Far Rockaway Branch

Last updated

Far Rockaway Branch
LIRR Train 2820 leaves Cedarhurst.jpg
Far Rockaway Branch train 2820 departing Cedarhurst Station.
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner Long Island Rail Road
Locale Queens and Nassau County, New York, US
Termini
  • Valley Stream
  • Far Rockaway
Stations11
Service
Type Commuter rail
System Long Island Rail Road
Services
Operator(s) Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Ridership4,095,562 (annual ridership, 2022)
History
Opened1869 (as part of South Side Railroad of Long Island)
Technical
Number of tracks2
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification Third rail,  750 V DC
Route map
Far Rockaway Branch
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9.3 mi
15 km
Jamaica
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12.2 mi
19.6 km
Locust Manor
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13.1 mi
21.1 km
Laurelton
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14.0 mi
22.5 km
Rosedale
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16.1 mi
25.9 km
Valley Stream
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16.2 mi
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0.8 mi
1.3 km
Gibson
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1.7 mi
2.7 km
Hewlett
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2.3 mi
3.7 km
Woodmere
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3.2 mi
5.1 km
Cedarhurst
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4.0 mi
6.4 km
Lawrence
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4.4 mi
7.1 km
Inwood
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5.0 mi
8 km
Far Rockaway
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Distances shown from Long Island City via the Lower Montauk Branch

The Far Rockaway Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station. From Valley Stream, the line heads south and southwest through southwestern Nassau County, ending at Far Rockaway in Queens, thus reentering New York City. LIRR maps and schedules indicate that the Far Rockaway Branch service continues west along the Atlantic Branch to Jamaica. [1] [2] This two-track branch provides all day service in both directions to Grand Central Madison and Penn Station, both in Midtown Manhattan.

Contents

History

The Far Rockaway Branch initially extended west to Rockaway Park. In 1887, a connection was built to the Rockaway Beach Branch at Hammels, and the older Far Rockaway Branch was abandoned west of Hammels. Rockaway Branches.jpg
The Far Rockaway Branch initially extended west to Rockaway Park. In 1887, a connection was built to the Rockaway Beach Branch at Hammels, and the older Far Rockaway Branch was abandoned west of Hammels.
LIRR train at the existing terminus in Far Rockaway. LIRR M7 7508 Far Rockaway.jpg
LIRR train at the existing terminus in Far Rockaway.

Opening

The South Side Railroad (SSRLI) built the branch in 1869 under a subsidiary called the Far Rockaway Branch Railroad. While constructing it in summer 1869, the company installed about 700 feet (200 m) of tracks across William B. McManus's farmland near Lawrence. However, the transaction had not been completed, and McManus and some friends tore up the track the next night; after a legal battle, the company paid McManus. [4] :30 The same year, the South Side established a subsidiary named the Hempstead and Rockaway Railroad (H&R) designed to connect the line to the up-and-coming Southern Hempstead Branch. The H&R was dissolved in 1871.

Expansion

Due to the success of the branch, the South Side built the 200-foot (60 m) South Side Pavilion, a restaurant on the beach at what is today Beach 30th Street. With an additional subsidiary known as the Rockaway Railway (1871-1872; Not to be confused with the Rockaway Village Railroad), the line was extended west to the Seaside House (Beach 103rd Street) in 1872 and Neptune House (Beach 116th Street) in 1875. [4] :30–32 The Far Rockaway Branch, along with the rest of the South Side Railroad, was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road in 1876.

Two stations on the branch were built as Arverne, both of which were built by Remington Vernam. The first of which was in 1888 at Gaston Avenue (Beach 67th Street). It had a large tower, was shaped like a Victorian hotel and had a connection to the Ocean Electric Railway, as did much of the Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway branches. Due to a quarrel between the LIRR and Vernam, another Arverne Station was built at Straiton Avenue in 1892. From then on, the original Arverne station was known as Arverne-Gaston Avenue to distinguish it from the Arverne-Straiton Avenue. [5]

In 1908, the line between Cedarhurst and Far Rockaway was triple-tracked. [6] :19 During the early 1940s, the right-of-way was relocated from a ground-level routing to a concrete trestle. The ROW crossed Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway and returned to ground level, passing over Nameoke Street, continuing to Gibson Station and ascending back on a trestle to Valley Stream.

