LIRR ballast hoppers at Hicksville Yard

Why is there a cut of five LIRR ballast hoppers in the yard? I saw them today on the track upon which the red caboose is parked. There was a FURX covered hopper and a CSX boxcar on each end. The other two tracks held the usual gondolas getting loaded with scrap metal. When did the soil-removal project that was running out of Hicksville yard end?

Today there were only two of these LIRR ballast hoppers, with an ITLX (nee-SCL) bulkhead flatcar loaded with sheetrock parked in front of them on the spur.

LIRR likes storing their work train in Atlantic Pipe, a spur off the Hicksville North Track. Access to this track is controlled by Divide tower and is nice and long, suitable for their mechanized tie replacement beasties.

There was a long cut of LIRR hoppers on the spur east of the Yard, with MP-15ac's on the west end of the train, going all the way down to Burns Ave.

BTW, there was a long cut of covered hoppers in the Hicksville Yard, including a P.S.-style car in the consist close to the end near W. John St. There's a GATX car in the cut with prominent GATX markings on it. If I'm not mistaken, this cut of cars has been in Hicksville Yard for a long time. Good to see Hicksville Yard creating business for the NYA. Keep it up, Men!!!