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  • LIRR Mainline Third Track Project

  • Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #1512456  by MattAmity90
 
What interests me with the project are the grade crossing eliminations in case I haven't stated (I've been AFK since early-May). Which means that right now I'm focused on Covert Avenue and Urban Avenue. Here's the update I've gotten about those two crossings:


1.) Both crossings are currently having their bridges built on site to be installed at a later date.
2.) Urban Avenue will have its' bridge installed on a weekend in July, and has a slated completion date of within the next 6 months at the rate they are going. FACT: Urban Avenue is more hazardous than School Street, it is ranked #3 out of all the grade crossings in New York State.
3.) Covert Avenue still has a little more work to be done since it kicked off slightly later. They're saying its' bridge will be completed in a month or two, with the installation scheduled for either September or October. As far as completion, they said it will be at the end of the year.

Aside from grade crossings (I have troves of information on eliminations in the past), I'm paying close attention to the activity in Carle Place with the sound walls, embankment manipulation, Cherry Lane, and the replacement of the WB platform. There is also evidence of preparation for eliminating the New Hyde Park Road grade crossing.

I do not like the labeling from North to South, to me it will always be Track 1 (NORTH), Track 3 (MIDDLE BYPASS), and Track 2 (SOUTH).
 #1512552  by PlaneLoverA380
 
I think it should be:

Mainline 1 (west)
Mainline 2 (middle)
Mainline 3 (east)

Keep it as it is and don't confuse people with numbering.
 #1512570  by Head-end View
 
PlaneLover, your track numbering scheme would not work for LIRR because except for station tracks they do not number consecutively. LIRR track numbering scheme has always been odd is west and even is east. So if you add another track on the north side it becomes track-3, and another south side track would be track-4.
 #1512591  by MattAmity90
 
Looked at a few pictures, and so far they are pouring in the concrete for the new EB platform piers at Merillon Avenue. At Carle Place the sound barriers continue to extend further East with new skeletons for the future piers of the EB platform evident and the first six cars of each train in each direction platforming there. No changes at Covert and Urban Avenues, but one interesting addition has been made at Hicksville.

I'm not sure if it was addressed while I was gone, but they have started to lay new track on the 1,000 foot extension for Track 1 West of Hicksville that was constructed a year ago. It's not attached to a track, but it is laying to the North. I think this project is going to start at both ends, and the two teams will complete the project halfway at Mineola since I was told that the Pedestrian, Main Street, and the Willis Avenue crossings would be the last ones eliminated. One thing is for sure; I'm amazed at how quick they are eliminating the crossings compared to previous eliminations. Although the Babylon Branch was different, and the plans for Herricks Road and Roslyn Road had the widening of the roadways in it (although at Herricks they had to raise the tracks and depress the road more, and they were using temporary tracks). Roslyn Road went from a 2 to 4-lane road, and Herricks Road was widened a bit but is self-explanatory.
 #1512924  by MattAmity90
 
Major news that will take place at the following locations that were announced this week!

Covert Avenue: The trestle that is being built onsite will be pushed into place during a weekend outage on the weekend of August 24th-25th. They will be using an 18 jack system to push it into place. Afterwards, the road will undergo its' installation, and Covert Avenue along with 2nd and 3rd Avenues will be reopened to traffic sometime this November, marking the end of the project.

Carle Place: Piers for the new EB platform are being installed, and in August the pedestrian bridge that has existed since they electrified from Mineola to Hicksville and Huntington in 1970 will be demolished. In the meantime, the new ADA-accessbile pedestrian bridge will be completed and in service this October.

Urban Avenue: Same as Covert Avenue, but it will be on the weekend outage of July 20th-21st. Afterwards all the construction below the bridge will continue with Railroad Avenue, walkways etc. reopening to traffic in September, marking the end of the project.
 #1513518  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone:

The LIRR announced the service plan for the Urban Avenue - Westbury bridge project on the weekend
of July 20-21 which looks to be the same as was run for the Cherry Lane project back in June.

https://lirrexpansion.com

Carle Place and Westbury will be closed with no alternate service. NICE N22 and N24 buses run between
Hicksville and Mineola - which will have trains terminating hourly. Oyster Bay Branch will run every two
hours. Mineola, New Hyde Park and the Hempstead Branch are suggested alternate stations and lines.

Diesel Shuttle trains will operate between Hicksville and Babylon stopping at Bethpage in each direction.
Ronkonkoma Branch trains will run hourly making all regular stops except Bethpage.
Port Jefferson Branch trains will run between Hicksville and Port Jefferson every two hours.
Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington will be served hourly.

MACTRAXX
 #1514208  by AHunter3
 
Ignorant newbie question.

I notice that there is an existing third track that appears for awhile between Mineola and Merillon Avenue stations. I think it has historically been used as a siding to let other trains go past, although I'm not sure of that. Will the third track project simply incorporate that track as an already-built trackbed for the third track project, or will they keep it as a siding and add a third (fourth actually) track in this section? I do notice that they've bulldozed and fenced off and are otherwise involved in that area. Have also noticed the big track-picker-upper contraptions on that siding, perhaps lifting off the old tracks and putting down the kind that would be appropriate for a regular-use rail line -- ?
 #1514215  by MACTRAXX
 
AH: That third track between Merillon Avenue and Mineola dates from when the Herricks Road overpass
was constructed. The third track that was installed on the south side was the first remnant built for the
future Third Track project. This third track has a switch only at its west end and was never used as a
passing siding track...and as you noticed it is a good place to store track machines...MACTRAXX
 #1514447  by MACTRAXX
 
MACTRAXX wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:03 pm Everyone:

The LIRR announced the service plan for the Urban Avenue - Westbury bridge project on the weekend
of July 20-21 which looks to be the same as was run for the Cherry Lane project back in June.

https://lirrexpansion.com

Carle Place and Westbury will be closed with no alternate service. NICE N22 and N24 buses run between
Hicksville and Mineola - which will have trains terminating hourly. Oyster Bay Branch will run every two
hours. Mineola, New Hyde Park and the Hempstead Branch are suggested alternate stations and lines.

Diesel Shuttle trains will operate between Hicksville and Babylon stopping at Bethpage in each direction.
Ronkonkoma Branch trains will run hourly Hicksville-Ronkonkoma making regular stops except Bethpage.
Port Jefferson Branch trains will run between Hicksville and Port Jefferson every two hours.
Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington will be served hourly.

MACTRAXX
The Urban Avenue Bridge Project service information has been posted:
http://web.mta.info/supplemental/lirr/u ... hange.html
All of the special schedules are now available...

This weekend Long Island is under an excessive heat warning until Sunday evening 7/21 with 100 degrees F
temperatures a distinct possibility in some locations. Hopefully the project runs smoothly and gets completed
on time and no one outside working has any heat-related health problems...MACTRAXX
Last edited by MACTRAXX on Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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