End of Jamaica Bay service

Until 1950 trains from Penn Station could leave the Main Line at Whitepot Junction ( 40°43′31″N73°51′39″W / 40.7254°N 73.8608°W / 40.7254; -73.8608 ) and head south past the Atlantic Branch connection at Woodhaven Junction ( 40°41′14″N73°50′36″W / 40.6871°N 73.8433°W / 40.6871; -73.8433 ) to the Hammels Wye at 40°35′29″N73°48′32″W / 40.5913°N 73.8088°W / 40.5913; -73.8088 , turning right there to Rockaway Park or left to Valley Stream and Jamaica and maybe on to Penn Station. Frequent fires and maintenance problems, notably a May 23, 1950 fire between Broad Channel and The Raunt, led the LIRR to abandon the Queens portion of the route on October 3, 1955, which was acquired by the city to become the IND Rockaway Line, with service provided by the A train. [7] Most Queens stations along the former Far Rockaway and Rockaway Beach Branches reopened as subway stations on June 28, 1956, [8] the exception being Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue station, which was split between the NYCTA and LIRR on January 16, 1958. [9]

Recent changes

Between the late 1960s and 1990s, various stations along the Far Rockaway Branch were given high-level platforms in order to accommodate modern M1, M3, and M7 railcars.

The Far Rockaway Branch has the distinction of containing the oldest surviving railroad station on Long Island, and the only existing building constructed by an LIRR predecessor, specifically Hewlett. In 2003, the LIRR closed that station replacing it with a new one diagonally across the railroad crossing on Franklin Avenue; however, the original SSRLI Depot has remained intact.

Stations

West of Locust Manor, most trips go on to terminate at Grand Central or Penn Station, while some late night trains terminate at Jamaica. [2] Stations past Far Rockaway were abandoned in 1955, though many of them were reopened as subway stations on the IND Rockaway Line in 1956. The location of the former Atlantic Park station is uncertain.

Zone [10] LocationStation Miles (km)
from Long Island City via the Lower Montauk Branch [11]
Date
opened
Date
closed
Connections and notes
3 Locust Manor, Queens Locust Manor 12.2 (19.6)1869 New York City Bus: Q3 , Q85 , QM21
Springfield Gardens, Queens Higbie Avenue 19081960
Laurelton, Queens Laurelton 13.1 (21.1)1907 [12] New York City Bus: Q77 , Q85
Rosedale, Queens Rosedale 14.0 (22.5)1870 [13] New York City Bus: Q5 , Q85 , X63
4 Valley Stream Valley Stream Wheelchair symbol.svg 16.1 (25.9)1869 [13] Long Island Rail Road: Long Beach, West Hempstead branches
Nassau Inter-County Express: n1, Elmont Flexi
ZoneLocationStation Miles (km)
from Valley Junction [11]
Date
opened
Date
closed
Connections and notes
4 Valley Stream Gibson Wheelchair symbol.svg 0.8 (1.3)1928Nassau Inter-County Express: n1
Hewlett Hewlett Wheelchair symbol.svg 1.7 (2.7)1869 [13] Nassau Inter-County Express: n1 , n31 , n32
Originally named Cedar Grove, then Hewletts
Woodmere Woodmere Wheelchair symbol.svg 2.3 (3.7)1869 [13] Nassau Inter-County Express: n31 , n32
Cedarhurst Cedarhurst Wheelchair symbol.svg 3.2 (5.1)1869Nassau Inter-County Express: n31 , n32
Lawrence Lawrence Wheelchair symbol.svg 4.0 (6.4)1869 [13] Nassau Inter-County Express: n31 , n32
Inwood Inwood Wheelchair symbol.svg 4.4 (7.1)1905Nassau Inter-County Express: n31 , n32
Originally named Westville
Far Rockaway, Queens Far Rockaway (Nameoke Street) Wheelchair symbol.svg 5.0 (8.0)1958 [7] New York City Subway: A (at Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue)
Nassau Inter-County Express: n31 , n32 , n33
MTA Bus: Q22 , Q113 , Q114 , QM17
  Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue 1869 [13] 1958 [7] Now Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue subway station
Wavecrest 19281955Now Beach 25th Street subway station
Atlantic Park 1875No remains left
Edgemere, Queens Edgemere 18951955Now Beach 36th Street subway station
Frank Avenue 19221955Now Beach 44th Street subway station
Arverne, Queens Arverne–Straiton Avenue 18921955Now Beach 60th Street subway station
Arverne–Gaston Avenue 18881955Originally named Arverne, now Beach 67th Street subway station
Rockaway Beach, Queens Hammels 18801941Replaced the Eldert's Grove station (1872-1887)
Holland 18801955Now Beach 90th Street subway station
Playland 19031955Now Beach 98th Street subway station
Seaside 18801955Now Beach 105th Street subway station
Rockaway Park, Queens Rockaway Park 18821955Originally named Rockaway Beach, now Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street subway station

