Amtrak train car on LIRR Tracks in Queens, NY

On election day, at around 10AMish I noticed a detached Amtrak train, one train I think on tracks in Queens, NY in Forest Hills.

The Amtrak Yard is in Long Island City area. I have never seen Amtrak on these tracks before which are utilized by LIRR.

Struck me as odd. The tracks go from the Amtrak yard to Jamaica and further out to Long Island as well as to Brooklyn.

Amtrak car or was it FRA geometry car T-16 ??

It went By me at the NHFA around noon time

Does that thing still have running gear or is it like the rest of them

it is just a coach, no motors and no equipment to be used as cab car.

DutchRailnut wrote:it is just a coach, no motors and no equipment to be used as cab car.

So what looks like a control cab is actually an observation area? That suggests the normal mode of operation for this track geometry car is rearmost with the observation end trailing.

here is the FRA description in PDF form.
https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2158" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hmm. I'm assuming it was the T-16 considering T-16 is a converted Amtrak train which made me think it was an Amtrak train as there isn't any reason an Amtrak train should be on the LIRR tracks unless it was T-16. I take it that train doesn't run too often on LIRR tracks and probably rides around the nation.

Considering it is a research train, I am assuming it was studying the Railroad proposals made by the government in Long Island on behalf of Amtrak. One proposal had Amtrak being extended to Long Island for high speed rail. There were a few proposals made on behalf of Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor.

Considering the new Amtrak CEO and a new President with Republican congress who has promised improvements in infrastructure, it will be interesting to see what happens for 2017 and beyond. Odd I saw it on election day.

I am in favor of high speed rail for the shorter haul routes since it competes favorably to aviation. At least the FRA was doing research and will collect data which can only be a good thing in the name of progress.

ok last post is just blabber, read what a Geometry train does , the car is currently on Metro north to check the system.

Metronorth has their own track geometry cars. The FRA does not do Track geometry work for Metronorth. The T-16 is specifically a high speed research car as noted on FRA website. While T-16 does Track geometry which overlaps, the track geometry data collected is used for a different purpose and has different parameters.

When I looked at the train passing I saw the Amtrak signature train shell and had assumed it was an Amtrak car as it came down. I did not see any car numbers or markings.

I saw the back of the train and it looked like a detached Amtrak train along with the side of the train. All I noticed.

you could not be more wrong see MN forum the car visits MN every year .
and covers all in service area's of MN.
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=160263&start=90" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LIRR owns their own track geometry train as I see them do work. Metronorth has a new track geometry train on order apparently. It is news to me if MetroNorth uses the FRA high speed test train for their track geometry till the new train comes in. I read the article on the new MetroNorth track geometry train and it says Metronorth subcontracted out its operations who used their own trains for inspection. It does not say the FRA was the contractor but considering it did track geometry it would make sense.

But on that note, the LIRR does have their own geometry equipment and the T-16 was on LIRR tracks and not Metronorth tracks when I saw it, LIRR tracks in Long Island have some high speed train proposals such as the station in Garden City area and it makes sense if research was collected on this in addition to any track geometry data retrieved as well which could enhance safety as LIRR does an excellent job on this with their own equipment.

Can we knock off the you know what match between the two of you? Thanks.

The point is if they are doing work to improve rail infrastructure I am all for it. Amtrak has a lot of untapped potential and with the right leadership, it can be substantially improved and having a T-16 test train is a step in the right direction.

Oh ok i was not sure.

and yes i saw it in use on metro north the other day

TC-82 is(and TC-80 was)a basic track geometry testing/recording machine useful for up to Class 6 track standards.
When the FRA created the track class standards for class 7,8 and 9 track,the former Metroliner cab car
was turned into the "prototype" high speed track geometry car T-16(DOTX 216) good for up to 160 mph.
Amtrak's "Corridor Clipper" and Acela high speed Geometry test cars were built later but followed the
FRA T-16 design.
In the recent past,due to wrecks on the New Haven and Hudson Lines on Metro North,and on
LIRR/NY&A trackage in Brooklyn,FRA will invesagate(along with the NTSB) the RR's involved,
using T-16 (if needed)as part of the investagation.
T-16 is "loaned" to the RR's for track geometry testing,both MN and LIRR have "borrowed" it in the past,
Amtrak's "Corridor Clipper" is also "loaned out" at times,MBTA is one of the "borrowers".

There's another FRA/DOTX owned Track Geometry car,that looks like a private car,that roams the entire US,
normally placed between the power and the Baggage car on Amtrak trains,it is unmaned,and uploads data
to the FRA via Sat comm.
Car # is DOTX 221,named "Office of Safety" with PRR tuscan red/"gold" stripes scheme.