Farmingdale 3rd rail activation sign 6/13/1987 Photo/Archive: William
Gilligan, Capt. US Navy, Ret. |
Farmingdale-Ronkonkoma electrification third rail notice 1/1988
Archive: Bill Mangahas |
Ronkonkoma
Electrification Project
completed
December 28th, 1987
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The Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification project began with the June 8, 1985 schedule
change.
Electric service to Bethpage began on April 30th and Farmingdale on June 22,
1987. A limited interim
electric service to Ronkonkoma began on December 28, 1987 with January 18, 1988
being when full electric service to Ronkonkoma began. Research: Dave Keller
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Timeline of Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification
Project - 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 14th, 1987: Test Run - Officials on board
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
Jeff 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.
Matthew Kobel
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Brochure/Timetables
effective during the Project
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Brochure issued during the start of the electrification
program effective June 17, 1985 Archive: John Volpi
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Inside portion of timetable effective January
18, 1988, indicating the start of full electric train service.
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Timetable issued during the
electrification program, effective
May 18 and June 22, 1987
First Day Electrified Service to Farmingdale 6/22/1987
Photo/Archive: Bill Mangahas |
Timetable issued to mark the
completion of the electrification program, effective January 18, 1988 and a
revised schedule effective March 14, 1988.
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Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification
First Test Run - 12/14/1987 |
Prior to the first revenue run of the
Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification
Project on December 28th, 1987, a test/trial
ran utilizing M3 #9826 on the head end with Management/Officials on board. |
M3 First Test Run eastbound at Brentwood
12/14/1987 Photo/Archive: Ed Hand
Note: Officials on board |
M3 First Test Run eastbound at Ronkonkoma Ave.
12/14/1987
Photo/Archive: Ed Hand |
M3 First Test Run arrival at Ronkonkoma Station (KO) -
view NW 12/14/1987
Photo/Archive: Ed Hand |
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"...Twenty years ago-Tomorrow morning December 28th,
1987 - The first electric trains ran from and back to
Ronkonkoma signaling the completion of the Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification running on a three week interim schedule. There were two rush hour runs scheduled in each rush hour also a WB run leaving KO at around 8pm was an electric run also. The first run left KO at 6:40 am-I boarded to ride at Central Islip at 6:46 and rode that train to Wyandanch were I got off and waited for the second train and watched trains go thru there until 8:51 am when I boarded the second train to
Penn Station, NY. En-route, I was interviewed by a reporter for News 12 Long Island and when I got home that night I taped the report on the first KO electric runs-I still have the videotape stored in my home someplace.
NEWSDAY on December 29th did a good write-up on those first day runs-with a cover picture at KO with the word ELECTRIFYING.
I consider the Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification one of the most significant LIRR improvements of my
lifetime; certainly of the 80s for sure. It was completed on time and in budget and was successful right from the start of service-the branch ridership grew enormously from 1988 on. In closing it is hard to believe it has been twenty years since Ronkonkoma Branch electric service
started!..." Mike McEnaney
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New Electric Yard Ronkonkoma 12/1987
Photos/Archive/Info: Dave Keller
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New Electric Yard Ronkonkoma 12/1987
Photos/Archive/Info: Dave Keller
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Photos of the newly
opened electric yard at Ronkonkoma
– filled with diesel-hauled equipment!
A sight you’ll never see
again.
Views are looking west
in December, 1987. I don’t have an actual date indicated, however the 3rd
rail was activated on, I believe, Dec. 12th and I probably shot these the
same day as I shot the electrified activation warning sign. (Photos
shot through the chain-link fence.)
Photos/Archive/Info: Dave Keller
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Electrification
at the Station and Old Yard Area
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New station construction
underway. New ties at right. Old yard at left. Temporary
pedestrian crossing in foreground connecting old platform with new parking
lots on south side of track. View looking east: May, 1987
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Ditto: different angle,
closer view. View looking east: May, 1987
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New station pedestrian
crossover under construction. Old diesel coaches in old yard in
background. View looking northeast: May, 1987
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Close-up of new station
pedestrian crossover and platforms under construction. View looking
east: May, 1987
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Ditto – different
angle
View looking east: May, 1987
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New station platforms under construction.
Relocated “KO” block limit signal at right. Train at old depot in
background. View looking west: May, 1987
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New station platforms and pedestrian
crossover under construction. Diesel trains laying up in old yard at
left. View looking northeast: June, 1987.
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New station platforms and pedestrian
crossover completed. Temporary ticket office / waiting room in trailer
in foreground. View looking northeast: December, 1987
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Overall view of new station platforms,
pedestrian crossover and temporary ticket office / waiting room. View
looking northeast: December, 1987.
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Equipment laid up alongside old wye.
East leg of wye torn up in foreground. View looking northwest:
December, 1987.
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East leg of wye torn up. view looking
southeast: December, 1987.
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Old yard torn up. View looking east:
December, 1987
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Old yard torn up. New station and
platforms at left. View looking west: December, 1987
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Ditto. Taken further back. View
looking west: December, 1987
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New tracks, new
crossover and lay-up track. View looking west from the old
Ronkonkoma Ave.
trestle: December, 1987
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New station, pedestrian
crossover and platforms. View looking west: December, 1987.
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Electric Yard
east of the new Station area under construction
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Electric yard under construction. View
looking east: May, 1987.
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Ditto. View looking
west. May, 1987
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New electric yard and electric sub-station
under construction. View looking west along the main track from the
Knickerbocker Ave.
grade crossing: May, 1987.
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New electric yard under
construction. New tracks and ties freshly ballasted. View
looking west: June, 1987.
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New electric yard in service with
diesel-hauled trains laying up. View looking east: December,
1987.
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New electric yard.
View looking west: December, 1987.
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New electric yard and
electric sub-station. View looking west along the main track from the
Knickerbocker Ave.
grade crossing: December, 1987.
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New signal bridge with position light
signals. View looking east towards the new electric yard:
December, 1987
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“KO”
Ronkonkoma - Block Office originally in ticket office. Out of
Service: 1916. Relocated to “KO” Cabin east of depot. Block
office moved back into station ticket office with closing of “KO”
Cabin: 10/30/34. ? Lever table machine converted to
position light signals: 12/9/54. Renamed “RONKONKOMA”
06/1961. “KO” block limit signal located on block signal mast in
service: 7/1/81. Replaced with block limit signals and
relocated 628' east of former location in service:
11/13/87. Out of Service: 12/14/87.
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KO M1 set entering yard 1988
Photo: Joe Sam
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M1s and new M3et in the yard
1988 Photo: Joe Sam
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Other Related Items
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Temporary Bus Service: Station sign used to direct commuters and riders
to substitute bus service during electrification project.
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Coffee Mug Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification Project 12/1987
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Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification
Cover & Back Flap 01/18/1988
Archive: Steven Lynch
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All photos, timetables, and
info courtesy of: Dave Keller Archives
Except as noted
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