ROCKVILLE CENTRE   
 


Ticket Pearsalls (Lynbrook) - Rockville Centre c.1888-1894
Archive: Jerome Landesman

Note: Pearsalls Station changed to Lynbrook in 1894.
 


Rockville Centre Station colorized post card c.1915
ROCKVILLE CENTRE:   SOUTH SIDE R.R. DEPOT OPENED:  10/28/1867.  REMODELED:  7/1881, MOVED TO PRIVATE LOCATION: 1901, RAZED: 2004

   2ND DEPOT OPENED: 10/14/1901, RAZED: 3/49 WITH GRADE ELIMINATION.

   TEMPORARY STATION FACILITIES RELOCATED S. AND EAST OF FORMER LOCATION:  4/19-22/1949

   ELEVATED STRUCTURE IN SVC: 7/17-18/1950  Research: Dave Keller

Rockville Centre view west, at MP18, from the Nassau Street grade crossing (this no longer crosses the tracks, even after the grade separation) towards Merrick Rd -S189-S188(right) 1902 LIRR valuation Archive: Jeff Erlitz
Looking NE at the Rockville Centre station in 1921, a handful of passengers are awaiting the westbound train.  The banner on the rear of the vintage automobile reads "Canterbury - For Home Life." (Dave Keller archive)
Rockville Centre Station - View W 3/25/1932
Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Mike Boland

An eastbound MU electric train is at the Rockville Centre station on this snowy, frigid day c. 1942.  Viewed east, the depot is just visible in the left background beyond the tall, high-tension pole.  (W. J. Edwards photo, Dave Keller archive)
Viewed in the opposite direction, probably on the same day as the left image, another eastbound electric MU train has off-loaded passengers at the Rockville Centre station and some are about to cross in front of the train.  The depot is at the right along with a rather skimpy covered shelter.  The crossing watchman is shoveling snow from the crossing clearing a path for passengers needing to cross the tracks.  (W, J. Edwards photo, Dave Keller archive)
It's yet another cold, wintry day as PRR-leased K2s (4-6-2) #1458 pulls train #5 from Montauk through Rockville Centre in March, 1946.  Behind the lead BM60 baggage car are three mail/express clerestory-roofed cars with three passenger coaches bringing up the rear. The engineer is blowing his whistle as the train approaches the Park Ave. crossing. (Dave Keller archive)

Double Decker at Rockville Centre Station 1948
Archive: Dave Morrison
Weekly tickets Rockville Centre - NY Penn - 7/1944-45
Archive: Brad Phillips
LIRR Doubledecker on the gauntlet track Rockville Centre, Banks Ave - View E 2/1950 Archive: Dave Keller

Emery map Rockville Centre -Merrick Rd.-Morris Ave.
at grade c.1938 Archive: Dave Keller
Rockville Centre -Merrick Rd.-Morris Ave.
 Grade Elimination Project Archive: Dave Keller
Emery Map Rockville Centre MP18-19 elevated 8/1958
Archive: Dave Keller

On the above Robert Emery map (center), the black lines represent the tracks, street crossings and station location as all appeared prior to the start of the grade crossing elimination project in early 1949.  The red lines, added by David Keller, indicate the location of the temporary (shoe-fly), realigned tracks, the temporary station and temporary platforms during the project.  The infamous gauntlet track is identified by the single red line in the center of the map.   The red  "X" indicates the location on this track of the horrible Feb. 19, 1950 head-on collision between two rush-hour commuter trains.  (Dave Keller archive and data)
 

Rockville Centre Grade Elimination - View NE 1949 of Signal S184 at Village Ave. Photo/Archive: Art Huneke
Rockville Centre Grade Elimination - New 1950 trestle over Merrick Road, View E  Photo/Archive: Art Huneke


Newsday Front Page: 2/18/1950 for images and
information, see LIRR wrecks page
 
MU combine car #1357 in Tichy color scheme is pulling an eastbound train of mixed color schemes over the newly-elevated viaduct at Rockville Centre in 1950.  It's a hot summer's day and lots of the train's windows are open to catch some air.  The temporary "shoe-fly" tracks used during the grade crossing elimination project are visible in the foreground and the crossing shanty and manual gates are at the far left.  (Dave Keller archive)

The 1950 Rockville Centre station is seen here on Christmas Day in 1976.  The ticket office is at ground level with the tracks, station platforms and enclosed shelters elevated.  The tower in the center of the image was a baggage elevator for the agent to bring baggage up to and down from the elevated platform at a time when the LIRR still carried passenger's baggage.  Out front an LIRR Police Dept. cruiser is parked, probably keeping an eye on the photographer.  (Wm. J. Madden photo, Dave Keller archive)
Viewed west from the elevated track level we see the center-island covered station platform at Rockville Centre on June 24, 1979. A center-island platform allows one platform to service both eastbound and westbound trains.  The eastbound track is visible in the center of this image and the westbound track is hidden behind the station platform.  The station name at the end of the platform is barely visible, blocked by several loads of new, freshly-creosoted railroad ties, dumped here in preparation for upcoming track work. (Jeff Erlitz photo, Dave Keller archive)
"Rocky" CTC interlocking cabin is perched on the south side of the elevated track embankment, 2,750 feet east of the Rockville Centre station. The cabin was placed in service on April 30, 1983 and the interlocking handled remotely from "VALLEY" tower in Valley Stream.  This view, looking slightly northwest, shows the cabin and wooden access stairs as it appeared in July, 1987. 
(Dave Keller photo and archive)

Rockville Centre aerial - Sunrise Coal, Ocean Ave
View E 6/12/1951 Archive: Art Huneke
Emery map MP18 zoom Sunrise Coal, Ocean Ave., Rockville Centre 8/958 Archive: Dave Keller
REA trucks at Express House - Sunrise Coal Co., 
Rockville Centre View W 1959
 

LIRR map Rockville Centre 1966
Ticket Rockville Centre -Freeport 4/12/1962
Archive: Brad Phillips
Montauk Branch - Valley Stream to Rockville Centre
Track profile map 1994