HICKSVILLE-RONKONKOMA ELECTRIFICATION 1987-2007 20 YEARS!

[newkirk]

Mactraxx wrote:This topic previously notes on page 1 when service began - you did not check back before posting
incorrect information concerning the start of the Ronkonkoma electrified service.

What information was incorrect ?

[MACTRAXX]

December 28th, 1987: Project is completed with select electric service increasing by the day. Electric service now begins at Ronkonkoma, Central Islip, Brentwood, Deer Park, Wyandanch, and Pinelawn.
January 1st, 1988: The increase in electric service is completed, and people start responding in droves to its maximum with electric service taken over 80% of service.

NK: This was the incorrect information posted. All that was needed was to simply look on page 1 -
(or page 3 up above) to find the correct information about the interim service that was provided for
three weeks initially at the completion of the Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification 30 years ago.

To further clarify - 12/28/1987: An interim schedule with five Ronkonkoma electric runs begins.
Two AM Peak westbound and two PM Peak eastbound trips along with a 8PM westbound operated.
These trains ran on weekdays only and was in effect for three weeks.

1/18/1988 - Full 7 day electric service begins to and from Ronkonkoma.

MACTRAXX

[MattAmity90]

Timeline of Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification project that lasts from 1985-1987:

Late 1984-1985: Contracts are awarded and the electrification project gets the green light.
April 30th, 1987: Electric service begins at Bethpage.
June 13th, 1987: Third rail is activated on June 13th at 12:10 AM.
June 22nd, 1987: Electric service begins at Farmingdale.
Summer-Winter 1987: Electrification project continues in Suffolk County to Ronkonkoma.
December 28th, 1987: First revenue electric service begins with the project completed at Ronkonkoma.
December 28th, 1987-January 17th, 1988: Interim electric service for 3 weeks, with diesel and electric both in service.
January 18th, 1988-PRESENT DAY: Electric service goes from interim to full-time 7 days a week. Commuters respond in droves (including some Port Jefferson Branch customers in diesel territory).

August 2015: Double-Track project breaks ground, a project that will add a second electrified track from Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale.
August 2016: NTC lays the second track at a mile a day for the 4-mile stretch from West of Ronkonkoma to East of Deer Park for Phase I, with prep work underway for Phase II.
December 2017: NTC lays the second track from Peters Blvd. crossing to East of Brentwood. NTC also begins work West of Deer Park (not sure how far it went now). All grade crossings East of Farmingdale have been converted from one to two track crossings. Crucial work begins with Pinelawn having the decorative awning razed.
January 2018: All weekends will not see train service, what they will do I don't know.

[newkirk]

Mactraxx,

Thanks for the info regarding those pics I posted.

Initially I thought I posted an error in my post but it seems I was mistake.

[MACTRAXX]

NK: No problem - your pictures and recollection were very helpful to this topic.
That first 4/30/1987 Bethpage train was a pure M3 set - back then M1 and M3 MUs were not run
together in the same trains.

MA90: June 13, 1987 is when third rail power was activated east of Merritts Road into Farmingdale.
June 22, 1987 is when electrified revenue service was extended from Bethpage to Farmingdale.
There was a nine day test period before extended electric service to Farmingdale began.

All that you have to do is reread and check back in this topic to find the correct information.
There is only four pages and 50 posts here. This subject is not that elaborate.
MACTRAXX

[MattAmity90]

NK: No problem - your pictures and recollection were very helpful to this topic.
That first 4/30/1987 Bethpage train was a pure M3 set - back then M1 and M3 MUs were not run
together in the same trains.

MA90: June 13, 1987 is when third rail power was activated east of Merritts Road into Farmingdale.
June 22, 1987 is when electrified revenue service was extended from Bethpage to Farmingdale.
There was a nine day test period before extended electric service to Farmingdale began.

All that you have to do is reread and check back in this topic to find the correct information.
There is only four pages and 50 posts here. This subject is not that elaborate.
MACTRAXX

Looked at all the dates, I got them. I've been having trouble remembering dates for some reason, and I never factored in the testing. I'm probably guessing they did the same thing when Babylon Branch stations were elevated. Except in that case they cut one track off at both ends from the temporary to main, with the other in service. I'm going to post if they did that in another one of my posts.

[MattAmity90]

Today January 18th, 2018 officially marks 30 YEARS of full-time electric service to and from Ronkonkoma. In 1988, after going through an interim schedule from December 28th, 1987 for electrics, on January 18th full-time electric service began and replaced many trains that were diesel before. Thirty-years later as the branch undergoes the overdue Double-Track to relieve bottlenecks, the response of the electrification is staggering. With the Babylon Branch being the busiest yearly ever since they were electrified over 90 years ago in 1925 (Even during the elevation of the ENTIRE line) with a ridership of 64,000 passengers, the Ronkonkoma Branch became the runner-up with a whopping 48,000 passengers. I'm sure that the branch will give King Babylon a battle for the crown with the second track over the next thirty years. Will the Ronkonkoma Branch be the last electrification project in the LIRR's soon to be 184 year history? My answer is NO!

