NY POST March 17, 2018

It’s last call for alcohol on the Long Island Rail Road.

The eight bar carts that ply suburban commuters with rush-hour booze are going the way of the Harvey Wallbanger, The Post has learned. Come March 27, the five carts on the platforms at Penn Station, along with one each at the Jamaica, Atlantic Terminal and Hunterspoint Avenue stops, will disappear.

“These are the last of the bar carts on any part of the MTA system,” agency board member Mitchell Pally told The Post on Saturday. “I do not think we should be serving alcohol,” Pally said. “I’ve been saying this for 12 years, ever since I got on the board.”

One mixologist, Jim Ferragamo, posted a sign thanking his customers. "It has been a pleasure creating friendships and getting to know all of you. I take pride in knowing that I was able to bring some relief and joy on even the most hectic days. Thank you all for your support and generosity,” it read.

“I’ve had 20 great years,” said Track 19 bartender Dave Telehany, who shook hands and accepted condolences from longtime customers. “Some of these people are part of my family. I’ve been to christenings, communions. One of my customer’s daughters babysits my kids.”

Eyewitness News Monday, March 19, 2018 (WABC)

The MTA is phasing out its bar carts on Long Island Rail Road platforms, its final train service to lose the track-side alcohol service. Five bar carts at Penn Station, along with one each at the Jamaica Station, Atlantic Terminal and Hunterspoint Avenue, will end March 27. Bar cars were eliminated for Metro North at Grand Central back in December 2016.

The MTA released this statement:
"This service was subject to various reviews that led us to conclude that it's not our core competency and that we should stay focused on providing safe and reliable transportation. Other retailers meet this market." The decision was made with little public notification. The bartenders began telling their customers on Friday afternoon. It didn't even come up in Monday morning's LIRR Committee meeting. There was apparently too much other material to discuss. Officials say the employees, some who have worked on the platforms for decades, will transfer to train maintenance jobs.

End of The Line for LIRR Platform Bar Carts  - Long Island Press by Timothy Bolger March 20, 2018

The Long Island Rail Road’s platform-level bar carts are leaving the station as the last call comes March 27 for commuters who order last-second adult beverages before boarding their evening rush-hour trains.

Riders will still be able to purchase beer, wine and mixed drinks in Penn Station and imbibe while riding the rails, but once the bar carts dry up, gone will be the last vestige of the LIRR’s bar cars that were phased out in the 1980s. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed the news, which was first reported by the New York Post.

“This service was subject to various reviews that led us to conclude that it’s not our core competency and that we should stay focused on providing safe and reliable transportation,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said in a statement. “Other retailers meet this market.”

The MTA has operated eight bar carts on platforms for decades — five in Penn and one each at the Jamaica, Atlantic Terminal and Hunterspoint Avenue stations. The MTA reportedly put Grand Central Station’s track-side bar carts on ice last year following an audit of the cash-only operations.

The latest move comes after the LIRR banned booze on midnight to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night trains beginning in 2012. According to more than 100 Twitter users that took the unofficial @LIRRstats poll, 37 percent said they’re “very sad” about the news, 19 percent had no opinion, 17 percent were glad the carts are going away and 27 percent said: “I’ll just buy elsewhere.”

“I love my job,” one of the bartenders told The Post. “I’m a people person. And now I’m going to be cleaning train cars.” Riders were not pleased to hear the LIRR’s platform bar cart days have reached the end of the line.

“That’s not good,” one rider told WABC-TV before chugging a can of Budweiser. “It’s the one thing I enjoy coming to this miserable concrete jungle.”
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I liked the LIRR “bar cars” (ex-B&M American Flyer coaches converted) best. Always a blast on evening trips when the cars were packed and everyone was enjoying the end of the work day. All the cups, glasses, etc. had the Dashing Dan logos. Brad Phillips- LIRR Extra Clerk 1963

Every attendant with a cart managed quite well on the M1 cars. The bar cars were much more convenient to work as opposed to the unwieldy stainless steel carts loaded up with bags of ice, cases of soda and beer as well as multiple boxes of little liquor bottles, jars of olives and jars of cherries plus loose lemons and limes! 

Back in 1973-74, we were forbidden to sell drinks on the platform. Some guys took a chance and sold, but I never did.

And the article is incorrect concerning  incompatibility of carts with M1 cars. We had no problem lashing our carts to the short seat section adjacent to the vestibule.  Dave Keller, Special Services Attendant 1973

Harper’s Weekly January, 31 1885

LIRR 125th Anniversary Booklet page 7 Piggy-backing - Farmer's Train
1884 Woodcut 

LIRR "PIONEERING PIGGYBACKING" 
Canadian Pacific Spanner magazine - 5/1958 Archive: Dave Morrison

Farm wagons on the Gondolas

Embarking

So much better than the old way -  Reluctant Passengers

Railroad Magazine - "Along the Iron Pike" Piggyback cartoon 11/1970 
Joe Easley Archive: Dave Morrison

Note: - The leaving time from the eastern terminus should have been 3:30 A.M.   Research: Dave Morrison

 In my years of hanging around and eventually working at Jamaica ticket, I don’t recall ever seeing this style of dater being used. It’s POSSIBLE that such a machine was used in Jamaica prior to 1960 of course. I have several LIRR dies that fit this style of machine but they’re very old and are from line stations.' Brad Phillips

This was an old Aurora model used up until the late 70's/80's. Then we used a dater made by Ajax that was a piece of crap and went to one made by Cosmo. The problem with the Auroras was the year wheel couldn't go high enough and they had to be replaced. Kevin Fehn 

Dater Die stamp - Far Rockaway - Nameoke Ave 
Archive: Dave Keller

The dates on the Cosmo and Aurora daters were 
arranged horizontally. Brad Phillips

Dater Die plates - Aurora Dater - Woodmere Ticket Office 
Archive: Kevin Fehn

Aurora Dater Die Impressions - Archive: Brad Phillips

The dater (validator) that is shown, above left, is an old Aurora model that was used from the early 1900's up until the late 70s or early 80s. The later Cosmo daters replaced the Ajax daters. The Ajax daters were purchased to replace the Auroras when the year wheel couldn't hit the new dates. The Ajax daters had a slide insert for your IBM number. They were crap and didn't hold up. The worse part was an auditor won the suggestion award for the Ajax. They were a pain to work with. Kevin Fehn

Hills Centennial Dater knob - Archive: Brad Phillips

Hills Centennial Dater  - Archive: Brad Phillips

 
Hills Centennial Dater Die Impressions 
Archive: Brad Phillips

Islip Ticket Reverse 7/12/62 Archive: Brad Phillips

This is the dater used for the round dies, dates arranged vertically. Archive: Brad Phillips

Ah, the memories … All these daters were very sturdy machines.  I never saw one break down and many I used were very old.  These things took a real beating over time.  Just think, for example, the number of tickets issued at NY Penn.  I have tickets issued with the same die decades apart.  Of course, they eventually wore down.  The great 1960’s die replacement was a result of years with no new dies.

Many clerks, most probably, would wait forever to change the inked ribbon and, thus, the die impressions were often very light to non-readable.  They did not pay too much attention to where the impression was put on the ticket so many, many tickets had missing station names, dates, etc.

Over time the die would cake up with ink and the impression became unreadable.  Cleaning was a mess: toothbrush or wire brush with soap and water (or toothpaste which was very effective) was used to clean them.  Your fingers were then blue for the next day or two!

The dies were locked up with the cash in the safe.  If big enough, the entire machine and die were stored there.  If not, the die was removed and the dater left on the counter.

The “dater die” on the above right, without a numeral, is the old die which was replaced with the die having the number 1.  When the railroad started getting rid of all the old Hills Centennial daters (which required periodic replacement of the year wheel) and dies in the early 1960’s they retired many old Aurora dies that had significant wear from use.  Thus, many stations saw old Aurora square dies replaced with new ones having the die numbers.  So even if a station, like Woodmere, had only one die they still put the number 1 in the lower corners.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a ticket issued at Woodmere even though I worked a (single) Monday morning rush hour there.  As there was only one dater, the clerk had pre-stamped a large pile of weekly tickets which I sold at the second ticket window while he handled any one ways along with weeklies.  I never went back to get a validated ticket for my collection.  Oh well. Brad Phillips
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One thing I can add about the daters is that the regular clerks would never change the ribbon. They would leave a note or the extra would see that you could barely read the impression and they would have to change the ribbon. That was a pain since you would get ink all over your hands and eventually your shirt (pastel colored of course).

After working a few stations, I said enough is enough, I would rewind the ribbon and then ink it using the bottle of ink and brush we used for the ink pads. When the regular clerk came back, he would have to change it out.

Cosmo Dater Stamper c.1990 Archive: Kevin Fehn

The order of usage: Hills Centennial, Cosmo, Aurora, Ajax, Rapidprint

  
Cosmo Dater Stamper Front c.1990 Archive: Kevin Fehn

Cosmo Dater Stamper and ticket case
LIRR Farmingdale 6/1972
Photos/Archive: Dave Keller

“Case” refers to the cabinet from which tickets are sold, not bulk storage of tickets which was usually in locked cabinets or, for the terminal stations, in a separate room.  The case can be stationary, on a counter for example (the most common situation), or moveable on wheels as is common in the large terminal stations. 

At the terminal stations, sellers usually had an assigned window location but that could vary from time to time based on crowd demands.  The die number did not refer to any particular selling location, but could at line stations.  E.g., at Amityville dies #1 and #2 sold from a single window even though a second window was available.  At Massapequa, die #1 and die #2 sold at different window positions consistently.

 Cosmo LIRR dater die NY Penn, Case #42 (right photo is mirrored to view impression)  Archive: Dave Morrison

Depending on the size of the station, dies could be assigned to a specific ticket case (e.g., NYP, Jamaica) or to a specific ticket seller (e.g., Amityville), or randomly as in the case of extra clerks on short assignment.  NY Penn once had dies numbered as high as 3 digits but did not have nearly that many ticket cases.  When I sold tickets at Amityville on the relief job there was only one ticket case but my die was #2.

The die you sent (#42) had really seen some heavy use and appears unusable at this point due to the damaged metal in the center (where the date wheels on the dater go).  These dies would be used on Cosmo daters, such as shown on your site. This style of die came into use in the 70’s (no border, “LIRR” on the sides, and the station name at top and bottom).  My time selling tickets ended in 1973 and I never saw or used dies of that style.  I personally don’t care for this style from an aesthetic perspective (didn’t know dater dies could be considered art, did you?!!).  I miss the old round or square dies with railroad name on the top and station name on the bottom.  Of course, hand stamp daters are no longer used with the coming of electronic ticket issuing.  (After a busy day at Jamaica with some overtime thrown in you could really feel the pain in your stamping hand!)  Info: Brad Phillips

From what I remember the Ajax stampers, they did not last long - 1980 to 1982 was the period. I do recall that some stamps included the seller's IBM number in that short time span and I believe that some did not want their employee number openly used in that manner.

The LIRR went with the Rapidprint Electric Stamper (below) beginning in 1995 resulting from a suit by an employee that got carpal tunnel in their forearms from repeated motion of stamping tickets. The Cosmo stamps had the MTA logo and did not have LIRR as all previous stamps had. RMLI has one of these stampers along with a few of the die stamp plates used.  Mike McEnaney

The photo of the electric dater shows the right side that is opened with the key visible to change the date or adjust the ribbon by hand. On the front of the machine above it reads RAPIDPRINT. The brass insert plate that it has reads 29 PENN STATION 29 with the MTA logo. The plate has a
serial number that is embossed on the back near the ring which reads 00873. 

