Complete ride on the LIRR Cannonball from Penn Station to Montauk. 8/4/23

[@joec4871]

I'm a 67 year old retired bus operator with NYC Transit. This brings back memories. As a kid in the 60's i used ride the LIRR to Amagansett and spend my summers out there. I remember going to Gosmans Dock to eat. That was the good ole days. Thanks for the memories.

[@eottoe2001]

TY for posting. I like all the LIRR stuff.

[@tokugawa12able]

Good to have you “home,” and teaching us about an important part of railroading.

[@robertcantore330]

Never thought I would get a full video aboard the cannonball!!!!

[@broyofroyo1207]

2:25 leaves Penn 3:38 Harold interlocking 4:55 sacrilege 19:04 Jamaica 24:00 hillside facility 30:23 west Hempstead branch 31:35 lynbrook 33:10 Rockville center 41:05 Massapequa 42:32 Sunrise mall 48:03 Babylon 48:58 Babylon yard 53:35 Bay shore 1:02:45 Sayville 1:09:23 patchogue 1:18:48 William Floyd pkwy/mastic shirley/ JJD interlocking 1:29:40 speonk 1:34:32 old siding & wasthampton 1:45:15 Hampton bays 1:47:46 Shinnecock Canal 1:55:51 North Mains Street & Southampton 2:06:03 Bridgehampton 2:13:49 Copper Lane/east Hampton 2:19:00 Amagansett 2:36:32 montauk

[@joscallinet6260]

Thanks for posting these timings. The third location down on your list, at 4:55, you spell 'sacrelige.' I think it is more likely spelled 'Sacrilege,' but I may be mistaken. Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages: sac·ri·lege /ˈsakrəlij/ - a noun signifying the violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred. "Putting ecclesiastical vestments to secular use was considered sacrilege"

[@broyofroyo1207]

@@joscallinet6260 okay thank you for your advice

[@jamesmichael91]

You skipped Massapequa Park

[@broyofroyo1207]

@@jamesmichael91 I skipped many stops

[@carlfwibergjr6531]

😊

[@rickn501s]

I remember steam on the LIRR and manual gates with a gate operator on each of three at grade crossings in Hicksville. At the end of WWII the engineer pulled in to the Hicksville RR station and blew the whistle until the boiler ran out of steam. Oh, those were the days!

[@Voucher765]

It was all PRR steamers, There was even a K4 on the LIRR

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

Looks like some fabulous progress on the eastbound Harold bypass! 3:38 and 4:37 those switches in the foreground is brand new moveable frog switch’s

[@myhybrid09]

I've always loved trains. Even got my son loving the Choo choos :)

[@briangriffith2394]

Thank you so much for the trip

[@cyb-m1g]

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

[@jknkjnkjnkj8967]

lol thats why I'm here

[@arielalegre8891]

Thanks for sharing. Greetings From Argentina!

[@charlieseymour3438]

Love your comments. Looking for another train trip. Not sure I'd do the Cannonball...but the NYP to Montauk is a good possibility.

[@jrbergsten]

Back on the saddle already? That’s true dedication to one’s craft. 😁

[@3985uprr]

It doesn’t do me any good to sit around.

[@WinglessBatTransit]

Wonderful video! I came down from Boston to New York recently to ride the Metro North and Long Island trains for the first time, and I rode the 6012 to Montauk. I had a good experience as well.

[@jquas1965]

Sounds like fun.

[@Fantech0104]

Me and my friends saw your train at Forest Hills yesterday! It was my first time seeing it in person. Glad to see you enjoyed the ride on the Cannonball. We also saw the Flying Yankee too!

[@3985uprr]

He’s just ahead of the Cannonball

[@xiaohu3859]

04:41 The tunnel there is not an approach to the GCT branch, but the near-complete eastbound reroute instead, allowing Amtrak and future MNR PSA trains to bypass the entire Harold interlocking.

[@3985uprr]

I realize that afterwards, as I hadn’t really gotten a good look at that project

[@broyofroyo1207]

Wow, cool

[@samuelramos-ortiz3988]

love your vids. thank you

[@scottyerkes1867]

Interesting ride. The Cannonball was originally all parlor cars and passengers paid an extra fare. I've only been on this branch as far as Sayville enroute to Fire Island. Thanks Tim💚👌😊😊😊

[@nytbthebest]

I was on the platform at Lynbrook when you passed by! I was waiting for the westbound Long Beach train.

