The purpose of this page is to compile historical information, reports, tables, opinions, and any other information obtained that may be lost to future LIRR rail researchers. Steven Lynch

LIRR Historical Dates List extracted from Christopher T. Baer's: A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context 
 July 2008 Edition. Note: All data is subject to future additions/corrections.

LIRR Scheduled Freight Service

LIRR 1973-1977 Carload Report
LIRR 1977 Carload Report
LIRR 1978 Carload Report
LIRR 1983 Carload Report
LIRR 1985 Carload Report
LIRR 1986 Carload Report
LIRR 1987 Carload Report

LIRR 1988 Carload Report
LIRR 1989 Carload Report
LIRR 1990 Carload Report
LIRR 1991 Carload Report
LIRR 1992 Carload Report

     Archives: Jeff Erlitz

LIRR Scheduled Freight Service 8/06/1971
LIRR Scheduled Freight Service 4/07/1975
LIRR Scheduled Freight Service 6/17/1985

LIRR Freight and Yard Crew Assignments

LIRR Freight and Yard Crew Assignments 6/09/1986

LIRR Motive Power History
 Steam History 1898-1955
Dieselization History to 2019
Archive: NRHS-LIST

LIRR Passenger and Freight Stations 1955
Extracted PRR Station Index Publication AD 80

The Manhattan Beach branch shut down in 1924.
The Whitestone branch shut down in 1932.
The Wading River extension and Sag Harbor branch both placed out of service in 1939. (Last revenue train from Wading River was in Oct, 1938)
The Manorville/Eastport spur shut down in 1949.
The Rockaway Beach branch over Jamaica Bay ended with the fire of 1950 and trains were routed via Valley Stream and Far Rockaway (Mott Ave.) to Rockaway Park. Service ended at Far Rockaway (Mott Ave.) in 1955, when it became part of the NYCTA and the tracks were cut back to Far Rockaway (Nameoke Ave.).
The Cedarhurst cut-off, Bethpage branch and thru-tracks between Mineola and West Hempstead/Valley Stream were gone by 1960 although passenger thru-service ended years earlier.
The Creedmoor branch was gone in 1966 (passenger thru-service ended in 1879 and the branch was only in passenger service between Floral Park and Creedmoor in the 1880s leaving freight-only service to the state hospital.)
The Old Northport spur was abandoned in 1980 (passenger service ended decades earlier.)  Research: Dave Keller

List of LIRR Interlockings/Block Machines/Control Panels
LIRR Interlocking/Block Machines and Local Control and Indication Panels  Research: Jeff Erlitz

General Orders - Employee Timetables (ETT)

August 1, 1901
July 1, 1903
January 1, 1908
March 1, 1913
September 1, 1919  Montauk Division:  Merrick-Bridgehampton
July 1, 1924  Montauk Division:  Islip-Easthampton
September 1, 1944*
October 1, 1948*

Note*: These issues are Modified CR4's and do not, sadly, list all of the sidings any more. It does list all of the stations, yard capacities, floats, and, most importantly, the freight schedules. It seems they were issued every 4-6 years.

Speed of Trains New York Station to Jamaica, Through Interchange Yard 1/17/1905 - Joseph T. Richard records on Pennsylvania Railroad” collection at the Hagley Library

General Order 401  5/14/2012
General Order 701  6/14/2021   General Order 701 Appendix A-2
General Order 702  9/07/2021   General Order 702 Appendix A-2
General Order 703  11/15/2021
General Order 704  3/22/2022


ETT #1-101 5/23/2022

Howard Mapes Smith (1848 - 1919+?) LIRR Traffic Manager 4/2/1888, GPA on 4/12/1901
P.H. Woodward (tickets printed in the 1920's)
A.H. Shaw became GPA on 7/1/29
C.G. Pennington was appointed 9/15/43
E.R. Comer was appointed 10/16/43 - 1946
Homes Bannard served 7/1/46 - 12/1/48
J.F. Finnegan was appointed GPA 12/1/48
W.P. Eckfeldt
H.A. Weiss appointed Traffic Manager 12/1/48 (can’t figure out the date overlap with Finnegan and Edfeldt)
H.A. Weiss made Passenger Traffic Manager on 3/11/53
Harold M. Throop - appointed GPA mid-1960’s-1971 retirement; died 4/12/2016. Info: Brad Phillips

