by bellstbarn
Yesterday, I awaited the 10 a.m. westbound at Wantagh, train 57, Wednesday December 15, 2004. Surprise! A five-car dual-mode stopped for us, 500 leading and 516 on the rear. A few people boarding along the way seemed surprised to find a stairway inside the car, but the five cars handled the crowd. I asked a ticket collector how we earned this set. The reply was something like, "Trouble on the Main Line caused a shortage of equipment." Only guessing, at Penn Station they needed an eastbound to Babylon sometime earlier and the nearest empty train was this DM. But it was funny to look down on Kew Gardens station and it seemed like a low-level platform. Because of banging when we left stations, I suspect 516 was pushing. We arrived at Penn, track 20, 7 minutes late, and the signs there said "West Side Yard."