The insert plates are slid in under the two screws visible on the upper side and the notch on the plate helps holds it in place. On the front lower "lip" partially visible is the suppliers name and phone number. On the back is a plate affixed with the manufacturer's name and model information.
Info: Mike McEnaney

The two brass strips are the official validators. Each morning before using this machine one would be inserted into the slot under the two screws. The strip had the station name and the MTA logo on it and if a ticket was stamped with the proper date, but not this information it was not valid for transportation.
Info: Martin Quinn

Rapidprint Electric Stamper c.1995+

This is a wax sealer used in most line stations to seal special remittance envelopes. This was before the LIRR developed relationships with local banks for night deposits around 1965. You would prepare a deposit slip for the day’s receipts (cash and checks) and put the lot in a thick remittance envelope and seal ‘er up. A designated train with a messenger would pick up the envelopes along the line and the envelopes were delivered to Jamaica (at least where I assumed they wound up). I dealt with both methods. I liked the train pickup best as going to the bank night drop, by yourself, was risky as some thief could easily accost you as often the streets around the back were deserted late in the day. Info: Brad Phillips

In addition to the LIRR Stations having this type, the Express Companies had their own, as well, with the name of the company and the station name both spelled out. For example:  L.I. Express at Montauk (VERY old), Adams Express at Central Islip, and Adams Express at Holtsville.  In the case of the L. I. Express sealer, the number 115 was the station number based upon mileage from LI City. The remittance envelopes (front and back views, above) belong to an acquaintance of mine who only wants to be identified as "Yard Dog."

REMITTANCES: Remittance in cash was sent via express messenger. Years back it was most likely the Long Island Express Company. The cash would be placed in a heavy envelope, sealed, and large needle with heavy thread/twine shoved through the cash remittance to keep anyone along the way from sneaking one or two bills out of the batch without cutting the string, and sealing wax melted over the ends of the string and the envelope seal and embossed with the metal wax sealer of the specific station. This procedure was explained by George G. Ayling, Agent/operator at CI who, back in 1909, started his LIRR career as an express messenger at Brentwood.  Photos/Archive/Research: Dave Keller  

Two Long Island Express messengers, George G. Ayling (on the platform) and another unidentified, are working at an old wooden express car at Brentwood station in 1909. Some way-stations had express employees on duty. At other stations the duties were handled by the station staff. In addition to loading and off loading express, cash remittances were made up by the station staff for express charges, freight charges and ticket sales and were then placed under the watchful eye of express messengers who rode the express cars until the cash packet reached its destination. (Dave Keller archive photo and data)

Corwin & Munsell Express   1858 - 1868
United States Express Co.    ?
Westcott’s Long Island Express   c. 1869 - 1882
Dodd’s Express     1882
Long Island Express Co., created by the LIRR, handled local baggage and express shipments.  882 - 1913
Adams Express Co., a nation-wide concern, took over L. I. Express and allowed through-express service to the nation.   1913- July 1, 1918
American Railway Express Co. was created during WWI by the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) 
which nationalized the express businesses of Adams Express Co, American Express Co., Southern Express Co. 
 and Wells, Fargo & Co. Express.  (Federal administration ended in 1920).    July 1, 1918-March/1929
American Railway Express Co. was transferred to the Railway Express Agency (REA) which was owned and operated by 86 American railroads.    March/1929   Research: Dave Keller

Originally the NY & Queens County Railway Co., dating back to the 1890s, the company ran trolleys along Northern Blvd. to and from the Woodside car house and then westward along Borden Avenue to the LIRR terminal at LI City, south to Calvary Cemetery via Borden Ave. and private right-of-way, ending at Metropolitan Ave., north to Flushing, northwest to the College Point ferry via Strong's Causeway (College Point Causeway), east-west along Northern Blvd. crossing the Flushing River, then continuing east crossing the LIRR's Whitestone branch at Flushing, Bridge St. station. The line then continued further east, turning south onto a series of private rights-of-way thru Kissena Park, Flushing Cemetery, St. Mary's Cemetery, to a block south of 160th St. in Jamaica. Back in the day, 160th St. was considered the "heart" of Jamaica. 

The trolley company reorganized in 1928 and became the NY & Queens Transit. 

The NY&QC / NY&QT had its general offices with twin towers and a huge car house along Northern Blvd. in Woodside. The NY Connecting Railroad was constructed behind this facility. 

There was a major fire at the car house in June, 1930 when a major portion of it burned down, destroying a great deal of not only NY&QT trolley cars, but a good number of those of the Steinway Lines which shared space at the car house. (The Steinway Lines were originally owned by the NY&QC, but were later purchased by the Third Avenue Railway System which operated both Steinway Lines cars and Third Avenue Railway System cars to Astoria, L. I. City and into Manhattan via the Queensborough bridge.) The remaining car house was still fairly large after the fire of 1930 and the portion that was destroyed was used as an open-air yard. For some reason the tracks east of the Woodside car house were severed and to keep a continuous route in service, NY&QT cars operated on a short segment of Steinway Lines track as a result of mutual agreement on the part of both companies: Steinway Lines cars used the NY&QT car house and yard.

The final end came on October 30, 1937 when the last run was made along the Calvary Cemetery Line with a crowd of dignitaries, riders and trolley fans in attendance, after which the trolley car making the run was ceremonially burned and all the NY&QT lines replaced with buses. Some of the private rights-of-way were paved and became streets. The Steinway Lines survived a short while longer, operating into 1939, at which time their cars were returned to the Third Ave. Railway System, the parent company. (Dave Keller data)

Note: Sign on the bridge reads:  "Driving over this bridge faster than a walk is forbidden under penalty of the law. Trolley cars must go slow."

  

NY&QT logo as stenciled on the streetcars 1/05/1936
Archive: Dave Keller

NY&QT Car #25 at College Point 3/03/1935 Archive: Dave Keller

NY&QT Car #17 private ROW near Horace Harding 
Blvd., Flushing 1/21/1936  Archive: Dave Keller

NY&QT Car #24 northbound from Jamaica on private ROW crossing North Hempstead Tpke at St. Mary's 
Cemetery, Flushing 1937 Archive: Dave Keller
Note: After the line shut down to trolley service late in 1937, the private right-of-way became 164th St. Info: Dave Keller
 

64th St. and Booth Memorial Ave. (was North Hempstead Tpke) 
at St. Mary's Cemetery Flushing - View SE Google Maps 2018

The LIRR Historical Society meet at the Garden City Station to celebrate its 100th Anniversary. The persons in the photograph are as follows:
Seated, left to right: Cathy Torborg, Vince Seyfried, Janet Merola, Arthur (Buzz) Lubitz and (?)
Standing, left to right: Steve Torborg, Dave Morrison, Jim Muhr, Bill Sellerberg, Paul Christiana, Bob Teed, Carl Dimino, Sam Berliner III, and (?) 

This art work was done on September 9, 2016 by a group of accomplished NYC artists that began their early careers as graffiti taggers and painters.  The idea for this artwork was proposed by a Long Island artist and musician, Patrick Voorhees, early in 2016.  He wanted to do something to remember those lost on 9-11 and to give the artists the opportunity to create and work in a safe space that would be appreciated.  Six past and present Board members of the Museum had been directly involved with 9-11 as residents/workers or first-responders so there was great interest in what Patrick was offering.  A plan was developed and both the RPO #7737 and P-72 #2924 were decorated with memorial murals.  Both cars received full coats of livery paint before the artwork was applied to the north side of the cars.  The south sides, facing the mainline and Riverhead Station, are painted in LIRR livery, you have to enter the RMLI licensed property to see the artworks.

Initially, Patrick planned to come each year and create new memorial murals on both cars and hold a memorial/celebration of life ceremony.  In 2017, I suggested to Patrick not to paint over the #7737 car as the mural is so moving, beautiful and poignant.  He agreed and we only painted P-72 #2924, I've attached images of the 2016 issue and the 2017 issue of that artwork, (2016 has the Statue of Liberty to the right of the car).

The presentation and artwork has been praised by the local fire and police departments, LIRR workers and MTA Police and many local residents who come and take pictures of the memorials.  It is good work, we "Never Forget" and the cars are kept in a fresh coat of paint to protect them from further deterioration in our moist, salt-air environment.  Don Fisher - President RMLI (Railroad Museum of Long Island)

MTA Board Approves Project to Rebuild LIRR Bridge at Post Avenue in Westbury - November 16, 2016

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has approved a contract for the design and construction of a new bridge carrying the Long Island Rail Road tracks over Post Avenue at the Westbury LIRR station.

The new bridge will replace a deteriorated span that has been in service for 102 years. The new span would be safer for vehicular traffic, meeting the latest standards and requirements of the New York State Department of Transportation. The rebuilt bridge will increase the clearance to 14 feet above the roadway, a full two feet and two inches higher than the current clearance of 11 feet, 10 inches.

The increase in clearance is expected to improve train service by reducing the number of instances in which over-height trucks strike the bridge, which can result in train delays for thousands of LIRR customers. The bridge has been struck by trucks between five and nine times per year in each of the past six years.

The contract was packaged as a “design-build” contract, a type of contract that Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has asked the MTA to use whenever possible to reduce the length of time it takes to complete construction projects. Under this type of contract, the same firm that designs a project also builds it to the specifications it has designed.

LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski said: “With the award of this contract, we’re working to improve Main Line train service with a modern bridge with a higher clearance that will reduce bridge strikes, and the train delays that can result. And by using the design-build contracting method, we’re doing this in the most efficient, and fastest way possible.” 
The contract for the Post Avenue bridge reconstruction was awarded to Halmar International Inc., an engineering and construction concern based in Nanuet, N.Y. There were four other major competitors answering a Request for Proposals, which was issued by the railroad in August. After careful analysis of all the proposals, an LIRR deemed Halmar’s offer the best from both a technical perspective and price. Halmar’s proposal of $9.7 million was $1.6 million below the LIRR’s cost estimate for the project. LIRR officials said the reconstruction work would require one weekend train service outage on the Main Line , projected for October 2017.

The railroad has carefully managed similar weekend service suspension, most recently for the demolition and reconstruction of the Ellison Avenue Bridge along the same route in Westbury and the replacement of the Colonial Road Bridge on the Port Washington Branch near Great Neck station.

Under terms of the contract, the LIRR and Halmar have set a goal of having 17 percent of the subcontracting work performed by minority-owned, woman-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises, an initiative that Governor Cuomo has made a priority for state agencies as well as the operating agencies of the MTA.

In addition to improving conditions for LIRR customers, motorists and truckers, the new bridge will also be able to accommodate a third Main Line track, in line with other infrastructure improvements in the corridor over the years and also in line with Governor Cuomo's proposed LIRR Expansion project.

 Above photos: October 21, 2017 Dave Morrison

Station: A place designated on the timetable by name at which a train may stop for traffic; or to enter or leave the main track; or from which fixed signals are operated.  LIRR Book of Rules effective July 1, 1926.  Definitions are found in the Book of Rules or Rules of the Operating Department as the BOR was called in later years.

The following letters when placed before the figures of the schedule indicate as follows:
S - Regular stop
F - Stop on signal to receive or discharge passengers

This under "Color Signals:
Flag stop - Green and White per Rule 28:  A green and white signal is to be used to stop a train only at the flag stations indicated on its schedule.

