Railroad Forums 

  • MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale

  • Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #1135261  by lirr42
 
The EGE wrote:Yeah, the Wikipedia article says that there's been talk of Republic reopening dating back to 1973 - and that claim is even cited. But, if I recall, that video linked above is the first time LIRR's made any recent overture.
I've heard that idea tossed around every now and then. It might've even shown up in the capital program at some point too (not sure, though)
 #1135289  by lirr42
 
If the customers are south of the tracks between KO and CI, or north of the tracks between CI and FARM, then they will stay put (the second track to be added will be north/south of the existing track in those respective locations.

If my memory serves me correctly, only Printer Brothers, Eldee, and Kaufman Allied stand to be affected, but Printer Brothers and Eldee are fairly well off the mainline*, so they might be fine, so I think Kaufman Allied is the only one who'd be in trouble when all things play out...but I'm not sure if those sidings are even still being served. (*Imagine the southernmost, unused track in the vicinity of Carl's Path and Commack Road would be part of the second track, and that would be extended east and west to meet the other sections of double track)
 #1135314  by jayrmli
 
The plan is to add a second track to the south of the existing track between Farm and JS, and then from Brent to CI, so that would not effect NYAR customers at PW (Coastal), Wyandanch DEF, or Pineaire. NYAR will lose storage capability at Old DK, as that will become No. 2 Track. There is no active customer on that siding - Pinter Brothers is long gone. That siding last took cars for Pergament (now out of business) and newsprint for Newsday, which went to trucks years ago due to the paper getting damaged from being humped on the CP.

The three customers which will be affected in some form will be Giaquinto, which takes stone cars off the old Eldee siding at Commack Road, and Southern Container and Roberts Plywood, which take service on No.2 track just east of JS. Giaquinto siding may be O.O.S. for awhile during the construction of No.2 Track and the Southern Container siding may be impacted somewhat during some phase of the construction.

Kaufman Allied is long gone and the switch has been pulled.
 #1135750  by MACTRAXX
 
The EGE wrote:Yeah, the Wikipedia article says that there's been talk of Republic reopening dating back to 1973 - and that claim is even cited. But, if I recall, that video linked above is the first time LIRR's made any recent overture.
EGE: Republic was closed in the fall of 1986 when the LIRR opened the new stations at Wyandanch and the relocated Deer Park station (at which point Pine-Aire was closed also)...Where is this Wikipedia article that you mention?

Republic was developing a decent reverse commuter ridership during the 80s before it was closed because LIRR
planners thought those riders would use Farmingdale (and the limited Pinelawn service) to access the Route 110
Corridor and use connecting bus service primarily from that point...

Instead it drove many of those commuters away literally...The mindset then was not to have stations too close together but as was found closing Republic was a mistake that this Double Track project will correct...

MACTRAXX
 #1135756  by MACTRAXX
 
SlackControl wrote:Any chance this will help reopen the old Deer Park station by 231? One of the key themes of the video was making the LIRR more commuter friendly and giving people more options to leave their cars home. Anyone who lives between the Wyandanch and current Deer Park stations can't really easily walk to either station. I think I remember a while back that the current Deer Park station was made to help car traffic congestion around the old Deer Park station. But, if it was made like Carle Place, with little parking, I think a lot of local residents would walk there.
SC: I understand your thoughts concerning the old Deer Park station location...

The original early 80s plan was for the current relocated Deer Park station to be a "Superstation" between Wyandanch
and Central Islip replacing the old Deer Park location,Pine-Aire AND Brentwood with direct access from the Sagtikos Parkway...

Brentwood residents fought this plan and got their station relocated to its current location...Having long-time NYS
Senator Caesar Trunzo as a Brentwood resident certainly helped in this endeavor to save their station...

I also recall that Central Islip getting relocated hinged on acquiring the property for the parking field from the Central
Islip School District...the old location did not have near enough parking (The MTA Police Station location today) and
could not accomodate any more added...

The LIRR would not replace the old Deer Park station unless there was a significant market for it...
There would be "walk-on" riders but probably not enough to make it worthwhile...

MACTRAXX
 #1136857  by MattAmity90
 
I can't wait to see it when it's completed. I hope plenty of pictures are taken during the project.

Just a little side note: Before the line was electrified, Deer Park and Brentwood were single tracked. When they electrified the branch they added a second track from where JS is now to Brentwood.

