Central Branch/Hempstead Branch /Central Extension/Garden City Secondary

Nassau Blvd., Garden City Station -  c.1901 colorized postcard  View N at MP17.5

Library of Congress - April, 1873

What is now the LIRR's Hempstead branch, with junction at Floral Park, and tracks curving south east of the Garden City station, used to be the property of the Central Railroad of Long Island and was known as the Central branch.  Without getting into all sorts of varying and confusing rights-of-way, mergers and takeovers, I'll simply say this line ran from what later became the LIRR's Port Washington branch, curving off at Great Neck Junction, through Central Depot, Central Junction, Frankiston, Kissena Park, Creedmoor, Hinsdale and Hillside, crossing the LIRR's Main Line via trestle just east of what later became Floral Park, continuing on to Garden City then curving south towards Hempstead. The CRR of LI also extended the branch east of Garden City.  Referred to as the Central Extension, it crossed the LIRR at Bethpage Junction and headed further east to the Queens County Brick Mfg. Co., brick of which was used to build Stewart's Garden City and related railroad structures. The portion of the line going into the brick works was referred to as the "Bethpage branch."  Another part of this extension went southeast from Bethpage Junction towards Babylon, crossing the LIRR west of the station and ending at the Babylon town dock.  The portion from Bethpage Jct. to west of Babylon later became the LIRR's Central branch extension.

GENERAL ORDER: EFFECTIVE 1921:
BETHPAGE AND CREEDMOOR BRANCHES AND CENTRAL EXTENSION “HC” TO BETHPAGE JCT. WILL BE CONSIDERED SIDINGS.

Special issue ETT effective May 5, 1879. The The timetable indicates Train #15 running eastbound from LI City to Patchogue via the Montauk branch to Jamaica then the Main Line 
to Stewart Jct. and the Central branch to Belmont Jct. and Babylon and on to Patchogue.  In addition, Train #10 running westbound from Patchogue to LI City via Babylon, Belmont Jct. and the Central branch to Jamaica and then the Main Line to L. I. City. 
Archive: Art Huneke Info: Dave Keller

In 1879, the Central RR of LI abandoned their line from Great Neck Junction to Creedmoor.  The short stub that was remaining between Creedmoor and what would later become Floral Park was referred to as the Creedmoor branch. When the LIRR acquired the CRR's tracks, connection was made with the LIRR's tracks at Floral Park (then known as Stewart Junction) and the trestle crossing the Main Line was removed.

The LIRR's original Hempstead branch ran south from Mineola, crossing the CRR of LI at what was known as Hempstead Crossing and continued on to Hempstead, paralleling the CRR's ROW into that village.  When the LIRR acquired the Central RR of LI, the Central branch became the LIRR's Hempstead branch, curving south just east of Franklin Ave., Garden City, heading to Hempstead, where the LIRR abandoned their terminal building in favor of using A. T. Stewart's nicer, all brick structure.   "HC" tower was erected at Hempstead Crossing in 1890 as "Tower 44" and controlled traffic along the two branches. In later years, stops were added at Stewart Manor, Nassau Blvd. as well as at Country Life Press to provide access for employees of that so-named magazine. 

In later years the tracks heading east were cut back to just east of Salisbury Plains station with shuttle service operating between there and Country Life Press, using Ocean Electric streetcars operating off the third rail. Stops were made at Washington St., Clinton Road, A&P, Mitchel Field, Meadowbrook and Salisbury Plains. (Other stops were later added at General Bronze and Newsday.) 

In 1937, "HC" tower was renamed "GARDEN" tower and two years later, the tower and the crossing were removed.  A replacement block station was constructed in the form of "GARDEN" cabin at Franklin Ave., west of the former track crossing. 

The tracks were cut back again, this time to Meadowbrook, but shuttle service stopped at Mitchel Field.  The streetcar shuttle was replaced with an MP41 MU car, later expanding to two MP41 MU cars, which were later replaced by two MP54 MU cars. The shuttle service, which primarily was for employees of the various industries along the line, and which only accepted cash fares (no ticket sales) ended in 1953.