Following dates are approximate:
Joe Sabina - 1971 to 1974
Herbie Hansen - 1974 to 1978
John Battistini - 1978 to 1981
Tom Waring - 1981 to 1993?
Jim Castle - 1993 to 1999
Bill Sellerberg - 1999 to 2003
Fred Wedley - 2003 to 2007
Kevin Fehn - 2007 to 2009
Jim Compton - 2009 to 2021
Theresa Dorsey 2021 (Current - Acting)

YFD = Yard Freight Diesel ex: YFD-201 201 is the crew assignment number
YPD = Yard Passenger Diesel (crew) [###] (Jamaica storage yard diesel crews)
YPE = Yard Passenger Electric (Babylon or Jamaica)
YFC = Yard flag condr [###]
RFC = Road flag condr [###]
UB   = Utility Brakeman [###]
HMP = Hostler Morris Park - Engineer only

YPR-1 is the “passenger yard” Relief that covers the relief days of the regular YPD
(Jamaica storage yard diesel crews)
R = Relief
CE = Change engine
The CER-1. Is the relief crew for the Change of Engines or “CE” Jobs

This covers the days off of the regular Change of Engines assignments.
Example on M/T covers CE-1
Wednesday covers CE-2
Th/F covers CE-3 with weekends off.

The CE-2 has Wed/Th off and on Thursday the job is covered by a man off the extra list (called out)
This is how “relief-regular” jobs are used to cover the scheduled days off of other regular jobs.

RF = Road Freight outside the Metropolitan Area
RS= Road switcher (NYA)
MA= Metropolitan area local freight or transfer assignments in Brooklyn and Queens.
YE = Yard Electric
YER “Yard Electric Relief” Such has YER-3 relieves the hillside drills crews on their scheduled days off
GXL = Guarantee Extra List full-time, as opposed to one day, assignment
PROT-## = PROTECT crew. A stand by-be ready to go at a short notice type of crew.
RSBT-## = Roustabout crew. A do anything crew which maybe not entitled to some penalty claims as road passenger or road freight crews. These crews usually shuffle shop trains or other equipment around as required by the equipment Coordinator throughout their tour of duty.
PASX-## = This call out is usually used when a replacement crew to relieve a crew from a derailment, fatality, or to go for a whiz quiz’s AKA (drug test)
COLX-## = Same as above for ticket collector (trainman) assignment as their independent units jumping from one train to another not part of a full “Crew” Collectors do not always work the train through from origin to destination, they get off enroute to work back to where their needed. NOTE: This title may be used to get a trainman out on a job, so as to not to guarantee him.   Robert Sturm/Joe Vila

In Timetable form number order (2022):

Port Washington Branch - scarlet red
Port Jefferson Branch - medium blue
Ronkonkoma Branch - purple
Oyster Bay Branch - lime green
Hempstead Branch - beige
Far Rockaway Branch - brown
Babylon Branch - aqua green
Long Beach Branch - orange
West Hempstead Branch - light blue
City Terminal Zone - gray
Montauk Branch - teal (aqua)  Info: Mike McEnaney

The origin of the LIRR Job Codes Listing dates back to the early 1970’s. At the time, a new department was established to centralize crew dispatching in a centralized location (1st Floor in Jamaica Station). Previously there had been different locations to handle passenger, freight, yard, block operator and engine personal. Each location was independent and there was a distinct lack of management (cost) control. I was assigned to develop the new department and to standardize dispatching protocols.

Although there were printed passenger crew “sheets" for conductors, brakemen and collectors, the other crafts had no such documents that described the scope of the individual assignments such as reporting location, days off, time on duty, etc. A partial remedy to this situation was the development of the freight and yard crew “sheet”. I used existing nomenclature where applicable to ease the transition from the old methods to the new, and descriptive terms where necessary.  The codes have been evolving somewhat as conditions warrant. For instance, flag conductor listings reflect recent increases in the need to protect major construction projects as are the assignments to cover drug testing. Author: Robert Sturm

LIRR Ticket Offices 1999
Compiled: Kevin Wong from archived MTA LIRR site pages as of 1999

The 1916 listing is of the hours that Block Offices/Train Order Offices/Signal Stations are open.  Some stations are listed, but only because the block was handled at those ticket offices.  They do not necessarily mean that ticket sales are available at all those times. While a block operator could very likely be working in a station ticket office at the same time that office was open for ticket sales, he may have been working a later trick (shift) at the station AFTER the ticket office was closed to ticket sales. A more later-day example of this was Ronkonkoma.  After the ticket office closed, the block operator pulled a shade down over the large glass ticket window and the trackside bay window so passengers wouldn't keep bothering him to buy tickets after hours. Info: Dave Keller

