West Hempstead Branch
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This is the first MU train from Valley Stream via the newly-electrified West Hempstead branch and previously-electrified Hempstead branch arriving westbound at Mineola in October 19, 1926. The view is east and you can see the train coming off the old Hempstead branch and crossing over to the Main Line westbound track. At the left of the lead car, you can just make out some flag bunting displayed from the windows of the commercial buildings behind the Mineola station. Storage
battery cars ran on the non-electrified W. Hempstead branch between June, 1913
and May, 1926. According to Emery's notes, the upper end of the branch was
electrified in 1911 or 1912 from Country Life press to Franklin Ave. in Garden
City to allow MU baggage cars access to the Doubleday plant. The
remained of the line from Franklin Ave. to Valley Stream was electrified and
placed into service on 10/19/1926. I don't know if this train ran that
day or perhaps a day later. . . . |
USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) 1897 Topographic Map - Nassau County, Oyster Bay Quadrangle View the configuration from Valley Stream south to the Far Rockaway branch. What a weird sharp turn and the branch into the Rockaway Hunt Club south of Valley Stream at Woodmere. Note the two legs of the wye at Hempstead Crossing that later became four legs. Also notice the old direction of tracks for Stewart's CRR of LI at Floral Park dead-ending and utilizing the LIRR's connection to Garden City and Hempstead. Stewart's line used to cross the LIRR's Main Line via a trestle and then continued on to Garden City. When the LIRR acquired the CRR of LI, that trestle was removed, the tracks were re-laid and a junction was made at Floral Park, then called Stewart Junction. Research: Dave Keller |
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WEST
HEMPSTEAD BRANCH - (“VALLEY STREAM” BRANCH - NEW YORK BAY EXTENSION) From
Bob Emery’s Notes Built
by the New York Bay Extension Railroad Co.: 1893, Merged with the LIRR:
1902 At
Valley Stream, on the north side of the Montauk branch, on the New York Bay
Extension (later known as the West Hempstead branch) a single track spur
stub ended in a sheet metal building which had large garage-type doors on
the east end and which closed across the track. There was a platform
along the north side of the track inside the shed. The building held
two (2) 4-wheel, storage battery cars. Car #s 2 and 4 were assigned to
the NY Bay Extension. Car #s 1 and 3 were assigned to the Bushwick
branch between Fresh Pond station and Bushwick station. Car #s 1 and 2
were combine cars while #s 3 and 4 were straight coach. They were
equipped for multiple operation. They operated in multiples on two
trips during commission hour, otherwise they ran as a single unit, while the
other would be recharged during lay-over. They were known locally by
the native residents as “the Dinky” and by Railroaders as “the Moxie
Wagons.” Electrification:
Country
Life Press to Franklin Avenue, Garden City (to allow MU baggage cars access
to the Doubleday plant): 1911 or 1912 Valley Stream to Franklin Ave.,
Garden City: 10/19/1926 Freight
sidings: 1927-28 First
year of through MU operations, Valley Stream to Mineola : timetable of
10/1926 Just one manual block from “HC” to “VA” until “WM” block limit was installed in 1935. Track connection at Country Life Press to the West Hempstead branch removed: August 19, 1960 per General Notice No. 7-5 Tracks
cut back from Country Life Press to the west side of Franklin Avenue
crossing (“5 Corners”): August 19, 1960 Remaining racks north of West Hempstead station at Hempstead Ave. still in place in 1967 (Dave Keller visual evidence) and most probably all removed by c. 1969. |
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VALLEY STREAM |
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Blueprint - VALLEY Interlocking - Sheet #6 at VA VALLEY TOWER 6/22/33 Art Huneke revised 12/15/1945 Archive: Dave Keller |
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Emery map Valley Stream to East Merrick Road 1924 Archive: Dave Keller The "Tigertown" reference on the maps was for this odd, long-existing shantytown through which the LIRR traversed on its way between Valley Stream, West Hempstead, CLP and Mineola. Brooklyn Daily Eagle Jan., 4, 1903: Tigertown, Far and Away the Oldest Settlement on Long Island |
“VA”
TOWER: 2
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LIRR 1966 map #21 Valley Stream |
DD1 Freight eastbound Long Beach Branch tracks from VALLEY Tower, Valley Stream c.1940 Archive: Dave Keller
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The view is looking WEST from VALLEY tower towards Valley Stream
station. That tower in the distance AT the station is not a tower but
the elevator shaft. The elevator was used to carry baggage to and from
