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  • M-1s during Grade Crossing Elimination 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

 #1455834  by LB
 
The track cuts can be affected by temperature and weather. If it is too cold, they will delay the process. The Merrick-Bellmore / Massapequa Park track cuts were done over a Friday evening and Saturday timeline. While there were no revenue trains in a split configuration (like Wantagh / Seaford), during the actual cutover there were some spit configuration operations. As for Amityville / Copiague /Lindenhurst (ACL) opening on Tuesday 7 AUG 73, I am not sure how that transpired (you would need to read a village newspaper from that time for more insight or check with the Town of Babylon historian to help you research the subject). Since a Tuesday seems like an odd day to execute the changeover it may have operated a few days in a split configuration to minimally disrupt service on the Babylon Branch or work crews probably made the cut over after the morning rush hour. Wantagh Seaford opened on a Wednesday (22 OCT 68), a little over two years after the temporary tracks went into service (Wednesday 24 AUG 66). It seems to me they would have run a few test trains (first diesel then electric) across the ACL span before opening the segment.
 #1456003  by MattAmity90
 
So it seems that yes, indeed they had test trains on the current ACL span while service was still going on at grade level. After a morning rush hour they cut the tracks in one at a time, and it takes a while to cut just one track from the temporary to the new. My best bet is that on August 6th they cut the Eastbound track from the temporary to the elevated span, and Amityville-Copiague-Lindenhurst saw EB service on the new span with WB service still at grade. Then sometime overnight and into the morning of August 7th they cut the Westbound track from the temporary to the new span. I mean when the cut the EB track off, the WB track on the new span still had the grade EB going over it. Unlike other Babylon Branch stations, the temporary ACL tracks were laid to the North, while the others were laid to the South. Plus they added Amityville Interlocking with the project because there was no interlocking there before. Come to think of it, maybe the new interlocking was the reason for the grounding issues!
 #1494817  by MattAmity90
 
Even though these will not be added because of the poor quality of the pictures to the website. I visited the Amityville Historical Society back on October 16th as an early birthday gift because after talking to them on the phone they had some "goodies" for me in the form of never before seen photos. Now, I had them scanned in black and white, then I had color copies made onto photographic paper and mailed to me. They can only go so far, and even though I took them using an iPhone with them on my lap, it's the best I can do. I'm posting these photos, and I was shocked when they had copies of an M1 stopped or pulling into the station, I scored the jackpot, and due to the M1 I'm posting them for archives.
AHS3.jpg
AHS3a.jpg
 #1494865  by newkirk
 
Mind if I chime in with this photo ?
The Massapequa Park grade crossing elimination project it's final stages.
The train on the new structure is in test mode while train in the temporary ROW is in service.
 #1494867  by newkirk
 
MattAmity90,
I cleanup up your color photo in Photoshop.
 #1494872  by MattAmity90
 
newkirk wrote:MattAmity90,
I cleanup up your color photo in Photoshop.
WOW! I have no idea how you did that, but it is much more clearer. Thanks! :-D

Cool photo of Massapequa Park, that's the first time I've seen a test train on the new structure with a service train running at grade level. I would say that photo was taken in October or November 1980. My photo looks to be Spring 1973.
 #1494881  by newkirk
 
MattAmity90 Wrote: WOW! I have no idea how you did that, but it is much more clearer. Thanks! :-D
Cool photo of Massapequa Park, that's the first time I've seen a test train on the new structure with a service train running at grade level. I would say that photo was taken in October or November 1980.
Photoshop 13 did the trick. I even cropped it too. November 1980 was stamped on the slide mount.
Check out these two photo from December 13, 1980. That second photo I believe was the last train to use the temporary right of way. The new westbound track was already connected and ballast tamping was in progress.
 #1494923  by MattAmity90
 
You've got images that many have never seen that should be archived! By the way, you are correct because throughout the night of December 12th into the 13th they cut the Westbound track off of the temporary and connected it to the newly elevated. I have a photo of a M1 that was taken on the other side of the transition (white poles) looking East from Massapequa. There is a M1 pulling into the Massapequa, and another M1 is off in the distance at the newly elevated Massapequa Park. As for my photo I knew that had to be the walkover bridge because the crossing in other photos is near that leaning power line, and if it was taken from the bridge the crossing would have been right there along with Broadway/Rt. 110, and the canopy would only be slightly visible. In the FOIL I received I have the project blueprints, and in the dark area just before the bridge, you can see a slope from the canopy. That slope is to one of two underpasses that they built to run under the construction (other was located right across from the temporary station building, and of course walkways/stairs at each end of the platform. I've collected these photos for so long that I'm going to get a binder and archive this!
599676_3383065863708_359601446_n.jpg
 #1494929  by newkirk
 
Thanks Matt. Check out these photos of the track gang and ballast train.
Also the graffiti free ballast hoppers and the vintage marking on them !

