About Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard.

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Trains Magazine did a feature on it in June. If you can get a back copy that'd be a really good source of info.
 
It is indeed in Sunnyside Queens, NY. I believe that it qualifies as the largest passenger car yard in the US. It's certainly the largest electrified yard around. It has more train movements per day, than many freight yards do, since it handles both Amtrak's busiest corridor and it is used during the day by New Jersey Transit trains too.

If memory serves, I believe that there are 36 electrified tracks. In addition, until very recently, there were at least a dozen freight tracks in the main yard. Then there is a yard that is located a short distance away, which is still considered to be part of Sunnyside.

If you click here you will be taken to a recent topic over on the Railfan.net boards. We discussed the yards over there, including the current changes being made for the LIRR Eastside Access project.

In this topic you can find a map of what the yards used to look like 30 years ago, along with several pictures of the yards today. Those pictures were just taken recently by me and posted by my alter-ego "NYC_Subway_Fan", the handle that I use on that forum. :)
 
How can I get to Sunnyside Yard to see Trains by Subway From the 42 Street Subway Station on the 7 line? :) :)
 
Amtrak Railfan said:
How can I get to Sunnyside Yard to see Trains by Subway From the 42 Street Subway Station on the 7 line? :) :)
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You answered your own question. :)

All you need to do is to get on the #7 train headed to Queens from any stop on 42nd Street. The #7 line runs right over the Sunnyside Yard, just look out the windows after the train leaves the Queensboro stop.

Also if you get off at the Queensboro stop, then a short two block walk will bring you to the Queens Blvd bridge over the yard. Note: Most of the bridge however has high walls that you cannot see over. You basically have to be near the end of the bridge to see anything.

Please do not under any circumstances go down the emergency steps from the bridge into the yard. Amtrak police will arrest you if you try that.
 
Amtrak Railfan said:
If I go down to the emergency steps I will be arrest and I will go to jail if I do that? :huh:
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Well you can be sure that the Police will be questioning you and quite possible taking you in for an interogation. If they don't like your answers or if they feel that you've endangered yourself or someone else, then yes they could put you in jail.

It's also simply not safe to do down, as there are far too many moving trains in the yard. One could get hit by a train very easily, especially since you will never know which one is going to move next.
 
How often does the #7 run? I am curious because I will be up in the New York area next week. Sounds like I might be doing some train watching so I thought I would try and tackle the yard this time.
 
AMTRAK-P42 said:
How often does the #7 run?
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Often! Very often. :lol:

 

Weekdays, every 2-3 minutes during rush hour, 5-7 midday. Weekends about every 10 minutes, with more frequent service during the mini Sat & Sun rush hours.

 

After midnight till about 5 AM is the only time you might wait as long as 20 -25 minutes, and I doubt that you'd be out and about between those hours. If you were out, then I certainly wouldn't recomend wandering around that area at that time of night. :eek:

 

You can find the schedule for the #7 here, although all it really doesn't give you exact times. It just tells you the frequencies like I did above.
 
I have been to New York numerous times, but I have not yet ventured to this yard (and no, I will not be doing so between 12-5 :lol: :p ). I was curious if anyone has seen/ knows if there is an Engine Facility at this yard, and if so, could you please tell me where it is relative to the blvd. overpass.

Thanks! :D
 
P42,

I'm not absolutely positive, but I don't think that there is a true engine shop in Sunnyside. If there is a shop, then it will be one of the farthest buildings from the Queens Blvd overpass.

If you do plan to visit the area, here's what I would recommend. Ride the #7 out to Queens from Manhattan. Take this train to 46th Street. Doing this will give you your first glance and a bird's eye view of the yard. At 46th Street if you walk to the north end of the platform (the 47th St. exit), you can transfer for free to a southbound #7 if you go down the very last set of stairs at the north end of the platform. Just FYI, all trains from Manhattan run north and you can't transfer for free at 33rd Street or 40th Street.

After switching to a southbound train you can then run back over the yard, getting a second glimpse of the yard. Southbound the yard will be on your right, which of course means that northbound the yard would be on your left. Take the Southbound train back to Queensboro Plaza.

