Long Island Rail Road - Before & After
Prototype photos of the same location taken in differing eras; Hence - Before and After!

"B" Tower  Bethpage  Photo: Joe Tischner 
Animation: Steven Lynch

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Queensborough Lumber Co., Bayside - 33 Years Apart 9/19/2024
Jamaica Station - 100 Years Apart 5/14/2024
Mill Neck - 80 Years Apart 5/05/2024
Franklin Ave., Garden City - 50 Years Apart 11/27/2023
Jericho Turnpike, Syosset - 110 Years Apart 7/29/2023
M. Remz Bros. Feed, Port Jefferson - 125 Years Apart 7/28/2023
PD Tower Ocean Ave., Patchogue - 80 Years Apart 6/22/2023
Windsor Ave., Brightwaters View N - 110 Years Apart  5/04/2023
Eastport Station - View NE - 50 Years Apart  3/16/2023
Covert Ave., New Hyde Park View W - 40 Years Apart  2/22/2023
Evergreen Tunnel Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn - 100 Years Apart 2/06/2023
Pinelawn Cemetery - 30 Years Apart 11/22/2022
Hiscox Chemical - Knickerbocker Brewery, Patchogue - 120 Years Apart 5/03/2022
Yaphank Station - 60+ Years Apart 4/12/2022
East New York - View E and W - 45 Years Apart 3/28/2022
Brooklyn Queens Transit -  Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills - 80 Years Apart 12/11/2021
Westbury Station View W - 65 Years Apart 12/10/2021
Covert Ave., New Hyde Park View NW - 70 Years Apart 7/16/2021
Long Beach Station - 81 Years Apart 2/19/2021
Pilgrim State Station - 75 Years Apart 1/03/2021
LIRR/PRR Freight Station at Pier 22 South Street, NY - 80 Years Apart 10/18//2020
Medford Station - 30 Years Apart 9/16/2020
Far Rockaway (Nameoke Ave.) Station - 60 Years Apart 8/28/2020
Bay Shore - 2 Years Apart 7/18/2020
Morris Park Loco Shop - 70 Years Apart 12/31/2019
Freeport Station - 90 Years Apart 12/19/2019
Rocky Point Depot - Thurber Lumber Co - 50 Years Apart 11/21/2019
Lakeland Station-Ocean Ave. Crossing - 140 Years Apart 10/31/2019
Carleton Ave., Central Islip - View W - 65 Years Apart 10/30/2019
Covert Ave., New Hyde Park - View N - 2 Years Apart (3rd Track Project) 10/28/2019
College Point Station - View N - 85 Years Apart  10/26/2019
College Point Station - View E - 75 Years Apart  10/26/2019
Malba Station - View SE - 75 Years Apart  10/26/2019
Malba Station - View NE -  85 Years Apart  10/26/2019
Flushing Bridge Street Station - 80 Years Apart  10/26/2019
Whitestone Station - View E - 90 Years Apart  10/26/2019
Whitestone Landing Station - 85 Years Apart  10/26/2019
NY World's Fair/Shea Stadium Station - 35 Years Apart  9/28/2019
Oyster Bay Yard - View NE - 20 Years Apart  9/23/2019
East of Hicksville - View SE - 65 Years Apart  9/08/2019
Patchogue Station - View W - 20 Years Apart  8/31/2019
39th Ave Clearview Expy., Bayside  View S 60 Years Apart 8/29/2019
Merrick Road, Valley Stream View W - 65 Years Apart 8/29/2019
Merrick Ave., Merrick View N - 50 Years Apart 7/12/2019
Far Rockaway Branch overpass at Sunrise Hwy, Valley Stream - 85 Years Apart 7/06/2019
14th Ave, Overpass, Whitestone - 80 Years Apart 6/20/2019
Wyandanch - Single/Double track - 25 Years Apart 5/12/2019
Morris Park Shops at DUNTON Tower - 15 Years Apart 12/13/2018
164th St. and N. Hempstead Tpke (now Booth Memorial Ave) - 80 Years Apart 11/09/2018
Clarenceville - View N  - 80 Years Apart 11/05/2018
Franklin Ave, Garden City, view E - 50 Years Apart 10/25/2018
Locust Valley Station - 110 years Apart 10/17/2018
Locust Valley Station - 15 years Apart 10/17/2018
NY & Queens Transit Co., Northern Blvd., Queens - 80 Years Apart 9/21/2018
164 St. & I-495, Flushing - 80 Years Apart  9/04/2018
Vanderbilt Ave Passenger Yard -  20 Years Apart 8/02/2018
JAY Tower Interlocking - 30 Years Apart 7/04/2018
Bridge Crossing Metropolitan Blvd, Parkside - 70 Years Apart 6/13/2018
