LONG ISLAND CITY - YARD A REMOVAL

LONG ISLAND CITY - YARD A REMOVAL
The LIRR East Side Access Project: East Side Access Project map 2003 East Side Access Project map 2015 East Side Access Project map 11/13/2018	East Side Access Project map 2001 East Side Access Project Sign 2003 East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal - TRAINS September 2021
East Side Access Project tunnels Photo: Mark Lennihan - AP	East Side Access Project finishing touches for late 2022 opening Photo: Barry Williams - NY Daily News
East Side Access is one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects currently underway in the United States with a history that reaches back to the 1950’s when discussions were first held regarding regional transportation planning. The project encompasses work in multiple locations in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx and includes more than 11 miles of tunneling. East Side Access is one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects currently underway in the United States with a history that reaches back to the 1950’s when discussions were first held regarding regional transportation planning. The project encompasses work in multiple locations in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx and includes more than 11 miles of tunneling. When completed, East Side Access will serve approximately 162,000 customers a day, providing a faster and easier commute from Long Island and Queens to the east side of Manhattan in a new 8-track terminal and concourse below Grand Central Terminal. The revised budget for the East Side Access project is $10.178 billion. Revenue service is forecast for December 2022. When completed, East Side Access will serve approximately 162,000 customers a day, providing a faster and easier commute from Long Island and Queens to the east side of Manhattan in a new 8-track terminal and concourse below Grand Central Terminal. The revised budget for the East Side Access project is $10.178 billion. Revenue service is forecast for December 2022.

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 1999

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Yard A - LI City view S 5/08/99 Photo: Kevin Wong

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 2002

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Yard A - LI City view NE 10/06/2002 Photo: Kevin Wong

Yard A - LI City view SW 10/06/2002 Photo: Kevin Wong

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 2003

Yard A looking west (left photo) and east from the #7 train. Photos/commentary: Bernie Ente 11/23/2003

In the first two pictures here, I took a shot of Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard while riding overhead on a #7 train, just before the start of rush hour. Over half of the trains that you can see in this picture are NJT trains awaiting the call to Penn. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

Next up are two pictures of what used to be the multiple unit classification yards. This area is on the west side of the buildings that separate the Amtrak yard from the classification yard.

You will notice in both pictures, that while most of the tracks have been ripped up, they are currently pre-assembling new track sections for what will become the LIRR's Grand Central holding yard. The first picture is the bird’s eye view from the same #7 train.

The second picture was shot from the Queens Blvd. bridge over the Sunnyside yards. The color is better in this shot, since there was no glass door pane in my way, unlike the prior shot. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

Now we'll move over to what used to be the eastbound & westbound classification yards. This is an area that can be seen from the Citibank building.

A small freight yard still exists here and to my knowledge will continue to remain here. However, the rest of the classification yards are completely gone. It would also appear that all access to what's left of the car floats has now been permanently cut off.

What's being built here is a new maintenance building called the Arch Street Shops. This building will provide maintenance and repairs to the LIRR cars serving Grand Central as part of the Eastside Access project.
The first shot here shows part of the freight yard, with the steel skeleton of the new Arch St. shops in the background. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

The next shot of the Arch St. shop was taken from the railfan window of a #7 redbird as the train decends the ramp into the Steinway tunnel to Manhattan.

All of the area to the right used to be the classification yards. One can just make out the piles of lumber sitting in the still used freight yard on the far right. The grade timing signal has just changed to yellow or caution from stop. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

A closer shot of the new Arch St. building going up, from that same redbird train. Note the grab handle in the right side of the frame.

The green bridge just barely visible in the background is carrying 21st Street in Queens.
Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

Next is a side view of the new Arch St. building. This was shot from the staircase leading down from 49th Avenue to the LIRR's Hunterspoint Station.

One of the new (newer at least to the #7 line) silver R62 trains descends in front of the building on it. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

Finally a just for fun shot. After all how often is it that one can get a shot with an Amtrak train, a commuter train, a subway train, and a work train in one shot.

On the far right one of the LIRR's new diesel powered double deck trains sits at the Hunterspoint station awaiting it's departure time. Moving left towards the center, Amtrak train headed by AEM-7 #922 heads down into the tunnel leading to Penn Station.