After exiting the Subway (even though it's an El at this point), walk back to the north away from the Queensboro or 59th Street Bridge. Cross over to the left side of Queens Blvd. at Jackson Avenue and then walk up onto the Queens Blvd. Bridge over the yard. Best views are at the ends of the bridge and around the emergency stairs. Most of the bridge in the area of the catenary has high walls to keep people from touching the wires. Those walls also obscure your view.

You may also wish to walk up Skillman Avenue, which is on the far side of the Queens Blvd Bridge. This parallels the yard and I do believe that you can see things reasonably well, although I have to admit that I've never walked along Skillman. However there are no buildings in your way, only a fence and maybe some trees.

If you continue up Skillman, you can then cross the Honeywell Street Bridge. This bridge crosses the yard on the north end, where as the Queens Blvd Bridge is on the south end of the yard. The Honeywell Bridge has just been newly rebuilt, so I'm not sure just how much you can see. Since this bridge only opened about three months ago, I haven't walked across it yet.

If you do cross this bridge it will take you to Northern Blvd. Turn left on Northern Blvd and follow it right back to Queens Plaza, where you can catch either the #7 or the E, F, or the R back to Manhattan. The E, F, and the R run underground at this point and you can find them in the Queens Plaza station. You will also find the N running overhead on Northern Blvd. It meets up with the #7 at the Queenboro Plaza station, not to be confused with the Queens Plaza station.

Hope that helps. If you've got any more questions, just ask. :)
 
It's also simply not safe to do down, as there are far too many moving trains in the yard. One could get hit by a train very easily, especially since you will never know which one is going to move next.
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Alan, you are absolutely correct in this. I personally swear by the Operation Lifesaver message, railroads are private property, trains can come out of nowhere at very high speeds. It took me a long time to feel comfortable standing on the crossing in Sanford because I believe in OL so much. The only people who should be standing in the gague (or near it) is railroad employees, period end of statement.
 
AlanB said:
Ps.  Do you need scanner frequencies for NY?   :unsure:
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Well, there is one I have ALWAYS wanted to know. While on the Crescent, I can follow up to Washington, switch the frequency there, but once we switch frequencies in Trenton, I have never been able to get it. I am curious what the frequency is from Trenton, NJ to New York Penn on the Crescent?

Thanks!

P.S I am covered for the New York area though :)
 
Well actually the switch takes place at Morrisville, which is on the Pennsy side just before you cross the bridge into New Jersey. The frequency change applies to all Amtrak trains, not just the Crescent. The channel is #60 and the frequency is 161.010.

If you ever want an Amtrak frequency, just check out On Track On Line's list located here. It's one of the best around, since it's based upon input from members who have been on the various routes. :)

Now at the risk of sounding like a broken record, you've got the frequencies for Metro North RR, the LIRR, PATH, and the NYC Subways? Or are you not interested in those? Finally, do you also have the frequency for Sunnyside Yard?
 
AlanB said:
Now at the risk of sounding like a broken record, you've got the frequencies for Metro North RR, the LIRR, PATH, and the NYC Subways?  Or are you not interested in those?  Finally, do you also have the frequency for Sunnyside Yard?
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Actually, I dont have the PATH, or NYC Subway frequencies. I do have the Sunnyside frequency though. Thanks :D
 
The Subway frequencies are kind of cool. When I was in the Big Apple last year I was staying at 94th Street on the 1-2-3-9 line. 96th Street Tower was right there so I could hear a lot of chatter whenever I wanted.
 
How many minutes is the Trip from 42 Street Subway Station to the Queensboro Subway Station on the 7 Subway line ? :)
 
Amtrak Railfan said:
How many minutes is the Trip from 42 Street Subway Station to the Queensboro Subway Station on the 7 Subway line ? :)
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Well that depends on which of the three stations on 42nd Street you board at. There is Times Square, Fifth Avenue, and Grand Central/Lexington Avenue.

From Times Square it takes about twelve minutes, from Grand Central it only takes about 9 minutes to reach Queensboro Plaza. This also assumes that there is no track work being done.
 
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