Today's photo comes from August of last year. It's been a while since I posted a photo from my favorite commuter railroad (I'll give you one guess which one that is) so I thought I'd share one. I'm going down there again in two weeks, so I'll have a fresh batch of photos to share with everyone! This was taken at the 2nd Street crossing, on the Oyster Bay Branch near the Mineola station, right where the branch splits away from the main line. The train is heading east, towards Oyster Bay. Anyways, here is the photo:
The tracks here make a tight curve to the north, because the main line runs east and west along the center of Long Island but Oyster Bay is on the north shore. The train takes the main line to Mineola, where it turns sharply to the north to get to Oyster Bay. The line is electrified as far as East Williston, the first station after Mineola. One electric train a day goes that far now, but in the past this was where the third rail ended, and all electric trains went to East Williston to turn around and head back west.
Today, with the way the city has spread and more people are moving east, the railroad had to push east as well and now the electrification extends to Huntington and Ronkonkoma from here, leaving the East Williston electrification as a little-used spur. Diesel trains run the line now, ending at Jamaica to the west. During rush hour, a few longer trains go all the way into Penn Station, made possible by the dual-mode locomotives the railroad purchased about ten years ago. These trains have a locomotive on each end and usually run with six cars, most of the trains on this line have a locomotive on the east end and usually run with three to five cars.
If you're ever on Long Island and want to ride the Long Island Railroad, the Oyster Bay Branch is a nice ride, and goes to a very nice town. And while you're there, don't forget to check out the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum!
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