23-01-15 PHOTOS: Elmont

As the LIRR steps up its efforts to replace its position light signals with Metro-North-like dwarfs I scheduled a trip up to NYC to visit the new Elmont station that conveniently provided a vantage point from which I could photograph more parts of QUEENS interlocking, that was in the midst of bring reconfigured for the Main Line Third Track Project. An additional plan to travel out on the Port Washington branch was thwarted by another re-signaling project being completed so instead I took the 7 line out to Willets Point for Corona Yard and LIRR photos there. The full set of photos can be found here ( mirror ).

My day got off to a bang with my first ever ride on an LIRR M9, #9034 to be exact. As expected the UX was no different than an M7 with the same union-friendly blind cab doors. Maybe I'll finally get something better with the M11's in 2040.

Pulling into Jamaica I spotted a train of M3's adjacent to JAY tower.

LIRR M7's #7366 and #7848 passing in JAY interlocking.

LIRR M7 #7595 and #7492 at Jamaica Station.

HALL tower and M7's #7573 and #7727 passing in HALL interlocking.

LIRR MP15AC #165 on one of the HALL storage tracks.

LIRR DE30 #423 passing through HALL's eastern approaches en route to Jamaica.

Due to the lack of Elmont service outside of events I got off and Queens Village and walked the remaining distance. Even if trains had been stopping I would have been inclined to do the same since Elmont is across the border with Nassau County where my $5 ShittyTicket wouldn't apply. Here is a video of my outbound LIRR M7 train departing Elmont and heading through QUEENS interlocking towards Hempstead.



QUEENS interlocking is the junction where the Hempstead branch and Belmont spur split from the Main Line to Hicksville and points east. Until recently this involved a 4-track wb local-wb express-eb express-eb local configuration turning into an wb Main eb Main wb Hempstead eb Hempstead via a series of 80mph high speed turnouts that were installed when the QUEENS tower was first re-signaled in 2005. Looking west from the Elmont ADA overpass we can see two of the 2005 HST's as well as the old QUEENS medium speed crossovers used by Belmont and some westbound Hempstead trains.

The Elmont station was a political project championed by Governor Cuomo as an alternative to direct service to the UBS Arena via the Belmont Spur. It's placement in the middle of QUEENS interlocking and the new crossovers needed for Hempstead locals to serve the Elmont platforms resulted in there being insufficient space for a new set of 80mph HST's planned to support the new Main Line 3rd track. As a result new standard speed crossovers were installed and the #3 Signal Bridge was replaced by ground mounted signals due to altered switch locations.

The silver lining is that the Elmont platform provides a photo vantage point for the previously inaccessible westbound position light cantilevers that were installed in 2005.

For whatever reason new LIRR reduced aspect dwarf signals were installed for eastbound, but not westbound movements over the new standard speed turnouts east of the station. The use of Green over Lunar makes the new signals backwards compatible with the existing Slow Clear dwarf signal aspect.

Elmont Station itself is pretty standard. The major design issue is that the 12 car platforms have only a single point of access in the middle of each platform. This forces some locals north of the station to work an extra 2-3 blocks to access a platform that is literally in their back yard.

Here is an eastbound train of M7's including #7316 on local track #3 as well from the Elmont ADA walkway.

This was followed by a westbound train that included M7's #7048 and #7421. Despite being at the station for the better part of an hour, these were the only trains that passed through.

QUEENS tower remained a manned interlocking station after the 2005 re-signaling, however it was finally closed on Jan 10th, 2020. Here we see a westbound Hempstead local crossing over through QEENS to serve the Queens Village station.

Transferring at Jamaica to a local serving Woodside here is M7 #7437.

Jumping ahead to Woodside, here an eastbound LIRR train with M7 #7152 passing under the Main Line Milepost 3.1 intermediate signal bridge.

Westbound LIRR train with M7 #7494 stopping at Woodside.

Popping up to the #7 line, due to an eastbound service disruption I got to observe multiple westbound trains including two led by R188's #7221, #7405 and #7501 respectively.

The crowd pleaser was a race between westbound local and express R188 trains featuring R188's #7848 and #7865.

MoW work at Willets Point forced me train to cross over to the center express track for the last part of the run to Main St. NYCTA GE 45-ton MoW diesel #58 was on hand to carry out the necessary work.

Corona Yard was full of R188's waiting for the afternoon rush to begin with a lime wedge of R127 work cars hanging out on the side for flavor.

With my plan to get position light photos at Great Neck dashed, I settled for photos at SHEA interlocking. Here an eastbound Port Washington train with M7s #7254 and #7579, splits the signals west of the platform.

The following westbound PW train was led by M7 #7587.

R188 #7431 hanging out next to the Corona Yard rolling repair shoppe.

Back at the Willets Point station, an eastbound (7) train led by R188 #7256 passes the 111TH ST master tower, crosses over and pulls into the center track with #7221 on the rear.

The eastbound (7) trains were still bunched as a a second one pulled in just as my westbound train showed up.

My final mission of the day was to get some Sunnyside Yard photos, so I got off the (7) at 33rd St.

Q Tower was an original part of the 1911 Penn Station project and was still in operation over a century later dispatching trains from the west end of Sunyside Yard. This day I caught it starting westbound Lake Shore Limited Train 49 on its trip to Chicago with P32AC-DM #702.

Amtrak ACS-86 electric locomotives at the head of various trains awaiting their next call to service.

The LIRR converted its former Sunnyside freight yard into a new storage facility for its ESA Grand Central service. The yard is reached by a dedicated tunnel that curves about 270o back under HAROLD interlocking to join the GCT tracks at the point where the revenue track climb back about ground.

The new LIRR yard maintains a single electrified connection to the old PRR Sunyside Yard back tracks that are typically occupied by NJT equipment like this single level set with Comet V #6038.

To return to Penn Station I headed to Queens Plaza where an R train with R160 #9602 arrived ahead of the E train I was waiting for.

Before my trip back to Philly I grabbed some food in the new Amtrak lounge.

Passing through Market East I ran into SEPTA Silverliner V #848 before proceeding to the PATCO entrance under the aptly named Lit Brothers department store.

That's all for today's photos. Next time I'll be back with coverage of Boston's Green Line Xtention.