LIRR Bi-levels with Metra E-8 Units 8-19-91

Took this on August 19, 1991 the same day that Hurricane Bob hit Long Island. By the time the train arrived Smithtown the hurricane was gone and the sun was shining. The railroad had it's own problems with delays. East of Smithown in those days was manual block. A train had to remain at Smithtown until the one ahead of it cleared at "BK" Stony Brook. Train #660 with the Metra units is first seen at the west end of Smithtown waiting for train # 658 to leave. Since I know it will be in the station for about fifteen minutes I take a few videos of engine # 605 on train # 657 a westbound that originates out of Smithtown. I then drive over and take some more videos of the Metra E-8 # 516. These old units look like they're built like a tank. Finally they depart east but very slowly as train # 662 arrives and waits it's turn. I take more video of 662's engine # 251. The red recepticle says " For Bilevel Service Only" The LIRR already had this engine along with 259-266-269 ready in the wings ready to haul the bi-level C-1 cars. After finishing up the videos I returned to my car. I turned on the scanner only to hear that train # 660 (Metra bi-levels) was having problems climbing the grade east of Smithtown. I drove over towards St.James and stopped at the Borrella farm stand on Edgewood Ave. I monitor the scanner. Finally the train seems to make it up the grade and gets moving along. I then head over to St.James station where I capture it mid train as it's leaving St. James heading to Stony Brook. By the next week the Metra units are out and the LIRR's own GP-38's are in charge of hauling this train.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• LIRR
• Long
• Island
• Railroad
• Trains
• Metra
• E-8
• Bi-levels
• C-1
• Smithtown
• St
• James

[mrjv61]

They were only used for two weeks at the begining, since they were compatable with the new double deckers cars.

[543GP7]

Are the METRA units still running on LIRR?

[mrjv61]

They only lasted about two weeks before the LIRR replaced them with the two LIRR Gp-38's and powerpack

[EMDFAN1988]

Never seen this. Pretty awesome. Thanks man I love it .

[Catnip11147]

I'm not a fan of LIRR's bi-levels. The seats are too small. And they're's not enough head room. The locomotive (DE30AC) are a nightmare from what I hear. They keep breaking down.  The NJ Transit bi-levels are much better. The seats are bigger. More leg room and head room. More comfortable overall. LIRR should invest in those bi-levels, and lose those locomotives. Stick with the old GP38's. They never let anyone down!

[MegaZsolti]

Wasn't Traingirl the same day?

[Megahammerheadshark]

Thats weird! They are useing metra engines on the long island railroad!

[fnm9908]

Wow,never seen those big metra E units before,and that alcoFA,look very nice too

[SilentAssasin396]

I think one of those engines are now at the Illinois Railway Museum repainted in C&NW colors.

[Rob94hawk]

Nice!

[IIIJFRIII]

And back when the LIRR had really awsome cool looking engiens.

[DTD110865]

Newsday should've covered this. A Metra train on Long Island is definitley a sight for sore eyes. If I hadn't seen a Metra train in "Home Alone" in the previous year, I wouldn't have known about that system.

[boweandrew3]

The E8 amd E9's and all of the Eunits were like SD7 and SD9 they road smoothly and like the GP38's after the SD9's and E units were built with American craftmanship where people really cared about building locomotives that lasted 20 30 or more years and never broke down, The DE30AC that LIRR are pices of Junk The LIRR should listen to its railfans and railroad historians and maybe the equipment will last longer

[gregrudd]

These were the cars that were designed by Comeng in Australia who then onsold the design to the Japanese as part of an Asset strip.

[Amtrak1194]

@Catnip11147 the NJ ones are more pleasant to look at!