Interlocking Walkthrough: LOCUST

(Photo: MTA Facebook)

Today we'll check at LOCUST interlocking, another smaller interlocking being the only on the Oyster Bay Branch. LOCUST is a quaint little interlocking, located on the outer section of the Oyster Bay Branch, where the 2 tracks merge to 1 for the rest of the curvy route to Oyster Bay. Like on the Hempstead, Long Beach, and Port Washington branches, the line becomes double tracked after the eastern station.

Switches

LOCUST consists of one switch that merges the two tracks into 1. 

Towers

(Photo: Trains Are Fun)

There used to be a control tower at the interlocking also called LOCUST, however, in 1975, NASSAU tower took control of this lone little interlocking and the one and only tower on the Oyster Bay Branch was closed. The tower still remains to this day and is used for the NCPD. I'd hope they'd catch anyone trying to throw the switch!

Signals

Like many interlockings still on the LIRR, LOCUST interlocking still consists of the Pensy-style position light signals. 

Other than the control tower, there really isn't much else to talk about small little LOCUST. The speed limit through the interlocking is 40 mph. Which is fitting for the slow, and curvy Oyster Bay Branch.

Well that's it for LOCUST interlocking. Next week will be checking out AG interlocking, located in Amagansett, also located at the eastern edge, this time of the Montauk Branch.

September schedule changes merely add more schedule padding and extended season on select Montauk Branch trains

So the LIRR unveiled it's September to November timetable change, one that's doing extremely little to fix 

All the tweaks seen here are very minor and it's actually been many months since the LIRR actually made a large change to the schedule other than tweaking when the trains run or padding the schedule.

• Train 7, the 5:44am from Montauk to Long Island City will depart Montauk at 5:39am, and most stations 4 minutes early. This is done to pad the running time which continues the trend from #2703 of an extremely short running time between Sayville and Babylon. However, I've noticed that this train generally sticks to the schedule and that this isn't needed. 
• All the morning rush hour Ronkonkoma Branch trains will depart Ronkonkoma 2 minutes early. This is one of the most aggravating of the changes since there's no point for it. The trains will for the most part have to just sit at CI for 2 minutes which is obnoxious. And they already had padded for one extra minute, which also, wasn't necessary. It's only gonna screw people that will now need to leave 2 minutes earlier, which will screw people's morning routines.
• All westbound Babylon Branch trains will depart Babylon 1 minute earlier. Equally aggravating to Ronkonkoma, there's zero need for this!
• All westbound Huntington trains will depart Huntington 1 minute earlier. 

In the end, the LIRR continues to pad their trains. That's it. No thought into the actual service plan, just adding time for the only reason of improving OTP numbers, but instead, ticking off commuters. This is the second "sloppy" GO in a row where this is all they've done. I hope they do better next time.

Metro-North operating extra trains for Yankees-Red Sox games

Metro-North will be providing a couple extra trains for the Red Sox game today, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday:

An extra “Yankee Clipper” train departs New Haven at 4:47pm, making all stops to Westport, South Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Rye, Larchmont, and New Rochelle, before, Yankees E-153 St at 6:45pm.

Friday:

An extra “Yankee Clipper” train departs New Haven at 4:47pm, making all stops to Westport, South Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Rye, Larchmont, and New Rochelle, before, Yankees E-153 St at 6:45pm.

Saturday:

An extra “Yankee Clipper” train departs New Haven at 9:23am, making all stops to Westport, South Norwalk, Rowayton, Darien, Noroton Heights, and Stamford, before Yankees E-153 St at 11:23am.

In addition, an extra departs Beacon at 9:37am making all stops to Peekskill and Yankees-E 153. Surprised it didn't stop at Croton-Harmon!

Sunday:

An extra "Yankee Clipper" train departs New Haven at 3:10pm, making all stops to Westport, South Norwalk, Rowayton, Darien, Norton Heights, and Stamford, before Yankees E-153 St at 5:07pm.

In addition, an extra departs Beacon at 4:37pm making all stops to Peekskill and Yankees-E 153. Surprised it didn't stop at Croton-Harmon!

They are also providing additional shuttle service from Grand Central to Yankees E-153 St on all of the days, as they typically do, to provide supplemental options, esspecially from those travelling where extra service isn't available.

Note that this in addition to the typical Yankee Clipper runs!

Photos: Stony Brook (8/2025)