The branch extension came back to life when Roosevelt Raceway trains ran to Meadowbrook in the late 1950s where buses took riders to the racetrack and back. Years after the raceway trains ended, the tracks were cut back once again and terminated on the west side of Endo Blvd. west of what was once Mitchel Field. (Dave Keller data)

Station/MP/Location order after leaving Floral Park:

BUILT: BUILT: 1909. AGENCY CLOSED: 12/10/1996. REMODELED: 2006  Research: Dave Keller

BUILT: 1907 AGENCY CLOSED: 11/07/1996. (GARDEN CITY) DEPOT REMODELED: 2005. Research: Dave Keller

CRR OF LI DEPOT BUILT: OCT/1872-APRIL/1873. CLOSED: 1898  2ND DEPOT BUILT: 8/1898. AGENCY CLOSED: 11/20/1996 Research: Dave Keller

Garden City Station - View NW c.1900
Archive: Dave Keller

Garden City Station - View N c.1904
 

Garden City Station - Stewart monument view SE 10/16/2016 Photo: Dave Morrison

Garden City Station opened in 8/1898 and the agency closed 11/20/1996. However, the waiting room is still open seven days per week.
Note: The baggage/parcel room on this end. View SE  4/07/2023 Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz

Alexander T. Stewart, founder of Garden City, which occurred in 1869. He built and presided over the Central Railroad of Long Island. The railroad was established in 1871, then merged with the Flushing and North Side Railroad in 1874 to form the Flushing, North Shore and Central Railroad. Today’s Hempstead Branch between Floral Park and Hempstead Crossing (east of Garden City station) was originally the Central Branch. He also owned the eponymous department stores. He was, supposedly, one of the three wealthiest men in America at the time, alongside Cornelius Vanderbilt and William B. Astor.  Info: Jeff Erlitz
 

The Central branch between "HC" (Hempstead Crossing) in Garden City and Salisbury Plains was electrified in 1917. That year, 3 ex-Ocean Electric trolley cars were converted from trolley to third rail service and operated as a shuttle (one car at a time) between a layup track opposite the Garden City station and Salisbury Plains, making a stop at Mitchel Field (yes, "Mitchel" with one "L"). This shuttle ran until 1927.

On 10/31/1927, the shuttle was moved to a layup track at Country Life Press and all shuttle service then operated between there and Salisbury Plains. In 1928 the Ocean Electric cars were withdrawn from service and replaced at first by one MP41 MU car, then two MP41 MU cars (2-car train), and finally, two MP54 MU cars (2-car train)

Service was cut back to Mitchel Field during WWII, because the trip to Salisbury Plains ran through secure government territory. The field was fenced off and trains /ex-trolleys were no longer allowed to run past Mitchel Field station so Salisbury Plains station was closed.

Photo: Ocean Electric Car #29 at Clinton Road, Garden City 1918 Archive: Dave Keller    The last passenger shuttle trip ran between CLP and Mitchel Field on 5/15/53. Research: Dave Keller  
 

In the last years of shuttle service, tickets were NOT sold. Riders paid cash. I believe the fare was $ .25. On-train tickets were not issued. . . it was simply hand the trainman or conductor a quarter and I believe it was the same whether you went to Mitchel Field or closer stops like Newsday and A&P Bronze (since 6/1949).

The ticket is printed Garden City to "Mitchell" Field (incorrect as it's "Mitchel" field . . . one "L"). This was not the end of the line in the 1917-1927 years of operation. It was but one of several stops on the way to the truncated branch at Salisbury Plains.

Based upon the dates I've provided above, this ticket would have been issued at the Garden City station anytime between 1917 and 1927. Riders would have walked across the tracks at Garden City and got on the ex-trolley car to Mitchel Field and /or Salisbury Plains.

