Long Beach Branch

Long Beach Branch
Long Beach Branch train #853 departs Lynbrook, en route to New York Penn Station.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	Long Island Rail Road
Status	Operational
Locale	Nassau County, New York, USA
Termini	Valley Stream Long Beach
Stations	5
Services	Long Beach Branch
Operation
Opened	1880 (as New York and Long Beach Railroad)
Owner	Long Island Rail Road
Operator(s)	Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	750V (DC) Third rail
Route map Legend Lynbrook ◄ Babylon Branch (east) ► Centre Avenue East Rockaway Atlantic Avenue closed 1951 Oceanside Simpsons Channel Jekly Island closed 1922 Island Park Reynolds Channel Wreck Lead closed 1927 Long Beach Marine Railway Company abandoned 1890 Queenswater closed 1936 Long Beach Distances shown in miles from Pennsylvania Station.

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, at Valley Stream station, where the Atlantic Branch tracks from the west are redesignated Long Beach Branch and the Far Rockaway Branch curves south. East from there the Long Beach Branch parallels the Montauk Branch to Lynbrook, where it turns south toward Long Beach. ^[1][2]

History

The Long Beach Branch began as the New York and Long Beach Railroad Company from Lynbrook to Long Beach in 1880. The original southern terminus was along the Atlantic Ocean. LIRR leased and operated the NY&LB RR from 1880 to 1904, at which time the NY&LB RR merged with the LIRR. Five years later, the station was moved from the ocean front to Reynolds Channel, where it remains today.

A five mile (8 km) extension to Point Lookout, New York owned by the Long Beach Marine Railway Company existed between 1881 and 1895. When the LIRR bought the line in 1886, they continued to operate passenger trains along the line until 1890.^[3]

The branch was extended westward from Lynbrook to Valley Stream in 1910 as part of its integration into the Atlantic Branch. The line was double-tracked from Valley Stream to Lynbrook in late 1910, then from East Rockaway to Wreck Lead (“WL”) on January 15, 1927. Electrification of the main tracks from Valley Stream to Long Beach was finished in September 1910. Electrification came to freight sidings between 1928 and 1930. Color light signals were installed in January, 1927.

Service

On weekdays, most Long Beach Branch trains serve Penn Station, with limited service to/from Atlantic Terminal, and run express between Jamaica and Valley Stream. On weekends, trains also stop at Locust Manor, Laurelton and Rosedale, and all trains serve Penn except for some post-midnight trains to/from Atlantic Terminal and one to Jamaica.

Stations

Station/ location	Station link	Miles to Penn Station	Connections/notes
For continuing service to Jamaica and points west, see City Terminal Zone
Jamaica-Beaver Street Jamaica			closed 1913
Cedar Manor South Jamaica			closed January 28, 1959
Locust Manor Farmers Boulevard and Bedell Street, Locust Manor	[1]	14.1	Bus (New York City Bus):Q3 (to JFK Airport); Q85
Higbie Avenue 140th and Edgewood Avenues, Locust Manor	[2]		closed February 2, 1960
Laurelton 225th Street and 141st Road, Laurelton	[3]	15.0	Bus (New York City Bus): Q77, Q85
Rosedale North Conduit Avenue and 243rd Street, Rosedale	[4]	15.9	Bus (New York City Bus): Q5, Q85
Valley Stream Franklin Avenue and Sunrise Highway, Valley Stream	[5]	17.6	Transfer to Far Rockaway and West Hempstead Branch trains Bus (MTA Long Island Bus): N2
Lynbrook Sunrise Highway and Peninsula Boulevard, Lynbrook	[6]	19.2	Transfer to Babylon Branch trains Bus (MTA Long Island Bus): N25, N31, N32, N36
Centre Avenue Forest Avenue between Rocklyn Avenue and Centre Avenue, East Rockaway	[7]	20.1	Originally named South Lynbrook from 1898 to 1924.
East Rockaway Ocean Avenue and Davison Place, East Rockaway	[8]	20.6	Bus (MTA Long Island Bus): N36
Atlantic Avenue East Rockaway	[9]		Opened April 1898; Closed 1951
Oceanside Weidner Avenue and Lawson Boulevard, Oceanside	[10]	21.1
Barnum Island Channel Bridge
Jekyl Island Barnum Island			Originally named Barnum Island from 1901-1903, then renamed Island Park in October 1921; closed July 1922
Island Park Long Beach Road and Austin Boulevard, Island Park/Barnum Island	[11]	23.6	Originally named The Dykes from 1898 to 1924. Bus (MTA Long Island Bus): N15
Reynolds Channel Bridge
Wreck Lead Long Beach			Opened June 1888 to serve numerous fishing clubs and hotels; Closed December 31, 1927
Queenswater Long Beach			Originally opened in April 1898 as a signal stop named Inner Beach; Renamed "Queenswater" in May 1899; Closed June 1936
Club House Long Beach			Originally opened in April 1898 as a signal stop on the present Market Street west of National Avenue; Closed in 1909 when Long Beach Station was relocated.
Long Beach Park Place and Park Avenue, Long Beach	[12]	24.6	Bus (MTA Long Island Bus): N15, N33 Bus (City of Long Beach): Long Beach shuttles, N69

References

External videos
	LIRR Time Lapse: Penn Station to Long Beach, MTA's LIRR; May 20, 2010; 2-minute YouTube video clip
	LIRR Time Lapse: Long Beach to Penn Station, MTA's LIRR; May 20, 2010; 2-minute YouTube video clip

1. ^ MTA LIRR - LIRR Map
2. ^ LIRR Long Beach Branch Timetable
3. ^ Bob Emery's LIRR Branch Notes (TrainsAreFun.com)

External links

• Long Beach Branch Stations (Unofficial LIRR History web site)
• NYCSubway.org: Long Beach Branch
• Original Long Beach Station & Branch (Arrt's Arrchives)