BSB and Everyone:
In the past week I rode the Main Line route round trip twice and visited the New Hyde Park, Floral Park and Bellerose Stations on an afternoon during the rush period...
After taking a look at your pictures I wanted to see for myself how the third track routing would run on this current plan - especially between Floral Park and New Hyde Park.
I noticed signs placed by opponents of the Third Track Project by a group titled "Citizens Against Rail Expansion" - They had no web address and only a phone number:
(516)775-6849 listed on their signs...
The Queens Interlocking-Floral Park section is most interesting since it looks like a switch will be added just east of the FP island Platform B to make the westbound track
off the Hempstead Branch reversible in that segment. There may be minimal alterations necessary at FP on the east end of Platform B and no change for Bellerose...
We had a recent topic about the "windows" when both tracks are used during weekday rush hours that was titled "# of Inbound AM/Outbound PM Peak Trains" by "NimbyKiller"...
There are 15 trains scheduled west on the opposite track in the AM rush hour and the "window" looks to be around 1 hour 10 minutes in duration...
The PM Peak eastbound "window" is shorter and has more variables but looks to be about 40 minutes...
I asked questions about this subject that were answered well by other LIRR Forum members...
See:
viewforum.php?f=63&t=162030" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I wanted to mention your picture #1 of Nassau Tower showing the south and east sides of the building - which looks to be in sound condition. After a talk with a fellow LIST-NRHS
Chapter Member who brought up the subject after noticing that the Tower stands directly in the proposed third track ROW I will ask: Will Nassau Tower be preserved in any way?
Is it structurally sound enough to be moved? If the LIRR does not have a need for NT can a rail preservation group such as OBRM or RMLI assist in any way?
If it is not and it can not be preserved it will probably suffer the same fate as Patchogue's PD Tower which was demolished - Nassau Tower looks to be in much better condition then
PD was before that Tower was closed. In any case hopefully artifacts such as Nassau's Model Board are saved by somebody...
After noticing that the proposed Third Track would "shift sides" between Mineola and Carle Place more then likely that the "path of least resistance" is being used and it will be
easier to add on the south side between Floral Park and east of Mineola especially with provisions already built at the Herricks Road and Roslyn Road crossing eliminations being good examples...
The North Side from W of Carle Place into W of Hicksville (the Wantagh Parkway overpass) will be more adaptable for the new track on that east segment...
The web addresses:
http://www.aModernLI.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; -and-
http://www.righttrackforlongisland.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The positives for Long Island far outweigh the negatives and this plan should
prevail over the shortsightedness of the NIMBY and BANANA opponents...
MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS