Penny Bridge station

Penny Bridge
Former site of the Penny Bridge station
General information
Other names	Calvary Cemetery
Location	north of Laurel Hill Boulevard and Review Avenue Long Island City, Queens, New York
Coordinates	40°43′44.4″N73°55′53″W / 40.729000°N 73.93139°W / 40.729000; -73.93139
Owned by	Long Island Rail Road
Line(s)	Montauk Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
History
Opened	June 26, 1854 August 6, 1870 June 2, 1883
Closed	November 14, 1869 July 30, 1880 March 16, 1998 [1]
Electrified	August 29, 1905
Former services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station Long Island City Terminus Montauk Branch Laurel Hill toward Montauk Preceding station Flushing Railroad Following station Hunter's Point Terminus New York and Flushing Railroad Maspeth Closed 1858 toward Winfield Junction
Location

Penny Bridge was a station along the Long Island Rail Road's Lower Montauk Branch that runs from Long Island City to Jamaica, Queens, in the state of New York. During its existence, the station served local industry as well as the Calvary Cemetery. Before the Kosciuszko Bridge was built, it also served businesses on the Brooklyn side of Newtown Creek (the name referring to the bridge that formerly connected Laurel Hill Boulevard to Meeker Avenue before it was closed in 1939) prior to the closure and removal of the bridge.

History

This station first opened on June 26, 1854, by the Flushing Railroad to serve Calvary Cemetery. ^[2] The Flushing Railroad was purchased by the New York and Flushing Railroad in April 1859. The station, in June 1859, was renamed Calvary Cemetery. The station closed on November 14, 1869. After the line was acquired by the South Side Railroad of Long Island in 1869 the station reopened on August 6, 1870. The Long Island Rail Road purchased the line in 1874 and consolidated the line into its system in 1876. The station was closed on July 30, 1880, before reopening on June 2, 1883. ^[3] The station would close permanently on March 16, 1998, along with Haberman, Glendale, Fresh Pond and Richmond Hill stations due to very low ridership and incompatibility with the C3 cars that were to be introduced into service around the time of closure. Around that time, the station served an average of one passenger per day. ^{[1] [2]}

Station layout

The station had two low-level side platforms beside each track, both consisted merely of long areas of ballast marked as platforms. The eastbound platform had a small blue wooden shelter with signs to indicate the name and location of the station.

References

1. Sengupta, Somini (March 15, 1998). "End of the Line for L.I.R.R.'s 10 Loneliest Stops". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
2. Huenke, Art. "PENNY BRIDGE STATION". www.arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
3. Stadler, Derek. "The History of Long Island City: Details of its Short-Lived Days as Both an Incorporated Municipality and the Major Western Terminus of the Long Island Rail Road". derekstadler.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2016.