Passenger Trains > Photos in Diesel Territory on LIRR Port Jefferson Line

Last Thursday 5/25/23, I decided to spend a day railfanning in diesel territory along the LIRR Port Jefferson Line. This wasn't the greatest railfanning trip unfortunately for a couple of big reasons. First off, while I was in St. James, I had an encounter with an MTA Police officer. I was taking pictures of the trains from the parking lot, opposite the station plus a couple of blocks along Railroad Ave, east of the station. The MTA cop told me that a few people got a call about a suspicious individual and I was matched to the description. The cop was very professional but he did give the lecture about the 9-11 paranoia. He also mentioned that there were children in the area. I wasn't standing close to the tracks. Thankfully the cop let me go about my business but he told me to be careful.

The other issue was more of a sun angle situation. During the warmer months of the year, a lot of the Port Jefferson Line in diesel country is almost in a due east and west orientation. That was a challenge for me yesterday. Plus at many of the double track stations during the pm rush hour, the eastbound trains were stopping at Platform A, the northernmost track.

The first five pictures were taken in St. James, NY.
1. Eastbound Train # 608 departs St. James Depot heading from Jamaica to Port Jefferson.

2. LIRR Train # 625 pauses at St. James Depot

3. LIRR Train # 610 leaves St. James Depot. The building on the right is the original St. James Station building. A father and son watch happily as the train departs.

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4 and 5. Westbound LIRR Train # 627, operating in push mode, runs along Railroad Ave only a couple of blocks before arriving into St. James Station

6. In Stony Brook, we can see the former PRR signal bridge just east of the Stony Brook Station.

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7. LIRR Stony Brook Station-looking west

8. Looking east from the LIRR Stony Brook Station-another former PRR signal bridge is seen in the background.

9. LIRR Train # 627, heading from Port Jefferson to Jamaica, arrives into Stony Brook Station behind C3 Cab Car # 5022.

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10. Engine # 422 pushes Train # 657 into Stony Brook Depot.

11. LIRR Train # 654 pauses at Smithtown Station-view is looking west

12. Looking east from Smithtown Station



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/23 20:48 by Passfanatic.

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Great pictures of my former haunts - my station as Northport but I travel both west and east from there. 

Especially loved the shots  of the old PRR signals!!

Thanks

13. LIRR Train # 658 arriving into Kings Park Station

14. LIRR Train # 660 passing the original Kings Park station building just after departing the high level platform.

15. LIRR Train # 662 slowing for the Kings Park Station



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/23 05:45 by Passfanatic.

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16. View of the C3 cab car on LIRR Train # 662 at Kings Park Station



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/23 05:45 by Passfanatic.

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Those EMD DE30's always remind me of something the Soviets might build.

TJY

icancmp193 Wrote:
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> Those EMD DE30's always remind me of something the
> Soviets might build.
>
> TJY

Because of the horiizontal ribs ? 

icancmp193 Wrote:
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> Those EMD DE30's always remind me of something the
> Soviets might build.
>
Or the Milwaukee Road....they both liked those horizontal ribbed side panels.

Dave

The signal bridges were added around 1963 -- no PRR involved.

Thanks for posting these.  I grew up in Syosset NY on the Port Jefferson branch.  If the Kings Park station building in photo 14 is the original, it's undergone some major modifications.  Attached is a photo of a westbound train arriving at the Kings Park station in 1971.  At that time, the station had a bay window, a flat roof, and was of brick construction.

mike woodruff
spokane wa

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Thanks guys. Timz, the LIRR used to be owned by the PRR, so that likely explains why the Ex-PRR signals are still present. That won't be the case forever. As of right now, many of the Ex-PRR signals have been replaced by more modern signals. Along the Ronkonkoma Line, there are basically no Ex-PRR signals left. On the Port Jeff line, there are still plenty. Many of the original station buildings along the Port Jeff Line have been restored nicely.

I'd like to get back to diesel country sometime to railfan but that will probably be during the cooler months and shorter days of the year. Before this year is over, I plan to take MNR to Bridgeport, do the ferry to Port Jefferson, and then the LIRR back. I've done the Port Jeff-Bridgeport ferry twice and all of those times was northbound.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/23 09:12 by Passfanatic.

If you reserve way ahead of time and search for the right train, Amtrak may be cheaper than MN to Bridgeport.
Bridgeport-Port Jeff Ferry same day round trip is only 50% more than one way.

Absolutely, those very cheap Amtrak fares come in handy! I will certainly look into doing that. That would also be a little faster and more convenient. Being that I live in Montclair, NJ, I could either get to Newark Penn or NYC Penn and not have to worry about going across to GCT. Many of the MNR trains make every stop between STM and NHV anyway.

Posted from iPhone

In September, I am going to take a same day round trip on a Friday between Newark and Bridgeport on Amtrak for $21.60. Ferry round trip for 60 and over is $27.

I also don't have to the the schlep between Port Jeff Harbor and Port Jeff LIRR nor the one between NYP and GCT. The LIRR has made the Port Jeff service into all-stop milk trains that now take over 2 hours. I don't have the patience. I think it is deliberate so deflect business to the Ronkonkoma line and not have the pressure or the market to electrify. 

As much as it might suck that most of the LIRR Port Jeff Line trains are "milk trains," there are many benefits to those people living within walking distance of the stations that were only served by at least once an hour service off peak hours and on weekends like New Hyde Park. Unfortunately for those who live east of Huntington, the travel time is a little too long. Thankfully, there are diesel trains outside of the rush hour that run continue from Huntington to at least Jamaica. It would be nice someday if all of the trains heading to and from Port Jefferson run directly to NYP or at least most of them do. Not only do the "milk trains" add time to the schedule but the transfer at Huntington is a pain. Unlike Babylon which has all center island platforms, Huntington doesn't and has never. Huntington isn't designed to be a transfer station just like Babylon. Since the East River tunnels will be getting major work done, that will prevent a lot more LIRR trains from being added. If the MTA can at least have the Port Jefferson trains start out in Jamaica before all of the work in the E. River tunnels are done, then that would help. The 3rd track on the Main Line also would help. All trains heading to and from Port Jeff can run mainly as an express from Jamaica to Huntington only making a few stops between those stations like Mineola and Hicksville.

Transfer point of Port Jeff Scoots should be Hicksville, where the transfer time could be 3 minutes and to do so with Ronkonkoma trains. That would get running times well under 2 hours. 

 

Glad to hear the MTA cop was professional and reasonable.  I keep a bookmark to the MTA photo rules website on my celphone just in case.  Photography is, of course, not restricted in publicly-accessible areas of MTA property if it's for personal use and you are not using a tripod.