It's also going to be interesting with Wyandanch and Pinelawn, because not only will they add a second platform and second track, they will have to reconfigure the Straight Path, 18th St., and Wellwood Ave. grade crossings. They will probably tear down the pedestrian bridge E of Wyandanch and move it to the center part of the station.

I think it's a good idea that Phase I is from KO to CI because it's a four-mile stretch, it goes through Connectquot State Park, it's surrounded by trees, and of course it's the termination point. Could you imagine if a train had equipment trouble in that stretch, it would be a nightmare, or even a grade crossing incident at the Pond Ave and Ocean Ave crossings.

This project is the greatest thing to happen to the LIRR (Aside from ESA, KO Electrification, Double Track from Syosset to Huntington) since they eliminated the Herricks Road grade crossing in Mineola, or the complete grade-separation/elevation of the Babylon Branch.
 #1137309  by MattAmity90
 
LB wrote:Here's how Pond Rd / Ocean Ave looked when I was a 10 year old boy, certainly has changed a bit over the years!

Ronkonkoma AUG 72

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/1 ... 854320.jpg
Wow. Man how times have changed. When I was born in 1990, Ronkonkoma was still only one island platform with the staircases that went to both parking lots. My mom was only 10 at the time, and turned 11 the next month. Plus those old style signals were changed to your current design with LED flashing lights.

A lot of projects were going on in August 1972: The ACL segment was in it's final year of construction, not all of the MP54/MP75 cars had been taken off the tracks, electric service to Hicksville and Huntington had only been going on for 2 years, and Rocky Interlocking had yet to be built. Who would have thought that 15-16 years later that exact location would be electrified and M1/M3's would be going through those crossings.
 #1137558  by MACTRAXX
 
MattAmity90 wrote:I can't wait to see it when it's completed. I hope plenty of pictures are taken during the project.

Just a little side note: Before the line was electrified, Deer Park and Brentwood were single tracked. When they electrified the branch they added a second track from where JS is now to Brentwood.

It's also going to be interesting with Wyandanch and Pinelawn, because not only will they add a second platform and second track, they will have to reconfigure the Straight Path, 18th St., and Wellwood Ave. grade crossings. They will probably tear down the pedestrian bridge E of Wyandanch and move it to the center part of the station.

I think it's a good idea that Phase I is from KO to CI because it's a four-mile stretch, it goes through Connectquot State Park, it's surrounded by trees, and of course it's the termination point. Could you imagine if a train had equipment trouble in that stretch, it would be a nightmare, or even a grade crossing incident at the Pond Ave and Ocean Ave crossings.

This project is the greatest thing to happen to the LIRR (Aside from ESA, KO Electrification, Double Track from Syosset to Huntington) since they eliminated the Herricks Road grade crossing in Mineola, or the complete grade-separation/elevation of the Babylon Branch.
MA90:

1-Exactly...That passing siding also replaced the old siding in West Brentwood and SG Block Station...

2-I know the four mile stretch (MP44 to MP48) well...The one mile stretch from MP45 at the Vets Highway overpass to MP46 marks the north boundary of Connetquot River State Park (to the S) and Suffolk County's
Lakeland Park to the north of the single track in that mile...There is a pedestrian underpass at MP46 also...This stretch of track has embankments and trenches that will probably require new fill and retaining walls...
The Vets Highway Bridge-which was built in 1949 by Suffolk County-is wide enough underneath for two tracks...From MP46 to the Ocean Avenue crossing has housing built on both sides of the tracks to E of MP47 at
which point Easton Street runs next to the track on the S side...The Ocean Avenue Crossing will be a possible challenge because of a slight track curvature at that point...Pond Road will be much easier to build...

3-The mid 1985 to 1987 Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification project was the most significant LIRR project in the last 50 years along with the 1970 Mineola-Huntington Electrification...
The mid 80s Double Track Project from Amott to Huntington I will rank third because that stretch of track back before that was built was the LIRR's busiest single track line...

The last Babylon Branch segment to eliminate grade crossings was the line thru Massapequa Park station which opened in 1980...

MACTRAXX
 #1139339  by lirr42
 
The new track will be added to the south of the existing one at that location. The yard and siding north of the tracks in that vicinity will likely not be in trouble (short of maybe some temporarily lost yard/siding space during construction for the staging of work equipment and access to the area during construction)
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