LIRR on-time performance (OTP) reports. In later years the monthly OTP reports are no longer separated by peak and off-peak.  It should be noted that Far Rockaway, West Hempstead, Port Washington and Atlantic Branch usually have among the highest on-time rates, month after month.  July, 2022 and all later monthly reports no longer have separate peak and off-peak OTP data (left). Research: Kevin Wong - Writer/Historian
 

Queens Borough Public Library, Jamaica, NY
Robert Emery Collection: SUNY Stony Brook, NY
George Brainerd: Brooklyn Public Library
Charles B. Cheney: Smithsonian Institution

Oyster Bay Museum (OBRM) Oyster Bay, NY
Railroad Museum of Long Island (RMLI) Riverhead, NY

PRR Technical Historical Society: Chronology History pages by Christopher T. Baer
A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context 

The NRHS National Library in Philadelphia (closed at the end of February 2008 with the contents placed in a library relocation storage facility) had books, timetables and ephemera from the LIRR.

The collection also included a archive of various Chapter newsletters which included the Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter "Semaphore" and the Twin Forks Chapter's own publication which was mailed
to NRHS National as part of the newsletter exchange program that various NRHS chapters had with one another. Newsletters issued from March 2008 to the present time have been added thanks to a
small group of dedicated NRHS members that chose to continue this archive work.

The stored NRHS Library contents may be either added to a existing transportation library or may be used to create a new Library facility - the NRHS Library contents may be going to the campus
of Southern Methodist University in Dallas,TX if arrangements can be worked out. Info: Mike McEnaney

Local libraries and historical societies have material scattered about: Islip, Great River, and Montauk for example.   

•  The Long Island Rail Road was chartered on April 24, 1834.
•  The Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad was taken over by lease as of April 19, 1836.  The LIRR began operations between South Ferry, Brooklyn and Jamaica that next day.
•  The LIRR opened between Jamaica and Hicksville on March 1, 1837.
•  Trackage extended from Hicksville to Farmingdale on October 15, 1841.
•  Trackage extended from Farmingdale to Central Islip on July 14, 1842.
•  The mainline was further opened between Central Islip and Yaphank on June 26, 1844.
•  The mainline was completed between Yaphank and Greenport as of July 27, 1844.
•  LI City to Jamaica station, via Woodside, trackage in service on May 9, 1861.  Built by the New York and Jamaica Railroad which had been incorporated on September 3, 1859.
•  The Belmont Park Race Track Spur was opened for service on May 4, 1905.
•  The mainline from Jamaica to Queens Village and the Belmont Park Spur electrified on October 2, 1905.
•  The mainline between Long Island City and Jamaica via Woodside was electrified on June 23, 1910.
•  The electrification was extended from Queens Village to Mineola during October 1926.
•  The mainline electrification was extended to East Williston on the Oyster Bay branch during June 1934 to get turning multiple unit trains off of the mainline in Mineola.
•  The mainline was electrified to Hicksville as a part of the Huntington electrification on October 19, 1970.
•   Full Hicksville to Ronkonkoma electrified service began on January 18, 1988.
•  September 21, 2018, a project to double track the mainline between Pinelawn and Ronkonkoma was completed.  Earlier in 2016 the second track between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma was put in service.
•  October 3, 2022, a formal opening ceremony for the third mainline track between Floral Park and Hicksville was held. In 2024 the Long Island Rail Road mainline is four tracks wide from Penn Station, New York to Queens Interlocking, three tracks wide from Queens Interlocking to Hicksville, double track from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma and single track from Ronkonkoma to Greenport. 

Research:   Edward M. Koehler, Jr. 

Historical question about the LIRR's reason it came into being:

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirr100/lirr100.htm  LIRR 100 Year Anniversary Pamphlet 1934 History
http://www.dunton.org/archive/LongIslandRailroad.htm History of the Long Island Rail Road by Peter Ross
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrmapexpansion.htm Bob Andersen LIRR expansion maps

Long Island's geology played a major role in the early rail lines development. The flat post glacial flood plain in the center of the Island had no major obstacles to cross, near zero grades and no horse crossings to deal with. That's why the Pine Barrens was chosen. High speed all the way to Greenport to get the NY City to Boston traffic. The rail line and investment was purely to get the NY- Boston traffic.  With the ability to bridge the rivers of southern Connecticut as technology advanced the LIRR link to Boston died. Info: Steven Lynch

