In 2005 the future looked somewhat bright at QUEENS Interlocking. Although the US&S Model 14 interlocking machine has been taken out of service, the extra long interlocking plant had been rebuilt with brand new PRR style amber position light signals that were set to last 40 years or more. Well changes in LIRR operations that ultimately closed the tower in 2020 have now come for the position lights. LIRR's new "Reduced Aspect Signals" began to appear at the eastern end of QUEENS in 2023 and it was reported that the west end had had its position lights replaced.
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| QUEENS East End RAS dwarfs in 2023 |
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| QUEENS eastbound PLs on the final day of service. |
If there is a silver lining the classic eastbound PRR style signal bridge was retained for the new RAS dwarfs. It is also not entirely clear about what if anything replaced the intermediate PRR PL cantilevers. Or if their conversion is to occur at a later date.
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| QUEENS intermediate PL cantilevers in the Winter of 2025/2026. |
QUEENS was subjected to numerous re-configurations over the past 20 years as the Main Line 3rd Track project progressed and a new infill station was built at Elmont. When first rebuilt in 2005 QUEENS has 4 PL signal locations dividing the interlocking into 3 logical zones. From west to east this consisted of the original PRR PL gantry, Medium Speed crossovers, modern PL cantilevers, the 80mph high speed crossovers, a modern PL gantry, an unused portion and finally a PL "gantrylever".
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| Westbound PRR PL "gantrylever" protecting the future 80mph crossover location in 2015. |
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| Original post-2005 configuration of QUEENS high speed turnouts. |
In 2023 the 3rd track project and Elmont station projects added crossovers into the east end, however instead of using the 2005 infrastructure that intended to support this very move, the LIRR depopulated the signal gantries in favor of RAS dwarfs and temporary PRR pedestal signals.
It was unclear exactly what motivated this change, but the process now appears to be complete. This unfortunately represents a major loss of classic PRR amber position lights on modern 4-track structures.
