NYA operates the Lower Montauk Branch now ???

Freightguy,you would need to redo the entire west end of the East yard at Pond to depress the Bushwick lead and
possibly disturb a few foundations along the way, while undercutting main 2,losing a few crossovers in the process
is less likely to disrurb the neighbor's foundations and any nearby bridge foundations.(Not a good idea to mess
with a subway and roadway bridge foundation!) You only need to undercut a little bit over a reasonable distance to clear
plate "F" cars and not hit any underground ultilities in the area. As I understand plate "F" is 17 ft high from top of rail,
you would need 19-20 ft clearance from top of rail to the lowest part of the bridge structure to get under safely.

I don't know anything about engineering above my paygrade. I did have a guy ride my train in 2001 from NYS DOT to do a survey on possibly running intermodal out towards Pineaire. He spoke of these grandoise plans of single tracking the Lower Montauk and putting in CTC(rule 261) with a direct connection from Fremont to CSX to speed up the process. Myself and the engineer long since removed from there still crack up at that knowing the chances of that happening. All this money wasted on studies could of actually went to improving Long Island's freight infrastructure!

Insideman wrote:Signals have something to do with ESA work thats why they are "G" head. Not widening the yard but demolishing of some of the current burned buildings and refubishing the decent ones. And of course tracks.

Backshop is correct about the pilots and rules. GCOR is superior then LIRR's rules straight out of the 19th century. Most RR's in the US use it and if not that then NORAC.

According to Wikipedia, LIRR uses NORAC. Is that information reliable?

Pineaire would have been a prime spot for an intermodel yard,If NS instead of CSX got the rights for freight to LI,
the RoadRailer operation of NS would have been the perfect fit to bring freight in.
It's too bad that CP just gave up their rights to NYC freight and P+W is somewhat limited to stone trains to LI.

RF365,LIRR still uses their own Book of Rules,it was updated this year but still uses a "Quasi-Train order" like form,
still use "A" +"K" cards ,Block limit Stations and Manual Block Signal Rules.

Lower Montauk had manual block signal system rules for running against the setup current of traffic(251-D). Received a few orders for that to go to Fresh Pond. Montauk trk 1 was wastbound Jay to Bliss. Mtk trk 2 was designated Eastbound by special instruction. Areas of this type of territory are fewer now on the LIRR with the Lower Montauk ceded to the NYAR.

Backshophoss wrote:Pineaire would have been a prime spot for an intermodel yard,If NS instead of CSX got the rights for freight to LI,
the RoadRailer operation of NS would have been the perfect fit to bring freight in.
It's too bad that CP just gave up their rights to NYC freight and P+W is somewhat limited to stone trains to LI.
.

I don't see why NS can't sign a deal with NYA to run triple crown trains on LI. NS currently runs a roadrailer train from KC to Dallas, which is basically a BNSF train. LI is perfect for roadrailer trains. They require much smaller yards and quick transfer from train to road. They only downside would requiring shippers to use triple crown equipment. It will never happen but nice to think about.

NS could run them right up to greenville, float them over and be on their way within a few hours? Given traffic in NYC, that really shouldn't be the problem at all.

Maybe BRT should build a small lot for this.

DogBert wrote:NS could run them right up to greenville, float them over and be on their way within a few hours? Given traffic in NYC, that really shouldn't be the problem at all.

Maybe BRT should build a small lot for this.

Bingo. Although it may be a pain to break up the train to float over.

awtprod wrote:

Backshophoss wrote:Pineaire would have been a prime spot for an intermodel yard,If NS instead of CSX got the rights for freight to LI,
the RoadRailer operation of NS would have been the perfect fit to bring freight in.
It's too bad that CP just gave up their rights to NYC freight and P+W is somewhat limited to stone trains to LI.
.

I don't see why NS can't sign a deal with NYA to run triple crown trains on LI. NS currently runs a roadrailer train from KC to Dallas, which is basically a BNSF train. LI is perfect for roadrailer trains. They require much smaller yards and quick transfer from train to road. They only downside would requiring shippers to use triple crown equipment. It will never happen but nice to think about.

Would the roadrailers make the 3rd rail clearances? The LIRR has very tight curves/places in key areas.

That would be such a paint in the ass and pretty much impossible to float RoadRailers because they rely on each others trucks. 1 trailer=1 set of trucks unlike freight cars.

Road railers - in which yard did the early 1980s Conrail Road-Railer trains terminate? I remember standing on the Broadway Bridge (between Northern Manhattan and the Bronx - let's not get into the whole Marble hill thing) back then, watching a train of road-railers passing under me - wait, Wiki had the answer - "In 1982, Conrail operated a route between (Railports) Buffalo, Rochester and Highbridge New York in the Bronx called the Empire State Xpress operated by Bi-Modal subsidiary Road-Rail Transportation Company. The concept was to offer customers rapid freight service that would be competitive with traditional over the road service. Dedicated trains left Buffalo and Highbridge each evening arriving early the next morning. The line was eventually shut down after never establishing enough key customers to utilize the service"
HighBridge yard? Really? I guess trucks could hop on the Major Deegan around there.

lirr415 wrote:

awtprod wrote:

Backshophoss wrote:Pineaire would have been a prime spot for an intermodel yard,If NS instead of CSX got the rights for freight to LI,
the RoadRailer operation of NS would have been the perfect fit to bring freight in.
It's too bad that CP just gave up their rights to NYC freight and P+W is somewhat limited to stone trains to LI.
.

I don't see why NS can't sign a deal with NYA to run triple crown trains on LI. NS currently runs a roadrailer train from KC to Dallas, which is basically a BNSF train. LI is perfect for roadrailer trains. They require much smaller yards and quick transfer from train to road. They only downside would requiring shippers to use triple crown equipment. It will never happen but nice to think about.

Would the roadrailers make the 3rd rail clearances? The LIRR has very tight curves/places in key areas.

No idea. The only possible clearance issue are the tires on the trucks but I don't think that would pose a problem.

mikey cruz wrote:That would be such a paint in the ass and pretty much impossible to float RoadRailers because they rely on each others trucks. 1 trailer=1 set of trucks unlike freight cars.

Pain in the ass, yes. Impossible, no. You could put the adapter that connects the locomotive to the train that would allow the train to be broken up easily.

If you have a 20 car RoadRailer that needs to cross the harbor how you you use the 1 adapter on 3 separate rows on the barge? and even if they bought more adapter trucks there's the task of taking them all off so you can put the train back together.

Each Roadrailer trailer had landing gear just like regular highway trailers to stand alone without a tractor under it.
The landing gear legs HAD to brought all the way up to clear the track and switch parts.
The Yard in the Bronx was Highbridge near the Deegan (I-87) and the Cross Bronx(I-95),deep into ex-NYC 3rd rail territory.
Believe Roadrailers would clear LIRR 3rd.With the exception of Haz-Mat loads,Roadrailers could run in the North and East
River tunnels and thru NY Penn's platform tracks.
The only problem was getting the Roadrailer loaded the right way to be legal on the highways,the wheelbase on the tandem axles and the
landing legs were narrower to clear switch stands,along with the RR truck mounting casting adding 500-700 lbs on the tailgate.
A loaded trailer is rated for 64,000 lbs total weight,34,000 on the Axles and 34,000 at the kingpin.(53 ft trailer)

All of this sounds great but NYA is better off bringing back Steam Engines and Cabooses because that about as updated as the MTA will ever allow freight here on Long Island to be...Sad but true