LEAD Drawbridge

As mentioned in yesterday's LEAD interlocking walktrough, the short stretch of track between Island Park and Long Beach is home to one of the LIRR's four moveable bridges.  Today's post will examine LEAD drawbridge, which is the only moveable bridge that currently sees revenue trains pass over it, while tomorrow's post will contain more information on the three remaining moveable bridges in LIRR territory.

LEAD Drawbridge

A rare shot of a diesel train crossing LEAD drawbridge following Hurricane Sandy (Photo credit: Steve Lynch)

LEAD drawbridge shares its name with the interlocking it sits in.  It gets its name from the section of the Reynolds Channel it passes over, Wreck Lead.

LEAD drawbridge is a bascule lift bridge that pivots open to allow water vessels to pass through.  The big steel structure sticking out of the top of the bridge serves as a counterweight which drops down.  In the photo immediately above, the end of the bridge closest to the left raises up.

When opened the drawbridge looks like it does in this Flickr user's photo.

The movement of LEAD drawbridge is controlled from LEAD tower which sits right smack on the overpass.   LEAD tower is always manned and it not only controls the moveable bridge, but also LEAD interlocking.

In the winter, LEAD drawbridge spends most of its time in the closed position, usually only opening for police boats when they approach the bridge.

LEAD Drawbridge

However, during the summer, when there are a lot more maritime and pleasure boaters on the water, the bridge spends a good deal of time in the open position.  During the day the bridge usually remains up, only closing just before a train is expected to cross.  After the train crosses the bridge goes back up to allow watercraft to pass without delay.

Train schedules into and out of Long Beach are configured in such a way to allow regular openings of the drawbridge when necessary.  Generally, during off-peak times a westbound train will depart Long Beach and cross over the bridge.  Usually about 10-15 minutes later a eastbound train from the city will approach Long Beach and cross over the bridge.  After that [during the summer] the bridge will be opened to allow traffic to pass.

Trains have priority at this particular moveable bridge.  If a boat approaches the drawbridge it will have to wait until the next available opening can be safely accomplished.  So it would be very rare for a train to be delayed because a boat caused the bridge to open.

At many other moveable bridges around the region (i.e. the many on the Hackensack River in New Jersey and the many Conneticut Shoreline bridges) it works the other way around.  The boats have priority and usually the bridge has to be opened within a specified time window (i.e. the bridge has to be opened within 30 minutes of the boater notifying the bridge tender).  This will occasionally delay trains, but train delays are more likely to happen when a bridge gets stuck in the open position as many do when they get old.

Unlike many of the other moveable bridges in the area (i.e. the infamous PORTAL bridge on the Northeasst Corridor in New Jersey and some of the Conneticut bridges on Metro-North's New Haven Line) LEAD drawbridge is in pretty good condition.  For the most part the bridge doesn't really get stuck open or stuck closed.

There was one incident, however, on Wednesday, July 10th this year where the bridge got stuck in the open position.  However, repairs were quickly made and service was restored within the hour.  For the most part, though, incidents that end up delaying trains at this bridge are usually few and far between.

(Photo credit: Steve Lynch)

You might be wondering at this point in my tale if it is possible for a train to actually fall off the bridge while it's in the open position.  Here's a little scenario for you: it's a dark, foggy, stormy night and the engineer on the train can barley see the hand in front of its face.  The engineer on the departing train radios to LEAD tower to make sure everything was good.  There is no answer.  The engineer assumes that the LEAD tower attendant has dozed off in these twilight hours and proceeds anyways.  But what the engineer doesn't know is that the bridge attendant is actually outside in the storm trying to fix the bridge which is stuck in the open position.  The engineer pulls out of the station, picks up speed, then all of a sudden he hears a loud crash as the first two cars fly off the rails and drop down into the swift Reynolds Channel.

The answer is no.  A lot of mistakes would have to be made by everybody for a train to end up at the bottom of the Reynolds Channel.  The birdge is built into the signalling system and the cab signal system will not even let a train approach the bridge, nevertheless fall off of it, if the bridge is in the upright position.  There are also tripper arms in place to send a train who runs past a certain point into emergency breaking so it won't go off the bridge.  So again, the answer is no.  Long Beach riders can sleep safe at night knowing that it would be very unlikely for their train car to end up swimming in the Reynolds Channel.

LEAD drawbridge is a interesting and unusual piece of infrastructure on the LIRR.  There are only four moveable bridges on the whole system and this is the only bridge that currently sees revenue LIRR trains traverse it regularly.  Tomorrow's post will take a look at the LIRR's three remaining drawbridges.