Holiday Express

Train2009 wrote:December 1 (Saturday) and December 2 (Sunday) are this year's schedule runs.

http://web.mta.info/lirr/getaways/holid ... oOykZc3tBI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Same logo and drumhead as last year?

Holiday Express just passed through Mineola with DM30 520 and 513 trailing

LINYARailfan wrote:Holiday Express just passed through Mineola with DM30 520 and 513 trailing

Caught it in Queens Village at 10:36 AM this morning.

Everyone:

What surprised me about the 2018 Holiday Express runs was the comparable lack of interest this
year in comparison to both of the 2017 runs and the inaugural 2016 run west from Ronkonkoma.
There was just the two posts above mine about the Saturday train - and I found just four videos
(these two were recorded at Pinelawn and Seaford respectively) of the Holiday Express trains:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUWNZhSs0jw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzLdas2apYs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve - From the videos the same Holiday Express drumhead sign looks to have been used.
MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone:

Steve - From the videos the same Holiday Express drumhead sign looks to have been used.
MACTRAXX

Yes and the the same ad logo to kick it off...

I was at Ronkonkoma on Saturday. Didn’t see anybody taking photos. But the the train wasn’t platformed right. Too close to west end of the platform. No good views. With the second track install they also removed the signal tower at Smithtown Ave. Caught them at Wyandanch. Not bad shot. The protect set was blocked by the eastbound MU set to Ronkonkoma. The Dual Modes were not decorated above the drumhead like 2017.


Bill

Everyone:

The LIRR released the 2019 Holiday Express service information:

http://web.mta.info/lirr/getaways/holidayexpress

Saturday December 7 from Ronkonkoma departing at 10 AM
Sunday December 8 from Babylon departing at 10 AM

Adult Fares: $37.25 from Ronkonkoma and $35.00 from Babylon.
These fares include a reserved seat charge.

The LIRR Holiday Express has become a successful special operation entering its
fourth Holiday Season...

MACTRAXX

I’ve got 6 tickets for the 2 and 4-seat booths in the east end of the 5th car on the Babylon run. Hopefully with the new tracker app we’ll be able to see the engine numbers.

What happened to the LIRR Holiday Express Trains? Did they disappear during Covid and were never reinstituted?

December 3rd is a Tuesday...........

LB wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:55 pm What happened to the LIRR Holiday Express Trains? Did they disappear during Covid and were never reinstituted?

Yes-You answered your own question...December 2019 was the last Holiday Express runs...MACTRAXX

Thanks for confirming my hunch!

Long Island is the land of no.
Nothing can be done here without the approval of newsday, news 12 and the keyboard basement dweller complainants approval.

As for operational, there is no equipment or track availability for this positive PR. Too much fear of knocking out a regular train resulting in a delay.
These new schedules since ESA opened has resulted in a huge mess.
Every branch is being run independently and there’s trains on top of one another.
No room for fun stuff.
Then you got the legal stuff. If we served hot coco you know someone would sue just because.

Go to Metro North. They figured out how to beat the system.

Folks; Workextra has "hit the nail on the head". For some LIRR Christmas nostalgia I present:
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrCh ... istmas.htm

And now with apologies to the Grinch, a Christmas rant: Funny, I wish it were, even freight lines run Christmas Specials, heritage units, specials, visitor days, etc. Yet, the largest volume people moving line in the nation (the world?) has almost zero PR (and depends on Newsday, at best), the dirtiest ROW, runs Anniversary Specials with its President with an engine nose photographed that is a disgrace, never has funds for paint, on and on... Seems the taxpayers of NY State fund all sorts of nonsense, but the MTA pleads poverty at every turn, and sorry LIRR employee apologists the notion that "as long as it runs who cares if it is cleaned" doesn't cut it as a reflection of employee morale, company mission and perhaps view of its, dare I say, "customers"?

Unfortunately, the carrier is no loner run by historic minded individuals but rather risk managers who strongly advise against this type of Goodwill, yet if the Long Island State politicians and their proxies whisper to the third floor suggestions ("how come we don't have holiday trains like Metro North does?") watch how quickly the narrative changes and you may see a return of specials in 2025.