Hi, Can anybody tell me how many switch towers are still active on the Long Island RR? I am assuming that JAY at Jamaica and HAROLD in Queens are still active? Any info anyone can give me is appreciated. Thanks!
I don’t think there are any in the sense in which you ask. Divide and Babylon are open remote controlling interlockings and switchers and issuing track warrants, etc. but not the same as the old days of towers. Other tower locations are controlled by these two or from Jamaica.
LION asked over at SubChat and came up with the following information:
JCC only controls JAY, HALL, and DUNTON at the moment.
The towers are set up like this (with the bold tower controlling the non-boldface interlocking):
QUEENS: GARDEN, HOLLIS, QUEENS
NASSAU: LOCUST, NASSAU 1 through 4
DIVIDE: AMOTT, BETH, BRENT, CI, DIVIDE 1 through 6, DUKE 1 through 2, FARM 1 through 2, FOX 1 through 2, HUNT 1 through 3, JEFF, JS, KO 1 through 2, POST 1 through 2, STONY 1 through 2
VALLEY: VALLEY, WM, PORT, ROCKY
BABYLON: AMITVILLE, BABYLON 1 through 4, JJD 1 through 2, PD, SK 1 through 2, WANTAGH, Y
LEAD: LEAD
BROOK: BROOK 1 through 2, ENY
West Side Yard
JCC: DUNTON, HALL, JAY
Movement Bureau (Jamaica): BAY, NECK 1 through 3, SHEA, WOOD
PSCC: A, C, EMPIRE, F, GATE, HAROLD, CP JERVIS, JO, KN, PELLHAM, CP POINT
Q: Q, R
DIVIDE controls the Main Line block limits, YA, MR, AH, LD, R, K, SD, GY.
BABYLON control the Montauk Branch block limits, WH, ND, SN, BH, AG, MY. When the Speonk to Montauk Signalization project is complete BABYLON will also gain control over HB, SH, CP AGT, and CP MON interlockings.
QUEENS and VALLEY recently received new stuff at their towers and interlockings, rumor has it DIVIDE and BABYLON are next up for some improvements. NASSAU tower stands in the way of the alleged third track, so that tower’s days are numbered (if the NIMBYs ever loosen their grip).
Eventually the goal is to get everything (except perhaps LEAD) controlled from JCC. However, the timeline for relocating all of the eggs to the one basket is “open-ended.”