Amtrak trains on LIRR

If amtrak goes belly up
what equpment could the lirr use


P32's DM

lounge cars for the cannonball


any thing else

The NEC is not going to go belly up. Maybe a long distance route or two that runs trains three times a week on freight tracks. This talk happens every year and somehow congress always gives them money at the last minute.
Of course if AMRAK did go belly up, you would have the same overpriced service(and noone give me the story that they sell out most of their trains. If you look at the schedule most of the trains are not sold out, plus they don't run enough trains) with the same equipment. It might be run a little better or worse, but the red tape is still going to exist.
In terms of AMTRAK on the LIRR. The overhead wire extends close to woodside. If it was extended to Woodside, AMTRAK could have a Queens station to help alleviate some of the crowding at Penn station.

That idea of extending the overhead out to Woodside would be interesting. It would definitely ease traffic in Penn Station. It would make it easy for a lot of us on Long Island to connect to an Amtrak trian too, being able to either take the subway, or the LIRR to Woodside.

From a railfan's perspective it would be awesome too!

some years back an Amtrak special led by a P32DM-AC made it to the Shea stadium stop. The special was a one time event. I believe it was double ended with Amfleet coaches in the consist.

Wouldn't the LIRR just LOVE some P32s DMs after the hell with the DE/DM30s?!?! I can almost *hear* them salivating!!

If Amtrak went belly up, im sure MNCR would be running a service to Renselear, so the P32's would probably be reassigned to MNCR for service into Penn or GCT.

Barry's got a video of that train. He told me his dad saw it in I think Little Neck.

Hi Everyone,

Amtrak ran a test train the week before to Great Neck, and sat in the siding. As NIMBYkiller says my dad saw that. I have a video from fathers day '97 of the Amtrak train that came to Shea. Thats as far east as that train went on Fathers day.

-Barry

Suppose the NEC is closed because of bridge problems (the Thames River Bridge has a problem already). Could the LIRR fulfil its original purpose by taking people going to Boston, using the ferries from the far end? At present the ferries go to New London but the terminal is on the western side of the river.

Where could people most easily transfer from trains from the south to LIRR trains? Cross platform changes without stair climbing are necessary. Could an Amtrak train get to Jamaica? Or further?

Would it not be easier to run an Amtrak train to New london and ferry the passegers across Thames to another waiting train ?
To many restrictions on Diesel eqipment on LIRR and electric Amtrak engines and Acela's are useless on LIRR.

DutchRailnut wrote:If Amtrak went belly up, im sure MNCR would be running a service to Renselear, so the P32's would probably be reassigned to MNCR for service into Penn or GCT.

Oh, I know that, but that wont stop the LIRR from salivating over the P32s!

The P32acdm would not be comparible with the Kawasaki's.
The C3's have a differed controll system than a standard 27 point system.

DutchRailnut wrote:The P32acdm would not be comparible with the Kawasaki's.
The C3's have a differed controll system than a standard 27 point system.

So you are telling me that if the LIRR wanted to replace the crappy DE/DM 30s, they would have to have the control system custom done in the engines to be compatable?

Are the controls on MNR shoreliners a standard? and if so, why in the world would the LIRR buy equipment NOT on the standard??

Yes the Shoreliners are wired standard and can MU with Amtrak locomotives and coaches.

george matthews wrote:Suppose the NEC is closed because of bridge problems (the Thames River Bridge has a problem already). Could the LIRR fulfil its original purpose by taking people going to Boston, using the ferries from the far end? At present the ferries go to New London but the terminal is on the western side of the river.

Where could people most easily transfer from trains from the south to LIRR trains? Cross platform changes without stair climbing are necessary. Could an Amtrak train get to Jamaica? Or further?

When that service existed, the ships went in and out of New Bedford. That would require some track rebuilding to do today. Also the docks at Orient Point and Montauk are a long way from the LIRR station, just like Port Jeff.

Amtrak would bustitute. And possibly run a few trains on the inland route through Springfield on the B&A to Boston, with CSX protesting.