Railroad Forums 

  • The East Side Access Project Discussion (ESA)

  • 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

 #1533140  by SRich
 
photobug56 wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 5:38 pm Would it be safe to say that they are installing PTC?
Yes,

The signal posted in the link looks like an NYCT signal. :wink: I thought that the LIRR was using simple signals for interlocking only. But the signal is a normal red, yellow, green, perhaps because of the connection to Harold Interlocking ?
 #1533190  by Head-end View
 
I too wondered about the use of that type of signal head. But it is similar to what's used in the Penn Station tunnels. I'm hoping that the new LIRR Reduced-Aspect Signals are only going to be used on the less heavily travelled eastern part of the railroad. We should know in the next two years or so with the completion of ESA and the Third Track Project in Nassau County.
 #1533314  by ExCon90
 
There's a post by backshophoss on Mar. 29, 2019 that reduced aspect wayside signals will be installed in the ESA tunnels. I haven't seen anything that indicates what these aspects are--are they the same as on Metro North, or different? (There's an amber light on the signal shown in the link, but not on MN.)
 #1533346  by Head-end View
 
Duplicating Metro-North's simple signals would have been the way to go, but LIRR had to re-invent the wheel. They came up with their own set of color-light dwarf signal aspects that look like none ever seen before. I'm told the train crews hate them. There's a chart floating around out there. Try searching Google; I know I've seen it.
 #1533457  by Backshophoss
 
Harold is an Amtrak interlocking,uses CPL and color light signals with NORAC aspects
LIRR seems to use RAS style signals for temporary installations and the ESA trackage,LIRR might change all signals to RAS over time,
to get a standard signal across the RR.
 #1533492  by Head-end View
 
I don't think LIRR uses RAS for temporary installations. You're probably thinking of pedestal signals which display conventional position-light aspects on a smaller low-mounted set of signal heads. Those are used during construction projects and for permanent installations where space is limited. The only place RAS are in use so far to my knowledge is between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma.
 #1541249  by NIMBYkiller
 
I've been scouring the internet for an answer, but I can't find it, so I ask here: How long will it take a train to reach GCT? It's currently scheduled 10 minutes between Woodside and NYP. What will it be from Woodside to GCT?
 #1541251  by photobug56
 
All sorts of unanswered questions on ESA. Back in 1996, LIRR gave a tour of the east end of the 63rd St LIRR tunnel to the ESA Citizens Task Force,of which I was a member. I asked an official questions. I walked away thinking they hoped for a 2006 opening, with Port Jeff riders transferring across the platform at the then planned Sunnyside station / transfer point. That will never happen. I've since asked LIRR how we would transfer - no answer. One might suspect that the transfer for some trains from diesel country will be so slow and onerous it will only be worth it in avoiding paying a subway fare. As to your question, it shouldn't take long, especially given brand new track and PTC, etc. But back in 1996 I asked another question - why couldn't LIRR diesel trains go direct, and they told me that the tunnel was about 3 inches not tall enough. Other things I've heard since suggest that there are spots with very tight clearances. It makes me wonder why they did not design the DE's, DM's, and C3's not to fit - except for other possibly planned clearance problems. SO I wonder how many problems that would make for much slower transit to GCT may exist. Does anyone have any knowledge here?
 #1541284  by Jeff Smith
 
They were never going to run any DM equipment in there, it was always meant for the M-Series (although probably the M-1's, not so many versions later!). As for time from Jamaica into GCT vs. NYP, I'd imagine it would be much better given the traffic competition from Amtrak and NJT at NYP.
 #1541286  by photobug56
 
Why would they have not retained the option for running DM's and C3's through there? That meant that from day 1 they knew they were screwing diesel country passengers. Of course, from what I've observed, there were at least some LIRR officials (one of them eventually becoming LIRR pres) who still believed that it was all farm country still past Huntington and Babylon. A big part of why they never electrified certain lines, let alone double tracked them.
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