Passenger Trains > Railfanning LIRR

I will be in the ronkonkoma area for a few days coming from jfk. What part of the LIRR is good to railfan?

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Depens on what you are looking for. Scenery, diesel trains, MU trains, long rides, something to do at destination.. 

Scenery would be nice , but would like to see some diesels and mu’s

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From Ronkonkoma, drive up to Port Jefferson, and ride it to Huntington, and Hickville, and back. You'l get nice hilly scenery, diesels, MU's, and a nice tourist town a mile north near the harbor, as well as the ferry to Bridgeport. 

Or take a train from Ronkonkoma to Hicksville, and head east to Port Jefferson, then come back. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 09:52 by joemvcnj.

If you also want to catch a New York & Atlantic freight train with your mix of LIRR diesels and MUs, Mineola is a good place to go. There's a daytime freight that comes east through there in the late morning and usually goes back west before the evening rush, plus a fairly steady diet of LIRR passenger trains with both kinds of equipment. What I don't know is how much change has occurred since I spent a day there two years ago, because construction of a third main track was just getting started at that time, but as far as I know "Nassau" tower is still in service there. There are lots of different photo vantage points, too, thanks to a street overpass, numerous crossings, and a parking garage near the station.

Forget about Mineola. It is a construction mess, with temporary platforms shifted west.
Nassau Tower was decommissioned a few months ago and was unceremoniously demolished a few days ago.
The brick substation and the eastbound waiting room are also gone without a trace. 
All grade crossings have been eliminated, with roads that are now underpasses. 
Willis Hobbies no longer does trains. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 10:39 by joemvcnj.

If mineola is now a mess, I'd go to Queen tower/interlocking .  You'll see more MU's and LIRR diesel than u want.   Catching a freight will be difficult, and you;ll be lucky to see one.

Or if u want something really easy...Take the train to Jamaica, and hang out on the furthest south platform (I think its track 8)  Theres constant MU and diesel traffic all day.  There used to an NY&A freight EB in  the afternoon..The NY&A passes just south of the station on the freight tracks.   You might also see some equipment moves.
Ive never been bothered just hanging out,  but if you bring a tripod and a lot of equipment, Im sure you'll attract too much attention.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Forget about Mineola. It is a construction mess,
> with temporary platforms shifted west.
> Nassau Tower was decommissioned a few months ago
> and was unceremoniously demolished a few days
> ago.
> The brick substation and the eastbound waiting
> room are also gone without a trace. 
> All grade crossings have been eliminated, with
> roads that are now underpasses. 
> Willis Hobbies no longer does trains.

I'm glad I got there when I did!

"Final Two Railroad Crossings Eliminated - Vehicular Traffic Now Flowing Through Double Underpass   

https://new.mta.info/press-release/icymi-governor-hochul-announces-long-island-rail-road-reopens-willis-avenue-mineola

Tripod is against MTA rules of conduct. Don't do it. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 11:09 by joemvcnj.

So what's the interlocking in mineola look like now. ?    It used to be just 2 divirging track from the main....2 switching and 1 diamond.  (there may have been some crosovers on the main..i dont remember.    

The Goog maps still shows the grade crossings and the old interlocking...

As for scenery,  there isnt much that really blends well with MU cars and modern looking diesels and passenger cars.   Places like Port Jeff, or Greenport or any place east of  Speonk are (or used to be last time I was there), a throw back in time, with older looking maritime or rural scenes. It just doesnt fit with modern MUs and such.    Looks much better with steam engines or RS-3's and C-420's.
Good luck.  



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 14:24 by pdt.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So what's the interlocking in mineola look like
> now. ?    It used to be just 2 diverging track
> from the main....2 switching and 1 diamond. 
> (there may have been some crossovers on the main..i
> don't remember.    
>
> I'll look at the goog maps and see if is new
> enough to show.....

It has been changing, and switches have been moved. In the future, the Oyster Bay Branch will not be accessible from the south/eastbound main line track. Eastbound Oyster Bay train will have to wrong rail into the station.  

I think the area from Syosset to Huntington, going up the terminal moraine of the latest great glacial age, is wonderful.

RevRandy Wrote:
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> I think the area from Syosset to Huntington, going
> up the terminal moraine of the latest great
> glacial age, is wonderful.

Some of that is artificial. Massive excavations and valleys were made east of Syosset in the 1910's and transported for fill for Jamaica station elevation. But it is a curvy and hilly (and slow) branch. The grade up to Cold Spring Harbor is about 1.6%, which the MU trains have no trouble with.  G5 steam engines with 16 P54 coaches in wet weather did struggle. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 16:47 by joemvcnj.

ANG2t2 Wrote:
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> I will be in the ronkonkoma area for a few days
> coming from jfk. What part of the LIRR is good to
> railfan?

If you have the time take the train from Ronkonkoma to Jamaica.  Check out this renowned LIRR location then catch a Hempstead train to Belrose and hang out at the west end of the platform.  Even though rush hour trains run against the light you can still get some decent shots of the eastbound evening rush hour with a bunch of diesel hauled trains and endless MU's.  If you get there by early to mid afternoon you might even get a WB freight before the rush.