[@evangouldtransit]

1:52:11 I'm pretty sure they also had a temporary platform there when the US Open played at that golf course, i think it's Shinnecock Hills

[@DannyLok2812]

5:05 I was affected by that derailment as well while coming home from Summer Rising in Long Island City. The train I was waiting for was the 5:21pm train from Penn Station to Great Neck and the train arrived at Woodside 5mins late

[@iyishacummings8358]

I love the long island rr

[@johncanetta6708]

Great video, I always wanted to ride the cannon ball. I'm 10 years older than you. Moved to Fla many years ago, but grew up in Setauket. I remember the LIRR station in Setauket and the very last year of steam locos on the Port Jeff branch. Remember driving out to Montauk in early 70s and seeing a train sitting at the station with a batch of x FEC coaches. Sold I guess when the FEC stopped passenger service. Also remember seeing the water tower from the newly opened east end of the LIE, at the spur that went into Brookhaven Lab. Have a photo of the steam train you mentioned at Southampton station, in 1967? I still come back to LI to visit family each summer. Will be there later in Aug and will take Amtrak from NYC to Jacksonville. Keep up the good work!

[@spuds6423]

My grandfather was a fireman on the BR&W #60!!!

[@gregorytaylor240]

I gotta ride that train oneday I look forward on riding it to 😎

[@frederickratel4231]

No mention or trace of the old siding and station at Bayport just before Snedecor Ave. Just north of the siding, there were some derelict water tanks surrounded by a concrete wall for resupplying the old steam engines with water. Oftentimes there were empty boxcars stored at Bayport station.

[@kingofthelight8260]

Cannonball is the best LIRR train design and model so far.

[@railfanningkingengine504lo7]

I caught this train as well, but only had time to do East Hoffman, I was there in this video at East Hoffman. Normally I catch 16 and 17 at Lindenhurst, but because I came back from Farmingdale catching 3950 (Aka the new 5050) only had time to do East Hoffman. I probably would not have seen these 2 trains if I stopped home to ride my bike and boy 413 sure put on a stupendous show!

[@davehorner8126]

Have you ever tried the Irish Rover Pub across from the Langhorne train station? Pretty good

[@3985uprr]

I saw that place and I was contemplating going in there, but I had other plans made for the evening elsewhere

[@thomasfarrell2209]

The line to Orient Point is called the main line because it was the route to Boston via a ferry across the Sound.

[@samshaw2388]

I feel so safe here❤

[@bartlynn9579]

Nice ride from Penn station

[@Mahees_230]

I used to pick up a guy in Smith Point early in the morning and that WF crossing was the bane of my existence with a train making the stop and traffic piling up. There is a Tate's bakery at the Pine Street crossing. There are days when the area smells likes fresh baked cookies. I am one of those people who want the Centre Moriches station to come back. It would be easier than going to Patchogue or Speonk. Also used to live in Bellport and the town wanted to close that station a few years back, and that was another hard no from the community.

[@liamheaton8198]

caught this train at babylon and seen at 48:03

[@broyofroyo1207]

Hey Liam

[@danb.3397]

Good thing you took the Express otherwise it'd be days before you got there

[@kingofthelight8260]

I need that locomotive job.

[@jamesmichael91]

40:42 my home town! I ride the LIRR to the city all the time.

[@danielrbsutton]

It is cool how the dual-mode locomotive is so quiet when it comes into Penn Station because the diesel engine is turned off. Couldn't they wait until they get past Babylon to switch to diesel? This would let them use electric until the third rail ends, and they could save some fuel, and probably some money...

[@3985uprr]

They don’t like to run in electric mode for long periods because the engine doesn’t run efficiently and electric mode. They preferred to run it that way only a short distance.

[@danielrbsutton]

@@3985uprr OK! I didn’t know this 😊

[@javierreyes4803]

You read my mind sir 🚂

[@2500Creations]

Let’s get some Craft Mac and Cheese with some meatballs, for this amazing special ride on the Cannonball

[@LCERRP]

Been vacationing in Montauk my whole life. Many of the workers at the hotels were all Irish immigrants or here on work visas. That has since changed and a lot are either Jamaican or what I’ve been seeing now is a lot of Eastern European.

[@jquas1965]

If you love Irish ☘️ Pubs in Southeastern Connecticut there is Friar Tucks Tavern in Mystic and Landsdowne at the Mohegan Sun Casino. Great Corned Beef and Cabbage 🥬 at both pubs.

[@russeljohn7168]

I recall Phyllis Diller in The Pruitts of Southampton TV show -- "quite the nicest folk, what the people don't know is that the Pruitts are really broke." Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born in Southampton, NY July 29, 1929, just a few weeks before the "Crash of '29." Enjoyed this video. Live in Mass. Never been beyond Flushing on Long Island.

[@eddiecharlie77]

Kinda like riding the Metro North Hudson Line express to Poughkeepsie NY

[@spuds6423]

Awesome trip!!!! Thanks, all my years of living Downstate and being a ralifan, I never got a chance to ride out to Montauk. Nowadays, I don't dare to go near NYC even though I am originally from there. It's way too dangerous.