EXAMPLE: Flowerfield was one such place. It had a depot, an agency and had both regular and flag stops, yet had no community that it served as did other locales such as Glendale (see below) and Pinelawn,  as examples of flag stop stations that also had depot buildings.
	The flag stop signal could be operated by a railroad employee or by a passenger at a station stop that had no depot and no railroad employee. If there was an agent on duty, he may have simply mounted a green and white metal flag, comparable to an order board, to catch the attention of the approaching train and Flowerfield may NEVER have had a semaphore-type flag stop signal.  Usually a handle on the mast was pulled to operate the signal. Whatever specific type of signal was used for this purpose at Flowerfield was affixed to that post out front of the depot in the c.1927 image. (Osborne-Huneke)
	The semaphore flag stop signal is beyond the semaphore block signal located photo center just left of the tracks.  Glendale Station Tower 9 - (GW) view E 1906.  Archive: Dave Keller
	Pinelawn Depot and Administration building -  Flag Stop Signal  1908  Archive: Dave Keller

The following station stops served no specific towns, but were on the timetable to service specific locations:

American Grass Twine Works/Prairie Grass Works
Atlas
Aviation Field Number 2
A&P Bronze
Bartlett (Fanny Bartlett)
Belmont Racetrack
Boland's Landing
Canoe Place
Center Avenue
Experimental Station No. 2⁽¹⁾
Flowerfield
Glendale Wells
Golf Grounds
Jamaica Racetrack
Landia
Newsday
Noyack Road
Pilgrim State Hospital
Promised Land
Phelps Dodge
Republic
Shops
Southampton College
Steeplechase
Suffolk Downs
Union Course (racetrack)

Note 1: Flag stop station located 58 miles from Penn station and was the very next stop east of Medford, first appearing in the ETT of 5/27/14

This listing doesn't include all the station stops from the 19th century that were named for specific streets and/or avenues as well as hotels such 
as the Howard House and the Oriental Hotel as well as early racetracks. . Entire topic Archive/Research: Dave Keller, unless noted.

I took the photo of Old Man Kelly about a week prior to the March 9th ceremony when we took him on a "dry run" to HALL tower. We wanted to make sure that he was able to cross over the tracks and climb the stairs to the upper level of the tower.  We surely didn't want to bring him to the tower on the day of the big event and, with cameras rolling, find out that he was unable to make it to the tower. As it turned out, the old man was quite spry.  He was in the checkered shirt that day (photos below right).

When I spoke with Kelly prior to the day of the event, he told me that he lived only two blocks away from the tower.  He had told the railroad, if you ever need me at the tower, just have the tower horn blow 7 times. Thus, on the day of the event, Gene Collora had it arranged with the tower, when given the word from Gene, the tower horn would blow 7 times!

It worked out quite nicely. The event was held in the Jamaica Station waiting room. When Kelly got to the mike to speak, I said, "Wait a minute, I think that the tower needs you." With that, Gene got on his radio with the tower and said, "NOW"! As the waiting room windows were open everyone heard the 7 blasts of the horn. That was a very nice tribute to Old Man Kelly.

Special thanks to Art Huneke for telling me about Old Man Kelly and for loaning me the 1913 group photo (below left).  Info: Dave Morrison

Dick Kelly, center, in 1913. Archive: Art Huneke

Along the Track - "Jamaica at 75" Officials with 
Dick Kelly (2nd from left)

.

LIRR workers at HALL Tower, Jamaica 1913

Along the Track - "Jamaica at 75" "Old Man Kelly" 
Comes Home article

The guest of honor, former LIRR Train Director, Richard E. Kelly, LIRR President McIver, right, and Historical Society President Dave Morrison, left, on the podium.

Dave Morrison presenting the Jamaica Station 75th Anniversary (1913-1988) plague to LIRR President Bruce McIver (1985-1989). The plaque was mounted on a wall over the timetable rack in the Jamaica Station waiting room for years

NEWSDAY - "Old Man Kelly" March 8, 1988

RAILROADING FARM WAGONS: 

The completion of the Pacific railways practically brought the vast grain fields and metal veins of the far west from one to two thousand miles nearer New York, according to the extent of time annihilated. This thought occurred to Superintendent Rarton of the Long Island Railway, as he saw the farmers driving their produce from the eastern end of the island. The horses seemed overworked, and a journey of 60 miles could not be easily made in less than 8 hours. The philosophic superintendent conceived a scheme which included both relief to the farmers and profit for the railway. He proposed to the farmers that he should run a special train from the eastern to the western terminus of the road, and take their loaded wagons and animals on board. The proposition provoked laughter. Then the philosopher proposed that the farmers should make several train trips free of expense. One day, a short time since, a special train stopped at Albertson and found ten farmers and their loads in waiting. The wagons were put on flat cars, and the horses in box cars, arranged with some reference to their comfort. The train made a run of sixty miles in an hour and a half. The farmers arrived at the market with their horses fresh, and themselves in a good frame of mind, ready to do a better days work than they could have done otherwise. When they returned home, they told the story to all their neighbors. As a result, the eastern end of the island was elated. On the second trial trip, although it rained dismally, twenty-three loads of produce were in waiting, and a great many people witnessed the transfer, which occupied one hour’s time. 

Three special trains per week have been put on the road, leaving the eastern terminus at 3:30 am and arriving at the ferry at five o’clock. Some thirty farmers are already patronizing the line, paying four dollars each for one round trip. The eastern end of the island is thus brought as near New York for the vegetable and produce farmers as the western end. Land can be had on the east end at twenty-five dollars per acre, and it is believed being so near New York, the sparsely settled portions will soon become populated. Meanwhile, great indignation prevails among the produce raisers near New York, who threatened to derail the special train. The keepers of the saloons along the old route of the farmers are especially indignant. 

Article: January 31, 1885 Harper's Magazine,  page 78. Collection: Dave Morrison

Norman Kohl, LIRR railfan and photographer, was "famous" for creating "staged" photos of LIRR steam locomotives high-balling down the tracks with large plumes of smoking coming from the stack. 

Although, creating excessive smoke was against LIRR Operating Rules, Norman was friendly with several engineers. He would tell them where he would be positioned to take a photograph. When the engineer got to that location, the engineer would blast some sand into the flues (or where-ever) and create the glorious heavy smoke. Because of Norman, there are many great action photos of LIRR steam locomotives in existence today. That is just my take on Norman. Info: Dave Morrison

LIRR H10s #113  meet with LIRR G5s #38 - Smithtown view E - 1951 Photo: Norman Kohl

In Steel Rails to the Sunrise, the pictorial history of the Long Island Rail Road by Ron Ziel and George H. Foster, Norman Kohl is described as "the unofficial photographer of the Oyster Bay branch." Norman, a fellow resident of Glen Head, NY, was my railfan mentor, and I went out train chasing with him many times. For all that, this is the only picture I ever got of him, alongside a local freight heading railroad west on the branch after switching the lumberyard spur at Locust Valley. Norman thought he'd ruined my picture by being in it. Terry Guy

Norman Kohl, age 67, at Locust Valley 7/1979 Photo/Archive: Terry Guy

LIRR #24 Glen Head c1940s Norman Kohl

Norman Kohl at ex-lumber siding turnout Glen Cove c.1958 Archive: Dave Morrison

Alco RS1 #461, LIRR G5 1/23/1955 at Oyster Bay turntable  
Photo: Norman Kohl

LIRR H10s #113 west of Kings Park Station 1955
Photo: Norman Kohl

Station stops with minimal ridership or barely ANY ridership were sometimes designated as a signal stop or flag stop.  Timetables would have a notation next to the specific station that stops were made by signal only.  These signals as depicted in these two images would be operated manually by riders seeking to stop the approaching train.  The stirrup-style handle would be pulled down, raising the small semaphore-style blade.  Conversely, riders ON the train wishing to get off at one of these stations would notify the conductor on board the train in advance and he'd signal the engineer to make the station stop.  These signals were of much smaller construction and of slightly different blade style, so as not to be confused with block signals.  (Dave Keller data)

It is with great sadness that the RMLI Board of Trustees announce the passing of Trustee George L. Wybenga on October 27, 2016. George served the Board as a liaison to the Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter - NRHS but became more then an appointed representative.

Known for his outstanding watercolor paintings of cabooses from across North America, he generously created the image of engine #39 that we use on our museum jackets and 25th Anniversary letterhead. George designed seven of our Lionel collectible cars which began with the Wonder Bread PS-2 covered hopper and closing with our trio of G-16 50th Anniversary Commemorative Cars.

At one time George worked as a sign painter and his sign work appears all about our Museum properties. George was a good friend and mentor and he will be missed by everyone who came to know him. RMLI Postboy Winter-Spring 2017 issue

Robert L. Maitland purchased a tract of 635 acres of land adjoining the Sportsman's Club from William Nicoll. This tract of land was known as "WestBrook". When he established his estate on this land he named it Westbrook. The 15 acre pond on the property, fed by West Brook, became known as "Maitland's Pond", and was famous for its trout - in fact, it was reported in May of 1872 that the largest recorded trout taken that season in the United States was landed on the Maitland Preserve. The curve of the LIRR tracks as it turns north to skirt the Connetquot River was called Maitland's Curve; built 1868 by the South Side Rail Road.

Robert Maitland died December 23, 1870. On June 7, 1873, a Southerner, George L. Lorillard of Tobacco fame, purchased the 635-acre tract, including the spacious mansion, 50 acres of lawn, lovely gardens, orchards and the 15-acre man-made trout pond.

Mr. Lorillard continued to improve the property, remodeling the dwelling, building cottages, two large barns, moving older outbuildings back from the main road (Montauk Highway - 27A) and erecting miles of fence. As many as 50 men were employed at one time doing this work. At this time Long Island was famous for the raising of horses and this was one of Lorillard's activities. In 1875 a large stable, capable of housing 50 horses, was constructed in ten sections forming a circle, while covering an acre of ground. The center was open for exercising the horses in rough weather.

The Lorillard Stable of racing horses represented many winners in many races but probably the most satisfying one was the race won by "Iroquois" at the English Derby held at Epson Downs... the first time an American horse won the Derby stakes.

William Bayard Cutting purchased the property after Mr. Lorillard death for $125,000 in 1884.

Thomas Mordecai (Turkey and Dairy Farm) sometime in the 1940's.  Raymond Leo Lindsey began his ownership c.1951 after his marriage to Barbara Ann Dickerson (1929-2009)

Research: East Islip Historical Society - Ray Lembo

Engine designations were from the days when LIRR was a ward of the PRR, the "E" was EMD, the numbers was based on the engine's horsepower, E-10 = SW 1001, E-15 = MP-15's (both AC/DC versions), E-20 = GP38-2's, and the L1, L-2  = Alco C420's orders.  This might have been "corrupted" a bit by the MTA.

PC designated the FL-9 as EP-17e, following the PRR practice till the end of PC, as an example. 

Cross Crossing Cautiously Poster 1922

LIRR Bulletin June 1927

LIRR ETT no.18 Eff. 11/08/1880 

The last instruction in this 1880 ETT

LIRR System PTT Eff. 10/1884

LIRR PTT Eff. 10/01/1852

Note:  On  the 1852 PTT (above right) the eastbound Mail and Passenger train and the westbound Freight train hit Nichols Road at the same time.  These old timetables used to indicate points of meeting / passing and were not necessarily a listed station.  While Nichols Road MAY have been a low-level platform station stop, I believe it was only an indicated meeting / passing point.  Otherwise, why is there no westbound passenger train to return passengers to this location?

The location, up until the time I left Long Island in 1988, was wooded and uninhabited with a dirt path that once crossed the tracks still visible (the remains of Foot's Crossing).  Imagine what it looked like in 1852!  No possible need for a station stop.  Nothing there.  Nobody living there.  Simply a meeting / passing point only.  Info: Dave Keller

Thomas Bayles - LIRR Ticket clerk - Resident of Middle Island, NY. Photographed Shoreham and Miller's Place stations in 1915. Photographed Camp Upton in 1918. No other LIRR photos taken. Majority of the LIRR images in his archive (and now mine) were shot by his brother Albert in 1912-1940. Albert was a LIRR Carpenter.

