Tie Installation on the Oyster Bay & Port Jefferson Branches

'Tis the season for trackwork to start ramping up again and this spring and summer's selection of work includes tie replacement projects on two branches.  On the Oyster Bay branch, tie replacement between Locust Valley and Oyster Bay has been ongoing since the middle of May and is set to wrap up soon.Busses have been replacing three midday weekday Oyster Bay branch trains in each direction between Locust Valley and Oyster Bay.  Customers on those three midday trains take their normal train to Locust Valley, and if they're going to Oyster Bay they transfer for a bus or van to Oyster Bay.  Photo from the Mainline tie replacement project last fall.(Photo credit: MTA)The work has been taking place on that long stretch of single track territory between Oyster Bay and Locust Valley.  Trains have been terminating/originating at Locust Valley and turning in LOCUST interlocking just east of the station.  The bulk of the work, which began with the last schedule change on May 20th is just about to wrap up, with the last day of Locust Valley-Oyster Bay busing being this Wednesday (June 19, 2013)Photo from the Mainline tie replacement project from last fall.(Photo credit: MTA)However, on this Thursday and Friday (June 20-21, 2013) buses will be replacing trains along the entire Oyster Bay Branch.  Customers will board Port Jefferson branch trains to Mineola and from there they will transfer for bus service to/from all Oyster Bay branch stations.  This two-day branch-wide busing is probably because they are now at the point of doing the tie work very near LOCUST interlocking, and with LOCUST inaccessible or blocked off, they won't be able to turn trains at all along the branch (since the Oyster Bay branch is only signaled for train movement in one direction from NASSAU to LOCUST).After Friday's outage, Normal train service will resume after over a month next Monday.And just after the tie crews get finished with the Oyster Bay Branch they will be heading over to the Port Jefferson Branch where they will be doing a similar thing beginning next Monday (June 24, 2013) thorough August 9th.While that work goes on, buses will replace trains between Huntington and Port Jefferson midday weekdays from 6/24 to 8/9 (except the Fourth of July, which falls on a Thursday this year).  During this outage, customers will board normal trains to Huntington where they will transfer to local or express buses to their final destinations.  This outage will affect a lot more people and will be a lot more inconvenient for them, but it is a project that has to get done, and scheduling these outages on the weekend and stifling whatever potential summer market the railroad has along this branch is something the LIRR doesn't seem very fond of doing.Current Port Jefferson schedules end on Sunday, and the new ones with the busing schedules will be included in the 6/24 though 8/11 timetable.  (and a third timetable will be issued for 8/12 to 9/2).
Source:http://thelirrtoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/tie-installation-on-oyster-bay-port.html

Tie Installation on the Oyster Bay & Port Jefferson Branches Images

... delays, customers may wish to travel on other branches this weekend
(250 x 140 - 18.37 KB - jpeg)

Learn and talk about Main Line (Long Island Rail Road), Long Island ...
(480 x 360 - 18.39 KB - jpeg)

... bay grass abundance for clues about water quality - Chesapeake Bay
(550 x 828 - 62.56 KB - jpeg)