It's possible that once the cars operated between CLP and Salisbury, printed tickets were issued at the CLP station beginning in 1927, however the agency was closed by 1940, so I'm assuming only cash fares were accepted after that, if shuttle tickets were ever issued at CLP. It was quite a walk from the shuttle's layup track and platform to the ticket office at CLP. Research: Dave Keller
 

The inset sign tells riders to take the trolley on the other side of the station, where the layup track was originally located:
"TAKE TROLLEY CAR ON OTHER SIDE FOR CLINTON ROAD AND AVIATION FIELD No. 2"

Note:  Aviation Field No. 2 was the prior name of Mitchel Field. Info: Dave Keller

Garden City Station and Salisbury Plains Shuttle

An aerial view of Country Life Press looking east in 1928, the last year that the ex-Ocean Electric trolleys that were converted to third rail operation were used in shuttle service to Salisbury Plains station east of Mitchel Field. The cars had been relocated from the Garden City station the previous year, to the very north end of the Country Life Press station. In this photo, we see the historic Country Life Press building in the foreground, from which the nearby railroad station derived its name. Behind it, from left to right, is the straight track heading to Hempstead Crossing and which connected Mineola and Hempstead, and Mineola, West Hempstead and Valley Stream. In front of this track we can just make out the west leg of the wye which is the track between Garden City and Hempstead. Behind the straight track is the curving east leg of the wye which connected with the Central branch. An ex-Ocean Electric car is laying up at the platform. To the right of the car is the platform shelter and then following the very long platform southward (railroad eastward) we see the Country Life Press depot at the very far right. The track directly in front of it continues on to the terminal in Hempstead and the track branching away from it led to West Hempstead and on to Valley Stream. It was quite a walk from the depot to the shuttle so I'm not sure tickets for the shuttle were ever sold at that agency. They may have been, with the shuttle entering the station to pick up riders but if that were so, what was the purpose of a wooden platform and shelter constructed at the very north end? (Dave Keller archive and data)
 

This is a zoomed-in image of the shuttle and shelter. You can see that the wooden platform extended even further north of where the car was laying up. After 1939 when Hempstead Crossing was eliminated, the track to Mineola was cut back south of the Central branch and former crossing to about where this platform ended and the shuttle then laid up on THAT track in lieu of its former layup spot on the wye track. It would then head south (railroad east) to clear the switch, then head east on the wye track to Salisbury Plains station.

After practically all of the MP41 MU cars were taken out of passenger service, the last few were used on the shuttle. They, too, were eventually withdrawn from service and were replaced by two MP54 MU cars. Here's a peaceful view from the summer of 1949 with puffy, fair-weather clouds in the sky looking NE. It shows the 2-car shuttle of MP54 MU cars consisting of car #s 1762 and 1943, coupled, and laying up on the truncated segment of the former Mineola to Hempstead track. Note both cars are in the PRR Tuscan Red color scheme with Dulux gold lettering and the car at right has what appears to be an aluminum-painted roof, designed to reduce the summer's heat in the car. The rail visible at the very bottom of this image is that of the Hempstead branch between Garden City and the terminal at Hempstead. (W. J. Edwards photo, Dave Keller archive)

“B” CABIN: CROSSING WATCHMAN’S CABIN - GARDEN CITY (EAST SIDE OF FRANKLIN AVENUE, BETWEEN CENTRAL AND HEMPSTEAD
BRANCHES, BUILT WITH A 2-LEVER DWARF INTERLOCKING MACHINE CONTROLLING DERAILS AND DWARF SIGNALS 
ON THE N.Y. & L.I. TRACTION CO. TRACKS ON FRANKLIN AVENUE. INTERLOCKED WITH “HC” TOWER. IN SVC: 1920s. 
OUT OF SVC: 1/27/39 WITH OPENING OF “GARDEN” CABIN.)

The watchman in "B" cabin lowered the gates and operated the derails for the trolley which crossed the tracks but did not handle the block although the cabin was interlocked with the distant tower "HC" tower, which did handle the block.  "B" cabin only had a crossing watchman.  "HC" tower (renamed "GARDEN" in 1937) had a block operator.

The trolley tracks and derails were gone from the crossing at the time of this photo. At the far left, the track curving north to Mineola and at the far right, the tracks curving south to Country Life Press and Hempstead. The electrified Central branch is in the foreground.  Research: Dave Keller

At the left center, the siding to access the portable sub-station storage facility. A portion of the section house is visible at the far right. Just beyond that, a full view of the section house with "HC" tower at the crossing of the Hempstead branch from Mineola and the Central Branch.