George Bradford Brainerd - (1845-1887) One of the earliest LIRR railfan photographers who worked for the Brooklyn Union Gas Co. Back in the late 1870s, he lugged his large glass plate negative camera and tripod out east from his residence in Brooklyn and photographed many of the original station buildings along the South Shore, Main Line, Locust Valley (rails had not yet reached Oyster Bay) and Port Jefferson branches. The 1870s-1880s era glass plates are in the LI collection at the Brooklyn Public Library. Research: Dave Keller

Will V. Faxon, Jr. - Resident of NJ. Photographed the LIRR, BEDT, PRR, CRRNJ, NYC, Reading and others. Images in my archive from late 1940s through early 1960s. Not sure if he shot anything earlier than late 1940s.

James (Jim) Gillin (1942 – 2012) – LIRR station agent; 1967 through retirement in 1992. Formerly of Aldan, PA, lived in Babylon. Photographed the LIRR during 1960’s through the 1990’s prior to retiring to Port Orange, FL.

Arthur Huneke - LIRR Block operator, retired. Resided in East Islip, NY and presently Kodak, TN. Railfan and historian. Photographed the LIRR from the late 1950s until the 1980s.

David Keller - LIRR Extra ticket clerk (1972) and LIRR Special Services Attendant (1973, 1974) before moving onto other fields. Resided in Holtsville, NY. Railfan and historian. Photographed the LIRR from 1966-1975, then again briefly in 1987 before moving to Orlando, FL. Authored two Arcadia Publishing books on the LIRR with the assistance of Steven Lynch. 

William Madden - H&M / Path signal department. Resided in Queens, and later Longwood, FL. Residing now in MD. Photographed practically every inch of the LIRR along with Jeff Erlitz in 1978-79

Richard F. Makse - LIRR Special Services Attendant and later ran that department. Photographed in 1960s-1970s

James V. Osborne - Worked for the NY Central, then hired on with the LIRR. Osborne photographed from 1921 to 1930 when he was on the extra list and traveled all over the LIRR system working different block offices. Once he became the Block operator and later station agent at Southampton, that traveling stopped. He retired from Southampton in 1971 after 50 years of LIRR service. 

Bradford (Brad) Phillips – LIRR ticket clerk; worked 1963 through 1973 during college summers and full time after military service. Home town Amityville, relocated to Menlo Park, CA in 1982. Photographed the LIRR from 1960 through the 1970’s.

William Rugen - LIRR Roundhouse Clerk that was very knowledgeable and respected enough to be assigned to ride the cab of an E6 to Montauk, a new RS1 and the steam fan trips 1952 – 1955. Photographed the LIRR from the early 1950s -1960s.

Ted R. Sommer - LIRR Block operator - Resident of Oyster Bay. Photographed LIRR 1939-1941, then nothing. Possible casualty of WWII but unsure. Maybe just left LIRR and moved away.

Percy Loomis Sperr (1890-1964), who was known as the "Official Photographer for the City of New York." Beginning in 1924, he combed the five boroughs, "capturing scenes of the city's people, buildings, and neighborhoods," the society reports. He created more than 30,000 (New York Public Library) photographs, and his works comprise an amazingly detailed portrait of the city" from 1924 through the early 1940s. Research: Dan Scott 

George E. Votava - LIRR railfan. Grew up in the Bronx and later resided in New Hyde Park. Photographed the LIRR, NYW&B, NY City area streetcars, ELs, etc. as well as many other roads - 1933-1970's

Frederick Johann Weber - (1881 – 1967) was an Austrian-American photographer based in Jamaica, Queens. He had clients throughout Queens, Brooklyn, and suburban Long Island. Weber was the official legal photographer for the Long Island Rail Road. He photographed many accidents for insurance purposes. He also worked for Jamaica High School. His photos also appeared in Long Island Daily Press and Queensborough Magazine, and City Journal. Info: Wikipedia

The late Professor Greg Gutman started "Adelphi On Wheels"
 in the early 1970s.

Note the  modifications to a LIRR standard P72 coach.  This leads me to believe that the classroom car was operated as either the first car or the last car in the consist, so that no one would try to walk thru the car, and only student-passengers would sit in it.  Info: John Deasy

The blanked windows in the picture at Ronkonkoma "KO" is perhaps the Adelphi Classroom on Wheels. Port Jefferson had one car for the classes  (a LIRR 2900-2993 series), and this is most likely what you are seeing here.
Photo/Archive: Mike Koehler

Graduation ceremony onboard a LIRR railroad car 1974

Professor Gutman teaching in LIRR modified coach

The MTA signage makes no mention of Metro North, so this could be during the MTA Penn Central or MTA Conrail eras, prior to creation of Metro North.  A New Haven Line train of M-2 Cosmopolitan cars is on the track to the left and a train of former NYC streamliner coaches is the right, most likely a Hudson Line or Harlem Line train.  So, I am thinking the photo dates between 1971 and 1983.  Info: John Deasy

There are numerous articles written on this subject, but from personal experience, I offer the following memories.

When I graduated from Oklahoma State University (Cowboys) in 1968, I was intending to pursue a master’s degree when a letter from Uncle Sam intervened. Upon my return from Vietnam on Thanksgiving Day 1970, I took time to travel around the USA, get married and get settled in Greenlawn, NY. I started commuting into NYC immediately in 1973 and about one year later, I heard of a program that the LIRR was instituting called EDU-TRAIN, where one could obtain a master’s degree. I applied and was accepted and discovered that Uncle Sam (because of my Army hitch) had a G. I. Bill that would cover all my expenses (from tuition @ $115 per credit to books, etc.). The program may have changed over the years it was in existence, but when I attended classes, it was 3X a week (MWF) for 15 weeks. At the time, there were two locations where these classes originated...Greenlawn & Speonk.

The train I took in the morning (which happened to be the classroom train) ran from Greenlawn (at 6:58 am) express to Jamaica (class started in Greenlawn) and then on to Hunterspoint Avenue, where the class ended for that run. The car used on my train on the Port Jefferson Branch was an ex-B&M car, known to buffs in slang as an “American Flyer Car”. The car was leased from the LIRR by a person who had approached several Colleges and Universities, attempting to get a rolling classroom on wheels, only to be rejected except for one, Adelphi University.

As the story goes, a commuter from Connecticut was commuting into NYC daily, getting home to his wife at night, shoving down a quick dinner, and then several nights a week ran right off to attend College night courses. He was exhausted and thought there must be a better way to accomplish this goal and created the idea of a rolling classroom. The idea proved to have great merit (I believe he instituted this on a Connecticut train run first and then approached the LIRR). The person at Adelphi who headed up the program was Professor Greg Gutman, and it was reported that at one time, all the different colleges within the University were losing money except for one...EDU-TRAIN.

I had taken several classes on the night run out of Hunterspoint RR Station as well, and it was a wonderful experience for me. A great bunch of fellow commuters and many excellent professors made obtaining the degree worthwhile.   LIRR P74B #7547 Photo: George Votava Archive: Mike Boland

The car was set up (for that time-period 1974-1977) in an efficient fashion. The windows were covered with a plastic coating that allowed light in but no view out the window so that students would not be distracted by passing stations, trains, or other commuters on platforms, all along the Right of Way. The car was split into two sections...normal seating in the east section, then seats removed to allow space for a blackboard, overhead projector, etc. and microphones for each student hanging from the overhead baggage racks. Then in middle of the car was a space for lockers to secure the items mentioned above, with a door into that area and another door to access the west end of the door, where another classroom was set up in a similar fashion...well done indeed.

One of the (minor) negative aspects was the car was right behind the engine westbound and the horn (at times) was distracting when trying to listen attentively to the lesson at hand.

All in all, a great experience and I obtained my master’s degree in business (MBA) with a major in Marketing without ever setting foot on the Adelphi campus except for one class which required a 3-hour Math final (ugh!), which if not for my wife, I would not have passed. Sadly, after a long successful history, the program ended (the fellows and gals I commuted in with jokingly stated that the entire LIRR commuter population received their degrees, and no one was left to attend!!!). I honestly believe that if this type of program, however modified, was still in existence or reinstituted, it would be heavily attended (efficient use of time, etc.).

LIRR P74B #7546 MTA scheme Photo: George Votava  Archive: Mike Boland

 

Camp Black - Hempstead Plains, 1898 Fighting 69th drilling in column formation at Camp Black - from the Nassau County Museum Collection 
Camp Black was bounded on the north by Old Country Road, on the west by Clinton Road, and on the south by the Central Line rail; the current site of Roosevelt Field.

22nd Regiment Infantry NY Volunteers- LIRR Camp Black, 
Garden City 5/24/1898

The LIRR trainman to the left of center is Frank Erthal, who retired in 1950 after a very long career on the LIRR.  What he's doing in this image, I have no idea but he seemed to like to pose with groups. It's possible that his train was getting ready to ship the 22nd out and he posed with them before they all boarded. Info: Dave Keller

A day's outing at Wreck Lead near Long Beach

Long Island Rail Road 1834 Corporate Seal

Tunnels Under East River to New York 1910 Seal

This was a special invitation run for all the invited big whig guests of the PRR and LIRR (also politicians and probably the press as well.) It was not open to the public. Hence the specially printed invitations. The big fanfare happened on September 8th, 1910 when it WAS opened to the public and the first train left Pennsylvania Station, NY for all points east.. Info: LIRR Historian, Dave Keller

THE STEINWAY LINES

The Steinway Lines were operated by the Third Avenue Railway  System, which operated a vast streetcar system in Manhattan, Bronx and Westchester and wanted an operation in Queens as well, but several lines were already in place.  TARS was in operation from 1853 to 1953, whereupon they shut their doors and many cars were either burned or sold to India and/or Vienna, Austria.

The Steinway Lines had their own equipment but also ran TARS cars on their system.  They shared car barn space with the NY & Queens Transit at Woodside.  A terrible fire in the early 1930s destroyed a lot of the NY&QT and Steinway Lines equipment and a good portion of the car barn was torn down as a result.  I believe the TARS cars began to operate over the line after that conflagration and loss of equipment.  See 1st attachment.  This entire area where the Steinway cars are laid up was once under roof as the car barn.  After the fire, all that was left was to the right of the image, which was about the same size as the area lost.  In the background can be seen the NYCRR.

The line was named as such because a major portion of it ran along Steinway St. (named after the piano factory that was located there) and provided service between the College Point ferry westward, thru Flushing, Woodside and Astoria, then over the Queensboro (59th St.) bridge. TARS car is operating along Steinway St. passing the piano factory in the background. (below right)  

Steinway & Sons Piano factory close-up Astoria 3/07/1938 Photo: George E. Votava  Archive: Dave Keller

 Below is an actual Steinway Lines car operating at Broadway and Vernon Blvd. in Astoria. (below left) You'll notice another piano manufacturer's plant in this image.  I guess as so many piano makers lived here to work at Steinway & Sons, other companies followed suit, seeing the work force was handy . . . .

Steinway operations ceased in 1939 and all the TARS cars (both TARS and Steinway-lettered equipment) were returned to the TARS system for use elsewhere on their system.  The Queensboro Railway took over streetcar operations over the bridge until 1956 and was the last operating streetcar service in the 5 boroughs and Westchester.

All images are "George Votava photo, Dave Keller archive".

Steinway Lines Car #1662 Birney at Broadway and 
Vernon Blvd., Astoria 3/19/1938


TARS and Steinway Lines cars laying up in the NY&QT car yard in
Woodside, NY on August 22, 1939. The NY Connecting Railroad
embankment, trestle and overhead catenary system is visible in the
left background.

