LIRR Scoot and Shuttles

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
The Saturday afternoon Patchogue-Babylon “Scoot” consisting of BUDD RDC1 #3101 and RDC2 #3121, coupled, is heading eastbound near River Ave. crossing as it approaches Patchogue on April 6, 1963. In tow is RPO (Railway Post Office) car #7743. As an aside, this towing of non-BUDD cars caused the BUDD Co. to void its warranty on these cars with the LIRR. At the left is Underwood Coal & Coke and in the foreground is the Ringhouse Siding, which extended all the way from west of the Underwood siding eastward to the west side of the Railroad Ave. crossing (after a 1949 track rearrangement) and had a capacity of 35 cars. One month later, demolition of the old Patchogue terminal and engine repair facilities would begin.
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	RDC1-2 Babylon Tower 1955	RDC1-2 Babylon 1955
RDC at PD Baggage House 4/06/1963	RDC1-2 RPO Car at River Ave, Patchogue 4/06/1963
"Scoots" and Shuttles
ALCO FA1 control cab #616 is on the west end of westbound push-pull shuttle train #655 making the station stop at Stony Brook, NY, amidst all the summer foliage - 6/5/78. GP38-2 #260 is on the powered end pushing the shuttle to Huntington. George E. Votava photo Dave Keller Archive All photos and captions below are from the Dave Keller Archive unless noted otherwise
J. G. Brill gas car (“doodlebug”) #1134 at the designated Sag Harbor platform at the station – Bridgehampton, NY – 1927. These gas cars were very convenient to short-line or shuttle operations in that one car could be used to carry both passengers and mail/express/baggage, with a crew of 2: conductor and engineer, and they ran on what was then inexpensive gasoline. It eliminated the need for a steam locomotive, tender loaded with coal, combine car and a full crew of engineer, fireman, conductor and trainman/brakeman. They were the forerunner of the BUDD Rail Diesel Car	A later view of J. G. Brill gas car (“doodlebug”) #1134 at the designated Sag Harbor platform at the station – Bridgehampton, NY – 8/14/38. View looking southeast. Depot at right. This designated platform was accessed by a track branching off the Sag Harbor branch track north of the Montauk branch Main, so the shuttle never had to enter the Main and never ran the risk of a collision or fouling the Main.	The end is near. J. G. Brill gas car #1134 and crew with supervisor at Sag Harbor, NY – View looking northwest from in front of the depot - 4/1939. The branch was abandoned the following month, the gas car laid up for a short period of time at the Richmond Hill Storage Yard, was sold and left the property. (F. W. Weber photo)
PRR-leased gas car #4744 is seen laying up at the wye at Wading River, NY in January, 1932. The shuttle ran between that station and Port Jefferson, where a special lay-up track was built on the east side of the depot building. This branch extension between Port Jefferson and Wading River was abandoned in 1938. (George G. Ayling photo)	PRR-leased gas car #4744 is laying up at the designated Sag Harbor platform at Bridgehampton, NY. View is looking east from the rear of a moving westbound train. Bridgehampton depot is at the right – 1936. These gas cars were used wherever the LIRR needed them in shuttle service. One even ran on the Patchogue – Babylon “Scoot” for a period of time. (Wm. Moneypenny photo)	When through-train passenger service was ended between Valley Stream on the LIRR’s Montauk branch, through West Hempstead and on northwards to Country Life Press in Garden City and continuing north to Mineola on the LIRR’s Main Line in the 1930s, West Hempstead became the end of the line for that branch. The depot building was moved south of Hempstead Avenue to prevent disruption of traffic at train time and service to West Hempstead was in the form of a 2 or 3-MU car shuttle operating between Valley Stream and West Hempstead. This view looking northeast shows the recently-modernized 2-car MU shuttle at the station platform with the relocated depot at the left - c. 1955.
RS1 462 Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound Near Great River 1968 (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3 1553 Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound near Great River-1968 (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3 1553-Patch-Baby Scoot Crossing Creek Westbound W of Oakdale-1968 (J. P. Krzenski photo)
RS3 1552 Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound West of Oakdale-1969 (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3 1552 Patch-Baby-Scoot W Leaving Great River-1969 (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3-1554-Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound at Montauk Hwy Overpass-W of Oakdale (J. P. Krzenski photo)
RS3 1554 Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound past signals east of Great River (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3 1555-Patch-Bab-Scoot Westbound approaching Great River (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3-1556-Patch-Bab Scoot broken down Eastbound at Great River-1969 (J. P. Krzenski photo)
RS3 1556-Patch-Bab-Scoot broken down Eastbound at Great River (J. P. Krzenski photo)	RS3Patch-Bab-Scoot-Westbound through field east of Great River (J. P. Krzenski photo)	ALCO FA2 control cab #601 is on the west end of push-pull weekend train #4255, the Ronkonkoma to Hicksville shuttle, shown here at Bethpage, NY – 7/15/72. ALCO C420 #207 is on the powered end pushing the train. This shuttle operated with the beginning of push-pull trains put into service with the arrival of the FA1 and FA2 control cabs. With the control cab on one end and the powered unit on the other, the train could be pushed in one direction and pulled in the other, without wasting the time it took in running the locomotive around the train and recoupling it in the opposite direction. This shuttle ran to meet Main Line-bound riders arriving on electric trains bound for Huntington on the Port Jefferson branch and changing for the shuttle at Hicksville or taking westbound riders from Ronkonkoma and other Main Line stations to Hicksville to connect with the electric train there which originated at Huntington. The diesel train would arrive on the track across from the electric trains. This shuttle service ended with the electrification of the Main Line to Ronkonkoma and the operation of through electric service. (Geroge E. Votava photo)
A similar shuttle service was placed into service on the Port Jefferson branch with the arrival of the control cab units and the institution of push-pull trains. Electrification was completed to Huntington in 1970. Push-pull shuttle service ran between Port Jefferson and Huntington throughout the day, carrying riders between electrified territory and non-electrified territory. Here we see ALCO FA2 control cab #603, on push-pull train #604 eastbound at Huntington with C420 #227 on the powered end. (George E. Votava photo)	ALCO FA1 control cab #616 is seen on push-pull train #255 in Ronkonkoma-Hicksville shuttle service at Bethpage, NY on 8/16/74 C420 #219 is on the powered end. (George E. Votava photo)	An updated view of the Patchogue-Babylon “Scoot” is shown here with FA2 control cab #603 on the west end of westbound train #63 at the station in Patchogue, NY – 8/17/76. GP38-2 #257 is on the east and powered end preparing to push the train to Babylon. (George E. Votava photo)