VOLUME 20:
LONG ISLAND RAILROAD SERVICE TO BLISSVILLE'S STOLL METAL

By Nicholas Kalis

Twenty 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.

Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings (June 1966) at page 7 identifies Blissville’s Stoll Metal as Spot 2 . Stoll shared a siding with Carbona (Spot 1). To the east, on a separate siding is Centre Lumber (Spot 3). Spot 2 had a capacity of one car. Stoll Metal, in the Borough of Queens, was at 36-08 Review Avenue with telephone number Ironsides 6-3641 This firm had originally been at 49 Dupont Street, Brooklyn, according to telephone directories of 1940 through 1942. By 1959/60 this address was listed as Paragon Smelting Corp with telephone number RA 9-3641 and 729-3641. By 1970, a revised map showed Durable Metals as Spot 2. It is possible this spot was the site of Truscon Steel some time prior to 1959/60.

Truscon Steel operated warehouses in the northeast, handling reinforcing bar and building products of the era (steel doors, frames, window sash, hot rolled and cold formed steel sections and aluminum.) According to Dean E. Robb, Truscon Steel did not own Stoll Metal, but could have leased the warehouse or had some other business arrangement with them since most of the warehouse facilities were leased/rented rather than owned. Fabrizi believes the monitor-roofed building is similar in design to the United States Metal Plating Company which was adjacent to Dutch Kills. Given both firms worked with metals, they would have a similar design in structure.

Bliss Yard Drill would return to Yard A at the end of an 8-hour trick. Bliss Yard also had a later 3:00 PM Drill. Bliss Yard Drill used no hack for its one-mile trip to Blissville Yard.

Those wishing to model Stoll would benefit from consulting the pictures in this article. Anyone wishing to help this author model Stoll on his HO scale layout is encouraged to contact him with any offers of assistance.

Thanks to LIST members Bob Sturm and Carl Fabrizi. The assistance of John Hyslop and Bob Miller of the Queens Borough Public Library and Art Huneke is also gratefully acknowledged.