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  • Towers in Sunnyside yard?

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1464540  by train2
 
There were 2 towers located within Sunnyside Yard and controlled only the yard if I remember correctly. I believe they had letter designations. What were these towers called and can you place which was where. Specifically would like to know which was at the west end closes to Penn Station.

Did those towers closed and moved to Penn Station Control? If you what was the date of any closures?
 #1464548  by Backshophoss
 
Harold controls the junction of Amtrak and LIRR into and out of the 4 East River Tubes,along with LIRR into/out of Hunterspoint Ave station/LIC yard.
"F" tower controlled the west end of Sunnyside yard trackage into and out of tubes 3 and 4 There was a tower on the Loop that had
controlled the east end of the yard and access to the motor servicing tracks.
All of this will be controlled by PSCC when the projects in the area are done(ESA and the Harold interlocking rebuild)
 #1464557  by amtrakhogger
 
The two towers in SSY are Q and R, with Q being on the west end. R tower was moved into high speed maintenance building
along with the yardmasters several years ago. The old R tower was torn down after that.
 #1467817  by timz
 
Guess Q is/was in that brick bldg just NE of Queens Blvd, between the yard and the LIRR mains?
 #1467831  by collin7
 
Check this link, chapter 7 "Interlocking and Signal Towers" in "Sunnyside Yard and Hell Gate Bridge," for a little further info. 
It basically says that Q Tower controlled the exit from the west end of the yard while F Tower (further west of Q) controlled the approaches to the tunnels themselves. (I think F tower also controlled the Montauk  & Main line cutoffs of the LIRR - the overpass right in front of the 2 eastbound tunnel portals, just now being dismantled)
It also includes some pics of the old towers.

https://books.google.com/books?id=ej5LD ... er&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1467849  by amtrakhogger
 
timz wrote:Guess Q is/was in that brick bldg just NE of Queens Blvd, between the yard and the LIRR mains?
Yes, Q is in the brick building that you described, and AFAIK, it is the original structure when the yard was built.
 #1467913  by timz
 
collin7 wrote:It basically says that Q Tower controlled the exit from the west end of the yard while F Tower (further west of Q) controlled the approaches to the tunnels themselves.
Q controlled the west end of the yard-- it didn't control any switches in the main. A train leaving the yard got a signal from F to enter the main.