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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

 #1471425  by MattW
 
That shows Mineola will only have access to two tracks, I thought the plan was to have platform access to all three for flexibility?
 #1471728  by num1hendrickfan
 
adamj023 wrote:When I went to Mineola station in the past, the station area was so crowded. A new highrise development project is going up right next door as well. Phillip Eng, the new head of LIRR apparently had a q+a with users of this station just recently.

A third track and expansion of this area is needed along with a new passenger walkway to replace the old one which is in poor shape, where they stripped out the decaying metal and replaced it with wood. It has to be removed for the third track project as well and the new plans show it to be replaced. If the community voted this project down, it would have backed up traffic and led to overcrowding of the trains. The area is getting even more congested than I have ever seen it.

May is almost here and hopefully we will see more good progress on this project. My experience was just based on Mineola, but I know other areas are seeing more traffic as well. I believe this project is more important than the second track project and Harold Interlocking is probably the most important. Penn station work by Amtrak is also important as well.
The problem with Mineola is that this traffic is related to an inadequate road network and countywide mass transit systems that comprise of bus systems that do not work and were outdated a decade ago. It goes without saying that a light rail system is sorely needed to move more people along the busy roads of the Nassau Hub and other areas in the county. This would be beneficial in getting more cars off the road and co-exist with the 3rd track project. However the towns and the railroad are shortsighted and putting up more parking structures and thus adding more cars to an already overburdened area. Try getting through the intersection of Old Country Road and Franklin Avenue around 4:00 pm and you'll see first hand just how bad a problem it is.

Sadly none of our Long Island leaders are visionaries and those that are have been constantly shot down by the population. Hence why we still don't have a cross sound tunnel yet either.
 #1471741  by MNCRR9000
 
I was reading the final environmental impact study for the project and they mention the demolition of Nassau Tower and the Former Mineola Electrical Substation. Any idea if they would replace Nassau Tower or would another one of the towers pick up the territory like Divide Tower.
 #1471811  by berlintransit
 
The LIRR is currently proceeding with a project called 'Centralised Train Control'. I suppose the plan is to eventually remote-control all train movements in LIRR territory from one single room located in Jamaica.
 #1472228  by Head-end View
 
Yes, I have no doubt the plan is to transfer Nassau Tower's functions to the Jamaica Central Control Center. LIRR is about the last railroad in the Northeast still using towers.
 #1475118  by PlaneLoverA380
 
Will they be tearing the Good Old Tower, as me and my friends call it, down!? :( We love that in our railfanning videos!
 #1475170  by Head-end View
 
I think it will be torn down. I believe it's directly where the third track will go if you notice the alignment with the extra bay in the Mineola Blvd. overpass.
 #1475202  by Norton
 
There are signs that some organization attached to telephone poles all around Nassau Tower urging that it be saved/moved/restored. Good luck with that.
 #1475291  by Backshophoss
 
That tower structure has been hacked away at for ages from the inside as signal equipment was upgraded,may NOT be safe to move at all.
 #1475298  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone:

I agree with BSH and others that Nassau Tower may not be physically able to be moved due to
the condition of the building structurally - as mentioned it is right in the path of what will be the
third track through Mineola. Another possibly-endangered structure is the old waiting room on
the south side depending on how the revised platform layout will set up.

If Nassau Tower has to be demolished hopefully vintage artifacts will be preserved and that OBRM,
RMLI or another historical organization will be able to add them to their collections. I am thinking
the model board, tower signs and other antique hardware as prime examples. MACTRAXX
 #1475307  by adamj023
 
http://web.mta.info/capitaldashboard/al ... f&PLTYPE=5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LIRR obviously will decommision and remove the tower to build the third track. Not sure how they will dispose of it.

There will be a lot of towers no longer needed, not just Nassau. And the towers will likely all be removed over time or reallocated for other uses perhaps.

Apparently just the building for Centralized train control will be ready by September 2018 so Nassau Tower still has some usage in it and will likely be removed once Centralized train control is fully implemented.
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