[@3985uprr]

It’s not that bad if you know where to go

[@spuds6423]

@@3985uprr It's a matter of principle. It is bad enough that we folks in Upstate have to support Downstate and the corrupt people from there who run Albany. It's time for secession. Downstate needs to collapse upon itself. The MTA is a state level agency, without us, it's financially toast. We vote with our wallets. It's not just about politics, it's about money. Other transit agencies nationwide should take note. Nobody rides for free.

[@6z0]

4:20 how do you know that track goes to the yard?

[@scottydawg1234567]

I hop on the 7:01 AM out of Montauk at least once a month! Guessing the charging outlets were working on this one?

[@3985uprr]

I had a portable charger

[@timothynoel786]

Wasn't Kew Gardens the site of a pretty bad derailment back in the day??

[@3985uprr]

East of there in 1950

[@Westlander857]

I was staying just north of Ocean Ave that day when I was visiting family. Was definitely a gloomy one!

[@evangouldtransit]

sat in the last car.? this is interesting.!!!

[@3985uprr]

First car

[@evangouldtransit]

@@3985uprr this is definitely a hot train, always was and always will be. even hotter if it has a K5LLA.!this one doesn't but that's okay. i saw Comet V 6012 yesterday which has one.

[@danb.3397]

And Justi an aside I used to live in Amityville moved to Southern California in 1967

[@MattTrudden]

At 33:21 on the left side of the red brick square building was Henry Hill's house!!!!

[@mattygtheoneandonly]

I see there building a new tunnel by Harold any idea what it's going to be used for? I was thinking it was going to be for when the New Haven Line starts running into Penn in 2027. Would you mind clarifying that for us?

[@3985uprr]

Amtrak train duck under to avoid interference with LIRR

[@mattygtheoneandonly]

@@3985uprr got it that makes sense

[@theestallion818]

Diesel engine??????

[@arcingcat]

The stop could have been an employee being dropped off at the yard. Great video.

[@3985uprr]

I didn’t think anything, but anything stop the cannonball

[@arcingcat]

@@3985uprr I work for the New York City Transit Authority as a Train Operator and I make unscheduled stops a lot to drop off track personnel or signal maintainers while I am still in revenue service. I live about a quarter of a mile from the Windsor Avenue Crossing’s in Brightwaters. You make great videos, and you have a great knowledge of the railroad and the crossings.

[@joscallinet6260]

@ Retired Railfan Horn Guy: Does the LIRR Cannonball have good ridership? Judging by the number of coaches in your train, no fewer than twelve, I'm assuming that the ridership must be healthy. *** I'm curious *** did you ever get to see and/or ride the Cannonball in the days when it consisted entirely of parlor cars - what were those parlor cars like outside and inside (I picture 1920s-era Pullman Heavyweight ex-PRR long-distance rolling stock with their classic 3-axle, 6-wheel trucks)? It's a shame a fleet of this vintage rolling stock wasn't retained for this service. The Cannonball was (and remains) an American Classic Train with a long history. Do you know when the parlor cars were replaced by coaches, and was there much of an objection put up by the public over their discontinuance? Thank you for posting this video - job well done!

[@3985uprr]

A lot of people were on the train

[@brucetharpe762]

Such a fantastic video, I enjoyed watching it! Do you plan on doing the return trip sometime soon?

[@3985uprr]

It’s getting dark on those

[@charmersify]

One question: How come some parts of the electrified LIRR right-of-way are in unfencef? Seems like there would be an electrocution hazard.

[@trevorthetrainrailfanner1047]

Caught this train at Lynbrook and seen at 31:42

[@langleywallingford260]

There's also a train that leaves on Thursday at the same time and makes the same stops but it doesn't have as many cars and it's not called the "cannonball" and it's scheduled to arrive at Montauk ten minutes earlier.

[@3985uprr]

No double stops to slow it down. It’s shorter

[@langleywallingford260]

@@3985uprr Yes, I figured as much.

[@thiscorrosion900]

I meant to say these days i live in Syosset, literally right off the LIRR station area: one thing that I find astoundingly irritating is, the Huntington line is only good for going out to Port Jefferson. If this line went out all the way from Port Jeff. to Orient Pt. or Greenport, it would be a lot more useful. I could at least get on here, and go out and do north fork trips all the time and leave the car home. But, I can't. And I've heard the Greenport LIRR is kind of useless and slow. And not very frequent.

[@hypatia-du-bois-marie]

Ah traveling on trains is sometimes just so mesmerizing, and you are probably one of the best roommates one can have when one rides the California Zephyr. Is there a New York railfan mailing list/IRC or something that I can join (I live in Stony Brook)?