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Island Rail Road</span> Commuter rail system on Long Island, New York

The Long Island Rail Road, often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. The railroad currently operates a public commuter rail service, with its freight operations contracted to the New York and Atlantic Railway. With an average weekday ridership of 354,800 passengers in 2016, it is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. It is also one of the world's few commuter systems that runs 24/7 year-round. It is publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which refers to it as MTA Long Island Rail Road. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 70,342,700, or about 253,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Atlantic Branch is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It is the only LIRR line with revenue passenger service in the borough of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hewlett station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

Hewlett is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway Branch in Hewlett, in Nassau County, New York, United States. The station is located at Franklin Avenue between Broadway and West Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence station (LIRR)</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

Lawrence is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway Branch in Lawrence, in Nassau County, New York, United States. The station is officially located at Lawrence Avenue and Bayview Avenue, two blocks west of Central Avenue. However, the actual location is two blocks north of Central Avenue, and Bayview Avenue is on the opposite side of the tracks. Lawrence Station is 21.8 miles (35.1 km) from Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Stream station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

Valley Stream is a train station located in Valley Stream, New York. It is on the Atlantic Branch of the Long Island Rail Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach 67th Street station</span> New York City Subway station in Queens

The Beach 67th Street station is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Beach 67th Street and Rockaway Freeway in Arverne, Queens, it is served by the A train at all times. The station is adjacent to Kohlreiter Square, a public green space on the north side of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach 60th Street station</span> New York City Subway station in Queens

The Beach 60th Street station is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. Located in Queens on the Rockaway Freeway at Beach 60th Street, it is served by the A train at all times. The station opened in 1892, and was rebuilt in 1942 as an elevated station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue station</span> New York City Subway station in Queens

The Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue station is the eastern terminal station of the New York City Subway's IND Rockaway Line. Originally a Long Island Rail Road station, it is currently the easternmost station in the New York City Subway. It is served by the A train at all times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montauk Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles (185 km) from Long Island City to Montauk. However, in LIRR maps and schedules for public use, the term Montauk Branch refers to the line east of Babylon; service from Jamaica to Babylon is covered by separate Babylon Branch schedules, while the line west of Jamaica is currently unused for passenger service. A select number of Montauk Branch trains operate via the Main Line during peak hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with the Far Rockaway Branch to continue west as the Atlantic Branch. East from there the Long Beach Branch parallels the Montauk Branch to Lynbrook station, where it turns south toward Long Beach station. Trains operating on the Long Beach Branch continue west of Valley Stream via the Atlantic Branch to Jamaica station, with most continuing on to Grand Central or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. In 2018, the branch recorded an annual ridership of 4,849,085 based on ticket sales, down 1% from 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island Park station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

Island Park is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Long Beach Branch serving the residents of Island Park, Barnum Island, and Harbor Isle. The station can platform a 12-car train and is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps from street level. Parking facilities are also available. Southwest of the station the train crosses over Reynolds Channel.

