QUOGUE     

QUOGUE STATION: STATION STOP ESTABLISHED 12/20/1869. DEPOT SITE SELECTED 01/04/1870 ON NORTH SIDE OF TRACKS AT OLD COUNTRY ROAD. STATION CONSISTED OF A BARE, WOODEN PLATFORM ON POSTS.  IN JULY, 1871 A DISPUTE BETWEEN THEN LIRR PRES. OLIVER CHARLICK AND CITIZENS OF QUOGUE AS TO ERECTION OF A DEPOT CAUSED HIM TO REFUSE TO STOP TRAINS THERE. 

1^ST DEPOT (2-STORY, WOOD FRAME BLDG.) BUILT IN JUNE, 1875, AT WHAT IS NOW OLD DEPOT ROAD BY ORDERS OF NEWLY INSTALLED LIRR PRESIDENT HENRY HAVEMEYER. STATION DISCONTINUED 6/1876 AND REINSTATED IN AUGUST.  (Vincent Seyfried data) AS A RESULT OF LACK OF BUSINESS, DEPOT RELOCATED .6 MILES EAST ON N. SIDE OF TRACKS AND W. SIDE OF QUOGUE STATION ROAD: 1882, MIDWAY BETWEEN FORMER QUOGUE STATION LOCATION AND ATLANTICVILLE STATION WHICH WAS TO CLOSE.      (Babylon Signal of 03/18/1882.) ANTICIPATED TROUBLE WITH THE TOWN IN RELOCATION OF THE QUOGUE DEPOT LED TO THIS ACCOUNT OF EVENTS OF THE MOVE THAT APPEARED IN THE MAY 27, 1882 ISSUE OF THE "BABYLON SIGNAL":  (Article from Art Huneke archive)

RELOCATED 1882 QUOGUE DEPOT OUT OF SVC: 1905 WITH CONSTRUCTION OF NEW DEPOT.  OLD BUILDING REMAINED IN PLACE AT LEAST INTO MID-1920s.
(Photographic provenance, David Keller data)

3^RD DEPOT BUILT S. SIDE OF TRACKS AND SLIGHTLY WEST OF FORMER DEPOT: 1905, AGENCY CLOSED: 1958, RAZED: 4/64.  REPLACED WITH METAL SHELTER SHED.  DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP:  3/16/98   Research: Dave Keller

Quogue Station - View SE 1909 Archive: Dave Keller

In this photo,  the fellow in the white shirt with bowtie and arms behind his back standing in the middle of the group of men on the platform is George G. Ayling who filled in at Quogue at the time of this photo.

 
Quogue Station view E c.1955 Photo: LIRR Archive: Jim Gillian

The passing siding is the first track to the left of the Main . The team track is the 2nd track to the left of the Main and the coal bunker/silo of T. C. Warren & Co. at the far left was accessed by the spur continuing to curve northeastwards, just visible beyond the “T” box and telephone pole visible in the center of the photo.  The undergrade crossing in the foreground is Quogue-Riverhead Road, SR104 which was used to access the station parking lot at the far right. Research: Dave Keller
 

"Q" block limit station signal was placed in service in 1927 and taken out of service on 9/17/1950 per G.O. #1902.  This indicates the semaphore block signals that are visible in early views of the depot were taken out of service in 1927 and Quogue was no longer a train order office.  Had Quogue remained a train order office, then in lieu of a block limit station signal, there would have been an unattended block station signal mounted on the semaphore mast for those times when the block office was closed for the day.

I assume this never happened and the block office there was shut down in 1927.  The ticket agency itself closed in 1958 and the depot was razed in April, 1964.

The station signals taken out in 1927 were the semaphore block signals as indicated on Emery's 6/1958 map (above).  The block office was permanently closed at that time and the BLS was placed in service east of the depot.  The BLS was removed in 1950 and was not replaced.  There were a number of stations with block limit signals that were removed and never replaced.  "MD" at Medford, "HA" at East Hampton, and "VN" at Brookhaven, for example.   Research: Dave Keller

"Quogue had a reason that it was closed that some may not remember - it was over the issue of overnight or other parking with the Village of Quogue who was adamantly opposed to expansion of the lot at the station. The Village gave the LIRR such a hassle over this issue the railroad then decided to close the station with the late 90s high level platform expansion. I remember that the station site had multiple NO PARKING signs installed and the closed lot cordoned off long after service ended there. It was not just low ridership that got Quogue Station closed."  Mike McEnaney