TARS car #10 in Steinway Lines service along Steinway St. at 19th Ave., Astoria, Queens on March 7, 1938. Photo: George E. Votava  Archive: Dave Keller

OIL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

    Road#   Class  Model     Builder  Serial#  Built   HP      

    401     AA-2   102-ton   AGEIR    66085    11/25   2x300    
    402:1    -      80-ton   Brill    22315     1/26   2x250    
    402:2   AA-3   109-ton   AGEIR    67330     9/28   2x300    
    403A/B  BS-6    87-ton   B-W      60185-86  1/28   2x330    
    
    #403A/B semi-permanent coupled pair; later separated as Mike and Ike. Info: "Diesels of the Sunrise Trail" By John Scala

ROW POWER LINES 

Islip 1944 view W Fred Weber photo shows communication lines on the cross arms and a signal
cable below. The few single wires below the cable are local telephone lines for a T-Box or station phone. The scarcity of wires on the upper cross-arms represent the abandonment of Weston Union telegraph services that previously used LIRR right of way and poles as local communication was replaced by Bell Telephone lines.

Amityville power lines  view E 2013 Photo: Jeremiah Cox

CHARLES W. HOPPE 1935-2015 - LIRR PRESIDENT 1990-1994

Charles W. Hoppe former LIRR President 1990-94 Newsday 12/25/15

DE30 #418 NOSE DETAILS

CROSS BAY TUNNEL1936 STUDY 

LIRR DE30 #418 Nose details 7/11/2015 Photo: Bob Bender

NEW SIGNALS and SPEED CONTROL -  Railway Age 1952

G5s #39 RESTORATION ARTICLE by John Kilbride

BICENTENNIAL HERITAGE CARS

The Coney Island cars weren't the ones that were saved for the Bicentennial. Any that went to Coney Island were scrapped, unless they are still hidden away there. These are probably the cars restored for the Bicentennial in 1976.  Cars #1900 and #921, non-electrified, made up the "Suffolk County Bicentennial Heritage Train" and were pulled out east by diesel. Cars #1632 and #1391, electrified, made up the "Nassau County Heritage Train." I have shots of both trains taken in 1976. Afterwards, #1632 went on display at one of the platforms at Flatbush Avenue Station. I have a photo of it there in 1978.  Dave Keller
 

After the bicentennial celebration wound down, one of the cars went to the LIE rest area in Brentwood. I believe the combine wound up at the corner of Rt. 112 and Nesconset Hwy in Port Jefferson. (Not sure if the combine was the same one or not . . . . too many years ago for my mind to be working efficiently.) 

The ones chosen for repainting and a quick renovation were taken from the set that the Long Island- Sunrise Trail Chapter of the NRHA had chosen for preservation. They were a representative selection of the different types that were on line in the mid '70's. Bob Sturm and Win Boerkel, former railroad officials and Chapter officers, took great pains to talk the railroad into giving those cars to the chapter to look after. Then they sought ways of keeping them around.  After the exhibit was done they were moved from place to place in an effort to hide them from scrapping, much as Don Harold hid the NYTA museum cars. 

The chosen cars for the Bicentennial exhibit were those in the best structural shape. The renovation consisted of painting the interior and exterior, lettering them, and cleaning the bearings so they would roll. The brakes weren't serviced so the cars had to be towed with an engine on each end and a brake hose down the middle. The seats were removed and interior lighting converted to 110 Volts. 

The pictures shown were taken when the circus train came to Shea, causing unwanted attention to be paid to the hidden cars. The railroad's president at the time, who really didn't care much for old crap, wanted them "pushed down the hill into Corona Yard and into the creek..." the final trip for most of the other MP54's.  Tim Darnell 

This was a service that began in 1899 under the name Montauk Steamboat Company and was started by officers of the Long Island Rail Road. The idea was to provide another avenue of transportation that incorporated four steamships that would provided fast and comfortable transit on the water to certain locations around Long Island and into New York City.

With William H. Baldwin as president, the plan got off of the ground after the purchase with four different vessels in order to make the project possible. The first two, were the SHINNECOCK and its sister ship, the MONTAUK.  Next, were the NANTASKET and ORIENT. All of the purchased steamers had seasoned, fully experienced Captain's at the wheel. The 184 foot MONTAUK was driven by Captain and Superintendent of the Montauk Steamboat Company, David Van Cleaf and she had a 1500 HP that got her up to 15 mph out on the water.

The cost of purchase for this ferry boat at that time was $125,000 and it predominantly ran the routes of Pier 13, East River with east stops to Greenport, Orient Point, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor and out to Block Island. Each boat ran from New York City on alternate days to provide daily service as to not tire out any Captain.  Another vessel by the name of NASSAU ran during many summers to add a much needed transportation backup during popular tourism times from Pier 13 and Long Island City in order to connect with certain trains that ran out to eastern Long Island.  Info: Chris Klug

Looking southeast, the Montauk Steamboat Company's steamboat "Shinnecock" is traveling northbound in the East River passing the Sohmer & Co. piano factory in Astoria, Queens c. 1900.  The 1886 factory building still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Archive/Info: Dave Keller

Montauk Steamboat Co. steamer "Nantasket" at MSB Co.'s Wall St., NYC Pier 13 advertising the steamer "Orient" operating between New York City and Great Neck, Glen Cove, Sea  Cliff, Glenwood Landing and South Glenwood in 1900.
Info: Dave Keller  Archive: Marilyn Bowles-Nejman
 

 
Steamer "Nantasket" under the Brooklyn Bridge, East River, NY Photo: Hal Fullerton 1897 Archive: Queens Public Library

LIRR steamer "Manhanset" - Greenport 1903

List of Presidents and Trustees of the Long Island Rail Road

• Knowles Taylor: 1835-1837
• Valentine Hicks: 1837-1838
• Waldron B. Post: 1838-1839
• George B. Fisk: 1839-1847
• James H. Weeks: 1847-1850
• Isaac E. Haviland: 1850-1851
• Moses Maynard, Jr.: 1851-1852
• Isaac E. Haviland: 1852-1853
• William E. Morris: 1853-1862
• Coffin Colket: 1862-1863
• Oliver Charlick: 1863-1875
• Henry Havemeyer: 1875-1876
• Conrad Poppenhusen: 1876
• David N. Ropes: 1876-1877
• Adolph Poppenhusen: 1877
• Thomas R. Sharp: 1877-1881
• Austin Corbin: 1881-1896
• William H. Baldwin: 1896-1905
• William F. Potter: 1905
• Ralph Peters: 1905-1923
• Samuel Rea: (PRR & LIRR) 1923-1925
• Wm. Wallace Atterbury (PRR & LIRR) 1925-1935
• Martin W. Clement (PRR & LIRR) 1935-1948
• Walter S. Franklin (PRR) 1948-1954 (^{Note 1})
• David E. Smucker and H.L. Delatour: 1949-1950 (^{Note 1})
• William H. Draper: 1950-1951
• William Wyer: 1951-1954
• Walter S. Franklin: (PRR) 1954-1955
• Thomas M. Goodfellow: 1955-1967
• Frank Aikman, Jr.: 1967-1969
• Walter L. Schlager, Jr.: 1969-1976
• Robert K. Pattison: 1976-1978
• Francis S. Gabreski: 1978-1981
• Daniel T. Scannell: 1981
• Robin H.H. Wilson: 1981-1985
• Bruce C. McIver: 1985-1989
• Charles W. Hoppe: 1990-1994
• Thomas F. Prendergast: 1994-2000
• Kenneth J. Bauer: 2000-2003
• James J. Dermody: 2003-2006
• Raymond P. Kenny (acting): 2006-2007
• Helena Williams: June 2007-April 2014 ^{Note 2}
• Patrick Nowakowski: 2014-April 2018
• Phillip Eng:  4/2018-2/26/2022
• Catherine Rinaldi ((interim): 3/01/2022-10/15/2023
• Robert Free (acting): 10/15/2023-(appointed) 4/12/2024

Samuel Rea: Statue and dedication plaque in Penn Station, NY
 
Note 1: The LIRR was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1928 to 1949 when it went bankrupt. The people from Smucker and Delatour through Wyer
were trustees rather than presidents, as the LIRR was in Chapter 77 bankruptcy. During this time period (1949 to 1954), Walter S. Franklin was PRR president.
Note 2: Helena Williams: NEWSDAY -12/11/2017

The Pennsy years brought the keystone logo, appearing in early LIRR ads from 1917 (Info: Art Huneke),  February 1924 on the Long Island Information Bulletin, and the May 14, 1924 timetable.

This logo was used as a herald only on the DD-1 electric locos after the pin-striping of 1939. Prior to the pin-striping the logo was not utilized. Research: Dave Keller

AAR INSPECTION CONSIST

AAR #110 #100 Dolton, IL 11/20/10 Archive: Sam Beck

LIRR MP15AC #158 and #168 consist of Association of American Railroads Research car AAR #100 and AAR #110 track loading vehicle. 

AAR #100 brown track loading vehicle is what houses the hydraulics. It is a telemetry car and it puts a load on the rails both downward and outward to test the track integrity. The outward test puts pressure on the running rails from the inside pushing out. 

The test/research car AAR #110 has all the computers, GPS, etc, along with a kitchenette, bathroom, shower, etc. to test the tracks for max load and measures deflection including sideways loading to check spread.

It is an extensive process to get all the testing done as not all tests can be done simultaneously. The load testing can only be done in one direction (with the research car leading) with a maximum speed around 20 mph.

The train order, issued to C&E of Engine #97 on 11/3/1917 at 9:54 AM and made complete at 10:06 AM by block operator E. B. Coons:

1st Part: Engine #97 (D56 American-type) was running an extra (not scheduled) passenger run between Upton Junction (WD cabin) and east of Sayville (Y cabin), the easternmost extent of double track on the Montauk branch.)  

This move would have been accomplished by heading east from Upton Junction to Manorville, down the connection to Eastport, using the westward-curving wye track there to head back in a westbound direction to Sayville on the Montauk branch (see Emery map for this curved track of which I speak).

2nd Part: Another locomotive, #145 (G53 ten-wheeler) is running light (no train) and is also heading east but over the Montauk branch, and this locomotive (#145) has the right-of-way over the eventually westbound locomotive #97 between Y cabin east of Sayville and PT cabin in Eastport.

Therefore, once locomotive #97 and its train hits the Montauk branch, that engineer and engine needs to take whatever siding it may be required to take, as engine #145 approaches from the opposite direction. 

Both are aware that they are headed towards each other and need to look out for a distant headlight or plume of smoke, as well as a block signal in their direction displaying a "STOP" aspect.  As both locomotives are extras, they are not scheduled on the employee timetables, so nobody really knows where the two will meet up.  But based upon the time they were both dispatched, it was determined that they WOULD meet somewhere between Y and PT cabins.

Being a Form 31 order, the engineer and conductor to whom it was issued needed to sign for it at the place of issuance, which was, in this case, WC cabin at Upton Jct.  The conductor's name was Lehman and the engineer's name was H. L. Wyckoff.

The engineer of #145 would have picked up HIS orders at whatever block station he was at prior to HIS eastbound move advising him that HE would have right over engine 97 west, PT to Y.

Now . . . while both engines were headed towards each other along the Montauk branch, both would probably pick up additional orders along the route from any of the numerous block offices that existed back then, (one at EACH station except Hagerman) advising both engineers where the meet would take place, as the locations became more fine-tuned and what they were required to do.  

The subsequent orders would read something like this:

To C&E Eng 97: Eng 97 and passenger extra west meets extra 145 east at ________.  Eng 97 take siding.  

To Engineer Eng 145: Extra 145 east meets Eng 97 at __________.  Eng 97 take siding.

During WWI, there were block offices open all over the Main Line and Montauk branch due to the increased train traffic to and from Camp Upton.  I even have a train order issued in 1917 at HOLTSVILLE of all places!!!  This was a block office only during WWI.  After the war it went back to being just a ticket office.

After the war ended and the LIRR finally shut down operations in the camp in April, 1921, WC cabin at Upton Jct. was closed and demolished. 

