VOLUME 13:
LONG ISLAND RAILROAD SERVICE TO LONG ISLAND CITY'S SPEED QUEEN

By Nicholas Kalis

Thirteenth in a series of glimpses into industries or warehouses that made for interesting freight operations on the Long Island. Information presented has included, where available, a brief history of the firm, how it was served by the LIRR, and what commodities were received or shipped from this facility.

Speed Queen was Spot 18 according to Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings published June 1966. Speed Queen, located east of Louis Sherry, had a street address of 32-04 Northern Boulevard and was located at the corner of Honeywell Street. For a time it was bounded to its right, facing it from Northern Boulevard, by a gas station.

Speed Queen was served by its very own LIRR siding. According to drawings by Robert Emery, this siding too entered into the building, which appears to be six-stories in height. It was constructed of poured concrete

Today, Shur Guard occupies this building , according to Bill Myers. Before that, according to a Track Plan titled "North Shore Freight Branch" it was Leck Industries - during the period roughly from 1945 to the 1960s. Before that it was occupied by Standard Plumbing (1920 - 1945). According to a map drawn by Robert Emery and corroborated by the Hyde Atlas, it was occupied even further back by Sexton Foods known on Hyde Atlas as John Sexton Co.. Vincent Seyfried reportedly has a photo of Standard Plumbing showing Northern Boulevard in foreground taken from the 39th Avenue BMT Subway - Elevated station.

According to Jay McDonald of Alliance Laundry Systems, Speed Queen’s warehouse received by rail finished washers, dryers, and wringer washers from its factory in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Modeling

For readers who would like to model this structure in HO scale, I would suggest Fox Chemicals ($60.00) by Jeff Springer’s Custom Model Railroads of Baltimore, Maryland. I have built a foam core mock-up of this building.

Credits

Thanks to the Queens Borough Public Library, Carl Fabrizi, and Bill Myers

Bibliography

Author Unknown Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings (Reprint) June 1966

Please send photographs that show how Speed Queen appeared in the 1960s and direct any comments on or corrections to this manuscript to:

Nicholas Kalis, Suite 600, 1420 Spring Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22102

Any illustrations or maps contributed will be gratefully acknowledged.