LONG ISLAND CITY -
                              BLISS YARD 
BX was the old name for BS which later became BLISS

 

DB Cabin 08/10/63 was just painted. There was a wooden walkway to Cabin M. The bridgetender (a B&B employee) stayed at Cabin M when the bridges were opened since Cabin M had creature comforts. Depending on the trick, the bridgetender usually drove down to BLISS and played cards with the operator until there was an imminent movement or a boat whistled for the bridge. Cabin M had 24 hour coverage.  Photo: Richard F. Makse

M Cabin with lift bridge in open position over Dutch Kills along Montauk cut-off – west of Blissville yard – Long Island City , NY – 5/16/76  Jeff Erlitz photo, Dave Keller archive

I "operated" Bliss as a boy from age 12 - 16 (1958-'62).  Did everything starting from firing a "bucket a day" into the large coal burning parlor stove, running to "Hank's Diner" or Blissville diner to get Ted Mason's (towerman during this time) sandwich (tuna fish on toast - no mayonnaise), throwing all the Armstrong levers for signals and switches (including #8 crossover - two sets of points simultaneously using steel pipe linkages). The "Armstrong's" got easier for me as I got older, bigger, and stronger.  My determination carried me along till my body caught up!  I, of course, could not hoop orders to the crews nor answer/talk on the phone, for that might reveal my "presence".  Anything I did was under the watchful eye of Ted.   Sure wish I knew what became of him.  Charles Haley 8/22/2010

LIRR Block operator Rosario Zambuto stands on the landing outside the old “BLISS” tower at Blissville, L. I. City, NY as G5s #35, seen at the right, makes it last run as a railfan extra on October 16, 1955.  Note the spiral staircase to access the upper portion of the tower!  View is looking east.  Art Huneke photo, Dave Keller archive  

 Union Switch & Signal model TC interlocking machine and model board at "Bliss" tower, LI City 12/29/1977

Armstrong interlocking levers for signals and switches (Pond Tower 3/05/1978)

Kearney Siding and Blissville yard with pickle cars on the Block and Guggenheimer siding

Jones and Laughlin Steel, N.Y. 
Aerial view of part of Long Island City 
06-29-1947 

Source: New York State Archives  Creator: Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. New York office. 

M Cabin 1912

M cabin was located at the Montauk cutoff over the Dutch Kills - D. Keller

BX Interlocking

Greenpoint Yard appeared to be the forerunner of Blissville yard, only a whole lot smaller - D.Keller

DB Cabin

DB cabin controlled the drawbridge (swingbridge) over the Dutch Kills
Dave Keller

Click on maps/photos to enlarge

Dutch Kills during construction

“DB Cabin Dutch Kills draw bridge (opened: 10/1915  north side of tracks - east of bridge) 
Collection: Dave Keller


DB Cabin 05/16/1976
Archive: Henry Wagner

Dutch Kills leading into Newtown Creek -  southwest 2001

Dutch Kills to Greenpoint Ave 9-1958

Brakeman throwing the switch west of Bliss  

M Cabin, Newtown Creek 12-70  Collection: D. Keller

Angelo's Repair Shop, 
Bordan Ave - Newtown Creek

Bliss Cabin Blissville, LI City 12-70  Collection: D. Keller

LIRR D5060 at BLISS 01/24/08 Photo: Bernard Ente

Dutch Kills to Greenpoint Ave 11-1960

09/1991 Photo: Joe Gregory

Metro North RR has an agreement with LIRR to service MNRR M7's at Arch Street.  LIRR MP15's pick up the train at New Rochelle, NY 07/02/2008
Photo/Info: Bernard Ente

The Van Iderstine trucks always looked very elegant outside - like UPS trucks today, always seemingly freshly painted and waxed.  They were a very dark blue, almost black with blue stripes.  But, when they stopped in front of the local butcher shop and opened the door to pick up the scraps - the inside was something else! 

Van I's plant was located along Newtown Creek, beside the LIRR Montauk branch, somewhere near Haberman - once described as the most God-forsaken station location in NY City. Reminiscence from Henry Raudenbush