LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread

[trainfan22]

Bob Diamond, who gave tours of the abandoned LIRR tunnel under Atlantic Ave, has died

 

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/brooklyn-tunnel-impresario-transit-advocate-bob-diamond-dies-at-62/

 

[BreeddekalbL]

Sould the Trigger be pulled on Abandoning the West Hempstead Branch? Either they can run a bus between hempstead and Valley Stream paralelling west hempstead or expand parking at the nearby stations cause im sure thats what the west hempstead branch customers do drive those nearby stations

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Are 6-car trainsets on the Ronkonkoma Branch a thing? I ask because I saw an 6-car M9 set at Mineola signed up as a Ronkonkoma Branch train, but it may have been in testing or something. The time it arrived there didn't match up to the timetable (it arrived roughly in between the times the previous and the following trains would stop there). 

[trainfan22]

The ENTIRE Metro North system is suspended right now, even WOH lol

[40MntVrn]

13 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The ENTIRE Metro North system is suspended right now, even WOH lol

I was one of the unfortunate fools who waited until 9pm to leave the city just as MNR suspended service. I'm very happy they kept the station and trains open for folks who were virtually stranded.

The mudslides and erosion from Ida are incredible.

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by 40MntVrn

[caldeirada]

After a year and a half of driving into the city, I decided to give the LIRR another try. I read that commutership was down 60% from pre-pandemic levels and that the MTA was in need of financial assistance. I figured, why not? The signs indicate a safer commute with mask requirements still in place on all trains etc… To my amazement, the Ronkonkoma train car I was riding in, back from the city, had virtually ALL passengers without masks. Several people coughing the entire ride and conductors do not enforce the mask/fine warnings. 
It’s back to driving for me and I don’t want to hear another complaint from the LIRR about low ridership. 

[QM1to6Ave]

On 9/10/2021 at 1:39 PM, caldeirada said:

After a year and a half of driving into the city, I decided to give the LIRR another try. I read that commutership was down 60% from pre-pandemic levels and that the MTA was in need of financial assistance. I figured, why not? The signs indicate a safer commute with mask requirements still in place on all trains etc… To my amazement, the Ronkonkoma train car I was riding in, back from the city, had virtually ALL passengers without masks. Several people coughing the entire ride and conductors do not enforce the mask/fine warnings. 
It’s back to driving for me and I don’t want to hear another complaint from the LIRR about low ridership. 

Sounds like typical Lawn Guyland a**holes with their cawffee LOL. Even a pandemic won't change their behavior

[RPC324]

On 9/10/2021 at 1:39 PM, caldeirada said:

After a year and a half of driving into the city, I decided to give the LIRR another try. I read that commutership was down 60% from pre-pandemic levels and that the MTA was in need of financial assistance. I figured, why not? The signs indicate a safer commute with mask requirements still in place on all trains etc… To my amazement, the Ronkonkoma train car I was riding in, back from the city, had virtually ALL passengers without masks. Several people coughing the entire ride and conductors do not enforce the mask/fine warnings. 
It’s back to driving for me and I don’t want to hear another complaint from the LIRR about low ridership. 

I do see at least once a day MTAPD meeting Metro North trains to remove customers for noncompliance with mask policy.

But I can see why some conductors shy away from getting involved after a year and a half, same as your average retail customer who is sick of having arguments with customers day after day about policies they didn't write, or being recorded for some YouTube video about the oppressive government mandate. Etc. 

[Future ENY OP]

Garden City vs LIRR- Main line 3rd track project..

https://bronx.news12.com/legal-dispute-between-mta-garden-city-threatens-to-delay-lirrs-third-track-project

Source: News 12/Optimum Networks.

 

[Trainmaster5]

On 9/10/2021 at 1:39 PM, caldeirada said:

After a year and a half of driving into the city, I decided to give the LIRR another try. I read that commutership was down 60% from pre-pandemic levels and that the MTA was in need of financial assistance. I figured, why not? The signs indicate a safer commute with mask requirements still in place on all trains etc… To my amazement, the Ronkonkoma train car I was riding in, back from the city, had virtually ALL passengers without masks. Several people coughing the entire ride and conductors do not enforce the mask/fine warnings. 
It’s back to driving for me and I don’t want to hear another complaint from the LIRR about low ridership. 

