Dave Keller photo and archive

The Long  Island Rail Road "Scoots"

Once shuttle service began in the early 1970s between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma using push-pull service, the unofficially-named “Greenport Scoot” ran a shuttle from Ronkonkoma to Greenport Monday to Friday only. It consisted of several cars pulled by one engine and operated in lieu of Jamaica to Greenport train 204 (eastbound) and Greenport to Jamaica train 211 (westbound).


Here a 2-car train of steam cars is laying up westbound at Greenport station behind Alco RS1 #463 awaiting its departure time in August, 1972. This was NOT a shuttle train, but the actual Jamaica to Greenport and return series of trains mentioned above (i.e. #s 204/211). 

Train service USED to be substantial on these trains as can be evidenced by the photos below: 

LIRR G5s #31 Train #204 Medford 04/1940 
Thomas R. Bayles photo, Dave Keller archive

LIRR G5s #49 Train #211 east of Medford 1940
Albert Bayles photo, Dave Keller archive

But, in later years it was simply a 2-car train east in the morning and west in the afternoon. I mention that the “Scoot” was “unofficially-named” because it wasn’t indicated as such on timetables of the time and the OFFICIAL “Greenport Scoot” ran a shuttle between Greenport and Eastport over the Manorville-Eastport branch back in the early days of LIRR service. But everybody referred to it as the “Scoot” or the “Greenport Scoot” just as they did the shuttle train that ran for years between Patchogue and Babylon on the Montauk branch. It, too, was always known as “The Scoot.”

The “Greenport Scoot” train would lay up in Ronkonkoma yard over the weekend and run east again on Monday morning.

As ridership declined, the “Scoot” was relegated to one locomotive and one passenger car. At that time, the train would usually lay up at the end of the Ronkonkoma wye. On occasion, leased locomotives pulled the “Scoot’s” one-car train.

Leased Precision National GP10 locomotive #980 is coupled to the one-car Greenport "Scoot" and is laying up eastbound in front of the crew shanty in Ronkonkoma yard on Friday, November 26, 1976. This shuttle would run between Ronkonkoma and Greenport as eastbound train #202 and westbound train #211 on weekdays only. Judging by the lighting, #211 has just made its return trip from Greenport and is laying up in the yard until ready to go back east again on Monday morning. At times, this one-car train would lay up on the wye tail north of the main yard. William Madden photo, Dave Keller archive  

Ridership must’ve picked up a bit by the mid-late 1980s, because the “Scoot” then consisted of a push-pull train of MP15ac locomotive on the powered end (east end of train) and a FA cab-control unit on the west end, with two P72 rebuilt MU cars sandwiched between. THIS “Scoot” resembles the K-Line “Greenport Scoot” train set that was marketed some years back.

Forgot to add . . . the “Greenport Scoot” would lay up at the eastern-most end of the Ronkonkoma platform while awaiting the eastbound shuttle from Hicksville.

Sometimes, they would come off the wye, through the yard and approach the already-arrived eastbound shuttle sitting at the platform.

It was interesting to find two trains on the same main, nearly touching. I have no idea how that was handled by the block operator on duty.

Riders would get off the Hicksville shuttle and walk forward (eastward) to catch the “Greenport Scoot.” The “Scoot” would head off east and the shuttle would return to Hicksville. Info: Dave Keller

Scoot in Greenport (last run of the summer Friday Extra Scoot for '09) 10/09/2009 Photo: Nick Kudreyko 

Patchogue - Babylon Scoot

Winter 1970 at PD Tower with LIRR RS-3 #1559 Westbound

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor gloom of night kept this train from making its appointed back-and-forth runs throughout the day.”

RS3 #1554 SCOOT Islip 1969

PD LIRR #1553 Hack view 1972