The Bellport Siding

Let's talk about the little known Bellport Siding. Bellport Siding is a passenger siding on the Montauk Branch that rarely sees use anymore. 

The siding is double-ended, and can accommodate 28 cars and it makes the platform look so small which is so weird to me. Technically, if the LIRR wanted to, they could use this siding but they choose not to and instead use the sidings at Patchogue & Mastic-Shirley for scheduled meets instead. However, at the moment, it's rarely used and the LIRR is very reluctant to use it. Recently when an eastbound was running late on a summer morning instead of having that run around a westbound at Bellport, they had it go all the way to Mastic-Shirley,  

In the future, when this station finally gets it's much needed station spruce-up, I hope they extend Bellport's platform to 6 cars which could easily be done and they should also put a platform on the other side so trains can stop simultaneously. 

However, Bellport Siding remains a very convenient place to store work equipment, and it's a great place to stash a MP15AC there if the need arises. 

I hope that once the new equipment comes and the diesel lines finally get the much needed "service spruce-ups", that interlockings like this and the ones in Centre Moriches in Eastport finally see the light of day again. Between Bellport, JJD, MO, and PT sidings, there's sidings at 4-5 mile intervals the entire way between Patchogue and Speonk.