HALL, JAY, DUNTON to close this fall

[kuzzel540]

I received word today from the rules department that JAY, HALL, and DUNTON towers will close in October and their duties will be under the control of Jamaica Central Control (JCC) in the air train building adjacent to Jamaica station.

[Lirr168]

I assume the other towers will follow soon after?

[scopelliti]

Awww heck.  I remember the Nativity scene they used to setup in front of Hall Tower, especially on snowy nights.  Guess that wouldn't cut it in today's politically correct times, huh? 

[RGlueck]

It never did.  Volunteers from the track department had a Nativity Scene at the side of Hall, back in the early 60's.  It was beautiful.  The day after it was set up, it had to come down, and there were repercussions from higher up.  I have slide of it someplace.

[scopelliti]

One day?  Wow, guess it made an impression on me.  My guess is either 1963 or 1964.  Would love to see an image.

[Block Limit]

When did they finally figure out that "Santa" was on the west side of Nassau. it's been removed for a while.

[Shavano]

If I recall correctly, Spongebob is on the roof of the substation right there too.

[DE30415]

If I recall correctly, Spongebob is on the roof of the substation right there too.

Yup, I'll check to see if it has finally discintigrated !

[Amtrak7]

I received word today from the rules department that JAY, HALL, and DUNTON towers will close in October and their duties will be under the control of Jamaica Central Control (JCC) in the air train building adjacent to Jamaica station.

Any clues on the service plan for the interlocking cutover?

[krispy]

Jay will be one weekend in Oct. and Hall will be the next. Not sure when they'll do Dunton.  This will be the first JCC and will look sorta like Westside did in the beginning, ops in front bosses above and behind. Integrating the other towers will happen in a different room but that's a long time away.

[MADDOG]

This is funny, seeing as how the LIRR spent money to spruce up Dunton over the last summer, only to close it.
Smells like the waste of rebuilding Garden City yard and putting in a scale in 1995 only to rip it all out and abandon the branch a few years later!
MADDOG

[krispy]

Dunton will get used, bet the switch tenders are getting warmed up to push the operator down the stairs.  Last 5 years of the '90s saw big changes that no one could've foreseen.  Losing GCY yard to the tranfer agreement account of some fatcats is one of them. At least it's still used by the RR and gets to see the circus train...

[scopelliti]

It never did.  Volunteers from the track department had a Nativity Scene at the side of Hall, back in the early 60's.  It was beautiful.  The day after it was set up, it had to come down, and there were repercussions from higher up.  I have slide of it someplace.

Just checking.. any luck finding that slide?

[RGlueck]

To be honest, Scope, I haven't looked for it.  It is amongst hundreds of family and other slides, my father shot in the 1950's and early 60's.  Few are RR related.  I'll continue to dig when I get the opportunity.
Question:  Will the towers be raised, or will they be turned in railfan roosts and luxury condos?

[Amtrak7]

NEWS:  Looks like the cutover will be in APRIL!!!

If you go to the LIRR new schedules page here:
http://mta.info/lirr/html/ttnew/lirrtt.htm

Then, click on a branch and then either direction on a weekend.  No matter which branch you try:

Track work will impact Babylon branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact City Terminal Zone service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Greenport service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Far Rockaway branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Hempstead branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Long Beach branch service on certain weekends March through May. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Montauk branch service on the weekends of April 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Oyster Bay branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Port Jefferson branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact Ronkonkoma branch service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Track work will impact West Hempstead service on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18. Look for special branch timetables for all travel on these affected weekends.

Obviously, as the PW branch does not pass through Jamaica, it is not affected.  These 2 weekends are contiguous, and impact every other line, so I'm thinking this is the cutover!!!  Anyone know why the Montauk Branch has an extra weekend listed?