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YOUNGSPORT:
SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD ORIGINAL NAME FOR GREAT RIVER. SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD FREIGHT STATION ONLY UNTIL 1897 WHEN PASSENGER DEPOT BUILDING CONSTRUCTED AND OPENED AS "GREAT RIVER". APPEARS AS “YOUNGSPORT” ON LIRR FREIGHT REPORT FORM OF 1893, BUT DOES NOT APPEAR ON ANY TIME TABLES (PUBLIC OR EMPLOYEE) OF THAT ERA.
Note: Prior to that, the South Side Sportsmen’s Club, which was located north of the present-day Sunrise Highway, was serviced by the South Side Rail Road’s Club House depot which was located at the Bayard-Cutting
Estate, between present-day mileposts 45 and 46. See photo below
left. |
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GREAT
RIVER: BUILT:
1897. PORTE COCHERE AT REAR. AGENCY CLOSED: c. 1931 (Robert Emery data).
EXPRESS HOUSE REMOVED AROUND 1932. DEPOT SUPPOSEDLY BURNED: 1943, BUT
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE INDICATES DEPOT STILL STANDING ON 09/28/44. PROBABLY
BURNED IN MARCH, 1945 PER REFERENCE IN "SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWS"
ARTICLE OF 04/06/45 THAT MENTIONED THE LIRR PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW DEPOT
TO REPLACE THE GREAT RIVER STATION "RECENTLY DESTROYED BY FIRE."
2ND DEPOT BUILT: c. DECEMBER, 1945 PER "SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWS"
ARTICLE OF 11/23/45 THAT READS "GREAT RIVER TO REPLACE THE FORMER
DEPOT DESTROYED BY FIRE." REPLACEMENT BUILDING WAS A SMALL, ENCLOSED
SHELTER WITH FLAT ROOF. ROOF REPLACED WITH PITCHED ROOF SOMETIME IN THE
EARLY 1980s. DEPOT RAZED: 1998.
HI-LEVEL PLATFORMS AND SHELTER INSTALLED: 1999 TO ACCOMMODATE
NEWLY-ARRIVED C3 BI-LEVEL CARS WHICH WERE PLACED IN SERVICE JULY, 1999.
(Robert L. Myers data) Research: Dave Keller
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Emery Map Great River MP44-45 05-58
Archive: Dave Keller |
South Side Rail Road Club House Depot c.1878 View East
Photo: George Brainard
Archive: East Islip Historical Society
The milepost 45 in the photo was not the LIRR’s but the SSRR’s and, as their mileage was calculated from a different starting point, was off slightly from today’s MP45.
Closed: 7/17/1884. (Closing date per
George L. Weeks, Jr. in his 1965 book: “Isle of Shells” Research: Dave Keller
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Great River Station NE (rear view) towards Connetquot Ave.c.1910
Archive: East Islip Historical Society
Great River Station looking
SW c.1925 with an eastbound train arriving Archive: East Islip Historical
Society
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Great River Station - Shelter
Shed - Mail Crane - Section House location #4 map above. View W 9/28/1944
Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Dave Morrison
Shelter Shed zoom View W 9/28/1944
Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Dave Morrison
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Remains of the 1897 Great River Station after the c.3/1945 fire. The volunteer fireman are holding the station sign.
Archive: East Islip Historical Society
Great River Station fire
Suffolk County News 4/06/1945
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Great River Station View SE towards Connetquot Ave. 1966
Photo/Archive: Dave Keller
Replacement installed around c. 2000 |
Great River Shelter view N
12/23/2016
Photo: Pat Masterson |
Great River Shelter view NW
12/23/2016
Photo: Pat Masterson |
Block Signal #448 - View E of Great River station 1/06/2021 Photo/Archive:
Jeff Erlitz |
| These images were borrowed from the East Islip Historical Society’s
website, unless noted. They have a number of my archival photos taken by Jules Krzenski posted on the site, however the only one of mine above is the
Great River 1966 shot. Dave Keller
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