I never thought I would be able to say I set foot inside the Long Island Rail Road’s sprawling Hillside Facility in Queens, but here we are. And I have the photos to prove it!

 

I was approached by a member of Twin Forks some time in mid-March about the possibility of becoming a member of the chapter. He hinted at the prospects of something interesting happening within the chapter concerning a tour, and I decided to bite. Somehow, the stars aligned in their negotiations with the LIRR, and within weeks we were preparing to visit Hillside Facility. It was said before the tour that no photography was allowed - which was a huge bummer, of course - but once we got to the complex, our guide said that there was a miscommunication and that as long as we didn’t photograph employees at work, we’d be fine.

 

Around 9:45 in the morning on April 11, between ten and twenty of us met at Jamaica, the headquarters of the LIRR. There, we were introduced to Steve, our tour guide - a railroader based out of Hillside with an great sense of humor. He gave us the run-down of what to expect on the tour before leading us to Track 8, where we caught our train to the facility.

 

Getting off of a train on the platform of Hillside was a surreal experience. I’d passed it a countless amount of times as both a kid and as a commuter to and from college, but it was impossible to imagine ever exiting the train there without getting chased out! We walked over the yard on the pedestrian bridge, into the complex, and right to Steve’s office, where he had made us breakfast. After cracking jokes for a while and enjoying some bagels & cookies, we began our tour. We had to wear safety vests, and we got free LIRR hats courtesy of the company.

 

First, we went to the far end of the facility, passing the cafeteria and many different posters / memorabilia on the walls, before reaching what I considered the coolest part of the tour. Hillside Facility serves as the main maintenance and repair shop for the LIRR’s massive MU fleet. But, to be completely transparent, I am NOT a railroader, and I don’t know what many of the different parts and procedures are called. Which is why this part of the complex, which included lots of different spare parts - brake shoes, trucks, wheels, and many other different railroad-related objects - absolutely fascinated me. It's a part of railroading that I don't fully grasp as a member of the general public, and it was great to learn more about it from such a knowledgeable person as Steve. This part of Hillside alone was absolutely enormous, and it took a while to get through all of the different intricate pieces.

 

The second half of the tour had us exploring the different MU consists sitting in the facility for repair. We saw dozens of M7s sitting dormant around the indoor space, and even saw a pair of M3s - as well as a single C3 Bilevel. We climbed aboard an M9 pair and checked out some of its interior features not often seen by the public.

 

Steve gave us some practical tips we should know as civilians - for one, that every odd-numbered car has a bathroom (“odd car, odd smell”) and that there are blind spots in the inward-facing camera system on the train where you can safely pick your nose during your commute.

 

After checking out the MUs and taking a group picture, we went back to Steve’s office, where two fans were lucky enough to win T-shirts by guessing a number from one to ten. After chatting with Steve about various railroad matters for the next twenty minutes, he walked us back to the train platform and saw us off.

 

Thanks a million to Twin Forks for making this event happen. I like to exaggerate when I write, but it was a truly awesome day in every way imaginable - and one of the best days I’ve ever had on the LIRR.