On the lookout for unusual moves in Queens

So now that my interest has been peaked here is my question. As I stated in my other post I live in between Forest Hills and Kew Gardens and have a view from the bend in Kew Gardens all the way west towards the city. So besides the usual cars M7's and M3's and the diesel engines are there any other intersting cars or events that I should look out for? Do they ever use any of those tracks to move any freight related items?

Thanks for any info !!

well, you can see the Harold protect pass by usually before 4PM and roughly after 8 PM. It usually consists of two E10's or what some know as the SW1000's. The Sperry Rail car is moving around the property, but it would be impossible to predict if it will pass a certain location at a certain time, (certainly not during peak hours). Otherwise, there is very little chance of catching something odd on that part of the RR.

If you are still there in March, there will be the circus train again.

thanks for the info... I do see two engines move down the tracks at about the times indicated they are usually numbered 102/104 I believe. What is the Harold protect? And what do these engines actually do? Sorry for all the questions just got my interest peaked and now I'm watching the railroad a lot.

Another question why do some trains come by with a diesel pulling the cars and nothing at the end and other trains come by with a diesel on both ends...is there a rational for this?

Thanks again in advance[/quote]

102/104 SW1001 painted in grey/orange- they are the Harold Protect engines.

trains with only 1 engine on the front. theses are usally train from HPA or LIC, Diesel only, usally #'s 400-423 maby a 500series from time to time.

trains with diesels on Both ends, these are the DMs Dual Modes. they are the diesels that can switch to full eletric mode to access NYP.

the rest are just you usal eletrics Budd built M1 and M3 cars and Bomb built M7's.

every now and then your MOW trains may come through.

No freight on the main west of Jamaica. All LI freight uses the lower montauk because the yard is in Fresh Pond.

qnscanner wrote: What is the Harold protect? And what do these engines actually do?

They protect the East River tunnels. If a train breaksdown and can't move under it's own power, they will be brought in to move the train out of the way. They have the proper couplers and electronincs to connect to a diesel or M1/3 train.

Another question why do some trains come by with a diesel pulling the cars and nothing at the end and other trains come by with a diesel on both ends...is there a rational for this?

If there is only one diesel locomotive on the train set , there will be a cab car at the other end. A cab car allows full control of the train set and has an engineer's station in it.

mkm4 wrote:If you are still there in March, there will be the circus train again.

The Circus Train uses the Main Line? I thought it was via Montauk.

Yeah, it gets parked in on the Mitchell Field Ext.