LIRR Featured Photos

Reynolds Channel

LIRR FA2 #610 between Mill Neck and Locust Valley on the Oyster Bay Branch 11/72
 Collection: Brian Woodruff

LIRR #201 C420 at Hicksville Friday 10:03am Eastbound 12/27/1963 
"Dashing Dan" yet to be applied.
Photo: Art Single

 Elimination Project in background. As C420 units 200-207 were built 12/63-02/64 this photo of LIRR  #201 is just after delivery. 

LI City Hunters Point yard - View W
12/27/2018 Photo/Archive: William Skeats

Christmas Card 2020 Photo/Archive: George Forero

A LIRR DE30ac locomotive is pulling a special, daily shuttle westbound between Long Beach and Lynbrook across the bascule bridge at "LEAD" tower, Reynold's Channel, east of Island Park in November, 2012 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The Long Beach branch is normally a third-rail-powered line, but the diesel shuttle service was put into place as the power had to be cut off to the third rail since so much of the line was under water.  (George Povall photo, Dave Keller archive)

The Bascule Bridge is from Florida and was barged up. The Tower is called Lead Tower or simply "Lead", and it controls the tracks between east of Island Park RR Station and into and out of Long Beach yard and also, in conjunction with the Coast Guard and marine band radio, raises and lowers the bridge for marine traffic in Reynold's Channel...the LIRR's LEAD Tower Block Operator controls everything and has a liaison with the CG when necessary.

Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, an all-day shuttle service was put into effect. 

The train was double ended and had two 400 series diesels, or "DE"s with 4 cars (held about 120 people each) and the track in Long Beach yard was lined and spiked for Station Track No. 6 as the entire train cleared the overhead canopies on the north side of the train.

The shuttle train would originate in Jamaica Storage Yard, go to Lynbrook RR Station, pick everyone up, make all local stops to Long Beach, go into Station Track No. 6 (the only track used all day long) and basically when one train left Lynbrook, another left Long Beach and so on...special train numbers were used (9,000 series numbers) for the electrics and their connecting diesels for both eastbound and westbound service.

In Valley Yard the shuttle would change direction and then go back into the Lynbrook RR Station, pick everyone up and head back to Long Beach. 

Both sets of diesels were virtually identical...two 400's and four cars...back and forth all day, with an approximate layover of 30 minutes on either end, with constant MU's feeding the two shuttles every hour. The Long Beach commuters were extremely grateful to have anything at all running to their terminal and we got plenty of good press.

I rode the first day of the shuttle (the second trick portion of course) and rode every shuttle back and forth from 2pm - 10 pm or thereabouts. Very interesting operation and good crews.

They had two Engineers that never "changed ends" and each performed a brake test at each location and were in place and ready to go, so no delays or engine problems...great idea. Info courtesy: Robert L. Myers, LIRR Transportation Manager
 

RDC1 #3101 Deer Park Ave. eastbound c.1958

The next street is Depot Pl. and it's Dependable Fuel Co. silos on the north side further back. This image was shot from "BABYLON" tower when it was on the south side of the track and east of Deer Park Ave. Train is is the Patchogue-Babylon "Scoot." eastbound. Early winter morning.

The orange end door looks BADLY weathered/faded, so the paint is no longer new, so not 1955 or 1956. The trainman/conductor is wearing the blue uniform, so this was shot prior to the Postman Gray uniforms that were worn beginning sometime in 1959.
RDC1, #3101, (passengers only) was built by Budd in 8/55 and given LIRR modernization #49.  Info: Dave Keller

Fresh Pond, Glendale aerial view S - 2/18/2021
Photo/Archive: John Dooley

M3s Mid-Suffolk Yard 3/30/2021
Photo/Archive: Jason Baxter