Hi all,
I recently started riding my bike again to "B" Tower right next to Beth Interlocking between Bethpage and Farmingdale. About three weeks ago, the tower was broken into (the piece of plywood that blocked the doorway was kicked down) and the insides were trashed. Chairs, air conditioners, papers, lights, glass, tables and everything imaginable were thrown out of the windows. There are fresh cans of empty spray paint all around and there is also fresh graffiti on all facades of the building.
Does the railroad take any notice to this at all? The fence adjacent to the bicycle path, that runs to Bethpage State Park, was cut through maybe 5 years ago and it has been the same ever since. Kids go there at night to do drugs and drink as evident by the dozens and dozens of broken 40 oz. bottles and Budweiser cans all over the lot.
I usually hear an incident once a month where a train calls into 204 reporting kids on the tracks monkeying around. Last summer, a group of kids put a long metal stretch ladder across the switch for the Central branch and an eastbound Speonk train hit it and it got stuck between the engine and the first car tearing apart MU hoses and brake lines.
I would really like to help do something about this and maybe volunteer some of my time to build some new fence, paint the building, or just clean up the area. I hate seeing it like this, it's just getting worse and worse.
Would the railroad do an "Adopt-a-Tower" thing if we got a large enough group of people to come and fix it up? It's only to their benefit, so I don't see why not. We are all a knowledgable group of people here and I think most of us would be more then willing to lend a bit of free time to help preserve this beautiful spot. There's no reason in the railroad's eyes to keep the tower standing and it's not like they will ever be using it again. But there are railfans who care! Why not let a bunch of people who share an interest in railroading it take care of it and maintain it?
If anyone feels the same way as me, please share your opinions. Next time I ride up to the tower, I will take a few photos to illustrate my point of the tower being in shambles.
Thanks,
Joe
I recently started riding my bike again to "B" Tower right next to Beth Interlocking between Bethpage and Farmingdale. About three weeks ago, the tower was broken into (the piece of plywood that blocked the doorway was kicked down) and the insides were trashed. Chairs, air conditioners, papers, lights, glass, tables and everything imaginable were thrown out of the windows. There are fresh cans of empty spray paint all around and there is also fresh graffiti on all facades of the building.
Does the railroad take any notice to this at all? The fence adjacent to the bicycle path, that runs to Bethpage State Park, was cut through maybe 5 years ago and it has been the same ever since. Kids go there at night to do drugs and drink as evident by the dozens and dozens of broken 40 oz. bottles and Budweiser cans all over the lot.
I usually hear an incident once a month where a train calls into 204 reporting kids on the tracks monkeying around. Last summer, a group of kids put a long metal stretch ladder across the switch for the Central branch and an eastbound Speonk train hit it and it got stuck between the engine and the first car tearing apart MU hoses and brake lines.
I would really like to help do something about this and maybe volunteer some of my time to build some new fence, paint the building, or just clean up the area. I hate seeing it like this, it's just getting worse and worse.
Would the railroad do an "Adopt-a-Tower" thing if we got a large enough group of people to come and fix it up? It's only to their benefit, so I don't see why not. We are all a knowledgable group of people here and I think most of us would be more then willing to lend a bit of free time to help preserve this beautiful spot. There's no reason in the railroad's eyes to keep the tower standing and it's not like they will ever be using it again. But there are railfans who care! Why not let a bunch of people who share an interest in railroading it take care of it and maintain it?
If anyone feels the same way as me, please share your opinions. Next time I ride up to the tower, I will take a few photos to illustrate my point of the tower being in shambles.
Thanks,
Joe