The South Side Railroad of Long Island was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York. Chartered in 1860 and first opened in 1867 as a competitor to the Long Island Rail Road, it was reorganized in 1874 as the Southern Railroad of Long Island and leased in 1876 to the LIRR. After a reorganization as the Brooklyn and Montauk Railroad in 1879 it was merged in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockaway Beach Branch</span> Former Long Island Rail Road branch (closed 1962)

The Rockaway Beach Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, United States. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction in Rego Park heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways, turning west there to a terminal at Rockaway Park. Along the way it connected with the Montauk Branch near Glendale, the Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven, and the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Rockaway station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

East Rockaway is a train station serving the Long Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Atlantic and Ocean Avenues in East Rockaway, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozone Park station (LIRR)</span>

Ozone Park is a former Long Island Rail Road station in New York City. Located at 99th Street and 101st Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens, it was a major station along the Rockaway Beach Branch until the line's closure in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Manor station</span> Former LIRR station (closed 1962)

The Brooklyn Manor station was a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Rockaway Beach Branch located on the south side of Jamaica Avenue at 100th Street, straddling the border between Richmond Hill and Woodhaven in Queens, New York City. The station name referred to the nearby Brooklyn Manor section of Woodhaven, originally a 603-lot development bounded by Woodhaven Boulevard to the west, 96th/98th Streets to the east, Forest Park to the north, and Jamaica Avenue to the south. The station opened in January 1911, and was constructed as a replacement for the Brooklyn Hills station, which was located 3,000 feet (910 m) to the north. This station closed along with the rest of the Rockaway Beach Branch in 1962, and was subsequently demolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkside station</span> Former elevated LIRR railway station

Parkside is a former elevated Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station on the north side of Metropolitan Avenue on the border of the Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Glendale neighborhoods in Queens, New York City. Opened in 1927, the wooden station was part of the Rockaway Beach Branch and was the northernmost station on the branch before the junction with the Main Line at Rego Park Station and the terminus of the line at Grand Street station in Elmhurst. It also had a connecting spur to the Montauk Branch east towards Richmond Hill station. The station was closed in 1962, twelve years after the LIRR had abandoned the Rockaway portions of the line.

The Ocean Electric Railway was a street car line that operated on The Rockaways. It ran parallel to parts of the Rockaway Beach Branch and Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. The headquarters of the OER were at the Far Rockaway Long Island Rail Road station which was then located across Mott Avenue from the existing Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue subway station. The Office of Superintendent - Trolleys at that location managed all the LIRR's owned trolley operations.

Hammels was a Long Island Rail Road station on the Rockaway Beach Branch in Hammels, Queens. It was located at what is today Beach 84th Street at the west leg of the Hammels Wye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kohlreiter Square</span> Green space in Queens, New York

Kohlreiter Square is an 8.6-acre public green space located in the Arverne neighborhood on Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, New York. It located along the north side of Rockaway Freeway between Beach 67th and Beach 69th Streets. The park honors two generations of civic activists, Nathan A. Kohlreiter (1880–1961) and his son Fred Kohlreiter (1913–1990) who contributed to the political and social fabric of the neighborhood.

References

  1. MTA LIRR - LIRR Map
  2. 1 2 LIRR Far Rockaway Branch Timetable
  3. "The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History Volume #5(New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad; New York & Rockaway Beach railway; New York & Long Beach Railroad; New York & Rockaway railroad; Brooklyn rapid transit operation to Rockaway; Over L.I.R.R.)", by Vincent F. Seyfried
  4. 1 2 Ron Ziel and George H. Foster, Steel Rails to the Sunrise, 1965
  5. LIRR Station History Archived January 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "The Long Island Railroad Twenty-Seventh Annual Report For The Year Ending December 31st, 1908". Report of ..., Trustee[S] of the Property of the Debtor, for the Year Ended ...1949-1953. Long Island Railroad Company. 1909.
  7. 1 2 3 "Fifty Years of Subway Service to the Rockaways". New York Division Bulletin. New York Division, Electric Railroaders' Association. 49 (6). June 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2016 via Issuu.
  8. Freeman, Ira Henry (June 28, 1956). "Rockaway Trains to Operate Today" (PDF). The New York Times . Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  9. "New Subway Unit Ready: Far Rockaway IND Terminal Will Be Opened Today" (PDF). The New York Times . January 16, 1958. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  10. "New Fares — Effective April 21, 2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  11. 1 2
  12. Long Island Railroad Station History (TrainsAreFun.com) Archived January 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vincent F. Seyfried, The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History, Part One: South Side R.R. of L.I., 1961
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