Behind "HC" tower is the all brick water tower dating back to Stewart's construction of Garden City (1870s). Back in the early days of the tower, windmill blades were positioned atop to draw the water up. The tracks for the crossing were located between "HC" tower and the brick water tower.

After 1939, no structures in this image remained and "GARDEN" cabin was constructed at the far left of the overall view, on the west side of Franklin Ave. crossing.  Research: Dave Keller

“GARDEN” CABIN GARDEN CITY – JCT. OF HEMPSTEAD BRANCH. OPENED 1/27/39, NORTH SIDE OF TRACKS, WEST SIDE OF FRANKLIN AVE., 650’ WEST OF FORMER LOCATION. OUT OF SVC. BY 6/5/95. RAZED: c. 1999-2000

When "GARDEN" tower was torn down in 1939, "GARDEN" cabin was constructed where it's shown in my color photo below, taking on the former role of "GARDEN" tower to handle the block and signals.  When "GARDEN" cabin was in service (1/27/39), there was no need for two cabins a few feet away from each other, so "B" cabin was removed.  The gates, junction AND block signals would then be operated by the block operator at the newly-opened cabin. Info: Dave Keller

LIRR #605 ERA (Electric Railroaders Assn.) Special westbound at Garden Cabin 10/1986

Renaming of Secondary Tracks:  While the Central Extension appears in the station pages (of employee timetables), from at least 1936 on, the “branch” was classified as a siding, meaning restricted speed. Since the shuttles had no timetable authority (you need to have main track for that), I have to assume that the freights working cleared the “main” when the shuttle was operating. Note that the Central Extension was largely double track so there were many crossovers and turnouts.

In 1946, (probably also in 45, timetable for which I am missing), the Central Extension was gone from the station pages and the only reference was to a siding in SI 2207 which stipulated that the track extended from Garden to Meadowbrook Hospital. In 1947, in a couple of places in the Special Instructions, was referred to as the Meadowbrook Hospital Siding. (Richard F. Makse)

G.O. #1208 eff. 08/25/47 (ETT #12) changes the name of the Meadowbrook Hospital Siding to the Central Extension and states it will be operated as a secondary track between east of GARDEN to west of Mitchel Field. (Art Huneke data)

In the special instructions for Timetable #14 (June 13, 1948) and under Secondary Tracks of No Assigned Direction, Garden to Mitchel Field is called Central Extension. (Jeffrey Erlitz)

ETT #15, eff. 09/12/48 shows Garden-Mitchel Field Secondary Track. (Art Huneke data)

Other than temporary block stations during the Vanderbilt Cup races, I don’t believe the line ever had any signaling. Both Clinton Road and Salisbury Plains did have ticket offices for a short period of time but likely there were no signals since the shuttles were run by the same crew. (Richard F. Makse)

Henry Raudenbush map insert: Central Extension October 1952

HC TOWER:  HEMPSTEAD CROSSING, GARDEN CITY – JCT OF HEMPSTEAD BRANCH AND N.Y. BAY EXTENSION (PER 1903 CR4.) (NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF    CROSSING.  ORIGINALLY TOWER #44, 36-LEVER SAXBY & FARMER MECHANICAL MACHINE IN SVC:  1/1890. WAS RENUMBERED TOWER #105 IN 1894 WHEN BLOCK SYSTEM WAS EXTENDED EAST.  TOWER #44 ASSIGNED  BRUSHVILLE.  RENAMED “HC” IN 1907. BECAME TRAIN ORDER OFFICE ON 10/01/1907 WHEN GARDEN CITY STATION CEASED BEING A TRAIN ORDER OFFICE.  INTERLOCKING PLANT INCREASED TO 40 LEVERS: 1/28/1919. RENAMED “GARDEN”: 4/30/37. 
OUT OF SVC: 1/27/39.