During WWII with the reopening of Camp Upton, a smaller cabin was constructed, and placed in service with the call letters CU.  It remained in used into the mid-1960s as a telephone shanty at Upton Junction, tracks of which continued to service Brookhaven National Laboratory.
(Dave Keller archive and data)

STATION NUMBERS

LIRR A.D.L. 205 Manual of Instructions to Conductors and Collectors lists the station numbers alphabetically and numerically for both the Operating Department (O.D.) and the Accounting Department (A.D.). These numbers can be found on LIRR passenger tickets; for example. Issued date 8/0/1954. Archive: Brad Phillips

The 9000 station numbers assigned to the LIRR came from the PRR's Accounting Department List of Station (I am on vacation right now but I believe this thick loose-leaf book was the AD80 or AD50). It was revised from time to time.

Some stations had multiple numbers: Penn Station passenger was 9012 but there other numbers assigned to the Ticket Receiver, Baggage master, etc. Station #1 was the PRR's Penn Station passenger. Again, multiple numbers were assigned to "upstairs" at Penn Station. The highest of the 9000 numbers (just going from memory) were assigned to PRR subsidiaries in Pennsylvania coal country (the Cherry Tree & Dixonville comes to mind). The other major PRR passenger subsidiary, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines also appeared in this book.

Virtually every printed ticket system-wide bore an Accounting Department number. Oftentimes, rubber stamps at stations bore the station number and name and in the case of freight stations, often bore the word "freight". When I get back home, I will post some samples.

The alphanumerics, like F22, came from the LIRR's CR4 (List of Stations and Sidings and Instructions for Making Reports to the Car Records Office and Other Information). These numbers were used in both passenger and freight service and were once contained in a small pocket-sized staple bound book. In the memory of most of us, these numbers simply appeared on a two-sided pocket card, used by crews for both passenger and freight reports on various forms.

The LIRR's CR4 was the equivalent of the PRR CT1000, thick cloth bound books issued for the PRR's three regions. The PRR first started issuing these books during the 1880's and as time went on, they contained a lot of detail about stations, consignees, etc. and are considered to be a primary research source for locations on the PRR. Info: Richard Makse

These numbers are "newer" numbers from the much older style where 1/2 mile designations were used (i.e. station number of S59-1/2 strictly made-up for example purposes only. ) The signal designations, the letters stand for the branch/division. Info: Dave Keller

"N," which stands for North Side Division, the old name for the Port Washington branch.  
Check out Auburndale, Corona, Elmhurst, etc. below . . all indicated as "N". For example: 
N-5 is Elmhurst:  5 miles from Winfield Jct., the start of the Port Wash (North Side) branch.

A Atlantic
F Far Rockaway
G Greenport (Main Line)
H Hempstead
L Long Beach
N North Side Division (old name Port Washington Branch)
O Oyster Bay
P Port Jefferson
S South Shore (Montauk Branch)
R Rockaway
W West Hempstead

SWITCHING ROSLYN

When I was a teenager I used to tag along with the conductor on the Oyster Bay freight, which ran every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There first stop was a lumber yard south of Mineola Coal . Mineola Coal is where I met up with them, there was a lay over track there and Mineola Coal was on one side of Jericho Turnpike and on the other side was a large switching area they called "the Hole".

In that large complex was Mineola Paper, Albertson Lumber, Local Steel, Mineola Plumbing, Latham Brothers Lumber, Windsor Coal, Pittsburgh Glass, an Iron Works Company, a candy company and another paper company at the end. After spotting cars there, we always took a yellow fruit growers express refrigeration car and put it behind the engine, this was done just about every time on the scheduled run. The fruit growers express refrigeration car was headed to Helena Rubenstein.

We would lay over, either at the Hole or Mineola Coal, and wait for the next north bound train to Oyster Bay as soon as the block would clear we would follow it up to Roslyn. At Roslyn we would leave the main body of the train in Roslyn and take the car up to Helena Rubenstein. 

I remember the conductor telling the engineer to go extremely slow on that siding, something about the curve not being right. After we spotted the car and picked up our empty we head back to Roslyn. By this time the southbound train going to Penn Station would have gone by and we would get permission to cross over at the Roslyn Crossover and leave our empty cars and any cars for Roslyn on the south side and any cars we had for Albertson's Steel we had which was on the south side. We would cross back over pick up our loaded cars and head north towards Oyster Bay. Our next stop was usually Sea Cliff. There was a team track in Glen Head , but it was rarely used, delivering boulders in gondolas. Provided by: Bill

CHAINING MEASURING

The use of MP for a survey station is incorrect,  but mileposts are so much more commonly used on a railroad, somebody was thinking of that.

58462 feet, a little over ten miles would be just about right for that location, measuring from Long Island City via the Montauk Branch.  Jamaica is 9.3 miles.  If i remember right, mileposts East of Jamaica are measured via the Montauk Branch, not via Woodside, which would be a little further.   Coincidentally, the distance from Flatbush Ave to Jamaica is also shown as 9.3 miles.  Info: Henry Raudenbush 

Chaining in the US is done in increments of 100 feet.  Every 100 feet from the starting point is a location called a (survey) "station".  So station 582 would be 58,200 feet from the starting point.  It would be referred to as 582+00.  The number after the plus is the distance in feet from the previous station; so 582+36 would be 58,236 feet from the starting (zero) point.  "Chaining" refers to the fact that in early days, the distances were measured out with an actual chain.  In early days, a distance of 66 feet was a "chain" comprised of 100 links; this is still used by British railways.  You will see references in British fan publications to a distance such as "6 miles, 11 ch." Currently still in use by surveyors in route surveying and curve surveying along with elevations.
 
The zero station might be the actual beginning of a line, or it may be an arbitrary point.   Most of the chaining of the IRT and BMT begins from actual points where lines (or segments of lines) began.  For historical reasons, usually outward from downtown Manhattan.  As a result sometimes chaining runs in opposite directions on different segments of the same line.  The Lexington Ave. IRT from City Hall to 40th St is chained northward from a zero at City Hall.   But the extension to South Ferry and Brooklyn is chained southward from about the same point.
 
To avoid having chaining run in opposite directions, the IND picked an arbitrary point, probably about in the West 4th St station, and called it Station 1000.  This way, whether they extended south (numbers going down) to Coney Island or north (numbers going up) to the top of the Bronx, the numbers could run in a continuous series.  They did not foresee the Rockaway line, which might have gone below 0, but in the event, they acquired the LIRR drawings, etc of that line, so used the LIRR chaining, which comes from a zero at Long Island City.
 
Railroads seem to have used chaining for their civil engineering, but mile posting for operational activities.   Most railroads have been worked over many times since they were built, with relocations and cutoffs changing the length of the line. If they tried to keep the mileposts spaces 5280 feet apart, the MP at the far end of the line would have to be on wheels!  Instead, after any relocation, there will be two mileposts at an irregular spacing.   

For example, the original PRR line between Trenton and Philadelphia swung through the middle of Bristol, with many grade crossings.  About 1909, the PRR built a cutoff bypassing Bristol, with grade separation, and shortening the line.  Mileposts 66 and 67 are 4000 feet apart. The chaining in such a case will have what is called an "equation".  At some point on the drawings there will be a line drawn across the line with two chaining numbers listed, one for the chaining up to that point, a different one for the chaining going forward.   Research: Henry Raudenbush 

LIRR ELECTRIFIED ROUTES

Main Line to Ronkokoma 
Port Jefferson to Huntington 
Montauk/Babylon branch to Babylon 
Hempstead (entire branch) 
West Hempstead (entire branch) 
Long Beach (entire branch) 
Far Rockaway (entire branch) 
Port Washington (entire branch)
Oyster Bay is electrified to East Williston.
Hunterspoint Ave. 
Long Island City, but the LIC yard station tracks are not. However, there are four tracks in the yard that do have third rail. LIC "yards" one electric train in the AM rush hour (discharges passengers at HPA) that then extras back as an equipment train to Jamaica or Hillside after the rush hour is over. 

In the afternoon, one electric equipment train comes out of Jamaica with no passengers gets yarded and then goes up and picks up passengers for Ronkonkoma later. 

The potential to yard four MU trains in LIC is twofold. One, if there is a disabled train that is barely limping along they will divert it to LIC rather than risk sending it through the East River Tunnel and jamming up the rush hour. The other benefit to that is that gets it out of the way of busiest track section of the LIRR. 

The other reason for those four electrified tracks is if there is a large diversion from Penn Station for whatever reason LIC can yard four electrics and store another two in HPA if conditions warrant. 

The other way in and out of LIC is the lower Montauk and that is not electrified.

LIRR ARCHIVE LOCATIONS

Robert Emery’s collection is in the LI collection at the SUNY @ Stony Brook.

Charles B. Chaney’s collection is in the Smithsonian Institution.

Fullerton’s collection is split between glass plate negatives in the collection at the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead and Ron Ziel’s collection (see above).

Vincent Seyfried’s collection has been sold via e-Bay.

  LIE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS QUEENS 1954 at 57th Ave LIRR

LESTER C. TICHY, Architect 1905 – 1981

Lester C. Tichy, 369 Lexington Avenue , NY City 8/03/1944
Archive: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington , D.C. 2054

A representative example of the moderne style favored by Tichy that he designed.

Aberdeen Southbound Station, MD 1940's view S
Archive: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington , D.C. 20540

LIRR Tichy Paint Scheme 11/1/49 through 1955

LIRR #1495 MP54 Brooklyn 1956 Archive: Dave Keller

Applied to all passenger cars, some DD1 electric locos, electric shop switchers, and ALCO RS1 units. RS1 units repainted up until 11/1/52. 

Only locomotives wore the Long Island shadowed map logo. FM C-liners arrived in this scheme in Jan. 1950.

LIRR #2001 FM CPA20-5 Morris Park Shops

LIRR #2401 FM-CPA24-5   LIRR #2008 FM CPA20-5  Port Jefferson Station 1952

LIRR holds press run of 5 new air-conditioned P72 cars to Greenport.  Tichy scheme abandoned in favor of dark gray body with orange end doors and dark green roof (all psgr. cars) per Keystone magazine 1955-1961.    5/23/55 

LIRR Stations: Closed/Reopened/Removed/Replaced

BLUEPOINT 
S. SIDE R.R. DEPOT OPENED: 2/1/1870, CLOSED: 6/1/1882
2ND DEPOT OPENED: JUNE/1900, RAZED: 1951
CONCRETE SHELTER SHED BUILT: 1951, DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 1980

CEDARHURST 
S. SIDE R.R. BEGAN SVC: 7/1869. 
BUILT: 7/1872 (Per Vincent Seyfried’s LIRR history. 3-year gap??)
RIVAL L.I.R.R. ALSO BUILT DEPOT: 7/1872 
AFTER MERGER OF 2 ROADS, OCEAN POINT DEPOT AND L.I.R.R. DEPOT
ABANDONED: 6/1876. L.I.R.R. DEPOT MOVED TO FAR ROCKAWAY: 8/1881
S.S.R.R. DEPOT AT OCEAN POINT REOPENED: 6/1887, GREATLY REMODELED: 5/1888
3RD DEPOT BUILT: 1913

EDGEWOOD 
MAIN LINE 
OPENED: 6/1892, CLOSED: 10/21/13, BURNED: 1920

DEER PARK 
4TH DEPOT RELOCATED FURTHER EAST OF FORMER LOCATION, Executive Drive
WITH HI-LEVEL PLATFORMS IN SVC: 9/14/87

KISSENA PARK 
CRR OF LI 
OPENED: 6/1873, CLOSED: 8/1876. RE-OPENED: 6/1877, ABANDONED: 4/30/1879, MOVED TO 
PRIVATE LOCATION, BURNED: 5/8/18

MAPLE GROVE 
MAIN LINE 
OPENED: MAY/1879 AS FLAG STOP FOR MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY. 
CLOSED: 1882. REOPENED: 1883. REMOVED IN 1909 WITH REALIGNMENT OF TRACKS. 
MOVED APPROX. 600’ SOUTH ALONGSIDE NEW SITE OF KEW STATION (WHICH OPENED 
9/8/1910) AND PERPENDICULAR TO TRACKS FOR USE AS REAL ESTATE OFFICE FOR DEVELOPERS
OF KEW. RAZED A SHORT TIME LATER.