Conductors, Engineers, Train Operators, Bus Operators, are not law enforcement. Your beef is with the police. I understand your frustration but I live on the Ronkonkoma line and I also avoid it. To think that when I was a kid I thought that adults were smarter than the children. Boy was I wrong. Carry on.

[trainfan22]

LIRR Diesel 501 broke down at Bellmore, drinking game for every time this dude calls these locos "Pieces of Junk" you will probably get alcohol poisoning 😄 

 

 

[bobtehpanda]

On 9/12/2021 at 5:59 PM, trainfan22 said:

LIRR Diesel 501 broke down at Bellmore, drinking game for every time this dude calls these locos "Pieces of Junk" you will probably get alcohol poisoning 😄

These things are getting replaced with the Metro North order as well, right?

At least the Chargers don't seem like absolute dogshit.

[trainfan22]

6 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

These things are getting replaced with the Metro North order as well, right?

At least the Chargers don't seem like absolute dogshit.

Yeah, last I heard LIRR/MN/Amtrak are getting a joint order of dual mode chargers. 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

Do yall think the LIRR would change car lengths down the line? Instead of 85ft cars, go down to 70ft cars to increase the number of doors per train, which would increase the number of cars automatically. Do you think we can see BART style cars running on the LIRR?

 

The LIRR can definitely use some articulated open gangway cars, probably linked in 4-5 car sets. Those trains get so crowded during rush hour and they are not designed for standees.

[QM1to6Ave]

On 9/12/2021 at 8:59 PM, trainfan22 said:

LIRR Diesel 501 broke down at Bellmore, drinking game for every time this dude calls these locos "Pieces of Junk" you will probably get alcohol poisoning 😄 

 

 

I love the COPS-style camera work and intense voice, as if a cop got shot during a segment LOL

[bobtehpanda]

On 10/6/2021 at 4:38 PM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

Do yall think the LIRR would change car lengths down the line? Instead of 85ft cars, go down to 70ft cars to increase the number of doors per train, which would increase the number of cars automatically. Do you think we can see BART style cars running on the LIRR?

 

The LIRR can definitely use some articulated open gangway cars, probably linked in 4-5 car sets. Those trains get so crowded during rush hour and they are not designed for standees.

Car lengths going down, I don't really see happening. Unlike the subway, 85 foot cars can run everywhere, and when you make cars shorter that's more axles, more coupling, etc. No reason to add all those costs.

I can see the LIRR adding a third door, and maybe eliminating some row seating for a set of three seats immediately around the doors, but fundamentally LIRR riders are much longer distance than BART riders, so I suspect they would keep more rows in. (Pittsburg/Bay Point is 32 miles from Embarcadero, whereas Ronkonkoma is 52 miles from Penn Station.) That being said, if you wanted to make standing tolerable on the LIRR you would really only need to move to 2x2 seating and even that would be a massive improvement.

4-5 cars would require some capital work (definitely 5, 4 would be less since everything is already even married pairs and some stations are already neat multiples of 4). If you wanted open gangway, you could honestly start with the married pairs as they are, the center of the married pair could definitely be used for more space.

[Jsunflyguy]

9 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Car lengths going down, I don't really see happening. Unlike the subway, 85 foot cars can run everywhere, and when you make cars shorter that's more axles, more coupling, etc. No reason to add all those costs.

I can see the LIRR adding a third door, and maybe eliminating some row seating for a set of three seats immediately around the doors, but fundamentally LIRR riders are much longer distance than BART riders, so I suspect they would keep more rows in. (Pittsburg/Bay Point is 32 miles from Embarcadero, whereas Ronkonkoma is 52 miles from Penn Station.) That being said, if you wanted to make standing tolerable on the LIRR you would really only need to move to 2x2 seating and even that would be a massive improvement.

4-5 cars would require some capital work (definitely 5, 4 would be less since everything is already even married pairs and some stations are already neat multiples of 4). If you wanted open gangway, you could honestly start with the married pairs as they are, the center of the married pair could definitely be used for more space.

 The problem was going to any link set beyond 2 cars is that it would require capital construction or a permanent reduction in consist size for a lot of key trains. For example you would be stuck with either 4 car trains 8 car trains or 12 car trains (4 car trains arent gonna happen). Basically all of the Brooklyn service And anything originating from the short branches on the South side will be limited to 8 cars due to storage constraints. So in all likelihood it would be a net loss.