Central Branch MP19 Map Legend

EAST OF GARDEN CITY STATION. LOW PLATFORM FOR LIRR’S BATTERY CAR SHUTTLE SERVICE AFTER 1923.  Research: Dave Keller

1.   Garden City - Cathedral Ave Station built: Oct/1872-April/1873
2.   Clinton Rd, Garden City - Built: _?, listed in service per CR4 (car record book) 3/01/1913
3.   Camp Black - 2 ½ miles east of Garden City. In service: 5/03/1898
        Camp Mills - Renamed "Camp Mills" during WW1 June, 1917
           Mitchel Field - 7/16/1918
4.   Meadowbrook 2 - Opened further west of original Meadowbrook 1 after 1924 at east end of the Mitchel Field station platform
5.   Meadowbrook 1 - 1st station timetable 5/1873. Closed: 6/1917. Later Salisbury Plains after Meadowbrook 2 opened further west
        Salisbury Station - NW corner Merrick Ave. crossing. Wooden shelter shed in service: 6/1917. Prior site of Meadowbrook 1 station
6.   Sprague’s Barn - Manure siding between Meadowbrook 1 and New Bridge Rd. stations (22.73 miles from LI City.) In service:_? Listed per CR4 effective: 3/01/1913
7.   New Bridge Rd - 1874 Manure siding where New Bridge Road crossed the Central Ext. (24.12 miles from LI City.) In service:_? Listed as active per CR4s, eff: 3/01/1913 Out of service: _?
8.   Island Trees - Station stop timetable 5/1873. Discontinued Station stop: 5/01/1876. Manure siding CR4s as “Island Tree” effective 3/01/1913, 9/01/1919, 7/01/1924. Out of service:_?
9.   Plain Edge - 1873 Discontinued as station stop_? Location of manure siding last used in 1939
10. Central Park - Station on 1873 map at Stewart Ave

BUILT: _? LISTED IN SVC. AS OF 3/01/1913 C.R.4 (CAR RECORD BOOK). USED AS TICKET OFFICE FOR CAMP MILLS IN WW I.
AGENCY CLOSED: BY 01/01/1924. STATION CLOSED: 05/15/53. DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP. BECAME FIRE STATION No.3.  Research: Dave Keller

On a cold late-afternoon in January, 1985, the RF-48 heads back west after finishing its work on the Garden-Mitchel Secondary. Just about to flag the busy crossing at Clinton Road in Garden City, it will be a slow ride home with the eastbound commission hour already under way.
Jay Bendersky

The Mineola-Garden City Freight Yard in an unusually busy day, even for almost 30 years ago! The RF-7, with 2 L-2's has just crossed Stewart Avenue re-entering the yard, and Work Extra 152 is in the clear waiting for the RF-7 to get their work done. Today, the yard's future remains uncertain with the re-development of the Nassau Coliseum. The RB&BB Circus Train is the lone tenant of the Garden Mitchel Secondary, just once every year.  Note: LIRR MOW Burro Crane at far left.

ORIGINALLY "AVIATION FIELD NO. 2" ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FORMER CAMP MILLS EAST OF GARDEN CITY. CAMP MILLS AND AVIATION FIELD NO. 2 RENAMED "MITCHEL FIELD" 7/16/1918. NAME CHANGE OFFICIALLY APPROVED: APRIL/1919.) WOODEN SHELTER SHED BUILT: 19_? NO AGENCY. DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 5/15/53 WITH END OF SHUTTLE PASSENGER SERVICE ON BRANCH.  Research: Dave Keller

Office of Information Services, Head Quarters Continental Air Command, Mitchel Air base, New York  26 October 1955

1. Designation. On July 16, 1918, the installation was named for Major John Purroy Mitchel who had been Killed in an accident in Louisiana ten days before. Mitchel, who was an early advocate of American air power, had served as Mayor of New York. The designation "Mitchel Field" was officially approved in April, 1919. 

2. Historic Role. For over 150 years the area presently occupied by Mitchel AFB has played an important role in our history. During the Revolutionary war it was known as the Hempstead Plains and used as an Army enlistment center. In the War of 1812 and in the Mexican War it was a training center for Infantry units. During the Civil War, it was the location of Camp Winfield Scott.

In 1898, in the Spanish-American War, Mitchel's site was known as Camp Black. 2.5 miles east of Garden City. In service: 5/03/1898 for the Spanish-American War. A wooden shelter was constructed. During World War I, Camp Mills was located here on the grounds familiar to American Servicemen since the days of our minutemen, trained the Rainbow (42nd) Division, including the famous Fighting 69th Regiment. 