Click photo to enlarge
 #1494961  by newkirk
 
BobLI wrote: What do the track workers with the white poles do? Are they keeping the third rail in line?
As I witnessed, the temporary west bound track was severed and shifted to align with the new westbound track. Then, rail joints were welded or bolted, ballast dumped, then tamped and the new westbound track was now connected
 #1495033  by Kelly&Kelly
 
The wood poles are used by Electric Traction (ET) electricians to shift (or lift) the live third rail that is held by gravity atop their insulators.

When the Amityville/Lindenhurst cut was made, the end of the track which was held to ties by Pandrel clips (and gauge rods) was dragged from one track to the other. Usually a backhoe or crane is used with fine alignment done by hand. Rails were previously cut and drilled for splice bars. Since the third rail is simply retained in place by gravity, the ET gang follows the track alignment with the wood poles, leveraging the third rail along to follow its ties and insulators. ET and perhaps signal maintainers add bonding wires with thermite welds, and bolts are installed.

Newkirk's photo above shows hand alignment after the track was relocated, most likely at the Massapequa cutover.

If the roadbed is properly compacted, ties cribbed and everyone's on their game, a train can be operated over tangent track at restricted speed as soon as the rails are bolted up. Realistically, a track can be "swung" in 45 minutes. In a rush it can probably be done in a half hour if everything's prepared. A/C/L was done in less than 35 minutes, between trains with no schedule disruption if I remember correctly. That's Railroading!

Then the track is tamped and regulated, splice bars replaced with thermite welds and the speed restriction can be lifted.

Work's not always done in this sequence, depending on the allotted time. This sequence was used at Amityville on the A/C/L elimination.

(Thermite rail welding, also called the Goldschmidt process, is an interesting non-electric weld. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqUiD3VLwdg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
 #1495097  by MattAmity90
 
Kelly&Kelly wrote:The wood poles are used by Electric Traction (ET) electricians to shift (or lift) the live third rail that is held by gravity atop their insulators.

When the Amityville/Lindenhurst cut was made, the end of the track which was held to ties by Pandrel clips (and gauge rods) was dragged from one track to the other. Usually a backhoe or crane is used with fine alignment done by hand. Rails were previously cut and drilled for splice bars. Since the third rail is simply retained in place by gravity, the ET gang follows the track alignment with the wood poles, leveraging the third rail along to follow its ties and insulators. ET and perhaps signal maintainers add bonding wires with thermite welds, and bolts are installed.

Newkirk's photo above shows hand alignment after the track was relocated, most likely at the Massapequa cutover.

If the roadbed is properly compacted, ties cribbed and everyone's on their game, a train can be operated over tangent track at restricted speed as soon as the rails are bolted up. Realistically, a track can be "swung" in 45 minutes. In a rush it can probably be done in a half hour if everything's prepared. A/C/L was done in less than 35 minutes, between trains with no schedule disruption if I remember correctly. That's Railroading!

Then the track is tamped and regulated, splice bars replaced with thermite welds and the speed restriction can be lifted.

Work's not always done in this sequence, depending on the allotted time. This sequence was used at Amityville on the A/C/L elimination.

(Thermite rail welding, also called the Goldschmidt process, is an interesting non-electric weld. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqUiD3VLwdg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
The photo that I posted is at the Massapequa end, Newkirk's is at Sunrise Mall just to the West of the Sunrise Highway trestle. A/C/L was done in 35 minutes you say, for the Amityville end they had to do the Eastbound track first since the temporary ROW for that section was to the North instead of South. They had to encounter a restricted speed train though at both the Amityville and Lindenhurst ends. I also have a photo of them doing it at the Merrick end just East of the Meadowbrook Parkway bridge.
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