How many take the LIRR? (Hempstead, Brookhaven: buying, maintenance, price)

[Crookhaven]

Originally Posted by longislandmike

You both know they can barely keep THIS schedule.

Anything MORE would be overload !

When they first got the double-deckers, I heard two engineers talking, and one them related how, when they took the newly purchased double-decker on it's maiden voyage, from Port Jefferson, they had to stop, just outside of the tunnel, going into Penn, because...the train was too big for the tunnel ! The MTA purchased new trains TOO BIG for the tunnel !

As a joke, someone sent the purchaser of the trains, a large measuring stick. Big Joke !

If you commute from Miller Place wouldnt you agree service to 112 is awful?

crooks

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by longislandmike

When they first got the double-deckers, I heard two engineers talking, and one them related how, when they took the newly purchased double-decker on it's maiden voyage, from Port Jefferson, they had to stop, just outside of the tunnel, going into Penn, because...the train was too big for the tunnel ! The MTA purchased new trains TOO BIG for the tunnel !

As a joke, someone sent the purchaser of the trains, a large measuring stick. Big Joke !

The incompetence is amazing! Kind of like how LILCO built the entire Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant BEFORE finding out if the evacuation plan for LI would be approved!

Someone should have FIRED the purchaser of the trains.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

If you look at the schedule posted above, you'll notice that westbound trains originating at Port Jefferson stop at basically every station along the line, and require at least one transfer. Express service means that there are minimal, if any, stops and zero transfers. Hence, there is no express service on the Port Jeff line, at least not from Port Jefferson.

That's because the LIRR is trying to gather every possible body available onto the minimum number of trains they can get away with.

[nancy thereader]

The city bus MTA purchased buses from London once because they thought that they would look classy and they did not fit under the lights so could not be used.
They also once bought subway cars that were made in Japan for Japanese-sized people , and I guess New Yorkers did not fit into the seats so they had to be remade.

[sean sean sean sean]

Originally Posted by longislandmike

You both know they can barely keep THIS schedule.

Anything MORE would be overload !

When they first got the double-deckers, I heard two engineers talking, and one them related how, when they took the newly purchased double-decker on it's maiden voyage, from Port Jefferson, they had to stop, just outside of the tunnel, going into Penn, because...the train was too big for the tunnel ! The MTA purchased new trains TOO BIG for the tunnel !

As a joke, someone sent the purchaser of the trains, a large measuring stick. Big Joke !

I heard that too, at least they figured it out before they were actually IN the tunnel! You are absolutely correct though, with the current schedules there is no more room to squeeze more trains, express or local, onto the tracks at either rush hour. The LIRR could really use that third set of tracks for express service through Central Nassau, but with no budget, fare hikes through the roof and insane NIMBY opposition I can't foresee it happening any time soon. It'll become the new East Side Access or Second Avenue Subway...

Crooks - These new double-decker cars, which are now low-riiiii-duhhhs because they couldn't squeeze through the East River, are Dual-Mode Diesel/Electric so they're supposed to be able to switch between the third rail and non-third rail tracks effortlessley. The intention of this was so that service between Manhattan (where diesel trains are not allowed to run) and all-points-east could run uninterrupted, without the large number of transfers at Huntington/Hicksville/Jamaica/etc. on the Port Jeff/Greenport/Montauk branches.

However, I guess it hasn't worked out that way. I hear they've had nothing but problems with these things breaking down, not being able to run both modes, etc....if they worked properly, electrification wouldn't be necessary at all but somebody really dropped the ball. I think there's only one train in the morning that goes from Port Jeff to Penn without a transfer. That's probably the only one that functions 100%

[MikeyKid]

I was a steady LIRR rider from 1998 up until about a year ago when I was approved to mostly work from home... In the beginning, I rode the diesel out of Oakdale - the actual diesel trains, not the fancy double deckers. The Montauk line wasn't electrified past Babylon (actually I guess it's the "Babylon" line until Babylon heh) - still isn't. Man, those trains were a trip - smoking between cars.

