# Fire Under LIRR Train Delays Rush Hour Service



## AlanB (Feb 8, 2003)

> A fire erupted aboard the 2:14 p.m. train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma Friday, forcing the evacuation of about 800 people onto the snowy platform at Merillon Avenue in Garden City.


The full story from NY Newsday.

On a personal note; while I was not on the above train, I was on a train behind it and was delayed for well over an hour. Since it had snowed that morning I had taken the day off from work to combine two of my favorite things, trains & snow.


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## Viewliner (Feb 8, 2003)

I remember also seeing them intentionally set the tracks on fire so they don't contract too much, I know thats off topic, but I found it interesting.


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2003)

Well that I've never seen or heard of however, the LIRR actually has rows of tiny gas burners at the switches that they turn on during a snow storm. This melts all the snow the comes down and keeps the switches from freezing and/or jamming due to snow between the points.

It looks really cool at night too as one pulls out of Jamaica station and sees dozens of little fires glowing in the cold snowy night. B)


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## Viewliner (Feb 8, 2003)

I saw it on NBC 4 Last night, they had Chopper 4 over it, the reporter actually thought at first that it wasn't intentional, but later corrected what they said.


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## Amfleet (Feb 8, 2003)

AlanB said:


> Well that I've never seen or heard of however, the LIRR actually has rows of tiny gas burners at the switches that they turn on during a snow storm. This melts all the snow the comes down and keeps the switches from freezing and/or jamming due to snow between the points.
> It looks really cool at night too as one pulls out of Jamaica station and sees dozens of little fires glowing in the cold snowy night. B)


I'm sure it looks neat, but with wooden ties and oil/grease from trains that seems it would be quite a hazard.


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2003)

Amfleet said:


> I'm sure it looks neat, but with wooden ties and oil/grease from trains that seems it would be quite a hazard.


Actually the way the burners are arranged, they don't usually have too many problems. Certainly they have far less problems, than if they just let the snow collect on the switches.

The burner is really a long thin pipe attached almost at the top of the rail, so the flame kind of runs along the top of the rail. This keep the worst of the heat directed up away from the ties. Plus with the snow coming down, a temperature at 32 or below, there isn't too much of a chance of setting the ties on fire. They are pretty well soaked with melted snow.


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## Amfleet (Feb 8, 2003)

Is there any flamable substance on the under carriage of the car that could catch fire?


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2003)

Amfleet said:


> Is there any flamable substance on the under carriage of the car that could catch fire?


Well I'm sure that there is grease and such under the car, but the flame is barely an inch high if that. Plus the train doesn't sit on top of the switch long enough for there to be a problem.


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## tp49 (Feb 8, 2003)

I always loved watching the switch heaters from the head end of an LIRR MU it is so serene with the bluish gas flame looks like a large gas stove. When they are in use during the day however, they have to be careful as sometimes it can be very hard to see the flame coming from the burner.


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2003)

tp49 said:


> I always loved watching the switch heaters from the head end of an LIRR MU it is so serene with the bluish gas flame looks like a large gas stove.


Which is exactly the view I had last night. It really is pretty cool.


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