New York on Fire March 18, 2017 the welcome blog Did you know? New York City keeps train tracks free of ice by setting them on fire. ON FIRE Patrick Cashin of New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority snapped this photo east of the Jamaica Station. A track switch is the last place where you'd want to get ice on a railway. To prevent that from happening, the MTA uses gas-powered warmers.This is only one of the MTA's special tools for harsh winter weather. Last year, we showed you photos of one of its snow removal locomotives. See this search field in the original post QUICK INTERESTING FACTS See this gallery in the original post EXPLORE MORE AND MORE See this calendar in the original post