MASPETH 
OPENED: 2/1895, CLOSED: 10/1903, REOPENED: ?, AND AGAIN CLOSED: 1924, BLDG. REMOVED: 1925
DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP.

SOUTH SIDE R.R. CROSSING
EVERGREEN 
OPENED: 5/15/1878 AT THE CROSSING OF THE BUSHWICK BRANCH.
CLOSED: 5/25/1881. REOPENED: 6/1886 WHEN SERVICE STARTED OUT OF BUSHWICK TERMINAL AS A 
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE GREENPOINT ABANDONMENT. CLOSED: AT END OF 1890 SEASON.

LIRR Stations that closed and reopened as the same name but as different structures:

CAMP UPTON 
UPTON SPUR 
OPENED ON THE CAMP GROUNDS: 1917. CLOSED WITH END OF LIRR SVC. TO THE CAMP: 4/1922

CAMP UPTON 
UPTON SPUR 
OPENED ON THE CAMP GROUNDS: c. 1942. CLOSED WITH END OF LIRR SVC. TO THE CAMP: c. 1946

DUNTON 
OPENED: ? AT VAN WYCK AVE., CLOSED: 1910
2ND, RELOCATED DEPOT BUILT: 1914, OUT OF SVC: 11/1/39 AND RAZED WITH ATLANTIC AVENUE IMPROVE-
MENT PROJECT: 1939-40 

QUOGUE 
BUILT: 6/1875 2ND DEPOT BUILT: 1882, MOVED TO PRIVATE LOCATION: 1905
3RD DEPOT BUILT; 1905, AGENCY CLOSED: 1958, RAZED: 4/64 
DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 3/16/98

WORLD’S FAIR 
1ST STATION IN SVC: 1939-40, RAZED 
2ND STATION IN SVC: 1/11/61. RENAMED “SHEA STADIUM”: 4/15/66

LIRR Stations that closed and reopened as different names but on same site:

GOLF GROUNDS 
OPENED: 4/1907, DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 1939, MOVED TO PRIVATE LOCATION: 1940

SOUTHAMPTON COLLEGE 
OPENED: 5/24/76 AT OLD “GOLF GROUNDS” STATION SITE, 528’ WEST OF MP86. DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP AND REMOVED: 3/16/98


WORLD’S FAIR 
1ST STATION IN SVC: 1939-40, RAZED AFTER CLOSE OF FAIR.

UNITED NATIONS 
EAST OF CORONA STATION. IN SVC: 9/15/46. OUT OF SVC: c. 1952 (SITE OF 1939 WORLD’S FAIR STATION)

LIRR Station buildings that were removed and replaced after a major period of time but station stops remained in use:

GREAT RIVER 
BUILT: 1897, BURNED: 1943. AGENCY CLOSED: ? 
2ND DEPOT BUILT: ?, RAZED: c. 2000
3rd DEPOT WITH HI-LEVEL PLATFORMS BUILT: c. 2000-2001

GREENLAWN 
BUILT: 1868, BURNED: 1909
2ND DEPOT OPENED: 9/1911. AGENCY CLOSED: ? 

HICKSVILLE: 
1ST DEPOT OPENED: 3/1/1837 AS TEMPORARY TERMINUS OF LIRR. BURNED: 7/15/1864
2ND DEPOT OPENED: 9/1873, MOVED TO PRIVATE LOCATION: 1909
3RD DEPOT OPENED: 10/30/1909, RAZED: 11/62
ELEVATED STRUCTURE BUILT: 1962

HILLSIDE: 
MAIN LINE 
BUILT: ?, CLOSED: 1911
2ND DEPOT IN SVC: 5/15/11. LOW PLATFORMS OUT OF SVC: 10/1/30 ACCOUNT “JAMAICA IMPROVEMENT EAST” PROJECT. 
EASTWARD HIGH LEVEL PLATFORM SOUTH OF TRACK 1, IN SVC: 10/1/30 FOR EASTWARD AND WESTWARD TRAINS. 
AGENCY CLOSED: ? . DEPOT USED AS PRIVATE BUSINESS. 
DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 7/1/66.

HILLSIDE 
MAIN LINE 
EMPLOYEE-ONLY STOP AT HILLSIDE MAINT. FACILITY (1990s?)

JAMESPORT 
1ST DEPOT APPEARS ON TIMETABLE OF 6/14/1845. DEPOT REMOVED: AUG-SEPT/ 1869. 
2ND DEPOT WAS A PRIVATE SALOON PURCHASED FOR USE AS DEPOT: 7/1878. GREATLY REMODELED: 
1944, AGENCY CLOSED: 1958, RAZED: 7/18/63.
RELOCATED SHELTER SHED OPENED: 7/18/63, DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP: 19 ? 

MANORVILLE 
APPEARS ON TIMETABLE OF 6/14/1845 AS “ST. GEORGE’S MANOR” AND LATER SHORTENED TO “MANOR.” RAZED: 9/1869 
(Per local history, the first station agent, Seth Raynor, a patriot, painted out the “St. George’s,” leaving “Manor.” The town 
name changed to Manorville with opening of the post office, but timetables and LIRR documents retained the name “Manor” 
until c. 1907-1908.) 
2ND DEPOT BUILT: 5/1871. STATION RE-NAMED “MANORVILLE” c. 1910. RAZED: 6/41
SHELTER SHED BUILT: 1941, RAZED: c. 1968 AND DISCONTINUED AS STATION STOP.

MEDFORD 
1ST DEPOT OPENED: 6/26/1844 WITH OPENING OF LIRR OUT TO TEMPORARY END-OF-TRACK AT CARMAN’S RIVER. BURNED: 
8/20/1863
2ND (?) DEPOT BUILT: 1889 WITH ATTACHED AGENT’S QUARTERS. RAZED: 1940 WITH GRADE CROSSING ELIMINATION OF RT. 112.
3RD, ELEVATED DEPOT OPENED: 11/9/40. AGENCY CLOSED: 1958. RAZED: 1964
4TH, ELEVATED DEPOT WITH HI-LEVEL PLATFORMS BUILT: 2000-01

MURRAY HILL 
BUILT: 1889-90, RAZED: 10/1912 
2ND, ELEVATED DEPOT OPENED: 7/1914 (STATION BLDG. SPANNED DEPRESSED TRACKS) RAZED: 9/64

PORT JEFFERSON 
OPENED: 1/1873, BURNED: 2/1/1874 
2ND DEPOT BUILT: 6/1875, CLOSED: 1903 AND USED AS YARD BLDG, RAZED: 4/1963
3RD DEPOT OPENED: 7/25/03, REMODELED: 1968. STATION FACILITIES TEMPORARILY OUT OF SVC: 4/18/88. 
TEMPORARY STATION FACILITIES 75’ WEST OF MAIN ST. IN SVC: 4/25/88. 
MAIN BUILDING BACK IN SVC: ? RESTORED TO ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURE: 2000-01

Research: Dave Keller

HUNTINGTON STATION LOCATION

The original station that opened in 1868 was located west of New York Avenue on the north side of the tracks (present station is also on north side of the tracks, east of NY Ave.).  

The photograph was taken during the 1909 Route 110 bridge installation. The photographer was facing west. This photo was from the collection of William Ahern, of Ahern Landscape Design Center.

The art print was drawn by the famous Long Island artist of the late 1880s Edward Lang. Lang's view looks northwest. Research: Dave Morrison

SILL'S FARM, GREENPORT

Maps indicate Sills Rd at this location

 NEW YORK - EAST RIVER - NEWTOWN CREEK - DUTCH KILLS - Bridge Closure 

The Long Island Railroad Swing Railroad (DB) Bridge across Dutch Kills at mile 1.1 will be closed to marine traffic until further notice due to structural damage and deterioration of the center pier. The bridge is no longer operable as a swing bridge. Mariners are advised to plan accordingly.  12/30/8 Chart 12335 LNM 04/08 (CGD1)

LIRR EMPLOYEE RECORDS

I'm sure that the LIRR made attempts to gather hiring data, promotion data, etc. from employees who were in current service to update a new employee database and that database was transferred to Jamaica when it was opened in 1913 and became the main railroad offices, housing the employee department as well.  (I have a seniority roster of engineers and firemen dated 1947 and the top dogs on the list have hiring dates from the 1890s, so this lost data must have been re-recorded by word of mouth). However,  what happened to those records is unclear, probably dumped over the years along with the valuation glass plate negatives from 1919-1921 by order of Thomas Goodfellow.

The current LIRR employee department is of no help in providing employee records that are "old" from what I've been told. Dave Keller, LIRR Historian  12/30/2008

LIRR MILEPOST CALCULATIONS 

LIRR mileage WAS calculated from LI City until Penn station opened in 1910. mileage is ALWAYS from L. I. City they are correct, but only as of 1942-43.


Then, mileage was calculated from Penn with the exception of the Montauk branch which, surprisingly enough, was STILL calculated from LI City and the Atlantic branch whose mileage was calculated from Flatbush Ave. 

While the LIRR calculated their mileage from LI City, the SSRR calculated theirs from their terminal in Bushwick.

As a result, their route varied slightly from the LIRR’s later Montauk branch , AND, due to many track realignments over the years, their mileage varied from the LIRR’s mileage between the same two points, but only, on average by about ¼ to ½ mile or so. It wasn’t more than ¼ to ½ mile different at that point. 

I'm sorry to say that I have absolutely NO idea as to when the mileposts were put in place.

Judging by the differing styles I've seen in photos over the years, they were obviously put in place at different times . . . perhaps to replace a broken or stolen one or perhaps to indicate corrected mileage when track work was done. There were many locations on LI where curves were removed and tracks realigned, thus cutting off distances at varying locations.

As many of those old photos I've seen show nicely manicured markers, the railroad must've sent a crew out every several years or so to paint them back to legibility. Back then, their only enemy was the elements of weather. Today we have vandals added to the mix. Dave Keller, LIRR Historian  12/18/2008, Archive Photo: MP1 Hunterspoint Ave,  LI City view east, north side of tracks, at east end of station platform  c. 1999

AGENT, AGENCY, & TICKET CLERK 

An "AGENT" was the representative of the railroad.

A "Ticket Clerk" was NOT an agent and, as a result was not THE official representative of the railroad in all business thereunto pertaining.

Yes . . .  he or she was recognized as  a railroad employee, but did not have the authorization to handle any paperwork other than ticket sales without the permission of his or her next-in-command . . . . . the Agent.

That is why stations had multiple ticket clerks but only ONE Agent.

An Agent's job was to transact ALL railroad business: freight, baggage, express, ticket sales, etc., etc. Ticket Clerks were assigned jobs at stations to assist the Agent in his duties.

By being set up at a depot and being a representative of the railroad at that venue, said depot was known as an "Agency" of the LIRR.

In later years, when freight and express business ended on the LIRR, and as many of the older agents retired and were not replaced, remaining agents were placed in charged of multiple stations and head ticket clerks were assigned to many of the outlying ticket offices, with extra ticket clerks coming in to assist during busy days for sales of commutation tickets.  Of course, this was not the case for the major terminals, who always had a bank of ticket clerks assigned.

