17-11-10 PHOTOS: VALLEY Stream

Every fall I take a multi-day trip to NYC and typically I combine something on the Subway with something on the LIRR and unfortunately as of late this has meant trying to document endangered signaling and interlocking towers. This year it was VALLEY tower's turn to get my attention after previous trips to DIVIDE in Hicksville, NASSAU in Mineola and QUEENS in Queens Village. I also poked around the Jamaica terminal area thanks to a new concourse that provided some great views of the western approaches.

 For this trip I left from South Jersey, making an Atlantic City Line connection to the RiverLINE, then the NEC at Trenton, subway at Penn Station to get to the LIRR at Atlantic Ave, changing trains at Jamaica to get to Valley Stream. I then traveled to Ossining to stay with a fellow railfan who then drove me to Suffern the next day where I could catch NJT back to Trenton, connecting at Secaucas. That was a massive ordeal in and on itself so I wound up with an unanticipated hour+ long layover at Secaucas.

You can view the full set of photos here.

After getting dropped off at Cherry Hill I discovered that the NJT TGIV was sitting on the main track waiting to do some geometry inspecting.

A northbound NJT ACL train soon arrived with GP40PH-2B #4209, seen here diverging at RACE interlocking past an MoW ballast regulator.

Making the connection at the Pennsauken Transfer, my NJT train continued on past two Approach Medium signals at SAUK and JERSEY.

Since NJT NEC locals are the absolute worst, I let this train, with Comet V cab car #6050, depart Trenton and waited for the next express to New York Penn.

My train dropped me off on NYP's platform 1 where I got this shot of the far southeastern corner of the station's concrete bathtub.

A number of LIRR switchers were parked in the Morris Park deadline including SW1001 #107 and #105.

Also at the Morris Park engine terminal was LIRR DE30 #411.

DUNTON tower with a freight train on the Atlantic Branch flyover behind it.

M7 #7304 at Jamaica.

Eastbound LIRR M7 #7400 proceeding down the flyover ramp next to JAY tower. It was a cold and windy day, something the flag can attest to.

For some reason the New York and Atlantic decided to ruin some of it's GP38 locomotives by rebuilding them as PR20B's with Caterpillar road/marine use diesels. Here #300 and #301 pass through Jamaica with a string of empty high capacity gons for scrap or waste.

JAY tower seen from the new western concourse along tracks 3 and 4.

A westbound train of LIRR M3 cars with #9787 in the lead, moving through HALL interlocking.

LIRR M7 #7467 passing VALLEY tower as it diverges towards Far Rockaway.

To avoid the Hempstead Shuttle, which usually lays over on track 3 at Valley Stream, this Jamaica bound train platformed on track 4 before crossing back over to track 3 at the west end of VALLEY interlocking. Here LIRR M7 #7068 passes the track 4 pedestal signal as it takes the diverging route.

Although it was re-signaled a number of years ago, VALLEY interlocking tower is still manned and operational. The diamond is for the flat junction with the Far Rockaway branch.

If you were wondering what the 2-2E signal is displaying Clear for, the answer is an eastbound train of LIRR M3's!  Better grab a towel if you are aroused by WABCO horn effects ;-)


Eastbound pedestal signals on the Babylon Branch through tracks, each with a position light module for use as a Train Order lamp.

The conductor looks out from LIRR M3 #9824 stopping at Valley Stream.

LIRR M3 #9933 passes VALLEY tower en-route to Long Branch. VALLEY interlocking is a node that connects LIRR lines to West Hempstead, Far Rockaway, Long Branch and Babylon. Far Rock and Long Branch trains use the southern two tracks while Babylon Line trains pass by the Valley Stream station without stopping.

During lulls in the traffic, West Hempstead shuttles creep across the Babylon Branch tracks to enter the single track line to West Hempstead.

Westbound LIRR M7 #7685 has the signal to depart Valley Stream while an eastbound Babylon Branch train with M7 #7394 blasts through at track speed.

The two-faced JAY tower with the color light replacement 40L dwarf signal displaying Slow Clear.

LIRR M7 37134 passing the temporary pedestal PL signals at Woodside. The 6-track Woodside signal bridge is being replaced as part of the East Side Access project.

LIRR M7 #7272 passes the 31 signal on track #3 at Woodside displaying a Stop and Proceed indication.

R188 #7898 standing across from R62 #1960 at Woodside.

 Here is the same train of R188's now diverging after making a Metropark style express stop at 75th St.


R160 #9413 on an F routing at Union Turnpike.

Interior of R160 "Cuomo Car" #9132 at Roosevelt Ave.

R62's at the New New South Ferry Station.

End of the Line at 8th Ave station on the L.

Anonymous Metro North M7 at Grand Central.

Because my friend had to drive to Allentown, PA, the most convenient way for him to give me a ride to NJT was for me to catch an ML/BCL train at Suffern. En route we see the old and New Tappen Zee Bridge spans side-by-side.

Interestingly enough, a through ticket from Suffern to Trenton was only 10 cents more than a ticket from Penn Station to Trenton!  Here we see a Comet V cab car ready to head eastbound with a Clear signal indication already displaying on the eastbound bracket at SF interlocking.  Unfortunately this signal would prove to be overly optimistic.

 You see, the local train, powered by PL42 #4008 seen below, developed some sort of brake or cab signal fault in the cab car and it looked like I was going to miss the tight connection with the hourly(?!) westbound NEC trains.

While waiting for the train to get fixed a westbound local arrived and pulled into the Suffern yard on a Slow Approach indication with split level cab car #7003 on the back.

The problem could not be fixed so we were directed to catch the next express train arriving from Port Jervis. While this would have only resulted in a 15-20 minute delay compared to the local, NJT decided to run the express local even though the next scheduled local was only another 15 minutes from departure!!! The result was that EVERYONE was delayed and I missed an NEC connection by about 5 minutes :-(

Here we see the four compass points of NJT's Secaucas station, each with a 1990's vintage Solari split flap display.

With time to kill I spend some time down on the platform taking pictures of NJT and Amtrak trains as they passed through. Here split level cab car #7032 makes a stop en route to Long Beach.

NJT ALP-46 #4611 departing Secaucas westward.

Amtrak ACS-86 #616 passing through at the head of a southbound Regional.

I believe my NEC train was itself delayed so I got to photograph a second NJCL train with ALP-46 #4654 and cab car #7027.

Finally back at Trenton, I caught NJT RiverLINE LRV #3503A.

Next week it is once again time for Amtrak's Thanksgiving Parade!