West end of Pine-Aire DEF repaired?

Passing over on the southbound Sagtikos Parkway yesterday I noticed the loaded gondolas that had been left at the end of the siding in the wake of last year's derailment have been removed and there are what look like a pair of orange warning cones left at the spot on either side of the rails. Has the switch there been repaired, and when were the gondolas removed? Did they have to be repaired before finally get moved, or were they left there just to block the west end as a safety measure? Thanks.

The switch has not been repaired. Short cuts of cars have been stored at the west end of the DEF from time to time since the cars involved in the derailment were moved out, which I believe was around May or June last year. I drive by there all the time...sometimes there's a few cars at that end, sometimes not.

Pilgrim is back in.

So if the switch for the Pilgrim Spur is fixed, then the switch at the west end is fixed?

Last I saw, the pilgrim spur was fixed, but remained seperate from the double ended freight. The DEF wasn't reconnected to the main at that time.

Does the Pilgrim Spur branch off the DEF, or is it just west of the DEF branching off the Main Line itself?

It was a switch off the mainline, that immediately after was another switch that split the DEF and pilgirm...

This situation is embarassing. Pine-Aire is where all of the NYA's mid-Island trains originate from, yet, the west end of the siding they use is still out of action. WHAT THE F(<%!!!!! The top guy at a lumber/building supply company adjacent to LIRR trackage wants to get a switch and a two-track spur into his facility, but is reluctant because: A) He knows how the LIRR Fu(%ed Feldman in Mineola during/after the Herricks Rd. project and B) that the NYA hasn't repaired/come to an agreement with the LIRR to pay for/share the cost, of repairing the west end of the Pine-Aire siding. At approximately a $1,000,000 a switch charged by the LIRR, can you blame him if he's leery knowing that the NYA is hobbled at it's mid-Island base of operations? Get it together, NYA!!! Mid-train helpers are cool in the Canadian Rockies on CP Rail, but look stupid on Long Island because trains double up and run together because of the MESS at the west end of the Pine-Aire siding.

Well the RR did leave a stub track into the siding that leads into Feldman. And another person installed what looks to be a generator or AC unit on the track. Was that the RRs fault? As for the lumber customer, where is this potential customer? -Lee

Teutobergerwald wrote:This situation is embarassing. Pine-Aire is where all of the NYA's mid-Island trains originate from, yet, the west end of the siding they use is still out of action. WHAT THE F(<%!!!!! The top guy at a lumber/building supply company adjacent to LIRR trackage wants to get a switch and a two-track spur into his facility, but is reluctant because: A) He knows how the LIRR Fu(%ed Feldman in Mineola during/after the Herricks Rd. project and B) that the NYA hasn't repaired/come to an agreement with the LIRR to pay for/share the cost, of repairing the west end of the Pine-Aire siding. At approximately a $1,000,000 a switch charged by the LIRR, can you blame him if he's leery knowing that the NYA is hobbled at it's mid-Island base of operations? Get it together, NYA!!! Mid-train helpers are cool in the Canadian Rockies on CP Rail, but look stupid on Long Island because trains double up and run together because of the MESS at the west end of the Pine-Aire siding.

I'm sure all decisions are made by "what looks cool". Grow up, it's not a model railroad.

Johnny F wrote:I'm sure all decisions are made by "what looks cool". Grow up, it's not a model railroad.

Well, actually a lot of business decisions are influenced by perception of what will help in earning profit, so the perception of NY&A being unable to deliver or pickup freight in a timely manner, therefore negatively affecting your business, can be a pretty crucial one (i.e. the "I wouldn't trust those Buffoons with my deliveries for any price" syndrom).
Wake up, this is not a model railroad, this is the modern world...

BTW, who or what is Feldman, and where was his/their siding (Feldman - Mineola googling brings up law firm listings)

I think Feldman was off the Mineola north track Electric lock switch. It was almost toward Herricks Rd. Looks like it had 4 bays for boxcars at one point. I guess in the late nineties when they built the over pass service was lost. I think Nestle chocolate used to be off the same lead.

The way to go is like what is being done at Calverton. A long industrial lead clear of the main not to tie it up. Hopefully that will drum up some major business!

"Mid-train helpers are cool in the Canadian Rockies on CP Rail, but look stupid on Long Island "

I'm sure this is "influencing" local businesses as to whether to use the rail road or not. Please.......gimme a break.

Johnny F wrote:"Mid-train helpers are cool in the Canadian Rockies on CP Rail, but look stupid on Long Island "

I'm sure this is "influencing" local businesses as to whether to use the rail road or not. Please.......gimme a break.

Well, I wasn't referring to that, I was referring to the 'futzing' around about repairing the double ended siding, and other NY&A issues that appear over the years. I think mid-train helpers might get a roll-eyes from the business workers (if that), but would not be a serious consideration for rail service or not.

OK, now I think I know where Feldman is - I was under the impression that Nestle stopped rail shipments way before the Herricks project began, and honestly I don't recall seeing any freight cars on that siding (Nestle or Feldman) for several years before the grade crossing seperation project began (Now, I have been wrong before).

Will the switch ever be replaced at the west end of the DEF? What about the crossover? -Lee