[@johnburke1317]

Nice video

[@kamiljay2697]

How look summer schedule? Is possible go montauk in the morning and get back later?

[@3985uprr]

Very easy to do. You could easily spend about eight hours there. Good restaurants the beach is right next to town. You can rent a bicycle if you wish.

[@kamiljay2697]

@@3985uprr possible boarding on train with my own bike?

[@kamiljay2697]

@@3985uprr if i had foldable bike , could i board train with it?

[@kamiljay2697]

@@3985uprr idk whats going on , my comment keep disappearing, i asked if you can board with your own bike also?

[@3985uprr]

@@kamiljay2697 Sorry. I don’t know what’s going on but to bring a bike on the Long Island railroad you have to get a bicycle permit from the railroad first. There are restrictions regarding hours of the day where you can or cannot bring a bike on board.

[@johniacono3725]

The stop at Babylon maybe because he had to reset the speed controller due to excessive speed .

[@thiscorrosion900]

It skips those east send stops I guess, to cut out tons of extra time on the trip. I've never taken the train all the way out east, never had any reason to, living on LI and growing up here. We have things called cars..lol! If it stops at every Hamptons stop before Montauk, it's another 100 min. at least, and this ride is already too damned long for me. I drove out last summer later on to Greenport. A very nice town, but, the drive even from Hauppauge took forever, and, I didn't find the shopping etc. in the town to be that great. Maybe the seafood is great, there, I dunno. I didn't feel like staying till 2 am to find out. Sag Harbor, to me, is a lot better, was also out there last summer around June 1st or so. Greenport was like, if you walk through town once, and along the bay, you've seen it all. Montauk looks a bit more exciting, but I've still never been there.

[@mikesullivan9554]

What does a "double stop" refer to?

[@3985uprr]

Makes 2 stops because train is too long for platforms.

[@ahaywood983]

Do they have more than one driver on this run?

[@3985uprr]

No

[@JoshuaTheTransitProdigy]

**318th Like** I just did a run back in August. The trip was worth it.

[@Rangersfan381]

What work was performed in all of those now unmanned towers?

[@3985uprr]

Remote dispatching

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

Thanks Tim Do you know if #21 goes via the Central / Main lines going back west?

[@3985uprr]

It went via the Montauk branch that night

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

@@3985uprr oh awesome

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

@@3985uprr Tim how do I put info graphics on here like you do? I need to know cuz I'm taking the Rocket tomorrow...I hope I do good in the video.

[@3985uprr]

@@carlossanchez-kz4whI use IMovie. I had to teach myself by trial and error. Fool around with it where it asks you to put in letters. You can squeeze them bigger or smAller abs slide them up and down

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

@@3985uprr ouch I don't have an apple phone

[@askaltheoriginal8319]

is that a diesel?

[@3985uprr]

Most of the way. In tunnel it’s electric.

[@ariesarethebest271]

How much did that trip cost you?

[@3985uprr]

Not much as a senior.

[@tomoconnell2320]

Does the cannonball now run on the mainline through Hicksville or is it still on the Babylon branch? The MTA map makes it seem like it’s using the mainline now but this video shows differently. Just curious

[@3985uprr]

Always Montauk Brsnch

[@unsignedmusic]

Why do you pronounce it Babylin?!?

[@3985uprr]

I usually say Baby Lonn

[@williamrubinstein3442]

Was this filmed in 2022 or 2023?

[@3985uprr]

2023. Typo

[@jeffreyandrews6700]

The German saboteurs weren't "caught"" their leader gave themselves up. They never thought they would be tried for espionage.

[@3985uprr]

I was just going by information that I read

[@langleywallingford260]

Mastic-Shirley, intellectual heart of the world??? You were being grossly sarcastic, right??? I've only been there a handful of times (going to and coming from Smith Point State Park in eastern Fire Island) and it has always struck me as being one of THE dumbest parts of the entire earth!!! 😒😒😒

[@3985uprr]

It’s nothing like what I remember as a child. It was very rural. my grandparents used to go out there to get homemade honey. Today it’s largely a place to avoid.

[@Matthew-p2h]

For a "cannonball" it moves awfully slowly.

[@3985uprr]

Max speeds are 80/65. He was doing that. He is known as a fast engineer

[@mygins5820]

It's embarrassing that the MTA considers climate change at top item on the list and yet they can't figure out how to run dual mode trains on electric power passed. Harold interlocking

[@3985uprr]

Those engines don’t run well in electric mode

[@spuds6423]

If it wasn't for Climate Change, Long Island wouldn't exist!!! Ice Ages are Climate Change!!🤔😄

[@CanadasFoodieClub]

for being a cannon ball the train is very slow

[@3985uprr]

It wasn’t a blueprint ride. I want to do it again this summer.