Passenger Trains > Pullman Standard R46 Cars on One Time LIRR Rockaway Branch

I was on my way to JFK from my very last time ever in the 5th Avenue headquarters office of my soon-to-be previous job and I built in an extra hour to shoot some venerable Pullman Standard R46 cars on the New York Subway's inherited (from the Long Island Railroad) IND Rockaway Line. I took an F train from Midtown to Jay Street, and than an A train towards Far Rockaway, crossing on the one-time LIRR causeway across Jamaica Bay before alighting at Broad Channel. Despite the weather app's insistence on clear skies, I was plagued with peek-a-boo sun in annoying clouds that I swear were sentient and vindictive. In some cases I would watch the shadows form seconds ahead of the trains. I also discovered that a 200mm on a crop-sensor isn't quite enough glass for this spot, but in the end, I still got some shots I was happy with. One note, the place was swarming with police, including two posted on the southbound tracks, two on the northbound tracks, and half a dozen on the pedestrian bridge. There was no issue with my photography with any of them. After doing the best I could with the nefarious clouds, I headed up to Howard Beach for a couple more shots, where the sun was brilliant.

First three images are from a pretty similar angle, with two Rockaway Park shuttle trains (both close to camera) sandwiching an Inwood bound A train (far from camera still on the distant draw).

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Images four and five are from an open window on the pedestrian bridge. Need to come back here, with a bigger lens, earlier in the morning, for this spot (and hope the window is open, but as this is summer light angle, it should be).

Image six is back on the platforms, with A trains going both ways.

 

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Image seven is of an Inwood bound A train coming up on the platform. This mid-century station looks to me like it was built by the New York Transit Authority after they took over the line from the Long Island RR.

Image eight is bad light, but thought I'd share as I said the Pullman cars were venerable. Here's some newer stock making an appearance. This was the only train I saw of newer cars the whole time I was there.

Image nine is now at Howard Bach, the rear of a Far Rockaway train begins to pull away.

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Image ten is of two A trains going each way, with the two unused (abandoned?) center tracks in pretty clear view also.

Image eleven is of another A train (last shot I took) with a plane taking off from JFK in the background.

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Great photos! Hope the next job turns out as good as the photos.

Posted from iPhone

atsf121 Wrote:
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> Great photos! Hope the next job turns out as good
> as the photos.
>
> Posted from iPhone

What a kind thing to say - thank you.  Seems like a good time to be looking for a job. We'll see what comes.

When and why did this go from LIRR to the subway folks?

Also, these may be the best-written sentences EVER on TO!

erielackawanna Wrote:
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>... I was plagued
> with peek-a-boo sun in annoying clouds that I
> swear were sentient and vindictive.
> ... After doing
> the best I could with the nefarious clouds...

symph1 Wrote:
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> When and why did this go from LIRR to the subway
> folks?
>
> Also, these may be the best-written sentences EVER
> on TO!
>
> erielackawanna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >... I was plagued
> > with peek-a-boo sun in annoying clouds that I
> > swear were sentient and vindictive.
> > ... After doing
> > the best I could with the nefarious clouds...

Thank you for your kind words - there are more detailed articles on the net and I'm sure much better experts than me to explain, but from my limited understanding, sometime in the 1950s there was serious storm damage to the LIRR line (one of the bridges) and Long Island sold the lower part of the line to the NY transit authority, who were able to pay for the repairs with public funds and easily intergrate it into the IND (the LIRR was still a private entity at this time). There is a center section to the Rockaway Branch that remains abandoned to this day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/19 11:54 by erielackawanna.

In 1950, not serious storm damage, but a bad fire on a long wooden 2 track trestle. LIRR did not have the means to repair it, there was no such thing as public financing a bankrupt private railroad, LIRR did not like serving Queens anyway. So it was sold to NYC and turned over to the TA. The middle section is closed, rotting away, between Rego Park and Ozone Park. NYC awarded a franchise to Triboro Coach to take the place of that. Today it is MTA Bus Company Q53. Everyone from Rego Park to the Rockaways ever since has far longer commutes due to conversion from LIRR service.

It would have been far cheaper for NYC to pay the LIRR to repair the bridge. Instead, they turned it into a fire proof causeway, built several islands, and converted to subway use with new signal system and new substations. 

