LIRR Mainline Third Track Project

[MattAmity90]

Major news released today regarding ANOTHER bridge installation just as another one will be installed this coming weekend.

Obviously this weekend (July 11th-12th) the Main Line will be out between Jamaica and Mineola to box-jack the New Hyde Park Road bridge into place, marking a major milestone in the project which will then see the road reopened in September. Now, while that will happen, School Street is under heavy excavation and just 4 months after they closed the road they say that on the weekend of September 13th-14th the Main Line will have no train service between Hicksville and Mineola because they will box-jack the bridge at School Street. Afterwards, I'm guessing the road will reopen a few weeks after my birthday (born on October 24th hitting the big 3-0) and being completed in November.

[nyandw]

LIRR Today
The days of NASSAU Tower, which stands just east of Mineola station in the path of the new third track being installed as part of the Main Line Grade Crossing Elimination Project, are numbered. Reports indicate that the block operator at NASSAU will be relocated out of the tower as soon as this Saturday morning at the start of this weekend's 48-hour outage for the installation of the new New Hyde Park Road overpass. The block operator would be relocated to the Jamaica Control Center building, south of the tracks in Jamaica. Train 665, the 11:22p train from Port Jefferson, is scheduled to be the last train to pass the tower just after midnight on Saturday morning. Demolition would take place at some point this year or early next year. NASSAU Tower would be the second tower to close this year as part of the railroad's effort to advance Centralized Train Control (CTC). QUEENS Tower closed back in January, and after this weekend, there will be just five towers remaining in operation on the LIRR.

[Head-end View]

Does anyone know if there will be any new interlockings or crossovers as part of the project? Or will the existing interlockings just be expanded to include the additional track? I asked about this in the separate Nassau Tower thread also.

And as part of the resignalling with those Reduced Aspect Signals, how far east will that go? Will it include some or all of Divide Interlocking?

[MNCRR9000]

LIRR Today
The days of NASSAU Tower, which stands just east of Mineola station in the path of the new third track being installed as part of the Main Line Grade Crossing Elimination Project, are numbered. Reports indicate that the block operator at NASSAU will be relocated out of the tower as soon as this Saturday morning at the start of this weekend's 48-hour outage for the installation of the new New Hyde Park Road overpass. The block operator would be relocated to the Jamaica Control Center building, south of the tracks in Jamaica. Train 665, the 11:22p train from Port Jefferson, is scheduled to be the last train to pass the tower just after midnight on Saturday morning. Demolition would take place at some point this year or early next year. NASSAU Tower would be the second tower to close this year as part of the railroad's effort to advance Centralized Train Control (CTC). QUEENS Tower closed back in January, and after this weekend, there will be just five towers remaining in operation on the LIRR.

Going to be sad to Nassau Tower go but such is the price of progress. You mention 5 towers are remaining which are Divide, Valley, and Babylon but I can’t think of the other two?
Are there any plans to move Divide into the JCC?

[NYR99]

Brook Tower in Atlantic Terminal, and Lead Tower in Long Beach.

[nyandw]

Photo Updates: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/3rd%20 ... roject.htm

[LB]

Isn't Harold tower is still active?

[Backshophoss]

Harold is remoted to PSCC , under Amtrak/LIRR joint control.

[MattAmity90]

Seeing the pictures from this past weekend offer a look into the future, but the demolition of what we have all seen throughout our lives between Hicksville and Floral Park. While I am glad that a third track is on track, and I look forward to the new infrastructure, improvements in stations, accommodations, and traffic, some are leaving tears in our eyes.

With NASSAU closing, a staple of Mineola for the last 100 years, it will not be the same along the ROW without that tower. I hope that in the years afterwards they display a historical marker and photo of the former tower and what it was like before improvements were made.

If you thought the grade crossing eliminations at Covert Avenue and Urban Avenue amazed me with how rapidly the roads were closed and reopened in less than 9 months, the work on eliminating New Hyde Park Road was astounding seeing that it was a grade crossing five months ago, and now a bridge span goes over the four-lane road. The sheer technology, fastidiousness, and determination even though we are in the midst of the worst health crisis in a century is bar none. When I was born in 1990 it would take 2+ years to eliminate a crossing, and now in 2019-2021 it takes less than that. At NHP Road though, I'm going to miss the out of sync warning bells that actually make a catchy beat but it is for the best, and when it comes to safety I fully understand. As a little souvenir memory, here's my 8-year old self in 1999 at Mineola with the NASSAU tower behind me. I'm going to miss the landscape.

55483220_10213803366226632_178772477483155456_n.jpg

Matthew, age 8, in front of NASSAU 1999.
(74.88 KiB) Downloaded 1532 times

[Head-end View]

Good photo MattAmity90. Years from now you'll fondly remember watching the evolution of the third track project. I have similar great memories of projects going on when I was growing up in the 1950's and 60's. Those included the Hicksville crossing elimination and elevated station. And watching the incredible highway expansions that were happening such as the L.I.E. being built thru Nassau County and the rebuilding and widening of numerous main County and State roads. Have fun; enjoy what you're witnessing!

[scopelliti]

What is the purpose of the red signal to the upper left of the top position light? Stop for orders?

[Backshophoss]

Train Order signal,if lit the operator "hooped up" to train crew

[Head-end View]

Correct. That flashing red light is called an "order board". If you are listening to the tower frequency (Ch.3 for Divide, Ch.1 for all others) you will hear the engineer as he approaches say over the air to the block operator: "Train xxxx acknowledging your order board", meaning that he sees it and will stop to pick up the order.

[RidingSolo]

Took a walk down New Hyde Park Road last night and took this picture (looking south).

[MACTRAXX]

RS: Good picture of the New Hyde Park Road overpass just moved into place.
Third Track Construction is making serious progress there with one of the most
important grade crossing eliminations of the entire project - Wonder what NHP
Village officials think of this progress and with Covert Avenue fully complete.
Remember that NHP Village was once one of the leading opponents of the LIRR
Expansion Project in the past...

Everyone: Has anyone taken note to the changes this past week at Mineola Station?
During last week's two day track outage the platform slabs on both Platforms A and
B were completely removed from the east end of the temporary platforms practically
all the way to the Mineola Boulevard bridge. Excavation has begun of the soil that was
below Platform B to level off the ground for the new third track to be added there.
The pedestrian bridge between platforms has been removed.

As we have all taken note to changes are happening - on sometimes a day-to-day basis.
The Third Track Project continues on...MACTRAXX