Continuing to move left an engineless Amtrak work train sits on a siding waiting to go back to work on the weekend. Further left a #7 redbird heads up the incline from the underground Hunters Point station on its way to the Court House Square station.

On the far left sits the steel skeleton of the new Arch St shop and in the upper left corner is the green Citibank building in Queens. Photo/commentary: Alan Burden

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 2007

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Yard A 3/30/2007 new third rail installed
Amtrak Acela #2006 Photo: John McCluskey

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Yard A 3/30/07
Photo: John McCluskey

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Yard A 11/04/2007
Photo: John McCluskey

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Yard A - LI City view SW 1/03/2007
Photos: Kevin Wong

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Yard A - LI City view SW 6/11/2007

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 2009

Yard A - LI City view S 5/08/2009
Photos/Archive: Kevin Wong

Yard A - LI City view NE 12/14/2009

LIRR Yard A Removal, Sunnyside Yard - 2010

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Yard A 03/25/2010
Photo: Bernie Ente

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View from the 7 train of Yard A. The PRR service buildings are long gone. 3/25/10
Photo: Bernie Ente

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Amtrak/ex-PRR Pass Yard 03/25/2010
Photo: Bernie Ente

Sunnyside Yard - An Engineers View

Yard A Hump removed view W toward Honeywell St.
6/2003 - Photo: Steve Kay

View east toward
Honeywell St. 6/2003
Photo: Steve Kay

View north from
Sunnyside Yard 6/2003
Photo: Steve Kay

Yard A removed west toward Queens Blvd 6/2003
Photo: Steve Kay

Some of the buildings north of Yard A
Photos: Steve Kay

The bridge that goes between the two "Walther's" buildings is Honeywell Avenue which also bisects the yard.

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Connecting track Q Tower and Harold 5/08/2002
Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

New Harold Tower

Harold Interlocking - 1/30/1974

Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

"R" Tower
Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

"Q" Tower Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

The doubledecked bridge in the photo is Queens Blvd. It runs over the west end of Sunnyside yard almost over the top of "Q" Tower. This tower controls the west end of the yard and "R" tower controls the east end of the yard. The subway line above Queens Blvd. is the Seventh Ave. Line that goes to Shea Stadium.

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Arriving at F Tower next to Metroliner equipment 5-10-02
Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

The bridge by the old "F" Tower I believe is Thompson Ave.

West of F Tower Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

This photo was taken while I was following an "Acela Regional" (that is AEM-7 and Amfleet cars) out of Sunnyside Yard. The location is the old "F" tower which you can see to the right of the last car. "F" Tower's functions have been taken over by PSCC (Penn Station Control Center). Both trains are sitting on Sub 2. My train has just come under the Line 2 and Line 4 overhead bridge. We are waiting for PSCC to give us the signal to enter Penn Station through Line 2 under the East River. My train makes this move five days a week. Photo: Steve Kay Eng.

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LIRR Tunnel approach 11/2006
Portal A -Line 4

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LIRR Tunnel 11/2006 Portal A -Line 4

LIRR Yard A Renewal, Sunnyside Yard - 2017

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Yard A (left) Sunnyside Yard view NE 10/10/2017 Photo: Jake D. Oster

EAST SIDE ACCESS
The LIRR East Side Access Project: East Side Access Project map 2003 East Side Access Project map 2015 East Side Access Project map 11/13/2018	East Side Access Project map 2001 East Side Access Project Sign 2003	East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal - TRAINS September 2021 NEWSDAY - First LIRR ride to GCT 11/01/2021 First LIRR dignitaries ride to GCT - MTA 10/31/2021
East Side Access - GCT map - TRAINS 9/2021	First LIRR ride to GCT interior - 10/31/2021 MTA	First LIRR ride to GCT - 10/31/2021 MTA
East Side Access 9/28/2022 Photo/Archive: Chaim Bamberge r	An example of the shuttle train app used for future access to GCT. The LIRR was testing that the shuttle service works with the times that were set up by running “mock” service with no doors opening. The idea is to integrate ESA services and perform dry runs. ESA test run 1/11/2023 Photo: Joe Polidora	The new LIRR MU layover at Sunnyside Yard (opened as part of East Side Access). This is the former Yard A freight yard location. 4/4/2025 Photo/Archive/Info: Kevin Wong