Just like offices of Western Union had signs up that read "Western Union Agency Here" and you went into the drug store and were able to send a telegram.

When a ticket office closed and all paper business ended . .. no more freight, express, ticket sales, etc., etc. and the manpower was removed and the depot building only used as a shelter against the elements, it was referred to as the agency being closed. In later years the closing of an agency only meant no more ticket windows as most of the railroad paper work (freight, express, etc., etc. ) was no longer handled by the agent and his assistants. Take Railway Express for example. They had their own employees usually operating from the freight office, assuming the location was large enough i.e. Patchogue.

When my description states, for example "Agency Closed: 1958" that meant that, in 1958, the Agent was removed from the premises, along with all his papers, documents, ledgers, forms, tickets etc., etc. and the job abolished. No more ticket sales. The window was closed. You could no longer check your baggage at that location. You could no longer ship anything or receive shipment at that location.

My description of Islip reads that the 2nd depot was placed IN SERVICE  in 1963. My next line reads "Agency Closed: ?" Meaning that the official LIRR station agent was removed at a later date and the office closed, but I have no idea of that date. Dave Keller, LIRR Historian 12/28/2008 Archive Photo: Central Islip Station Interior 1928

TRACTION BLVD

STEAM ENGINE SPEEDS

Fastest LIRR schedules Jamaica to Speonk, from Timetable review:

May 1923 90 min...... 41.8 Mph
Oct 1925 88 min....... 42.8 Mph
June 1941 76 min...... 49.5 Mph
June 1946 79 min...... 47.6 Mph
June 1949 78 min...... 48.2 Mph

The last two specify via the Central Branch-- i.e. about 62.3 miles; the 1920s schedules may be via Manorville, 63.1 miles. I have averaged the branches to obtain: = 62.7 miles. Calculations: Steven Lynch
 

BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL

During the years the BAT (Brooklyn Army Terminal) was in operation they used their own motive power and possibly some LIRR as far as I know. I've seen photos of Army engines down there. I do believe Bush just ran through or maybe just up to the BAT with interchange cars.

Bay Ridge yard was a LIRR switch job. LIRR handled all the floats, drilling, etc. NH ran the road trains. LIRR assembled them in the yard for NH power to get and run up the connecting. (NYCRR)

After BAT went civil, I doubt there were any customers that received cars inside anymore. Cross had 2 customers there that got cars on one of the piers. NEMCO I think it was (to lazy to go look up my own website) got the Port Authority PATH cars rebuilt there and the other got TOFC cars with trailers.

Photo from LIFE inside the Eastern portion of the BAT. Today there's a pair of LIRR P72s and a Bar-Gen sitting in there...they were used for an Elvis movie. Landlocked now. Paul Strubeck 01/2009

The Brooklyn Army Terminal utilized a track layout of modest proportions with a aggregate amount of trackage totaling 17 miles, and could house over 1,250 cars of 40' length and by referencing the map below, we can discern that the Brooklyn Army Terminal property actually contained nine rail yards.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal trackage could be accessed by locomotives on the Bay Ridge Division of the New York New Haven & Hartford / Long Island Railroad's Bay Bridge Branch at the southeastern corner of it's property, and by the Bush Terminal Railroad at the north end of the property.  

The left diagram shows the extensive trackage layout at the Brooklyn Army Terminal and the adjacent Long Island Rail Road /New York & New Haven Railroad 65th Street Yard.    Research: Philip M. Goldstein  Visit his terrific website: BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) #NY202
The original providence of the map is given as Engineering News Record 1919.
BAT property annotated by Author:  Philip M. Goldstein

Bush Terminal had two unique advantages when compared to the other three Brooklyn based independent or contract terminals (JSC, NYD & BEDT). The first of those two advantages gave Bush Terminal a distinct edge over the other independent contract terminals in Brooklyn, and that was their being able to interchange with Class 1 railroads by means of a freight line jointly owned by the New York, New Haven & Hartford and Long Island railroads (the Bay Ridge Branch). The second advantage will be discussed below.

This freight line ran through the heart of Brooklyn and Queens and was known as the Bay Ridge Branch or Bay Ridge Division of the NYNH&H / LIRR and terminates at the Bay Ridge Yard at 65th Street and First Avenue. This route interconnects the Bay Ridge Yard with Sunnyside and Fresh Pond Yards in Queens (and still does to this day). At Fresh Pond Yard, an interchange existed with the New York Connecting Railroad, which utilized the Hell Gate Bridge to access the Oak Point Terminal in the Bronx as well as the rest of the mainland United States. So, in all actuality, the Bush Terminal Railroad was physically connected to the mainland US after 1916 (the year the Hell Gate bridge was completed).

In addition to this interchange, the Bush Terminal RR could also interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway at the South Brooklyn Railway Yard located at 39th Street on Second Avenue. The following schematic shows the connections and interchanges of the Bush Terminal RR to the other railroads in Brooklyn at the time. Please keep in mind, is it not to scale, and is a composite of the various railroads and industries that operated throughout the twentieth century, even though some of the businesses may not have existed all at the same time.

Diagram/Research: Philip M. Goldstein  Visit his terrific website: BUSH TERMINAL

A Mathieson tug, which Paul Strubeck advises as most likely a fill in job. BTRR interchanged at 65th Street NYNH&H/LIRR Yard. Being a contracted tow, it could be going Port Ivory or any other private pier station in the Metro NY area. Info: Philip M. Goldstein

FARMINGDALE AGRICULTURAL ROOTS PHOTO

Farmingdale's agricultural roots are reflected in this circa 1940 scene looking north on Merritt Road near the intersection of Conklin Street (Hempstead Turnpike). The LIRR Central Branch crossing is in the foreground, and that of the Main Line is north of the intersection. Farmingdale Feed Co. is also seen at the northeast corner of this intersection.

 CONTINENTAL BAKING COMPANY - HISTORY OF JAMAICA LIRR SPOT #16

1. The cross street is 170th St.
2. It was originally built in 1905-06 as a siding for the Shultz Bread Company.
3. The siding never crossed 168th St. to the west but stopped some distance (no idea how much) short of the street. 
4. In 1924, a replacement siding was installed, Shultz Bread changed ownership and the name was changed, according to Emery, to Continental Baking Co. here was NO indication of another bakery name on his map between the time of Shultz and the change to Continental. The siding for the Continental Baking Co. (Wonder Bread) was located on the south side of the tracks, west of Hillside, between 168th and 170th streets.

It was probably reworked (especially at the connection to the main) 
after the Jamaica-East Improvement project in 1930-31 when the ROW was elevated from Jamaica through Union Hall St. and Hillside.

In 1925, the Continental Baking Company bought the Taggart Baking Company of Indianapolis and “Slo-baked” "Wonder Bread" soon became a national brand. 

Pre 2004 Wonder Logo

The Continental Baking Company altered the course of  bread forever in the 1930's when it introduced sliced Wonder Bread. Sales were slow at first as suspicious consumers were slow to accept a pre-sliced bread, but convenience overruled apprehension and soon everyone wanted sliced Wonder Bread on their dinner table. In 1995, Continental Baking was bought by Interstate Bakeries Corp. 

NEW GONDOLA ORDER 2009

LAST OPERATION OF LIRR STEAM 

LIRR G5s # 35, #39, #50 Final Runs "Steam Specials" 

#50 October 2, 1955
#39 October 8, 1955
  #35 October 16, 1955

LIRR G5s #50 FM C-Liner 2004 at Port Jefferson Station October 02, 1955  Photo: Robert Emery

LIRR G5s #39 "Last Steam Week" at Oyster Bay  October 8, 1955  Photo: Art Huneke

END OF STEAM CEREMONY DEFINITIVE LIST October 8th, 1955

10/08/1955 Hicksville Engine #39 and car #2924 facing east & engine #35 and car #2923 facing west. Later, Alco diesel #1555 replaced #35 & #1556 replaced #39. 
#1555 operated back to Riverhead with #2923, but returned to Jamaica at 6:00pm with a different car of the same type. Photo: John Krause Archive: Gary Everhart

LIRR News Operation Changeover 10/04/1955 
Archive: Dave Morrison

The LIRR End of Steam LIRR run having arrived at Hicksville early, bystanders and railfans alike gathered around to have a close up experience with #39 as this was likely the last time they saw a steam locomotive. 10/08/1955 Archive: Art Huneke

October 8th, 1955 was a rainy day, depicting the sad day steam 'officially' ended on the Long Island Railroad. #35 (seen left) and #39 (seen right) each pulled a one car Boy Scout special to Hicksville, where a diesel took the coach, signifying the transition from steam to diesel. Happily, both engines survive today. Although each engine has different restoration plans, we each hope to bring back the rich history these engines made and wish the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum the best of luck with #35.
Archive: Art Huneke

        
LIRR "End of Steam" memo to Extra Crews schedule: 10/04/1955
Archive: Dave Morrison

 
LIRR G5s #35 and final "Steam Special" at Port Jefferson Station ready to depart on the very
last LIRR steam train run, October 16, 1955.  FM C-Liner 2402 at trackside. Photo: Art Huneke

End-of-Steam Ceremony, LIRR, Hicksville, October 8, 1955: The question of which locos and cars were involved comes up again and again: here is the definitive list (by Bill Slade), Info: Art Huneke

 
 50th Anniversary End of Steam Service - Along The Track 11/2005 Archive: Dave Morrison

Final Runs "Steam Specials"  LIRR  #35 passing St. James station October 16, 1955
Photo: John Krause

Last Steam Excursion Souvenir Ticket and Pass  10/16/1955 - Archive: Art Huneke

SUNRISE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

W SIGNS ARE CALLED WHISTLE POSTS

LIRR EAST - WEST RULES 

LIRR Rule 5 used to require an order for every meet, even between regular trains. Now Rule 89 requires "Form L's will be issued to establish meeting points" (without exception) - same thing.
With orders required for all meets between regulars/extras, I can't conceive of a scenario when "opposing westward regulars would not be concerned about that extra".
This facet of Rule 5, and later Rule 89 seems specific to LIRR, although it's equivalent can be found in PRR Timetable Special Instructions - the possible germination of the LIRR wordage. Dave Barraza

EARLY DIESELS OF THE SUNRISE TRAIL

BARNEY, PIG or MULE at SUNNYSIDE YARD, LI CITY SHOPS

The “Multiple Unit Repair Shop” and "Multiple Unit Inspection Pits" indicated on the Sunnyside Yard  Rendering c.1905 later became the engine house, ash pits(?), and Barney locations respectively.

Could very well be that, in 1905, as there were NO dreams of GG1 locomotives at the time, everything WAS built for MU service. AND . . . those pits could very well have been inspection pits, originally. Years later, with the onset of B3 electrics, DD1 electrics and GG1 electrics, usage was converted from MU service to locomotive service and the pits, et. al. were refitted accordingly . . . Changing the inspection purpose to dead engine pulling. Barneys are devices that come up from a pit between the rails and engage the coupler and pull/push the car to the desired spot. The Sunnyside one(s) are considered typical.
 

LIRR M1 TESTING in BRIDGEPORT, CT

This way they would be rolled toward each other. The Penn Central clearance engineer (Greenlee?) had a set of small feelers, 6 inches long, which he taped to the widest point on the standing cars. They were not touched, so he was satisfied. Of course, while the M-1's had the same shape as the M-2 they didn't have the same truck and suspension. When the M-2's came, they had too much roll and the tip of the pan almost touched the arm of one semaphore near "Peck". That was why a few M-2's were sent to the Shea Stadium test site on the LIRR, so that GE. could work on modifications to the suspension. They hardly had room at their South Norwalk site for that work.
 
The M-1's loaned to Metropolitan Region were briefly in passenger service on the Harlem line, as well.  Photo/Research: Hank Raudenbush