22-10-14 PHOTOS: City Position Lights - Part 1

As the supply of interesting signaling rapidly dries up I have been looking to the New York City region where, despite its best efforts, the LIRR still operates a large amount of amber style PRR signaling. Of course getting signal photos in an urban environment comes with its own set of challenges with restricted right of way access and frequent service. In the fall of 2022 I ventured out to get photos of LIRR position lit automatic signal locations on the Main Line between Woodside and Jamaica (covered here in Part 1) in addition to the quasi-abandoned M CABIN near Hunterspoint (covered in Part 2). I also hit up some towers on the NYCT Subway as well as a <6> express run between Route 125th St and Parkchester. The gallery of photos can be found here ( mirror ).

I started things off at the BWI Airport Amtrak station with an Acela train to NYC led by power car #2035.

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Departing 30th St Station, three Acela II sets were in the Penn Coach Yard awaiting their 2023 entry into service.

At New York Penn Station was ACS-86 #646, numbered as a tribute to New York (or New Jersey's?) most famous area code.

Amtrak Phase III heritage P32AC-DM #715 also at Penn Station.

If you have lounge access or a pass, the new Penn Station lounge has is a great way to avoid paying for costly city food. I stopped by while connecting between Amtrak and the LIRR.

Down on the NYP wide platform my LIRR train to Q Gardens arrived with #7482 on the rear end.

After arriving at Q Gardens I got this photo of LIRR M7 #7219 passing one of the new pedestal signals for the new ESA related extension of JAY interlocking that consisted of a new trailing point crossover between Main Line tracks 1 and 3.

<6>Here is an eastbound train of LIRR M7's passing through the Q Gardens station with #7504 on the front and #7285 on the rear as it slows for the work crew and signals at JAY.

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A pair of westbound LIRR train led by M7 #7765 and #7205 respectively stopping at Q Gardens.

An eastbound LIRR diesel hauled train led by DE30 #420 and trailed by C3 cab car #5015 passes under the Milepost 7 automatic signal gantry west of the station and the so called Lefferts Ponte Vecchio to the east.

Surprisingly, the Q Gardens station had an open waiting room complete with unlocked restrooms.

LIRR M7 #7379 splitting the eastbound Milepost 7 position lights just prior to the Q Gardens station. The 76 signals are arranged in a special compact format to allow for line of sight under the adjacent Union Turnpike overbuild.

The next stop was Forest Hills known for its integrated town center and railroad station, in addition to the Milepost 6 automatic signal bridge.

On the eastbound platform I arrived just as M7 #7751 was departing, soon followed by a westbound train of M9's including #9116. A short while later another eastbound pulled in with #7168 and #7093.

On the westbound platform a pair of M7 trains made stops, the first with #7321 and #7496 and the first led by #7496.

<6>Here we have a video of LIRR M7's featuring #7368 on the rear, departing the Forest Hills station and knocking down down the eastbound track 4 signal on the Milepost 6.7 signal bridge. The signal then upgrades from Stop and Proceed to Approach, then Approach Medium and finally Clear as the train clears the blocks in rear of the signal.



Having walked from Q Gardens to Forest Hills, I transferred to the NYCTA Queens Blvd Line to get to grand ave, taking a slight detour to photo the towers at Parsons and 179th St.

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Part of the detour included an F train with R160 #9232.

The Grand Ave bridge also supports the Milepost 4 automatic signals, although angles showing the front of said signals are limited.

While there I managed to catch a westbound diesel run with DE30 #414, a westbound M7 train with #7376, an eastbound M9 train with #9075 and an eastbound M7 train with #7025.

<6>Well that's all for Part 1. Check back later as I head down to Hunterspoint Ave and then proceed to Urbex my way to the forgotten position lights of M CABIN.