track level to and from street level. Sunrise Highway is at the far left of the photo. The eastbound Atlantic branch track #2 becomes the eastbound Long Beach branch track #2 AFTER the junction with the eastbound Far Rockaway branch track #2. Therefore, the DD1 is heading eastbound with a freight on the Long Beach branch tracks. A few feet previously, before it cleared the switch, it was running on Atlantic branch tracks. Had it been a freight bound for Babylon, it would have been heading eastbound on the far right of this photo running along eastbound Montauk branch track #2. The men on the front of the DD1 are the train crew. Probably the fireman and the freight conductor, OR . .. if the train is stopped, it could be the engineer and fireman. I can't tell if the train is stopped waiting for a westbound Far Rockaway train to clear the block or not . . . I don't see an engineer at the front window, so perhaps the train IS stopped and this is both enginemen looking at the photographer. |
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Far Rockaway MU passing VALLEY Tower View E 01/1971 Photo: Brad Phillips Far Rockaway train (from Jamaica) arrived at Valley Stream station to unload West Hempstead Branch passengers. and departs eastbound passing Valley Tower) |
West Hempstead 3 car MU shuttle, laid-up in the Valley Stream yard until departure of the Far Rock train, moving westbound on the eastbound track passing Valley Tower with red markers on. View E 01/1971 Photo/Info: Brad Phillips |
MU shuttle at Valley Stream view W 01/1971 Photo: Brad Phillips Photo above is of that same train now eastbound leaving the station and heading towards the crossover switches to access the West Hempstead Branch. We're looking at the rear end of the train as no headlight lit. The train is passing VALLEY tower in the process. Info: Dave Keller |
VALLEY INTERLOCKING
PROJECT - 10/24/2009 |
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Valley Interlocking brochure 10/24/2009 |
Valley Interlocking project Map MTA 2009 |
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WESTWOOD |
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WESTWOOD: OPENED: 9/1929, INSIDES AND WALLS COMPLETELY GUTTED TO CREATE SHELTER SHED: 1955 Research: Dave Keller |
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Emery map Valley Stream to MP17 8/1958 Archive: Dave Keller |
Westwood Station view NW 2/23/46 Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Dave Morrison |
Westwood Station view SE 2/23/46 Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Dave Morrison |
Westwood - View E 9/27/1973 Photo: George Povall Archive: Dave Keller View is looking east. Depot was located on the railroad-north (west) side of the tracks. This view shows a covered shelter of similar architecture on the opposite side of the tracks. The shelter indicated in my station history below refers to the main depot and not this smaller shelter. Main depot-now-shelter is at the left outside the image to the left of the photographer. Dave Keller |
Westwood Station pedestrian crossing view NW 12/26/03 Photo: William Gilligan |
Westwood Station view N 12/26/03 Photo: William Gilligan |
MALVERNE | ||
MALVERNE: OPENED: c. 1892 AS NORWOOD.
RENAMED "MALVERNE": 2/1913. NO
AGENCY AS OF 1/01/1924.
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Malverne Station postcard c.1915 Archive: Dave Morrison |
Emery map Malverne MP17-18 8/1958 Archive: Dave Keller |
Malverne Station postcard zoom c.1937 Archive: Dave Morrison |
Malverne crossing shanty 5/1943 (Weber-Morrison) |
Malverne Station 5/1943 (Weber-Morrison) |
Malverne Station 5/1943 (Weber-Morrison) |
MU Car #1883 Malverne Station 2/20/1954 Archive: Dave Keller |
MU train at West Hempstead Ave. Malverne Station view N 1954 (Edwards-Keller) |
Malverne LIRR fan trip c.1956 Archive: Brad Phillips |
Malverne Station 1966 (Sturm-Fehn) |
West Hempstead local Malverne view W 1/1971 Photo/Archive: Brad Phillips |
West Hempstead local near Malverne view E 1/1971 Photo/Archive: Brad Phillips |
West Hempstead local near Malverne view E 1/1971 Photo/Archive: Brad Phillips |
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One day round trip ticket Malverne and Westwood 6/30/1972 Archive: Brad Phillips |
Malverne Station 1973 (Huneke-Keller) |
West Hempstead Ave. Malverne Station view N 10/1973 Archive: Brad Phillips |
Malverne Station 11/25/1976 (Madden-Keller) |
Malverne Station Christmas 2003 |
Malverne Station Christmas 2003 |
Malverne Station MP 17.64 erected 1909 as the only “Old” station building left on the branch. (West Hempstead’s old building was demolished in 1959). 3/23/2023 - Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz |
Malverne Station - View NE 3/23/2023 Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz |
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LAKEVIEW | ||
Emery map Lakeview MP18-19 8/1958 Archive: Dave Keller |
MU two-car shuttle makes a station stop at the old wooden Lakeview station. This depot is of similar construction to the Hempstead Gardens station building on the same branch. This c. 1935 view is looking NE and sports the Pennsylvania Railroad keystone-style station sign. The image is wonderfully highlighted by winter's late-afternoon sunlight. (Dave Keller archive) |
