Emery Map Symbols:

A.G.                  Automatic Gates
B or BB            Bell on one or both sides of diamond crossing sign
BLS                  Block Limit Signal
                      BLS with unattended block station signal lower down on the mast
_ C                   (ex. 10 C: 10 car capacity of siding)
CL                    Center Locked Crossover
C/L                  Center Line of R.O.W.
                    Diamond Crossing Sign
D.S. & S.I        Distant Switch & Signal Indicator
D.S.I.               Distant Switch Indicator
                   Electrified tracks
                   Gates across tracks (private sidings)
H. sec                Section House
J                       Marking point indicating upgrade or downgrade
L                       Low (dwarf) signal
MC                   Mail Crane
ML                   Main Line
MP                   Milepost
 

OSB                 Old Signal Base
PC                    Point of Curvature (of track)
PCC                 Point of Concentric Curvature
PL 0r PLS      Position Light Signal
SB                    Section Break (Signals to keep MU trains from energizing rail where
                         current has been turned off. Steam/Diesels could pass these signals.)
SD                    Section Divide (section gang maintenance zone)
SS                    Spring Switch
T                      Telephone Box
T.C.C.              Tank Car Connection
T.T.                 Team Track
UG                   Undergrade Crossing (Tracks over a road)
VS                    Valuation Section - From LIRR 1916 maps
W.P.                 Water Plug
                   Wig-wag Signal
YL                    Yard Limit
Z                       Interlocked Switches/Turnouts  
0xxx                Bridge numbers (4 digits with zero being the first)

Robert Emery sketched maps, probably out in the field, and used LIRR official valuation maps accessible to him to help create the ruled lined maps.  Perhaps in addition, physical characteristics, landmarks, etc. were added while working on the LIRR.  Next, the rule lined notebook versions c.1957-59 were drawn.  Later the finalized finished-copy versions were designed, currently at the Long Island Room, SUNY-Stony Brook.

 *The English Kills drawbridge: For those not familiar with early NY Dutch nomenclature, a kill is a creek or a stream. For reasons unknown, it's English Kills in Bushwick and Dutch Kills in LI City.  Note the he small "yard", the manure yard,  just east of the yardmaster's office and the junction of the Evergreen Branch.  When its use for manure cars ended, the one or two engines that served Bushwick were layed up there.  This kept them under the watchful eyes of an LIPD patrolman who staffed the yardmaster's office on weekends.  Richard Makse

Aqueduct -post-1940

Locust Manor-Jamaica Racetrack post-1937 

Maps Research/Source/Design: Robert Emery, LIRR -  Collection: Dave Keller - Map Restorations: Steven Lynch