LIRR Freight Yards

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      LI City -1955

The freight on Long  Island was complicated by the fact that there were several western terminals, so to make things easier, they split the freight operations into two divisions - West of Jay and the Island.

Anything bound for the Island went through Holban, so the yardmaster would block traffic off of the floats for Holban and then for the road freight crews out of Yard A and Pond. They once had a great deal of traffic just on the west end, with freight terminals at Bushwick, Degnon, Maspeth, etc., so that would more than keep the Yard A yardmaster busy, then having to worry about what was needed at Holban. I believe at its heyday Yard A had two crews, one at either end of the yard just to block out the yard, and they kept the hump that was there busy.

"...Bliss was used by LIRR freight and had an engine terminal so that steam engines did not have to run reverse all the way to Morris Park. This was also gone by 1957. In my time, Bliss yard was used to store cars for Phelps Dodge, Van Iderstine and other customers between Greenpoint Ave and PD. Also cars for Murers sidings were stored here. Crews reported at Yard A and brought cars to Bliss before making up their trains for their respectful switching areas.
The afternoon Bliss job made up the train for the crew that switched Phelps Dodge..." JJ Earl

"...There was a yard alongside Borden Ave. known as the Wheelspur Yard where trains for Sunnyside were made up and stored until ready for the PRR crews. I'm not talking commuter trains here but the long haul DC and beyond with fifteen cars or more. Long Island crews made up these trains and took them to Sunnyside when they were needed. Old track diagrams show tracks extending out into Newtown Creek on piers, possibly taking shipments from boats to be loaded onto rail cars. (see map: Wheelspur Yard) This yard was gone by 1957 (when I hired on)..." JJ Earl

"...Back to Wheelspur. At the end of December  1941, after being hired as a fireman, I was sent to fire one of the steamers at the east end of the yard. Three Pennsy locomotives were used to heat yarded trains. These were right near the Montauk Cut-off and the two drawbridges. Hard to believe Sunnyside Yard ran out of room due to its size.

View east: Arch Street team yard lower left, Montauk Cut-off in center, PRR Sunnyside yard center top, Yard A (North Yard) LIRR top left of center.  Owner: Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) , Photographer: Jack E. Boucher April 1977 taken from helicopter.  Info and photo courtesy: Nick Kalis

Did you know at times these Pennsy trains were turned by pulling out of yard and shoving them east on the Montauk Branch past Bliss tower and then reversed to the Main Line cutoff to F tower and pulled up on leads far enough for GG-1s to get them on trains to head westbound. I know of at least one train that was handled as it had not gone around the loop which would have kept the Observation car on the rear ( This was the reason for the FANCY MOVE BY BLISS ).  As to Bliss Yard I never saw or knew of any passenger equipment laying over there. Maybe some cars that were being scraped were there..." Mark Smith  

There was once more passenger, traffic in and out of  LI City, so it was a spot to dump overflow from the yard or shopped equipment. It was also a place for a freight to leave part of his drag when working the freight in the area, a place to duck in the clear while waiting for a shot to get on the main, among other reasons...

Fresh Pond was there because of the interchange with freight from the NH off of the Hellgate, freight from the floats at Bay Ridge and also the lead to Bushwick.

CURRENT LIRR YARDS

Bay Ridge Yard
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Johnson Ave Yard
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Port Jefferson Yard
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Babylon Yard
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Long Island City Yard
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Queens Village Yard

Fresh Pond Yard
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Montauk Yard
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Ronkonkoma Yard
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Greenport Yard
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Oyster Bay Yard
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Speonk Yard
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Advance Yard
Arch Street Yard
Belmont Yard
Blissville Yard
C Yard
D Yard
Dunkirk Yard
E Yard
Far Rockaway Yard
Freemont Yard
Freeport Yard
Hempstead Yard
Hicksville Yard
Hillside Yard
Holban Yard
Long Beach Yard
Maspeth Yard
Morris Park Boneyard
Morris Park Yard
 
Port Washington Yard
Receiving Yard
Shea Yard
Storage Yard
Varick Ave Yard
VD Yard
West Hempstead Yard
West Side Yard

Other places trains may be layed up
(not considered yards)
Patchogue
Huntington
Farmingdale
Great Neck

Research: Nick Kudreyko

BABYLON

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West Islip view west
c. 1980's
Photo: Steven Lynch

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Aerial view Babylon Yard 10/09/09 Photo: Dave Morrison

BAY RIDGE

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View looking west c. 06-97 
Photo: B. Ente

BAY SHORE 

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Bay Shore 1978
Photo: Steven Lynch

 

CAMP UPTON

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Camp Upton 1918

 

FRESH POND

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H10s Freight 1944

GREENPORT

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 Roundhouse view East c.1906

HICKSVILLE

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NYA RR West John St- 10/28/2010 
Photo: Al Castelli

HOLBAN

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North Yard 1977
Photo: Tim Darnell

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Photo: Steven Lynch 1980

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Holban South Yard View NW 12/1976
Photo/Archive: Tim Darnell

JAMAICA

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March 8, 1904  148th St. Jamaica
Collection: R. Ziel

LI CITY

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View east from Empire State Building

 

LIRR YARD A

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NYA 1997 View West
Photo: B. Ente

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03/29/1946 View West

MORRIS PARK

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Photo: Steven Lynch c. 1980's 

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Morris Park Dec 29,1908
Collection: R. Ziel

NEW LOTS

 
New Lots Freight Yard, New Lots  7/26/1949
(Weber-Morrison)

OYSTER BAY

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View East 1952
Collection: Dave Keller

PATCHOGUE

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View West c. 1940's
Photo: Frederick Weber  Collection: Dave Keller

 

 

 

PORT JEFFERSON

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Christmas Day 1998

 

SPEONK

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ROW Speonk

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Speonk view East 06/01/2006

SUNNYSIDE

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Connect track Q tower and Harold Sunnyside Yard 5-8-02
Photo: Steve Kay

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03/29/1946 View West
Sunnyside Engine Facility

VARICK AVE

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Varick Ave

WESTSIDE YARD

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View West 2005

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