Bridge Crossing Junction Blvd, Corona - 70 Years Apart  6/13/2018
Atlantic Branch Tunnel Portals - Morris Park  70 Years Apart  5/13/2018
B Tower, Bethpage - 70 Years Apart 4/11/2018
Knickerbocker Ice Co., Patchogue - 100 Years Apart 3/28/2018
Golding's Feed, Riverhead - 30 Years Apart  3/24/2018
Swezey Fuel, Patchogue - 120 Years Apart 12/18/2017
Original Croton Aqueduct Dept. Reservoir - 20 Years Apart 12/01/2017
Bayside Station - 50 Years Apart  10/10/2017
Riverhead Station - 35 Years Apart   5/20/2017
Massapequa Station - View NW - 90 Years Apart  5/07/2017
Glendale Station - View E - 60 Years Apart  4/27/2017
Locust Valley Tower - View W - 70 Years Apart  4/15/2017
Massapequa - Broadway View NW - 70 Years Apart  4/10/2017
Jamaica Station Grade Elimination View East - 100 Years Apart 4/05/2017
Roslyn Rd. - 100 Years Apart 4/04/2017
Pilgrim State Hospital Station - 40 Years Apart  3/19/2017
Mineola Station Plaza - 60+ Years Apart 3/5/2017
Patchogue - Four Corners - 80 Years Apart 2/26/2017
Cathedral Avenue Crossing, Garden City  70 Years Apart 10/21/16
Trestle at Tanners Pond Rd., New Hyde Park  View N  50 Years Apart 10/16/16
Montauk View E   50 Years Apart  8/18/16
LI City, 11th St., Switchman Shed  20 Years Apart 4/29/16
Ellison Ave. Bridge, Westbury  1 Year Apart  4/23/16
Centre Ave., Lynbrook Station  70 Years Apart  2/24/16
Bayside Station View E 80 Years Apart  9/24/15
Ronkonkoma Ave. Bridge -Ronkonkoma Station  75 Years Apart 8/30/15
BQT #8488 at South 4th St and Marcy Ave Williamsburg  65 Years Apart 8/14/15
Jamaica Bay Trestle - Passenger Train - Rockaway Beach Branch 50 Years apart 8/08/15
Sayville: Summer east bounds 45 years apart 7/27/15
Flatbush: VD Yard - Barclay's Center 30 Years apart 7/11/15
Pilgrim State Hospital Station 50 Years apart 6/27/15
LIRR #7737 Baggage/Mail Car 50 Years apart 6/22/15
Sunnyside Duck under 100 Years apart 4/16/15
LIRR Float Docks (Gantry Park) 60 Years apart 4/15/15
MU Train westbound Tulip Ave., Floral Park 25 Years apart 2/06/2015
Malverne Station view N  20 Years apart 1/08/15
Morris Park Shops view E  25 Years apart 3/28/14
Greenport Station  90 Years Apart 12/17/13 
Port Jefferson - east of station 25 Years apart 11/19/13
Wantagh Station 07/04/11
Flatbush Ave. Station 07/03/11
World's Fair - Shea 06/11/11
Douglaston Bridge 06/11/11
LI City 06/07/11
Oyster Bay Yard view W 3/18/11
Oyster Bay Station view E 10/15/10
Polo Grounds at the 155^th St. Station  IRT  9^th Ave. EL 9/11/10
Fulton Street Tunnels 9/14/10
Bethpage Rd., Hicksville 5/02/10
Patchogue Station View East 02/22/10LI City Yard A View East 11/29/2009
Plandome 06/01/2009
King Park State Hospital 05/25/2009
Pilgrim Station, Brentwood 09/11/08
Islip, Islip Ave South 80 Years Apart 05/13/2008
Kings Park, Bread-and-Cheese-Hollow Road Trestle 05/04/2008
Richmond Hill Yard Office 2/08/2008
Bliss Cabin, LI City 6/28/2007
LIRR Diner Morris Park Shops 6/09/2007
Smithtown View East 12/07/2006
Setauket  Facility - salt/sand/gravel 09/27/2006
LIRR SW1001 Unit #100 09/25/2006
Islip - View W 15 Years Apart 9/15/2006
River Rd Overpass East of Yaphank 09/06/2006
Central Islip Station Eastbound Trains 09/04/2006
Yard A  Sunshine Biscuits 08/12/2006 
Greenport Turntable 08/13/2006
LI City Passenger Yard 08/07/2006
Patchogue Turntable Area 08/05/2006
Yard A Sunnyside LIRR Engine Facility 08/03/2006
Patchogue at PD 07/30/2006
Islip, NY 06/13/2006
Yard A, LI City - 20 Years Apart - 06/06/2006
Irish Lane,  E. Islip 06/02/2006
Locust Tower 6/01/2006
Patchogue River 6/01/2006
Patchogue West Ave 6/01/2006
Patchogue View Westbound - 50 Years Apart - 06/01/2006
Tunnel Rd Holtsville - 20 Years Apart - 06/01/2006
PD Tower Patchogue - 50 Years Apart- 5/13/2005
Nassau Tower - 80 Years Apart - 12/20/2004
"B" Tower - 60 Years Apart - 12/13/2004
 

