[ARC5] Locomotives

[Geoff]

Most of my other LIRR memories were news stories about trains setting fire 
to bridges on the Rockaway runs, lots of accidents, fare increases and union 
problems.

My dad rode it 5 days a week from Valley Stream to the end at Atlantic Ave 
in Brooklyn and took the subway to work at Worth St in Lower Manhattan. I 
preferred the bus to Jamaica and it was a quick run to Radio Row until I got 
my drivers license in late 56. Then the WW2 surplus and other parts hauls 
built up; a lot more room in a 49 Ford or my dads 53 Olds stick shift which 
I later "inherited" when he got a 57 Buick in 58.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mstangelo at comcast.net>
To: "ARC-5 Mail List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: "Geoff" <geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Locomotives


>
> I forgot to mention that the president of the LIRR at the time was Francis 
> Gabreski, the WW2 ace, so there is a link to military radios somewhere...
>
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_S._Gabreski>
>
>
> Mike N2MS
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: mstangelo at comcast.net
> To: Geoff <geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com>
> Cc: ARC-5 Mail List <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:45:42 -0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Locomotives
>
> More off-off-topic: Shouldn't that be the electrics ran on the western end 
> of the LIRR?
>
> I commuted into New York from Patchogue, on the south shore of Long 
> Island, from 1976 until 1980.
>
> The Montauk Line (south shore) is electrified as far east as to Babylon. 
> The Main Line at that time was electrified as far as Hicksville. 
> Electrification has since been extended to Ronkonkoma.
>
> I took a diesel and changed at Jamaica to catch an electric to either Penn 
> Station of Flatbush Avenue station in Brooklyn.
>
> The trains were chronically late. The LIRR ran a PR campaign to show how 
> complicated the operations were and allowed passengers to ride in the 
> diesel with the engineer. The LIRR was the busiest passenger railroad and 
> used the two busiest train stations in the nation (NY Penn and Jamaica).
>
> I eagerly volunteered to the ride and was the first passenger selected for 
> the trip. I was contacted by a PR person and was instructed to meet him at 
> the Patchogue station the following Monday. I met the PR person and he and 
> I climbed up to the cab of the diesel to meet and ride with the engineer.
>
> The engineer had years of experience and because of seniority chose his 
> route. He began his run in Speonk, went west to Hunterspoint Avenue 
> station (western terminus for the diesels), back east to Montauk (eastern 
> terminus of the Montauk Line) the back to Speonk.
>
> He was anxious to answer my questions but asked not to be disturbed when 
> entering or departing a station. He mentioned to was tricky to stop the 
> train because the load changed as more passengers came on board.
>
> I enquired about the twos diesel on the front and back of the train. He 
> mentioned the one we were in was the "Hotel" diesel, used to provide power 
> for lighting, heating and air-conditioning. The rear diesel was used for 
> traction.
>
> He had a timetable showing when he should reach certain mileposts. It 
> turned out the railroad ran like clockwork that day and me met each 
> milepost on time.
> Our last stop was in Bay Shore. We went from the south shore line up to 
> the Main line at Hicksville. He mentioned the line is automated at this 
> point going west and claimed that the train could run itself. I never 
> followed up on this caoms and to this day I don't believe the trains are 
> automated.
>
> I got off at Jamaica to catch my train to Brooklyn and spent the day 
> recounting to trip to co-workers.
>
> They gave me a souvenir package with pictures of the rolling stock. I 
> still have that package buring in my files somewhere.
>
> Mike N2MS
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Geoff <geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com>
> To: Michael A. Bittner <mmab at cox.net>, ARC-5 Mail List 
> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:54:59 -0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Locomotives
>
> <snip>
>
> I grew up when the steam era was ending and fondly remember the rides I 
> took
> with my parents and then the dissapointment as they faded away. In the
> Northeast it was the electrics that took over in several runs such as
> NYC-Philly-DC and the eastern end of the LIRR.
>
>
>
>
>
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