L.I.R.R. Rail Train

[WIN Tower]

on saturday , 3/20 , i noticed a "mixed" rail train on the mainline adjacent to Q tower . it consisted of 3 MP-15's on the eastend , one hopper followed by about 30 rail carrying cars and several pieces of what appeared to be new track machines , judging by their bright yellow color and no identification marks . on the westend was another MP-15 . the train went east past Harold , this was very late that morning . around 1:45p the engines appeared in the same place , without the train .
today around 10:15a four MP-15's were again sitting on the mainline , just east of Q . i got the impression the rail train came to the mainline from the Montauk line , just wondering if this was a special move via CSX or did it come on the regular CSX turn from Oak Point ?

[John 61]

Win Tower,
I don't know where the railtrain you saw was headed but it consists of 25 railcars LI701 - LI725. The last three yellow cars are used for pulling the rail out of the cars. They have reporting marks LI726-LI728. I saw this train last fall and the standerd power seems to be 3 MP-15's and there is always that loaded hopper car behind the engine. It's probably used as a buffer car in case rail for some reason might slide forward it will hit this loaded car instead of going into an engine. I'm just guessing on this.
[url]http://lirr_nya_photos.tripod.com/railroadphotosinandaroundlongisland/id15.html[/url]

[DogBert]

There were 5 or 6 of LIRR hoppers outbound on today's CP rail train, probably to be loaded with ballast...

[emfinite]

There are a good amount of full hoppers on the siding by Wellwood Ave. on the Central Branch. They have been there for a LONG time, I think since mid-December.

Joe

[Legio X]

There are also loaded LI hoppers at the Belmont Park Yard. You can see them from the Cross Island Parkway. There are also some LI gondolas there too. They probably have ties in them. On the spur next to the E/B platform at Queens Village Station, there is a long cut of Norfolk Southern gondolas. That's the first time I've seen rolling stock other than the LORAM equipment on that particular spur. A little ways down the r.o.w. in the Queens Village team yard itself I've seen gondolas, hoppers and flatcars, as well as LIRR M.o.W. equipment. No business there, yet, for the NYA.