Reverse movement on the coast line this AM

This morning I was on train 2300, moving eastbound on the coast line. After stopping at the South Amboy station, we departed and stopped shortly thereafter. The crew announced on the PA that due to a switch problem up ahead (Essay, maybe?), we had to back up so we can get routed on another track. We reversed through the station and back past the eastbound home signal of Rare, then we moved eastbound again, on track 4(?) -- but this time following the local train. The overall delay was not too bad, though.

Any idea what went wrong with the switch? A switch at Essay not sending a lock indication to dispatcher?

It sounds like the switch from 4 to 2 at Church......the Local would have been on track 4, and probably came in (going west) ahead of your eastbound, so the last position that switch would have been in was diverging from 2 to 4 (if going west) Dispatch probably couldn't throw it back for whatever reason, so instead of screwing with it right then and there, they simply reversed your train, back to Rare to be routed onto track 4, behind the local. Because the switch was still lined for 4 to 2 (going east now, remember, it hasn't been thrown) they just ran you behind the local and more than likely crossed you over to 1 to run aroudn the local either at Essay (right before River draw on the approach, a very slow and tight (10mph) crossover, or had you behind the local to Wood, past Perth Amboy, and ran you down track one to Graw and Union, where they usually send the morning expresses up the "Eastbound Hole" track.

I may be wrong about this, but we may have been following the local all the way into the NEC -- we went way too slow through Woodbridge and Avenel, that are not stops for my train.

Anyway, it made an unusual commuting day.

Wow, that sucks if they had you behind the local all the way up to Union.......but not surprising. I would think they would cross you over to 1 track because its not like there are a whole heck of a lot of westbounds that early in the morning.