Interlocking questions

I have a couple of questions about the "newer" interlockings that have been recently created, such as Beth, Farm 1, Farm 2, Stony 1, Stony 2, etc., etc.

1. Can anyone tell me about when these interlockings went into service?
2. Did they go into service at the same time or were they stagggered over a period of years?
3. Oyster Bay is listed as a full-time block station, open continuously. Is it manned or is it remote? If manned, where is the structure located in relationship to the old depot building?

Thanx for your help!

Dave Keller

Hi Dave! Just to let you know Beth was in service by Remote by Divide since 1987 when the Main Line was fully electrified to Ronkonkoma. To note Farm 1, and 2 was since 1987 where as Beth was there and controlled by B tower before that. Stony 1, and 2 was in full operation after 1992 by Divide, but when Stony Brook was redone in 1988, it was a part time manned block (BK), and east of Smithtown was Rule 251 until then. This also includes Jeff interlocking at the west end of the now old yard at Port Jefferson (West of Main St.). Everything on the PJ Branch from Smithtown, and west was done in 1983 (Posts 1 and 2, Fox 1 and 2, and Duke 1 and 2). I also heard that Huntington when first electrified had such an interlocking as Corey before being renamed Hunt 3 when the line was double tracked east of Amott in 1983. All interlockings east of Beth were named, and done at time of electrification in 1987 (Farm 1 and 2, JS, Brent, CI's 1 and 2, and KO's 1 and 2).

Hi Neil:

Thanx for the detailed information. I've been out of the LIRR loop since I moved to Florida in the 1980s and missed a whole lot of changes.

Your answers are just what I was looking for. I appreciate your time in responding.

In for a penny . . . in for a pound:

Some others if I may . . . .

1. When did PSCC begin service?
2. When was HAROLD interlocking re-done to present congfiguration under remote control?
3. Also WOOD, SHEA, BAY and NECK?
4. MS 1 & 2, ROCKY?
5. BROOK 1 & 2?


Dave Keller

Harold, Old Brook and Van went summer of '97. This was some long painful neverending trimmings after that. MS went to PD a long time ago, would guess around late '60's, early '70s. This is based on several recently retired or about to retire old school employees having worked there prior to it's close.

Rocky, Port, Wantagh and Amityville was early 80's when Port Tower was closed and the other interlockings created, control was split between Valley and Babylon. Babylon lost it's porch to that machine.

PSCC was mid to late '80s, when they closed A, C, KN and JO towers. I believe Westside Yard tailended off of that project as well. PSCC absorbed F Tower and Gate in '95, don't know when they took Pelham Bay's Interlocking, which went back to Section A recently... (Amtrak employees, where's the ceramic dog?!)

Can't answer about the Port Wash interlockings. I do remember working the machine that was at Harold and it looked fairly recent. I would venture a guess after the fire at Win Tower, which was sometime in 1976.

Perhaps the Duke of Hix or some of the others can fill in the exact dates...

Going back to what Neil said, originally the Pt. Jeff was double track to Syosset, and then single track to Huntington. Huntington was split into two interlockings, Corey and Burke (sp?), but I'm not sure if Amott was called that back then. The first machine at the new elevated Divide tower controlled that and was referred to as a "Pingball" machine. This was eventually replaced by the existing computerized/GUI machine now there.

Thanks Krispy.

You guys have both been a great help.

I appreciate it.

Dave Keller

No one answered your 3rd question. Oyster Bay is not manned it is controlled by Nassau. The reason it is a block station is because it is a location where a manual block signal is displayed. Any place on the RR where a signal displays an aspect of "clear block" is a block station. Also at locations a train can get a clear block signal from an operator via a green flag is also a block station.

Thanx Bluebelly.

That cleared up that point.

I appreciate it.

Dave Keller

West Side Yard opened when they did the MainLine electrification in 1987...I was hired to work there as a coach cleaner when I started and the yard was quite not yet 100% completed.
PSCC went into operation in 1995. It closed all the interlockings in Penn Station (A,C, KN, JO), along with Gate and Pelham Bay on the New Haven Line, and a few interlockings over on the Jersey side (whose names escape me at the moment), and eliminated Harold and Harold's control of Port Wash trains which was sent to the "Section A Dispatcher" in Jamaica.

Thanks Bob!

Dave Keller

Krispy, the reason that the machine at Harold looked new was that Harold was competely rebuilt in the early ninetys or late eightys.
It was only a few years old when it was it was closed and put under PSCC.
JJ Earl

All interlockings on the PW branch was controlled by Harold until PSCC took control, or shortly thereafter. Jamaica Control Center which will eventually take control of all of LIRR's interlockings in some point in the future now controls all interlockings on the PW Branch to this day.

Thanx Neil!

Do you know the year(s) that the interlockings on the PW branch (BAY, NECK, etc.) went into service?

Dave Keller

I believe somewhere in the '80's, but not totally sure on that Dave.

Thanx!


Dave Keller

Hi Matt:

In 1959, the "UN" block signals and crossover were removed from directly in front of the Huntington station. They were relocated just west of New York Avenue on the north side.

The crossover was relocated to this new western location as well.

This is most probably the high signal that your memory recalls.

Dave Keller