Train orders issued at Nassau this morning

[Indiana_Doc]

I was down at Mineola this morning watching the rush. From 6:45-7:30am all the westbound trains crept by Nassau so the tower operator could hand them orders. No station anouncements nor traffic reports from the news mentioned anything about a problem west of Mineola. I was wondering if anybody knew the reason for the orders?

Indiana

[Nasadowsk]

<i>Nothing beats a diesel express with 2 GP38's upfront and an MP15AC in the back.</i>

AEM-7 pulling 4 amfleets

[krispy]

Gate in New Hyde Park. Crossing has to be protected until the police or signal are providing protecting and then the order will be lifted. Usually they're on the gate right away, but they'll keep giving out the order until verification is received.

[Nasadowsk]

Yet another reason to get rid of those crossings. Given the # of times they go up and down in a day, they probbably get a lot of wear and need a lot of attention, too.

Glen Street was flakey for a few years. What's REALLY annoying is that a westbound train will stop and NOT clear the darn crossing, so that everyone gets to sit while the thing's stopped there, and then wait for it to struggle out of the station. This wasn't the case with the old stuff. It blocks up traffic something major.

[krispy]

The railroad has been trying to eliminate the gates west of Nassau for years. It has met considerable local resistance, usually from Mineola. It is hoped that they are all eliminated west of Divide when they go with the 3rd Mainline project.

[Head-end View]

The newly completed overpass at Mineola station has an extra bay for the third track on the south side which is good............

BUT Krispy, do you think it's really going to happen? As I've said before the extra track sure is needed, but given past history re: the grade xings, I predict it will be one heck of a fight with the villages of Mineola and New Hyde Park. I can see it dragging through the courts for years...........

[Nasadowsk]

Easy way around it?

Propose to reactivate the Central branch as an alternative to a third track, and explain that the reason why is because Mineola and NHP don't want their grade crossings eliminated.

The public uproar would probbably be enough to knock some sense into those villiages, especially with the thought of running trains through Levittown. Not that I think that's BAD, but let's face it, that area hasn't even had TRACKS for 50 years, and most of the existing residents, well, they didn't move in next to what amounts to a rail line in any other sense than a paper one.

In any case, how come the RR can shove it's diesel (whoops, I mean <i>electric</i>) storage yard down the PJ branch's throat, but they can't raise 7 stupid grade crossings on the Main line?

[bagpiper516]

Did something happen again this morning? I noticed an M-7 creeping by Nassau on my way to school, and later asked some friends who take the train who said they had the same expierience, with the train creeping into Mineola after slowing down before the tower. Any info?

[Indiana_Doc]

I was down at Mineola again this morning. I did notice some trains creeping by Nassau, however no train orders were given. I assume the reason why some trains crept by the tower was due to congestion.

By the way, New Hyde Park station is a good place to watch the trains go by at "MAS." During morning rush if everything is semi spread out, the trains thunder thru there with their horns blowing nonstop. Its pretty cool. I also like to railfan at Bellerose. In the evenings you get to watch the mainline trains snake thru the crossovers and in the mornings you can watch the signals change!