Hicksville operations

[Legio X]

Passing by, with a side view of the Hicksville Yard from Charlotte Avenue the other day, it looked like there's a lot going on there. The gondolas were on the nearer two tracks, and I could see covered hoppers on the single track along the east side of the yard. I've heard that boxcars and flatcars of building materials can also be seen at Hicksville, but I could'nt see them from my vantage point. Good to see this facility being used. I remember back in the '90's that months and months would go by without a single car seen in the yard, or engines laying over. The '80's were better for spotting freight in the yard, and single and sometimes pairs of MP-15ac's laying over on the weekends. Only once did I see a pair of C420's laying over for a weekend, 222 and 225, with a caboose. Of course being young and foolish, I did'nt have a camera.......

[Legio X]

What's new in Hicksville? Any new customers? Is the contaminated soil-removal business still going on?

Also, it appears as though the spur at what was Mid-Island Produce has been removed, or buried. Is that the case? Is the Ruco spur still there, or has that been lifted too?

[emfinite]

The RS80 brought 8 hoppers out to Hicksville last week to be filled, so it is still going on.

[DogBert]

they don't get the CDEX hoppers, do they? If not there, who does?

[emfinite]

CDEX go to Coastal Distribution next to New Highway in Farmingdale. The ones that go to Hicksville are MWCX.

[DogBert]

Ah ha. Thanks.

[Legio X]

Has the former Ruco Polymer spur been removed by the LIRR? I traveled over the grade crossing at New South Rd. this afternoon, and when I should've looked right, at the Ruco site, I was looking left, up the line to see if the spur for the former Mid-Island Produce / Inland Plastics building was still connected to the Main Line. The spur, next to the building itself, has apparently been removed or buried. I hope the future will bring new NYA customers to both sites. I remember back in the '89's you could always count on seeing tankcars and covered hoppers at Ruco, and covered hoppers at Inland Plastics, and then the occasion reefer when that building housed Mid-Island Produce.

[jayrmli]

Ruco is still there. They removed Inland Plastics to the west of the crossing.

Jay

[Legio X]

That's too bad that the LIRR removed the Inland Plastics/Mid-Island Produce spur. It's short-sighted to remove spurs that serve trackside buildings, even if the user of those buildings is'nt a current NYA customer.

[Legio X]

Any word on contaminated soil / debris removal via rail from the former Ruco site via NYA's spur?

[Legio X]

Not as many gondolas for that contaminated soil removal project to be seen in the Hicksville Yard lately. Is that job winding down? Covered hoppers still to be seen on the spur on the east side of the yard, upon which that red caboose is spotted.

[Legio X]

Long cut of covered hoppers on the east side spur in the yard, longer than when I last passed by on 12/06.

[rb]

Passed by for my first time last night around 9:30. Nearly a dozen covered hoppers against the wall and plenty of gons and hoppers on the other 2 tracks. 2 MTAPD cruisers in the yard, too.

[Legio X]

The MTAPD has a satellite station at the yard, and thus they change tours there.

[Legio X]

The yard was full yesterday when I passed by, especially the single track on the east-side of the yard. A long cut of covered hoppers stretching all the way down to where the spur starts to curve towards the main line. It reminded me of a day back in the mid-'80's when I saw 150, 160 and 228 pushing a long cut of El Rexene covered hoppers onto the same track. The cut stretched from the bumper to the beginning of the curve to the main line. I remember some boxcars and bulkhead flatcars of lumber being unloaded on the middle track that day, where the gondolas are loaded today. Of course, I did'nt have a camera that day too....I remember too an LIRRPD sergeant coming over to me and telling me to be careful while on my bike on the property, and to become an LIRR cop when I was older, that "it's the best way to see the railroad." The MTAPD just got a 23% retroactive raise, with top BASE pay $69000 after 5 years of service. I'd say he was right......WHY did'nt I take their last test???!!!!!