Lakeview - Woodfield Rd. 1969 Photo: William Gilligan |
Lakeview westbound local, West Hempstead Branch 1/1971 |
Lakeview at Woodfield Rd. 12/26/2003 Photo/Archive: William Gilligan |
Lakeview Station at MP18.82 - View NE 3/23/2023 Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz |
HEMPSTEAD GARDENS | ||
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Emery map Hempstead Gardens to Fulton St. 1893-1926 Archive: Dave Keller |
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Emery Map Hempstead Gardens to West Hempstead Station 9/1935-1959 Archive: Dave Keller |
Emery Map Hempstead Gardens to West Hempstead Station 1959+ Archive: Dave Keller |
Emery map MP19 to Chestnut St. 8-58 Archive: Dave Keller |
Hempstead Gardens station view N c. 1928 |
Hempstead Gardens Station 1953 Archive: William Gilligan |
Hempstead Gardens station: Shelter Shed View N 10/1966 (Sturm-Fehn) |
Hempstead Gardens station: Shelter Shed MU Double Decker #1330 View N 1/01/72 Archive: Dave Keller |
Hempstead Gardens Station - View NE 3/23/2023 Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz |
Looking northeast at Hempstead
Gardens station, MP 19.53. This is actually in West Hempstead, which is
a hamlet and “Census-Designated Place.” All of the platforms on this
branch are four cars long except West Hempstead, which platforms six. As
information, all trains operated on this branch, seven days a week, are
eight cars long. The bumping block to the left of the main track is the
end of the Long Siding from West Hempstead station, which you can see in
the distance. The Long Siding can hold 18 cars and is never regularly
used any more. Info: Jeff Erlitz |
WEST HEMPSTEAD | ||
Emery Map West Hempstead Station 9/1935-1959 Archive: Dave Keller |
West Hempstead view S 1931, previous location was north of Hempstead Ave at location "M" on Emery map left.
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West Hempstead view S 12/26/03 Photo: William Gilligan
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West Hempstead Yard with passenger cars in the yard. Note: One yard track with access switch has been removed 02/20/1954 Info/Archive: Dave Keller
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West Hempstead Yard - Nassau Mutual Fuel Co. View N aerial c.1930 Archive: Richard Eikov
At the left is the old freight yard and at the right is the old LIRR electric sub-station. A freight is at the platform and an MU electric two-car shuttle at the station is at the other side of the platform up by the depot. Info/Archive: Dave Keller |
Ticket West Hempstead -Hempstead Gardens 02/23/1962 Archive: Brad Phillips
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There are always a lot of choices for lunch in West Hempstead. White Castle and Wendy's are favorites, and it's a good bet that the crew of the RF-48 was having lunch at one of those places on this day in May, 1985. The 223 has already picked up its empty at Bakers Siding, and is ready to go west once the crew returns and they get their paperwork. Photo/Archive: Jay Bendersky |
MP54C at night - West Hempstead Station 1970 Photo/Archive: Richard Glueck |
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ABANDONED LINE TO COUNTRY LIFE PRESS STATION | ||
DD1 #358 Freight Brakeman flagging the Cathedral Avenue crossing - West Hempstead view NE 9/28/47 Photo: Ed Hermanns Archive: Dave Keller
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Despite the sad
deterioration of my negative depicting something very rarely photographed,
this photo depicts what freight service had to contend with along the W.
Hempstead branch: A brakeman had to manually walk ahead of the train
at each crossing and protect that crossing until the engine passed. The LIRR was allowed
this with freight service but was NOT allowed it with passenger service.
The powers-that-be wanted the grade crossings eliminated if the LIRR wished
to continue Mineola-Country Life Press-West Hempstead-Valley Stream
passenger service and as it was the 1930s and the height of the depression
and some grade eliminations were already underway (Springfield Gardens, St.
Albans, Rockville Centre, etc.), the money just wasn't readily available to
do this so passenger service ceased between W. Hempstead and Country Life
Press. Freight service lasted several more decades until the
connection at CLP was removed, the tracks cut back and the branch stubbed
out on the south side of Hempstead Ave. at the W. Hempstead station. Ex-LIRR ROW of West Hempstead Branch, West Hempstead Station to Country Life Press 2014 Archive: Google Map
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Emery map Fulton St. to Franklin Ave, West Hempstead - 10/26 to 9/35 Archive: Dave Keller |
Emery map Fulton St. to Franklin Ave, West Hempstead - 07/1958 Archive: Dave Keller |
Emery map Franklin Ave, to Country Life Press (CLP) Station 1937 Archive: Dave Keller |
Country Life Press razed ROW view towards West Hempstead 12/1964 Photo: Brad Phillips |
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Note: For track continuation from County Line Press (CLP) Station to Mineola CLICK HERE |