LIRR RFW from Jamaica to GCT. 2/23

I had thought that I lost this footage, but I found it in a pile of old video files. Here for your viewing pleasure is an M7 RFW ride into GCT. I was lucky enough to run into a super cool engineer who allowed me to stand up front while closing his cab door for me to do so. All stations, signals, and interlockings identified. I wasn’t sure of the names of some of those interlockings in the tunnel, but I put the correct names in graphics.

[@alextwa]

Growing up I was listening to all the talk about the day the LIRR would go to GCT. Year after year. Delay after delay. A part of me wondered if it would ever happen or if I would experience it. But then it finally opened. I will never forget the first time I took the LIRR into GCT. The emotions I felt when I entered that tunnel for the first time were just so surreal. And then all the emotions came over me when that train rolled into Grand Central. Walking through the new Madison Concourse and then walking up into Grand Central Terminal through the lower dining concourse was really somethingI don't think I fully made sense of what it was I experienced until the next day. I guess the kid inside of me who loves trains was awaken. What a great moment!

[@3985uprr]

Felt similarly when I rode the first run ever to GCT

[@kobyschechter8163]

I was also on the first LIRR train into GCT. My grandmother talked about this project a lot. She was from Melbourne Australia but left the country when she was 19. She and my grandfather died from Covid 24 hours apart in March 2020. My grandmother would’ve loved to see the day when the LIRR finally arrived to the east side of Manhattan. I was thinking about her when I was on the first train into GCT.

[@eliasthienpont6330]

🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁 THE LION WAS HERE 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁 No. 597 ---> LIRR has been putting in new switches. These are moving frog switches. Both points and frogs align to the route of travel and as a number 40 switch, you are clear for 80 mph on the diverging route.

[@tomboylan1522]

By the way… I appreciate, very much, your NARRATION, and the subtitles! That goes for lines that I have ridden (and even ones that I am quite familiar with!), and lines that I have not ridden. Thank you!

[@00Zy99]

Its amazing how the entire line from Jamaica to Harold was at least semi-graded for six tracks. Aside from that later intrusion of the "basement", all of the overhead bridges clearly have room for at least six, and overbridges have room on the abutments, with ample RoW on both sides of the main.

[@stuartaaron613]

Nice trip. I think that it's funny that the last railroad using the old Pennsy position signals is the LIRR.

[@3985uprr]

Amtrak still uses them on the NE corridor

[@intrepidfox37]

They still have position light signals in Chicago, I've seen them while riding Metra trains.

[@frederickschulkind8431]

Not really. The yellow bezels have been replaced by vertical green and horizontal red although they are the same signals. That was done after an accident at Chase, Maryland in 1987.

[@johnnytoobad7785]

Love these cab vids..especially with proper narration.

[@3985uprr]

It is an essential ingredient!!!

[@railfanner-MaxPlati]

thanks for making this, as the LIRR M3s don’t go to Grand Central

[@micheled.4545]

I was impressed with my trip to Grand Central Terminal. It seemed like a long walk from LIRR (Grand Central Madison Concourse ) to Grand Central Terminal but was like going through a time portal upon arriving they seemed to have cleaned and preserved everything from the past. Cant wait to go back!

[@bornjamerican52]

You said it right Mr Tim! Spanking new tunnel 😮😮😮😮 Niceeee

[@vaughnbode1420]

Thanks for calling out the signals.

[@montyb10009]

Now, this is awesome. A proper front view. Good job!!

[@CanalCruisers]

I'm from UK and I have relatives in Woodside, Forest Hills and Kew gardens. I love that this line goes through all those areas, even though I've never had to use LIRR before. Great upload!

[@user-ek9wq1ev9g]

Brilliant Video Buddy! Thanks for sharing!!

[@aubreyburke6829]

Awesome RFW ride. Takes me back to my youth. Thanks

[@michaelscott7706]

Very nice view. I can tell when it's in the 63rd st tube. Looks like a subway tunnel in that area as well as knowing you're under Roosevelt Island at the very bottom.

[@railfanningisthebest]

I love seeing the look of the tunnels

[@MrPedroramos8911]

Fantastic video thanks for sharing 👍

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

Love seeing updates on how Harold is coming along!

[@Railoffroader2]

Excellent, quality video! 👍🏼

[@scottyerkes1867]

Great ride to Grand Central Terminal!! Thanks Tim😀💚

[@maureenkramanak7003]

Thanks! One of the first things I’m going to do when I move back is ride this line

[@johnnycaps1]

Amazing Engineering and Construction. Unfortunate that it took at least 5 (maybe 6?) decades to complete the "east side access". But hey, at least it's now finished. Great video. It's "Clear" you've been studying your BOR.

[@mikemissel7785]

Beautiful ride into GCT

[@grandiose_3392]

Great content. Thank you

[@robertcantore330]

Awesome!!!