Covert Ave - View NW 7/14/2019
Source: Google maps

On timetable of 1852.  Station discontinued (photo left) and razed with opening of new station called "Ronkonkoma" a short distance further east, per "Babylon Signal" newspaper article of August 4, 1883.  Research: Dave keller

Merrick Ave., Merrick  View N  c.1965
Archive: Eric Sands

Merrick Ave., Merrick  View N  2019 Google maps

Sunrise Hwy., Valley Stream - Far Rockaway Branch View E 1933

Valley Stream grade elimination in service: 02/07/33. This bridge was constructed in 1933, as was Sunrise Highway.

The unpaved ground and the fence across the highway, indicate this was photographed before the road was opened for vehicular use.

The Far Rockaway branch tracks, which were formerly at grade, had no crossing here as the Sunrise Hwy wasn't yet built at that time. The PRR style position-light east/westbound signals are still in place at grade and the reason for the fence along what will soon become Sunrise Highway. Info: Dave Keller

NYQT Car - WB on Northern Blvd Approaching Lawrence St., 
Flushing, NY View E 7/10/1936  (Sperr-Keller)

A bird's-eye view of the location today as per Google Maps. You can see the proximity of the river to where the photographer was standing in 1936. Northern Blvd. has been elevated through here, probably when the more recent bridge was constructed over the river (creek). Info: Dave Keller

This photo shows the storage facility known then as "Flushing Bridge Yard." The view is looking south. The clock tower in the far right background is atop the multi-storied  W & J Sloane building  which is notably visible in photos along the east side of the Flushing River (Creek). Formerly a well-known furniture builder, it's still standing today, complete with clock tower and is a U-Haul storage facility. Info: Dave Keller

The NY & Queens Transit streetcar #33 on the Flushing-Jamaica line bound for Jamaica, a north-south private ROW,  making a stop at the trolley station at Hempstead Tpke. in Flushing.  This "middle-of-nowhere" rustic view is NE. The line would soon shut down.

When the trolley line closed in 1937, the private ROW was built into what is now 164th St.  Hempstead Turnpike (also known as Horace Harding Blvd. and World's Fair Blvd.) was obliterated at this location by the construction of the LIE (I-495).  The route of the trolley line became bus route Q65. Research: Dave Keller

Bayside freight house, temporary block cabin B2 and track workers view W. during the grade elimination - Summer, 1929 Archive: Dave Keller

Temporary block cabin B2 controlled the temporary single track in place during the grade elimination project from June 18 to December 5, 1929 when it was placed out of service.    