[bobtehpanda]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:25 PM, Jsunflyguy said:

 The problem was going to any link set beyond 2 cars is that it would require capital construction or a permanent reduction in consist size for a lot of key trains. For example you would be stuck with either 4 car trains 8 car trains or 12 car trains (4 car trains arent gonna happen). Basically all of the Brooklyn service And anything originating from the short branches on the South side will be limited to 8 cars due to storage constraints. So in all likelihood it would be a net loss.

I agree, which is really why I'd only ever expect an open gangway to happen to the married pairs. That being said, there is a fair amount of scope to increase standing room without doing it at all.

[R10 2952]

Here's a random thought: in the beginning, I was skeptical about Penn Station Access for both Hudson Line (via West Side) and New Haven (via NEC) trains, but after coming around to the idea of Hudson trains running down the West Side into Penn, I now also realize New Haven trains to Penn make sense because it would take pressure off of the Harlem Line, especially during rush hour.

Perhaps getting New Haven trains off the Harlem Line would open up the door for restoring commuter service to Chatham?

Only other major issue I can think of is what would become of the New Haven stub between New Rochelle and Wakefield.  Maybe a case could be made for extending that westward somehow, either to the Hudson Line or the Putnam Branch...

[trainfan22]

This weekend due to track work in one of the LIRR East River tubes, eastbound LIRR trains are going via the Amtrak tube to get into Queens.

 

 

99 percent of the time LIRR trains traveling to and from NYP use the 2 northernmost tubes, even during rush hour. 

 

 

Theres four tracks between NYP and Queens. 

[checkmatechamp13]

On 10/20/2021 at 7:32 PM, R10 2952 said:

Here's a random thought: in the beginning, I was skeptical about Penn Station Access for both Hudson Line (via West Side) and New Haven (via NEC) trains, but after coming around to the idea of Hudson trains running down the West Side into Penn, I now also realize New Haven trains to Penn make sense because it would take pressure off of the Harlem Line, especially during rush hour.

Perhaps getting New Haven trains off the Harlem Line would open up the door for restoring commuter service to Chatham?

Only other major issue I can think of is what would become of the New Haven stub between New Rochelle and Wakefield.  Maybe a case could be made for extending that westward somehow, either to the Hudson Line or the Putnam Branch...

It wouldn't be all trains from the Hudson & New Haven Lines going into Penn Station. Only a select number. So there would still be plenty of trains running between New Rochelle & Wakefield down into Grand Central.

[bobtehpanda]

On 10/20/2021 at 4:32 PM, R10 2952 said:

Here's a random thought: in the beginning, I was skeptical about Penn Station Access for both Hudson Line (via West Side) and New Haven (via NEC) trains, but after coming around to the idea of Hudson trains running down the West Side into Penn, I now also realize New Haven trains to Penn make sense because it would take pressure off of the Harlem Line, especially during rush hour.

Perhaps getting New Haven trains off the Harlem Line would open up the door for restoring commuter service to Chatham?

Only other major issue I can think of is what would become of the New Haven stub between New Rochelle and Wakefield.  Maybe a case could be made for extending that westward somehow, either to the Hudson Line or the Putnam Branch...

The NH line has four tracks and the Harlem Line through the Bronx has three, so it's not really a net loss for the NH line since there was a capacity bottleneck into GCT anyways.

[bobtehpanda]

Is there a track diagram series for Metro-North the way that the LIRR today (used) to have track diagrams for areas like Penn and Jamaica?

[Railfanner Mario]

Seems Recently Metro North has been running a 10car M7A. Yesterday on The Morning Rush Hour train #560 was running it and last Thursday It was spotted bypassing Melrose as a 10car set. Anyone have any clue why this is occurring more frequently?

[trainfan22]

On 10/23/2021 at 6:08 PM, trainfan22 said:

This weekend due to track work in one of the LIRR East River tubes, eastbound LIRR trains are going via the Amtrak tube to get into Queens.

 

 

99 percent of the time LIRR trains traveling to and from NYP use the 2 northernmost tubes, even during rush hour. 

 

 

Theres four tracks between NYP and Queens. 

Correction, LIRR trains use the Amtrak E/B tube during rush hour, it's just that I ever been on an rush hour LIRR that got went though the Amtrak tube during the rush.