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  • Freeport - Opening Day after Grade 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

 #1560978  by nyandw
 
Grade Crossing Elimination Project: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/crossi ... ations.htm
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John Scala's "Diesels of the Sunrise Trail", page 81: "...PORT Tower to the left, was brand new with fresh dirt at the right and freshly-ballasted track in this 10/08/1960, per G.O. #709, photo and LIRR #2008, brings the first train past it to inaugurate the Freeport grade crossing elimination project.." Photo: Arthur L. Mirick Collection: Harold Fagerberg Note the Dashing Dan logo affixed to the front nose.

"PORT" Tower in service per G.O. #709. 10/11/1960 Info: Dave Keller
 #1561036  by MattAmity90
 
Man what a mess with all the soil they used, and the fact it was winter time when the photo was taken. I'm thinking that the crossing in the background was Henry Street?

Fact: At this point in the Babylon Branch grade crossing elimination project:

1.) The only elevated station East of Freeport that was elevated on the branch was Massapequa (1953).
2.) Babylon would be the next station to undergo elevation, from 1962-1964.
3.) Aside from Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, and Massapequa, Babylon was the only station with high-level platforms (which Babylon always had after the branch was electrified in 1925).

Still to this day 60 years later when you look at the station, it's in fine shape. Although the rehabilitation that is going on at Lynbrook will have to be applied to Freeport because the concrete is going, they have to check the integrity of the viaduct, and the fact that the station is known for having several gap incidents for years in the past.

I can back up the October 8th, 1960 date because I googled images of the project and it states "Governor Rockefeller dedicated the grand opening of the station on October 8th, 1960.

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 #1561194  by Kilgore Trout
 
MattAmity90 wrote:3.) Aside from Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, and Massapequa, Babylon was the only station with high-level platforms (which Babylon always had after the branch was electrified in 1925).
Why were those the only ones? My guess is that they probably had the highest traffic on the branch?
 #1561205  by newkirk
 
Two images of Freeport during elevation focusing on temporary tracks.
Photos: Steve Zabel collection

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Jones Beach bus and holy cow, is that a Buick Invicta ?
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 #1561244  by krispy
 
Bathroom is now used by signal and track . It did have the backup in the '90s but then after the vandalism to old B Tower the backups were kept in a more secure location. Being close to a parkway and on a stop that even most flyers made, it was a popular job as once the rush was over you could "fleet" up the signals and stop thinking unless something happened, TC move, etc. Now controlled by Valley.
 #1561264  by Head-end View
 
newkirk wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 8:29 am Two images of Freeport during elevation focusing on temporary tracks.
Photos: Steve Zabel collection

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Jones Beach bus and holy cow, is that a Buick Invicta ?
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Looks Like a '59 Buick. And a 1950's GM bus. Still using the old manually operated gates during construction.
 #1561294  by MattAmity90
 
Kilgore Trout wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:50 pm
MattAmity90 wrote:3.) Aside from Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, and Massapequa, Babylon was the only station with high-level platforms (which Babylon always had after the branch was electrified in 1925).
Why were those the only ones? My guess is that they probably had the highest traffic on the branch?
It's because those stations (aside from Babylon) were already elevated, and having a low-level island platform is dangerous. When they elevated those stations they were converted to one single high-level island platform because trains could now speed through without sounding their horns, and the loading and unloading was much faster not having to use the steps. Babylon was always high-level after it was electrified because it was transfer point. Babylon is where the electrification ends, and people had to transfer to a diesel for Patchogue, Speonk, and Montauk and vise versa. High-level again to make the transfers and the "Spanish Solution" quick and easy.
 #1561476  by bill613A
 
The train that inaugurated the Freeport station was multitasking that day. It had originated in Seaford and made stops in Wantagh, Bellmore and Merrick operating as a whistle stop campaign train for the 1960 Republican ticket. Governor Nelson Rockefeller was pinch hitting for Richard Nixon and was accompanied by various local politicians. I viewed the proceedings in Merrick and it was quite a show. The power to the third rail had been shut off as the crowds mobbed the area near the open end observation car to listen to Rockefeller's remarks. For me the big attraction was the lead locomotive as most trains thru Merrick were the electric MUs.

IIRC this was the last whistle stop train to run on the LIRR.