Camp Black was opened in 1898 and was 2.5 miles east of Garden City, making that mileage 21.18 from LI City, which doesn't line up with previous indicated mileages.  21.18 was the location of the original Meadow Brook station and later, Salisbury Plains.  (Camp Black was renamed "Camp Mills" and the east side of the camp "Aviation Field No. 2" during WWI.  Camp Mills closed in 1920 and Aviation Field No. 2 was renamed  
"Mitchel Field"  7/16/1918.  Photo: Camp Black - 1898  Archive: Richard Eikov

 Mitchel Field was originally established in 1917 as Aviation Field #2 just south of Hazelhurst Field as a training and storage base. It was named Mitchel Field in July 1918 after former New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchel, who was killed while training for the air service in Louisana.

The Motor Parkway was less than one-half mile north of Mitchel Field. The "Hempstead Spur Road" to the west of Mitchel Field connecting the Motor Parkway with Fulton Street was never built.

1919 view before the housing construction. Siding in the foreground is the one recently removed in the c.1930 image below. Archive Art Huneke

View NE of the LIRR Country Life Press-Salisbury Plains shuttle (ex-Ocean Electric car equipped with third rail shoes) passing new Mitchel-Field base housing. Trackmen are removing the switch to one of the 5 former (1918) warehouse sidings in the center of the image. This image shows the warehouses being replaced with the new housing. One warehouse, siding and switch off the main still remain in the upper right portion of this c.1930 image. Research/Archive: Dave Keller

 ROW at Quentin Roosevelt Blvd, East Garden City  View E 9/08/1978 (Madden-Keller)
 

By 1988, freight on the Garden-Mitchel Secondary was no longer daily, and was switched as-needed. The RF-7 has just finished picking up it's refrigerator cars at Global-Sysco, on the other side of the Meadowbrook Parkway. There are no other empties to add on to the train, so it will now be heading back to Yard A, with the C-63 on the east end.  Jay Bendersky
 

LIRR #449 westbound freight passing MP20 Newsday Plant 4/21/1965 Photo/Archive: Richard Makse

A westbound road freight rumbles through Newsday (since 6/1949) crossover on the Central Extension. The track through the gate on the left leads to the Newsday plant. About 100' to the rear was the site of the former Newsday platform, used by the Mitchel Field shuttle until 1953. On the right is the one box car spot for Mercury Millwork. An absolutely fascinating piece of the LIRR that saw freights, race trains, circus trains and MU's and trolleys during its heyday. Richard Makse

Emery Map Central Branch MP19-20
Clinton Rd 5/1958 Archive: Dave Keller

1ST DEPOT LISTED IN TT OF 05/1873. LOCATED BETWEEN PRESENT MERRICK AVE. AND THE MEADOWBROOK PARKWAY. DISCONTINUED AS A
STATION STOP PER TT OF 05/01/1876. LATER LISTED IN SVC. PER C.R.4 EFF: 03/01/1913. CLOSED: 6/1917. BECAME SITE OF SALISBURY PLAINS STATION AFTER 2ND MEADOWBROOK STATION OPENED FURTHER WEST.  Research: Dave Keller

H10s #107 Railfan Extra  Meadowbrook Station Westbury 10/26/52 (Votava-Keller)

AT NW QUADRANT OF MERRICK AVE. CROSSING. WOODEN SHELTER SHED IN SVC: 06/1917. FORMER SITE OF 1ST MEADOWBROOK STATION.  CLINTON ROAD STATION PROVIDED AGENCY DURING WWI. SHELTER USED TO STORE LUMBER DURING CONSTRUCTION OF 2ND DEPOT. RAZED: 1923 (?)

2ND DEPOT OPENED: 12/10/1923, NO AGENCY INDICATED AS OF 1/01/1924. CLOSED: c. 1942-43 DUE TO WARTIME SECURITY OF TRAINS PASSING THROUGH MITCHEL FIELD TO ACCESS THIS STATION STOP. DEPOT BECAME A RESIDENCE IN FEB. 1947 FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND LATER HOUSED A PRIVATE BUSINESS. TRACKS REMOVED: 1956. RAZED: 1985 (per Nassau Co. website). https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/4246/History-of-Eisenhower-Park   Research: Dave Keller    MORE Salisbury Plains

This photo is the farthest east end of the Central Branch trackage remaining as of 12/21/1965.