Massapequa station view NW - Baggage/express elevator at far right - 07/1987 (Dave Keller photo and archive)

Note the two signs in the overhead; standard feature of B&QT lines. One says "Section Break - Shut off Power". This is to avoid arcing and burning the insulator. The other says "Cars Will not Pass on This Curve".  A lot of trackwork at intersections had been laid out when cars were shorter and narrower at the corners; cars like the 8000's would not clear at curves like at this.   In some cases (like this?) the streets were too narrow to permit realigning the tracks.    

The silver and green paint scheme which came in about 1947, and the abandonment of the Metropolitan Ave line on Jun 12, 1949 bracket the date. 
Research/Comments:  Henry Raudenbush 

Greenport, Long Island - 90 Years Apart

Camelback c. 1915
Collection: Art Huneke

Train 200 with Engine 419
Greenport 07/24/06 view NW
Photo: Nick Kudreyko

Douglaston bridge was a swing bridge originally allowing ships into Alley Creek to access the mill. It was rebuilt in 1990's to help revive tidal flow into Alley Creek.

8/01/10 Photo: Al Castelli

Patchogue Station
Eastbound View

1939 Photo: Thomas Bayles 

1955 Photo: Art Huneke

Patchogue NW near Patchogue River

PELCO Plant 1954
Collection: D. Keller

MOW Storage
c.  2002 Photo Steve Lynch

Patchogue West Ave

Snedecor Coal Ramp 1954
Collection: D. Keller

West Ave Crossing 1968
Collection: D. Keller

Locust Tower, Locust Valley

Locust Tower, Locust Valley 1966

Locust Tower, Locust Valley 2005

Irish Lane, East Islip

Westbound #3740 PRR K4s c. 1940

Westbound  10-12-01

Yard A, LI City

Islip, NY

1966 Station view looking NW
Photo: Dave Keller LIRR Photos

Islip Ave (Route 111) view southeast 
Just  east of station c. 1925 

Islip Ave (Route 111) view southeast 
Just  east of station 05/08/08 
Photo: Steven Lynch

Patchogue at PD

RDC  at Baggage House 04/07/63
Collection: D. Keller

LI City Passenger Yard

DD-1 #352 1950
Collection: Dave Keller

CPA20-5 2001 1952 
Collection: Dave Keller

LIRR 228 LI City
Photo: 01/31/1979

Circus Train 03-24-2005 
Photo: J. Tunnel

LI City Yard A - Sunshine Biscuit Area

PRR B8 0-6-0 #1109 LI City 1946
Collection: Dave Keller

Alco S2 #441 Yard A L.I. City
Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1960's

LIRR Sunnyside Engine Facility
Yard A

Yard A 03/29/1946

01/1971 Photo: Bill Myers

LIRR #1554 05-01-75
Photo: Tim Darnell

c. 1980 Photo: Bob Redden

 1997 Photo: Bernard Ente

AE 2006 NJT #4420  2006
Photo: Bernie Ente

Patchogue, Turntable Area

Patchogue Station, 
View West

Greenport Turntable - 10 Years Apart

Trainman’s Building and Yardmaster’s Office (tower)  Storage Yard, view NE  Richmond Hill , NY 09/74
 Dave Keller photo

(Yardmaster’s office was added as a tower to roof of building in 1945) Info: D. Keller

Trainman’s Building and Yardmaster’s Office (tower)  Storage Yard, view NW Richmond Hill ,  NY prior to demolition

ARetired LIRR Condr. Howie Austin found this photo of the demolition of the Yardmaster's office and the Richmond Hill crew welfare facility.

RS-3 #1551 is laying up in the late afternoon sun with a 5-car train of "ping-pong" coaches at the Kings Park State Hospital station in this 1964 view looking east.  Rolf Schneider photo, Dave Keller archive

Fast forward 13 years and we see a rather unusual view taken at the same venue:  the experimental GTE cars as a 4-car train laying up at the same hospital station on a raw November's evening in 1977.  The cars are all lit up, headlights are on, door markers are lit and the cars appear ready to depart this locale. Note the Department of Transportation logo on the front door of the lead car. Photographer unidentified, Dave Keller+ archive

Plandome

Close-up view above:  9/15/48 (view looking east)   Dave Keller archive

 Patchogue - View Westbound
50 Years Apart

Orders Pickup  c. 1955

c. 2002 Photo Steve Lynch

LI City  Yard A - View East
20 Years Apart