Superstorm Sandy in 2012 wrecked the causeway, exposing part of the wood trestle that was buried in the man-made islands. All that has been repaired along with steel sea walls. 

http://www.oldnyc.com/rockaway/contents/rockaway.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/19 12:15 by joemvcnj.

Out on the causway, u'd never know you were technically still in New York City. So desolate in the winter, with the cold wind off the bay buffetting the cars, and you bounce along the tracks at 50-60 mph. The causway is always sinking, and the track are always in need of ballasting and tamping...

Used to be that there were only trailing poing crossovers at each end of the causway, so when single tracking for maintenance, the train would have to back thru the 1st set of crossovers to "wrong rail" on single track.  Used to be the crossovers were hand throws too, and no signalling against the current of traffic, so the single tracking was handled by flagmen with radios, and temporary trippers that they installed next to red flags.  Circa 1900 type operation at its finest.

IDK if they've upgraded the signalling to CTC on both tracks and installed power switches or not.  There is surprising little bi-directional signalling on the NYc subway system.  Mostly just on center tracks in 3 track territory. 

Are there still loads of active towers?  Pistol grips and pneumatic switches.  I know there's been lots of talk about upgrading things past 1950's technology, but its still cool to see an active tower in action...

It is a subway line. It goes 35 to 38 MPH and there is no such thing as CTC. The signal system is based on timers and trip hammers to enforce stop signals. Part of the large cost in converting from RR to rapid transit operation was ripping out the tradional (Pennsy) block signals and putting in a new signal system, along with new substations that could handle 10 car trains with 40 traction motors.

This book is out of print, but you can probably find it somewhere:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Change+at+Ozone+Park%22&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS809US809&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=zZ9Mn0h_kU9ZMM%253A%252CAMIGMmatDExtEM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kStxpebNH0GbwCJQefbfKTpY3SNvg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi75Jn1tJHkAhXQwFkKHcDBBr8Q9QEwBnoECAgQBg#imgrc=_&vet=1

The R46's were built 1975 - 77. All but 2 of the 754 are still in service. Other than a Rockwell truck cracking fiasco around 1980, these turned out to be very good cars, even better after their mid-life rebuild. They are used on A, S-Rockaway, a few F, and most R trains, split between 207th Street and Jamaica car barn assignments. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/19 06:39 by joemvcnj.

Other than lioving in NYC for years, and being an ERA member, Im no authority on the NYCTA, but I do know I've been on R44's doing 55mph on the MacDonald ave EL,  and running full bore going west on the Jamaica (E,F) line where it ducks down under the local tracks west of Jackson Heights.  For the longest time, there were no speed signals going into the southward curve after ducking down, and we were HAULIN ASS into the curve.   Y cud hear the flanges wanting to climb the rail...even the motorman said he was concerned....

I think, years later, someone did jump the tracks there, and speed signals were put in.

As for signalling on the subway....I know it well.  Speed signals are not everywhere.  Maybe on approach to the movable bridges on the rockaway line.....but on the causway...at least it used to be...just open the throttle all the way and go.
As for CTC...call it what u want, but there are tracks that are signaled for regular  movements  in both directions.  And i seem to remember towers that had "direction of movement" controls for these tracks (usually the middle track on a 3 track line) .  I would think a central control wud get all the opposite direction trippers in the down position... doing it by track circuits alone would be a little complicated...

After the fatal Williamsburg Bridge crash in 1995, they have dumb-ed down the entire fleet's propulsion systems and governors to never exceed 40MPH. Timer signals are now all over the place and have very much slowed down the entire system, inlcluding the one-time fast stretches of the Brighton Line and Central Park West express tracks. Byford is selectively removing some of them. 

I rode R46's to the Rockaways a couple of times this summer and last. Trust me - they don't go that fast, and they are down to 10MPH mid-span over the movable bridges. 

The BMT has had 3 track els with a bi-directional expess track for 100 years with trip hammers. They had the patent that the IND could not obtain until BoT acquisition. But no CTC.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/19 17:19 by joemvcnj.

The 8th ave express tracks southbound were "go as fast as u can" till about 81st st IIRC....and the 1st speed signal had a T55 placard below it  (timed for 55 mph)...IIRC.  Its been a while.