New Customer

I understand that new customer in Farmingdale will moving quite a bit of cars when the operation gets under way. Is this going to be a 24hr a day job 7 days? If it's that busy, I would guess the NYA would have to leave an engine on site all the time to move cars around. Also how long is that siding along the Main Line? Going to be fun if they need to move cars across 110 to the old 'yard' over there. And the crossing at New Highway - I don't even want to think about that! Unless this is a night time operation ( not so good for picture taking).

Mike

I heard that that move is supposed to average 20 cars of const. demo. per day. It will be switched into the "yard" using their own track car. NYA will only be dropping of empties and picking up loads. It still has not been set in stone what job will permanently work N. Hwy. My guess is "whoever is in the area at the time" will stop there either day or nite.

How long is this job expected to last? Is this a short term project or something longer?

Has any business developed for NYA over across Rte. 110 on any of those spurs that go off from the Main Line on the north side of the r.o.w.?

This project is a permanent one. You wouldn't see such a substantial building erected on site for a temporary project. As the project goes along, I understand more commodities may be added.

I don't know how much truth there is to the track car use there. That yard is considered joint use.

Jay

SCORE!!!!! This is definately good news!

Legio X wrote:Has any business developed for NYA over across Rte. 110 on any of those spurs that go off from the Main Line on the north side of the r.o.w.?

I think practically all of those buildings now house Furniture Showrooms or Discount Centers, and have done so for many years. I guess Strober Price was the last real freight customer, next to Levitts and right on Rte 110 (the intersection of Price Parkway?). Strober moved awhile ago south on Rte 110, not sure if they transload anywhere (haven't seen any centerbeams or boxcars in the New Highway yard).
Other than that, there were several cover hoppers at the very end of Price Parkway (where the turnaround is) for the longest time, but I think they also have been gone for quite awhile.

One amusing (well, to me) tidbit regarding this area; I read an old late-70s Long Island bosterism booklet, and they discussed this district and said it was down to only 3 cars a day. I guess back then that was considered insignificant, as opposed to the 0 cars a day generated nowadays...

I was lucky and witnessed the last shipment on that now abandoned trackage. A single LIRR MP-15 pushing a single off-white (Soo Line) box car to the concrete platform at an old lumber company (I forgot the name) north of the trestle on Rt. 110's west side. The lumber company no longer exists,

Not long after that the box car was gone and a LIRR MOW crew pulled up the two track railroad crossing distal to the lumber company and installed a bumper block. About two years later a LIRR crew removed part of the track proximal to this track and went back and pulled the bumper block.

Reminds me of the last Garden City-Mitchell Field Secondary delivery to White Rose across the trestle with a single MP-15 also... because we all suspected the end was near for both. The 1990's was a good time to be a railfan on LI.

I'm still mad that I didn't take any photos in the early / mid 70's. Was only 12 or 13 yrs old at the time but it still bugs me.

Same here John, I was about the same age at that time also. And also being too young in the mid '60s when I lived in Brooklyn, I lived near the Bay Ridge line and I used watch the New Haven and LIRR trains and my father used to take me down to the float bridges also. If only you could print the pictures in your mind!

Mike

thebatsignal wrote:I was lucky and witnessed the last shipment on that now abandoned trackage. A single LIRR MP-15 pushing a single off-white (Soo Line) box car to the concrete platform at an old lumber company (I forgot the name) north of the trestle on Rt. 110's west side. The lumber company no longer exists

Actually, that's exactly the company I was talking about above (Strober) - they certainly do exist, except now they're south of Conklin on Rte 110 (I think by the Crazy Donkey [ex Diesel; ex-ex-District] nightclub) - they are doing well and indeed growing by buying other building material firms.

http://www.strober.com/index.htm

Interesting (to me) tidbit - note the picture on the home page - yes, they are headquarters at Pier 3 in Brooklyn (which is slated to become part of the Dumbo Park); I see that location all the time from the BQE as it winds through Brooklyn Heights.

Strober has forsaken rail service altogether?

There is a JTSX (Joseph Transportation) hopper in the structure on the siding over in Farmingdale. There is also a cut of 5-7 of them on the siding that parallels the mainline. I just passed by there today after a week of being out of state, so they could have been there for a while.

20 cars/day is a *lot* of debris. Isn't Coastal the same customer that was taking CP rock trains at Prima? Will they continue to do so, and will the N. Hwy facility be able to unload rock trains?

rb

I past by the Pinelawn "yard" and there are 2 strings of mt hoppers on the north tracks. Guess they will be soon open for business.

Mike