Massapequa and Wantagh Station Renovations

[pineywoodsman]

Starting with the May schedule change, platform work moves to overnights as tie work takes over the midday outages, which are extended to run PORT-AMITYVILLE.

So this project will put in new concrete ties & rail out to Amityville?
Once again the Babylon is always getting the best while everything else is neglected. I know they probably won't install new ties & rail on the Main until the Third Track Project but they should at least have Concrete ties out to Floral Park (they currently end just east of Queens Village), and also the Huntington Branch between Hicksville & Huntington should have concrete ties, so far I've seen track work but they usually just do selective tie replacement and sadly replace them with more antiquated wood. These are some busy parts of the railroad that carry alot of traffic and some of these wood ties are in bad shape. Not sure about PW but they should have concrete too. Not sure why Babylon always gets the new stuff first?
At least the 4 major branches should be all concrete by now. Plus the Atlantic Branch between Valley & Jamaica. Concrete is more reliable & lasts longer and just looks nicer.

[MattAmity90]

I think Mineola is scheduled to get concrete ties, but that is taking one track out of service to do so. Guarantee you this:

1.) When the Post Avenue project is underway, they will put concrete ties in as fast as they can.
2.) During the Hicksville rehabilitation that is underway, boom Track 1 is now concrete ties.

Bellstbarn made my day the other day with those pictures because I missed my home, and the fact my maternal grandparents lived in Wantagh, my Mom was raised there, I was raised there for a few years, and I spent essentially 2-3 days out of every week and for a few hours everyday there.

[bellstbarn]

Train 2735 (Speonk to Hunterspoint), which leaves Bay Shore at 6:25 a.m., has for years been a regular Track 2 express through Wantagh, usually passing at good speed about 6:42. Track 2 is available for about 90 minutes each weekday morning for westbound service. In recent weeks we have seen three or four diesel trains head west on Track 1 after Track 2 again has eastbounds. I have not been able to identify these trains, as I notice them only when I'm doing errands. We in Wantagh do see diesels on weekends regularly. On Friday afternoons, the Cannonball goes east, about 5:20 p.m. Train 2709 has had a regular slot on the montauk Division Monday to Friday.
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I wonder whether the additional diesel trains westbound through Wantagh in the morning rush are because of construction in Hicksville. Are only 2 tracks available through Hicksville station? I'll have to get up there osme day to check out the work.
Thanks.
Joe

[Amtrak7]

The following westbound trains have been diverted Montauk to reduce congestion caused by the Hicksville rehab, which closes 1 station. There are no direct conflicts, but the fewer trains the better when flexibility is limited.

2737, 2739, 2743, 8707 (Sunday extra)

[bellstbarn]

Wantagh LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Later, train 1152 arrived ("Wantagh, last stop") a minute early, and 107 passengers descended the stairway near the ticket office. About 55 riders awaited the 5:59 to Penn Station.

Wantagh LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

[MattAmity90]

It's beautiful! Well, it looks like the difficult aspect of Phase I is complete by having the entire new platform fully installed. Now they have to put up the canopy supports, the canopies themselves, signs, lights, billboards, elevator is coming off nicely, and of course the new waiting room with stairwells. All of that is easy compared to replacing the entire platform (CHECK!). Thank you for making my day Bellstbarn.

[bellstbarn]

Wantagh NY LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Wantagh NY LIRR elevator by sphoto33, on Flickr

Wantagh four buses to football at Meadowlands by sphoto33, on Flickr

[MattAmity90]

Wow! So it looks like the canopy color for Wantagh will be the same as Seaford with it being RED. It's coming along swiftly, and quickly.

[bellstbarn]

Wantagh 11.9.2017 by sphoto33, on Flickr

Both east-half canopies have been erected. Their light fixtures and other accessories are being installed. As beforehand, the canopy east of Beech Street covers the stairway, but the platform does not extend to the end of the canopy. The rusted 28 milepost can be detected there. The date is November 9, 2017.

[MattAmity90]

Just the way I like it, and keeping the original design since the old platform did not extend to the end of the canopy either. Looks like station is going to be a twin like Seaford with the color red, since the stations were elevated at the same time. It's also hard to believe that 8 years ago, Seaford was rehabilitated. Any expected date or time in which the East half will be finished? (not including the elevator which will be about a week or two after it goes into the service).

[KT3]

While boarding at the Wantagh station this morning, myself and several other commuters noticed that the workers were digging up large parts of the recently poured new platform. It appeared as though water had gotten into the concrete and then froze as whole sections of the platform had large cracks in them.

Hopefully this won't delay the Wantagh station and platform rebuild project beyond the already several months' delay. Either way, somebody clearly screwed something up ...

[MattAmity90]

Really, I wonder how they are going to fix that? My guess is demolish the cracked areas and pour again. We've been rehabilitating these stations for decades and I've never heard anything like that ever happen. One thing came to my my mind and that is Wantagh's station is located extremely close to the water or maybe there is something wrong with the viaduct.

[workextra]

That would be a badly rusted out MP26. The numbers are barely visible up close.
Wantgh would be MP25.99 but it’s easier to call it MP26 at that.
As for the location of MP28z it should be around the east end of Massapequa station. One of the few missing or badly damaged mile post between MP9 Jamaica and Montauk. MP115 (east end of high platform also missing)
Suprisingly many mile post are intact. More so then on the mainline which lacks many or they’re badly defaced.

As for he bad concrete. You get what you pay for. They cheap always pay More.

[MattAmity90]

I just want one of my home town's railroad station's to lick brand new that should have had the facelift immediately after its Sister Seaford was finished! Is that too much to ask? I'm not angry, I'm upset not as a commuter but from a man who grew up with the railroad, a symbol of his life, I feel bad for the station.

As far as the power lines that are adjacent to the viaducts (erector set East of Freeport to Lindenhurst), they have withstood the test of time and I don't see them being replaced any time soon. The metal ones built in Pittsburgh near Woodside and Harold Interlocking were replaced with erector set metal poles because of ESA.

[bellstbarn]

IMG_0534 by sphoto33, on Flickr
In a bitter cold wind, I could not linger to watch the work. It sounded like a pneumatic drill breaking concrete, as described in previous posts by others. A spectator must be careful about passing trains.

IMG_0537 by sphoto33, on Flickr
With horns and lower speeds, trains were using both tracks.

IMG_0539 by sphoto33, on Flickr

I wonder the purpose of these vents near the staircase.