382920_2239927845972_1475335350_n.jpg

Credit for the photo goes to Tom Beckett.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Here's the timetable from grand opening day, 1/18/88.

The M-1 in the Beckett photo above is 9401, future sandite car.
A special train ran as well.

[MattAmity90]

Here's the timetable from grand opening day, 1/18/88.

The M-1 in the Beckett photo above is 9401, future sandite car.
A special train ran as well.

Interesting fact about 9401, I had no idea it became future Sandite car E401. We all know the timetables even though I wouldn't be brought into this world for another 2 years. They had mugs, coasters, and I think tokens/coins to commemorate the completion. If there is one thing I want to witness at some point in my life and I hope it happens aside from East Side Access, it is the electrification of a branch or part of a branch if they do decide to pursue a project like that.

[MattAmity90]

Here's the timetable from grand opening day, 1/18/88.

The M-1 in the Beckett photo above is 9401, future sandite car.
A special train ran as well.

Interesting fact about 9401, I had no idea it became future Sandite car E401. We all know the timetables even though I wouldn't be brought into this world for another 2 years. They had mugs, coasters, and I think tokens/coins to commemorate the completion. If there is one thing I want to witness at some point in my life and I hope it happens aside from East Side Access, it is the electrification of a branch or part of a branch if they do decide to pursue a project like that. I just saw the photo of the special train, M3 car #9773 still with a blue stripe. Third M3 ever constructed (9771-9946)(9891-9892 are now 9945-9946 which should have been destroyed because they are the Ferguson cars).

LIRR 9773 west Ronkonkoma 01181988.jpg

[BuddR32]

Here's the timetable from grand opening day, 1/18/88.

The M-1 in the Beckett photo above is 9401, future sandite car.
A special train ran as well.

Interesting fact about 9401, I had no idea it became future Sandite car E401. We all know the timetables even though I wouldn't be brought into this world for another 2 years. They had mugs, coasters, and I think tokens/coins to commemorate the completion. If there is one thing I want to witness at some point in my life and I hope it happens aside from East Side Access, it is the electrification of a branch or part of a branch if they do decide to pursue a project like that. I just saw the photo of the special train, M3 car #9773 still with a blue stripe. Third M3 ever constructed (9771-9946)(9891-9892 are now 9945-9946 which should have been destroyed because they are the Ferguson cars).

LIRR 9773 west Ronkonkoma 01181988.jpg

Why should they have been destroyed? I've noticed this trend in recent years that if there is a tragedy at a certain place, that place is often demolished because of what happened there. While I can see it may be appropriate in a situation like the elementary school, but not all situations is it appropriate or practical. The LIRR made the right decision to renumber the cars, but to scrap them, I am not sure I can agree with that.

As for 9401 it is still in use as a sandite car, it became a candidate for that after being involved in a fire, (which was actually in the car it was coupled to at the time)
The other M1 sandite 9591 was involved in the accident where the MU train hit a crane, you can see the damage in the carbody where it was struck buy the crane as it spun around after being struck by 9592, which was destroyed.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Interesting fact about 9401, I had no idea it became future Sandite car E401.just saw the photo of the special train, M3 car #9773 still with a blue stripe. Third M3 ever constructed (9771-9946)(9891-9892 are now 9945-9946 which should have been destroyed because they are the Ferguson cars.

Why should they have been destroyed? I've noticed this trend in recent years that if there is a tragedy at a certain place, that place is often demolished because of what happened there. While I can see it may be appropriate in a situation like the elementary school, but not all situations is it appropriate or practical. The LIRR made the right decision to renumber the cars, but to scrap them, I am not sure I can agree with that. As for 9401 it is still in use as a sandite car, it became a candidate for that after being involved in a fire, (which was actually in the car it was coupled to at the time)
The other M1 sandite 9591 was involved in the accident where the MU train hit a crane, you can see the damage in the carbody where it was struck buy the crane as it spun around after being struck by 9592, which was destroyed.

Columbine School was not demolished, but rebuilt after the shooting incident, so was the Aurora theater. And even rail equipment wrecked in fatal incidents (NJT 4219, MNCR 225 for instance)have been rebuilt and return to service.

Regarding 9401, has the M3 sandite (9775) been in service yet?

[nyandw]

Perhaps I need an update to this page! http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/Ronkon ... cation.htm
Comments welcome!

[R36 Combine Coach]

I recall somewhere the M-3s were purchased for the Main Line electrification, as added ridership was anticipated, with 174 cars added to the M-1 fleet. 30 years later these added cars ended up creating an oddball minority fleet with the M-7s.

[MattAmity90]

I recall somewhere the M-3s were purchased for the Main Line electrification, as added ridership was anticipated, with 174 cars added to the M-1 fleet. 30 years later these added cars ended up creating an oddball minority fleet with the M-7s.

M3 cars numbered 9771-9944, and I don't need to go into detail about the Ferguson cars. As of today I can think of two M3 cars in which they were taken out of service or converted: M3 car 9870 was destroyed in the Brentwood incident with the front completely melted from the fiery collision, and M3 car 9775 is now a Sandite car. The Ferguson cars are still in service, and we all know that.