I moved and then starting riding the Ronko line for many years. I had a ton of 541 buddies on the way home.

I'm sorry I got into this thread so late because I hate missing any opportunity to bash the RR... they are a complete and utter failure at what they do. The term "express" shouldn't be allowed in any correspondence from them.

In countless incidents and stories over the years, one that always stuck out in my mind was a guy in our group yelling at a ticket collector. He was walking through cars shouting about delays (because of course the announcements are rarely working). Ticker collector comes into the car and yells "The 541 express is delayed due to..." - without missing a beat he yells right over him "541 EXPRESS? Sure, express to my ass!"... needless to say that it's a had to be there story and you know alcohol was involved, but I've never previously or after heard an entire car burst into such loud laughter. The collector tucked tail, turned around, and went back the other way.

[longislandmike]

One thing that got to me was the general lack of interest, sometimes, of them wanting to collect tickets.

While I was "profiled" as a ticket purchaser, when the train went through certain stations...Brentwood through Farmingdale...depending on what time of the night and early morning, there was no ticket taking between these stations, for...ahem...certain customers.

It was like some kind of magical "amnesty" or courtesy, was declared to these "patrons". The same occured from Huntington to, say, Smithtown.

For double decker service, there is something...magical that happens around Smithtown. It's like there is some sort of energy vacuum occurs, and the train, dependably, on some weekdays, sits...and sits......and just sits there.

NOT waiting for a train coming from another direction...there is a true breakdown !

Amazing

While only a handful, at the most, got the amnesty, I would imagine that this would add up

[azzurrony]

People out East don't have a monopoly on complaints here:1. You chose to live out East and benefit from the lower housing costs and lower taxes. There is a price to pay for the commute.2. Let's compare the average speed of trains. That's the only real way to compare who is getting screwed.Port Jeff takes about 2 hours from Penn Station. That's 60 miles away.Hempstead takes about an hour from Penn Station in the evening. That's 20 miles away.----Do the simple math, look at the proportions, and then tell me who is really getting screwed?

[Johninwestbury]

Well I certainly believe there is an attitude of disrespect for the passenger on the LIRR. I have done several videos about the LIRR, including one of an overcrowded train on Halloween, with cars closed with 2 employees just lounging out on a 4 seater while the rest of us stand.
Unfortunately I get regular internet harassment from people claiming to be LIRR employees. Because of that video the MTA found out and now most cars are open, and I am not hearing the end of it. Some of these guys are just real cruel.
Unfortunately it paints all LIRR employees in a bad light, and there's plenty of good, hard working LIRR employees too.
I dont know how many of you have ridden Metro-North, but it is a completely different picture up there, the crew are much friendlier overall and take pride in their equipment as the trains are spotless. Even the seats shine!
Both railroads are MTA, but why is LIRR so much worse than Metro-North?

[Crookhaven]

Originally Posted by azzurrony

People out East don't have a monopoly on complaints here:1. You chose to live out East and benefit from the lower housing costs and lower taxes. There is a price to pay for the commute.2. Let's compare the average speed of trains. That's the only real way to compare who is getting screwed.Port Jeff takes about 2 hours from Penn Station. That's 60 miles away.Hempstead takes about an hour from Penn Station in the evening. That's 20 miles away.----Do the simple math, look at the proportions, and then tell me who is really getting screwed?

Whos getting screwed, the taxpayers are who are funding a redundant and useless line like Hempstead.

Why does 40% of our Island get 70% of our service?
Why is the entirety of Brookhaven completely underserved?
Why has the LIRR failed to change its business model in the face of an obvious eastward migration?

BTW if you were bought a house before checking the LIRR schedule shame on you.You could be living in Babylon or Huntington with much better service and QOL.

Drive to Mineola or drive to Hicksville but please stop complaining.
You dont know how good you got it.

crooks