 square feet of retail stores, restaurants and a movie theater, and a hotel with 200 to 250 rooms.

https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/i ... 1.16348814" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[berlintransit]

I would propose to
- make the Main Line operationally three track from east of Jamaica to Hicksville after the 3rd track programme for Floral Park - Hicksville is completed, with the exception of the four track section between Floral Park and Queens Interlocking where Hempstead trains cross over. This would require a change in layout of some crossovers and adding some more.
- lengthen the proposed Brooklyn - Jamaica shuttle to Belmont making use of the current southernmost Main Line track between Hillside and Queens Village as well as the Jamaica - Hillside Facility lead tracks, adding a second track on the south side where necessary for scheduled meets and timetable contingency (preferably the whole length of the line, but that is difficult to achieve). The shuttle trains could then run a more or less frequent "Metro" service between Brooklyn/Atlantic Terminal and Belmont, stopping at Queens Village and Hollis which would lose their stops on Hempstead trains, making all Main Line trains express between Floral Park and Jamaica. The LIRR could even consider a special fare structure for the shuttles to foster patronage, given that a transfer would be required to reach Manhattan with these trains.
- enable special game day trains from points east to enter Belmont by adding crossovers in Queens Intl

[flexliner]

Berlin
would not your plan require many movements over switches (belmont to FBA trains having to be on the outer tracks to make those stops)
which would defeat the whole purpose (i think at least from diagrams that we have seen here in the past)
of the Jamacia reconstruction that has been discussed before................