Note the Meadowbrook Parkway is in the distance. Info: Brad Phillips
 

NEW BRIDGE ROAD

ISLAND TREES

CENTRAL R.R. DEPOT APPEARS ON MAP OF PLAIN EDGE AT MASSAPEQUA RD. (LATER HICKSVILLE RD. RT. 107). NO INFORMATION REGARDING PASSENGER SVC.
DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP _?  BECAME END OF TRACK 4.8 MILES EAST OF SALISBURY PLAINS STATION (NEAR HICKSVILLE RD. RT. 107) PER ETT #9, EFF. 6/19/1938. WAS LOCATION OF MANURE SIDING. LAST USED IN 1939. TRACKS STILL IN PLACE PER ETT #2 EFF: 06/21/42 ALTHOUGH SEVERED BY CONSTRUCTION OF WANTAGH STATE PKY. NO LONGER LISTED ON ETT #3, EFF. 09/20/1942.  Research: Dave Keller

STATION FIRST LISTED ON TT OF 05/1873. LOCATED AT EAST SIDE OF STEWART AVE. IN TODAY’S PLAINEDGE. ¾ MILE GEOGRAPHICALLY SOUTH OF LIRR’S JERUSALEM/CENTRAL PARK STATION. NO DEPOT AS OF 2/1874. THE AGENT USED A ROOM IN HIS HOUSE AS A PUBLIC WAITING ROOM. LAST LISTED AS A STOP IN TT OF 10/1876. ETT #13 EFF: 1879 INDICATES EASTBOUND TRAIN #19 WILL MAKE STATION STOP ALTHOUGH STATION IS NO LONGER INDICATED IN THE TIMETABLE’S LISTING OF STOPS. (Combined data Per Art Huneke and Vincent F. Seyfried)  Research: Dave KellerI

In 1925 the disused Central Extension between Farmingdale and Babylon was extensively overhauled for the use of through trains to Babylon and points east, this change being necessitated by the electrification of the Montauk Division. At the same time, however, this rehabilitated stretch was linked up to the Main Line at Farmingdale (Bethpage Junction) and the plains section cut back to Stewart Avenue, Plainedge (above). Once this track connection was broken, the remainder of the Central Extension on the plains was doomed.  Info: Vincent Seyfried

"Ruckus over old rail site"  8/18/2016 (NEWSDAY- Dave Morrison)

BETHPAGE JUNCTION

CENTRAL RAILROAD OF L.I. DEPOT FIRST APPEARS ON TIMETABLE OF 6/1873. APPEARS ON 1876 FREIGHT REPORT. LOCATED AT
WEST SIDE OF JUNCTION. USED BY BOTH CRR AND LIRR TRAINS TO AFFORD CONNECTIONS TO RIDERS (Per Art Huneke). ABANDONED: 10/1/1877 (Per Vincent Seyfried). STILL APPEARS ON 1897 TIMETABLES WITH MINIMAL SERVICE. (??) CENTRAL EXTENSION TRACKS SEVERED FROM JUNCTION WITH REFURBISHING OF THE LIRR’S CENTRAL BRANCH IN 1925. Research: Dave Keller

GENERAL ORDER: EFFECTIVE 1921: BETHPAGE AND CREEDMOOR BRANCHES AND CENTRAL EXTENSION “HC” TO BETHPAGE JCT. WILL BE CONSIDERED SIDINGS.

The Bethpage branch was the short spur off the Central extension east of Bethpage Jct. accessing the brick works in Bethpage (see map top of page). Info: Dave Keller

Maps of the Central Branch
Archive: Dave Keller 

Emery Map Central Branch MP15-16 1943

Emery Map Central Branch MP19-20 Clinton Rd 5/1958

Emery Map Central Branch MP20 to USAF Crossing 5/1958

Garden City LIRR Profile Map