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It was the 1970s, but it might as well have been the 19th century. A winter storm was hitting Long Island, and in the morning the LIRR sent train after train of passengers westward - even though the line was impassable. Thousands of commuters found themselves marooned above Hicksville, east of the frozen switch points at DIVIDE tower.
In the old coaches used on some of the trains, frost formed on windows. A frigid wind blasted up through the so-called "toilets" - open holes with seats above them, through which one could see the snow on the track below. The chill found its way through the many cracks into the main passenger space. After a while, the heating and the lights failed. Many of the shivering commuters had no seats; they stood for hours in the aisle, holding onto the seats' backs to steady themselves. I was one of them.
An optimistic account of the day's events - if
you had to change trains, the second train's
delay compounded your first train's delay
New York Times, February 3, 1976
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