They were American Indian names. Since Long Island had a very historical American Indian heritage, many towns were named after Indian tribes or titles. These names were also used, in turn, on the old heavyweight parlors:

Amagansett
Aquabogue
Asharoken
Commack 
Copiague
Cutchogue
Jamaica (An American Indian name, not the Caribbean Island)
Manhasset
Massapequa
Mastic
Matinecock
Mattituck
Merrick
Mineola
Moriches
Nesconset
Noyack
Onteora (an upstate NY Indian name)
Patchogue
Peconic
Quogue
Ronkonkoma
Sagtikos
Setauket
Shinnecock
Teckawitha
Wantagh
Wauwepex means "place of good water".
Wyandanch

In addition to the LI names, there were the upstate NY names, which were taken from the six-nation Iroquois 
Confederacy:

Cayuga Club
Mohawk Club
Oneida Club
Onondaga Club
Seneca Club
Tuscarora Club

There were originally 13 tribes on Long Island and they were listed in the old poem:

“The thirteen tribes of common stock 
Peopled this isle called Paumanok  (Paumanok translated: fish-shaped island)
Before the white man came along 
And took it over for a song . . . . “   Research: David Keller

ALCO S and RS1s and the Baldwin's were delivered in black

Tichy (All passenger cars, some DD1 electric locos) 11/1/49 to 11/1/52 through 1955
Tichy (Diesels: C-liners arrived in this scheme 1950. 1950-1955 Others were repainted up until 11/1/52)

Tuscan Red with gold Deluxe lettering Until 1940-41 (all passenger cars, loco tenders)
Tuscan Red with gold Futura lettering 1940-41 (some passenger cars, loco tenders)
Tuscan Red with gold Deluxe lettering spaced 1942-1950+ further apart (all passenger cars, loco tenders) 

Tichy (all psgr cars, some DD1 electric locos, 1950-1955 some diesel locomotives) 

Dark gray with orange (all psgr. cars, diesel 1955-1961 locomotives)

Charcoal gray (Goodfellow gray) (all psgr. cars) 1962-1964
Charcoal gray (Goodfellow gray) with orange nose (diesel locomotives)
Charcoal gray with orange stripe (N.Y. World’s Fair 1964-1968 colors: passenger cars) 
Charcoal gray (Goodfellow gray) with orange wave (diesel locomotives)

MTA blue and yellow (diesel locomotives) 1968-1976
MTA Platinum Mist (passenger cars) 1968-end of push-pull service   Research: David Keller
 

LIRR Assigned Letters and Numbers to all their Stations Scheme

The LIRR assigned Letters and Numbers to all their Stations Scheme; the letters designated the branch. The numbers designated distance from LI. City.

L23 was L for the Long Beach branch and 23 for 23 miles from L. I. City = Long Beach station
H21 was H for the Hempstead branch and 21 miles from L. I. City = Hempstead station

They couldn't use M for Montauk branch because M was used for the Manhattan Beach branch (Vanderveer Park, located on the Bay Ridge branch, but originally a station stop on the Manhattan Beach branch) and still in use as a freight station in the 1950s was still referred to as M-11) and G (Greenport branch) was used for the Main Line, so they used S for South Shore, representing the Montauk branch. Hence: S16 was S for the Montauk branch and 16 for 16 miles from L. I. City = Valley Stream station.

Atlantic branch was A
Bay Ridge branch was B
Belmont Park was Z
Bushwick branch was BU
Central branch was C, which included Garden City (C-20), Island Trees (C-26) and South Farmingdale (C-29) (Strange about Garden City, because Stewart Manor was H-16 and Nassau Blvd.
H-17 . . . . Hempstead branch)
Evergreen branch was E
Far Rock branch was F (although Inwood was Z-20!)
Hempstead and West Hempstead (before 1932) branches were "H"
Long Island City was X, a carry over from the days when the main dispatchers' office at LIC pre-1913 Jamaica was referred to as "X"
Main Line, as mentioned above, was G, however, Jamaica was S-10!
Manhattan Beach branch was M
Oyster Bay branch was O
Port Jefferson/Wading River branch was P
Port Wash branch was N (North Side branch: original name for Port Wash branch)
Rockaway Beach branch was R
Sunnyside Yard was S
West Hempstead branch was W, after Whitestone branch shut down in February, 1932. Prior to that the West Hempstead branch stations were designated "H" although I don't know why, as some of the Hempstead branch stations were designated "H" yet others were designated "C" for Central branch.
Whitestone branch was W, until shutdown February 1932

Research: Dave Keller