The Long Island's freight operations amounted to little more than branch lines which terminated more cars than they originated (68.0% of the loaded car miles were eastbound from the mainland vs. 32.0% westbound).

Commodities terminated included coal, lumber, cement and iron & steel, the LIRR's four largest in 1947. The number of originated carloads could easily be accommodated in lumber boxcars after unloading and cleaning. Having to haul empty boxcars to Eastern Long Island caused the percent loaded of total car miles to hover around 50%.

F-M Elevator Head and Hopper Photo Details
Reprint 1930's F-M Catalog  Info: John McCluskey

Photo : early 1944 
Archive: Dave Morrison

Hicksville Coal 05/06/1932
View west from Jerusalem Ave. 

Now a parking lot, this coal receiving station was located just north of the railroad station. The coal was used to fuel the state university power plant. Farmingdale

Archive: Farmingdale Bethpage Historical Society, LI Digital Book Project, Farmingdale Public Library

LIRR Coal Loads Received 1945

LIRR Coal Loads Received by Road 1945 

Morris Park Shops 3/31/1940 Conveyor to wooden coaling tower in background
Archive: Dave Keller

Weeks Fuel Bldgs and coaling ramp
 West Ave 05/1943
Fred Weber photo, Dave Morrison collection, Dave Keller archive

Loco Coaling Facilities and coaling ramp for Week’s Fuel  05/1943
Fred Weber photo, Dave Morrison collection, Dave Keller archive

Week's Coal Patchogue View NE 
c. 1904

Week's Coal Patchogue View SW
c. 1904

Week's Coal Ramp 1954 Patchogue
Archive: Dave Keller


Underwood Coal & Coke 10/1943
Fred Weber photo, Dave Morrison collection, Dave Keller archive

LIRR Coal Operations Remains 

St. Albans Coal Trestle 2007

Huntington: W. Wilton Wood  Lumber & Coal   Photo: Steve Rothaug 10/2007

Moving Coal by Prayer by Mark Smith (Retired LIRR Locomotive Engineer) 

"...The L.I.R.R. was not a big coal hauler as to operating unit coal trains as many large roads did.  We did haul a lot of coal in lots to three state hospitals by local freight jobs that worked the lines the hospitals were located on.  We did not have heavy, long grades but many places did have short, steep grades requiring careful handling to get over the road. These coal docks were all up on trestle where cars could be unloaded by opening the hoppers.  One dock at Kings Park was at the bottom of a steep grade and was a scary move for all concerned every time it was switched...."

East NY Industrial Park serviced by the Bay Ridge Line 

Covering the area south of the East New York station, and proceeding to where the Bay Ridge branch hooks a sharp turn to the west at New Lots, going as far south (west) as the east side of Rockaway Ave. we have the following coal customers from 1958 and earlier, back into the 1920s:  Info: Dave Keller 

(In no special order) 

Rubel Coal Co.(having moved from 2 prior locations in the same area) 
Thatford & Ackerman Coal 
Security Coal Co. 
Holland Steel Co. 
Burns Bros. Coal

Switching the Coal at Island Park by JJ Earl
"...the coal train used the trailing point cross over east of Long Beach Road to shove across into "The Light"

Loads would be placed in the empty tracks and empty cars gathered up and pulled out onto #2 main.

The engines uncoupled and were reversed at LEAD to come back west on #1, over the cross over and pull back west onto #1 stopping for a member of the crew to throw these hand thrown switches back to their rightful position.

All main line crossovers had/have what is called a locking bar halfway between the switches with a lever that, when thrown over, moves a rod that connects to a locking device in each switch that will not allow it to be thrown unless this security device itself is thrown." 

Emery Map 9/58 MP 20-22 Click on image to enlarge

LIRR 1950 Freight Car Loads  Prototype Info for Modeling

** Based on ave. 1947 LIRR train length 21.3 cars 

LIRR Coal Freight Car Locations Maps