M-1s during Grade Crossing Elimination Project

[MattAmity90]

Wow, that's tighter than what they did on the Babylon Branch at Massapequa Park, Amityville, Copiague, and Lindenhurst. The only stations I can think of that had that kind of clearance on the South Shore were Rockville Centre, Lynbrook (Which I'm guessing looked the same as Floral Park), and Valley Stream. Especially RVC, because they had a gauntlet track which eventually led to the February 17th, 1950 accident that claimed 29 lives. It was so tight that the tracks were right next to houses, and the construction of earth embankment. Massapequa Park should have seen these photos before wigging out about elevating the tracks in their area. I bet they would have said "Ok,go ahead were only dealing with 2 tracks, not 4." But now I can see why New Hyde Park and Mineola are in an uproar about this.

[Head-end View]

I don't know why New Hyde Pk. has a problem. It's only 2 tracks straight thru there, unlike Floral Park with 4 tracks. So Unlike Floral Pk, only one pair of temporary tracks would be needed. And the end result would look like Bellmore or Merrick.

Mineola would be a little more complex with the Oyster Bay Branch, but no worse than Hicksville was as long as the R.O.W. is only 2 tracks. And yes I was there as a kid watching the Hicksville project. It was very interesting and (chuckle!) the crossing watchmen used to chase us away. The result would look something like Hicksville station.

[LB]

Ok, here's a few Hicksville shots.

Hicksville 1963
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... w60_57.jpg

Hicksville 1963
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... g60_57.jpg

Hicksville 1964
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... g_12-1.jpg

Hicksville Aug 1961
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... -g60_3.jpg

Hicksville 1963
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... PBNvMf.jpg

Hicksville 1964
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... Ej3g_3.jpg

Hicksville 1963
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... sMEQ_3.jpg

[Head-end View]

Once again great old photos, and that's about how I remember it.

[MattAmity90]

Man that's even closer! That looks exactly like Babylon. Floral Park had the issue with the 4 tracks, Hicksville had to deal with 2 tracks, then after the station the divide interlocking switches and 4 temporary tracks. I can also see that the walkover bridge at Hicksville had that 45 degree angled jut that was either a staircase or support that I was talking about in the A/C/L segment.

[MattAmity90]

I don't know why New Hyde Pk. has a problem. It's only 2 tracks straight thru there, unlike Floral Park with 4 tracks. So Unlike Floral Pk, only one pair of temporary tracks would be needed. And the end result would look like Bellmore or Merrick.

Mineola would be a little more complex with the Oyster Bay Branch, but no worse than Hicksville was as long as the R.O.W. is only 2 tracks. And yes I was there as a kid watching the Hicksville project. It was very interesting and (chuckle!) the crossing watchmen used to chase us away. The result would look something like Hicksville station.

I've checked the geography of NHP, and there is a building that is in the way next to the Eastbound platform, but what I would do as an alternative is set up the temporary station like Massapequa Park. I would close the 12th street crossing (Like Unqua Road) to everyone and the temporary would start a little bit East of 12th street and go all the way to the Covert Ave crossing. The station would be over the northern street of the tracks. In the end, you would have a viaduct stretching from E of Floral Park to W of Merillon Avenue. New Hyde Park next to the tracks would look like Amityville, and the elevated would look exactly like Massapequa Park, Bellmore or Merrick, depending on the design.

As for Mineola, they said they can convert the Eastbound platform into an island platform, but as far as grade crossings go, they would get rid of the pedestrian crossing and set up a bridge for Willis Avenue since that is two crossings (One for the Main Line, the other for the Oyster Bay), as far as Main Street I would just do the same thing to it as the Pedestrian, cut it off to everyone, and turn that into a true interlocking. Roslyn Road has already been solved, the bridge is wide enough for three tracks.

[LB]

OK, now that everyone is an expert on Grade Crossings, here's the final exam. Name the 4 locations:

Location 1
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... Photo1.jpg

Location 2
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... Photo2.jpg

Location 3
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... Photo3.jpg

Location 4
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s48 ... Photo4.jpg

[Norton]

Location 3 is Herricks Rd.

[lirr42]

Might Location 1 be Roslyn Road?

[MACTRAXX]

LB: I will take my best shot here...

1-Roslyn Road-Mineola looking at a WB NY&A Freight...

2-New Hyde Park at Station Plaza...

3-Herricks Road Crossing during elimination project...

4-Higbie Lane in West Islip-Babylon Yard is in the background...

MACTRAXX

[MattAmity90]

LB I've got them.

Location 1: Roslyn Road (Mineola, eliminated in 2008).

Location 2: 12th Street (New Hyde Park).

Location 3: Herricks Road (Mineola during it's elimination due to only being 2 lanes as opposed to 4 lanes when the 1982 tragedy occurred, and eliminated in 1998).

Location 4: Higbie Lane (West Islip, East of the Babylon Yard, it's the first grade crossing on the line going East).

I saw photos of Herricks Road from 1961 and a couple of others. Someone said that the crossing had duel-planked gates that were painted red and white in the 80's all the way until they started the elimination in the mid 90's. Was Herricks Road a 4 lane crossing like New Hyde Park Road, and from what I see in the photo, a 2 lane Roslyn Road carbon copy while it was being eliminated?

[MattAmity90]

Now I have a little exam for you. Can you name these grade crossings?

[MattAmity90]

Here's Location 4

[LB]

For the MattAmity90 quiz, my best guesses are:
Location 1: Covert Ave (Hempstead Branch)
Location 2: Little Neck Pkwy, Little Neck
Location 3: Dubois Ave, Gibson
Location 4: Wellwood Ave, Pinelawn

[MattAmity90]

For the MattAmity90 quiz, my best guesses are:
Location 1: Covert Ave (Hempstead Branch)
Location 2: Little Neck Pkwy, Little Neck
Location 3: Dubois Ave, Gibson
Location 4: Wellwood Ave, Pinelawn

That's it! Congrats you got 100% LB, the only difference now is that Little Neck Parkway is now a fully 4 quadrant gated crossing, while that photo was when it had two long gates and two puny pedestrian gates before the Quiet Zone was put in place.

Did I get all 4 guesses correct on yours'?