[@stephenheath8465]

Those PRR Type signals are still around in 2023

[@mp45code]

Followed the whole rebuild of HArrold Interlocking and Midday Storage through the MAT's photo stories on flickr. Actually having a virtual drive trough it and those new tunnels is a relly cool thing! Also good and percise commenting, better than only written remarks. Keep that up! One question that is boiling for quiet a while: those blie lights along the tracks, what do they mark in the system (LIRR and MTA Subway)?

[@3985uprr]

Not sure

[@LydonThorpe]

On the MTA Subway, blue lights in the tunnel mark locations where there's an emergency phone (usually a 3rd rail emergency power cut button). Other subways use the same system as well, like Toronto. (Though they have power shutdown buttons on the platform too, also with a blue light.) LIRR probably follows the same standard.

[@malachimuhammad-dy2ow]

That seems to be a local service.

[@3985uprr]

At that time it was

[@zoomanx9661]

Cool😎😎😎😎😎

[@danielwaitzman2118]

Wonderful! Thank you! By the way, did you know the late Roger Arcara, author of the definitive work on the NYW&B?

[@3985uprr]

No I didn’t.

[@johnburke1317]

Nice video 😊

[@micheled.4545]

Here is a quick question, How many LIRR tunnel portals are there that go to Grand Central Madison from Sunny Side yard?

[@3985uprr]

3 portals wind down to 2 tracks to GCT

[@Jeff-uj8xi]

Tim, what a pleasure the head end shots are. Frankly, as well known as you are with the number of crews you personally know on the LIRR and Metro NORTH, I'm surprised you don't have much more of the RFW shots. Not to belabor the point, to me side window shots are next to useless for all of the obvious reasons. One major reason is the view of the signals. Another is Sun angles and a view of what's on both sides of the right-of-way. What good are side window shots in the tunnels? And many more that I could mention. I think you're slowly beginning to agree with me. I hope you'll agree with me on the radio scanner too. I've been meaning to ask you to please leave the subtitles up on the screen a bit longer.

[@3985uprr]

Many others are satisfied with other types of videos I do. I do what I am able to do within reason and what I’m allowed to do. I can’t just snap my fingers and do head end rides. I will do what I can do when I can do it- and it seems to be working!!!! I love doing head end rides. It’s nothing new. I’m hoping to go out to San Francisco in the Fall and do Caltrain. Plenty of head end videos potential there before it’s electric.

[@ariesarethebest271]

Sweet! No foggy window.

[@3985uprr]

I didn’t think my other RFW’s videos were that bad. The windows weren’t perfect but they were OK.

[@ariesarethebest271]

@@3985uprr No, they aren't bad at all, but being able to railfan through one door beats doing it through double doors.

[@3985uprr]

@@ariesarethebest271 Yeah. Sometimes double doors are the best I can do but I try to compensate in some ways

[@ariesarethebest271]

@@3985uprr Understandable.

[@ONE-ADAM-TWELVE]

Was an option left on the table to take a LIRR from GCT to Penn?

[@MTA_9929]

They still haven’t changed the Grand Central announcement smh

[@3985uprr]

Since then they have. It’s like MN

[@strafrag1]

Does anyone know why the fourth track from the left @ Kew Gardens is designated as "track 3". Thanks.

[@3985uprr]

They number them 3-1-2-4 right to left. Every railroad has their own way of numbering tracks

[@strafrag1]

@@3985uprr Got it. Thanks.

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

Tim is the GCT tunnels 4 lines like Penn or 2?

[@3985uprr]

2

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

@@3985uprr They sure go fast just like on the Atlantic Branch

[@kariminalo979]

Are there any plans to enhance or increase maximum speed limits at GCT 6 interlocking and further towards the station? Felt like the train slowed too much once passing GCT 6 interlocking upon approachment to Grand Central Station.

[@3985uprr]

I haven’t heard anything at the moment

[@oofyalDAMMIT]

How fast was the train going in between intervals?

[@3985uprr]

Up to 80

[@oofyalDAMMIT]

@@3985uprr so from fh to Woodside was 80 and from kg to fh was 50 mph?

[@3985uprr]

@@oofyalDAMMIT Not sure but stations too close

[@oofyalDAMMIT]

@@3985uprr that coulda been 50 tho maybe 40 if not

[@tylervavrinec6919]

How about a grand central-Babylon express ride

[@mattygtheoneandonly]

What's replacing the position signals?

[@3985uprr]

Restricted aspect signals.

[@mattygtheoneandonly]

@@3985uprr never heard of those

[@3985uprr]

Small ground level signals with limited signal aspects.

[@mattygtheoneandonly]

@@3985uprr oh okay that makes sense

[@Railoffroader2]

Because the preexisting low home signals that essentially provided for the same speeds weren’t cool enough 😂

[@franklinshaffer2382]

Enjoy your vids but some narration is covered by rail noise.

[@3985uprr]

I hate to yell 😀😀

[@enroute6105]

Off on aspects

[@3985uprr]

My captions corrected.