- Rockaway Beach Branch
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This article is about the LIRR branch to the Rockaways from the north (Elmhurst and Glendale). For the branch from the northeast (Hillside), see New York and Rockaway Railroad. For the operating branch from the east (Valley Stream), see Far Rockaway Branch. For the section operated by the New York City Subway as the A (New York City Subway service) and Rockaway Park Shuttle, see IND Rockaway Line.
Rockaway Beach Branch
Woodhaven Junction StationOverview Type Passenger and Freight Status Out of service Locale Queens, New York Termini Elmhurst (north)
Rockaway Park (south)Stations 19 Operation Opened 1877 Closed 1962 Owner City of New York Operator(s) Long Island Railroad Technical Line length 4.8 miles (7.7 km) 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 40°43′31″N 73°51′39″W / 40.7254°N 73.8608°W heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways 40°35′29″N 73°48′32″W / 40.5913°N 73.8088°W 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. After a 1950 fire the Jamaica Bay bridge was closed and the line south of Ozone Park sold to the city, which rehabilitated it and connected it to the New York City Subway system as the IND Rockaway Line.
Contents
History
The New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad was incorporated on March 21, 1877[1] and organized March 24 to build a 3 foot 6 inch (1067 mm) narrow gauge line from Greenpoint, Brooklyn (connecting with the New York and Manhattan Beach Railway) via Cypress Hills and Woodhaven to Rockaway Beach.[2][3] The plans were later changed (on March 13, 1878[4]) to build a standard gauge line from Hunter's Point rather than Greenpoint.
An agreement was made with the Long Island Rail Road in 1880 to operate over its Montauk Division to Bushwick and Hunter's Point (via trackage rights from Glendale Junction) and Atlantic Division to Flatbush Avenue (carried by LIRR locomotives from Woodhaven Junction).[5] In order to support the extra traffic, the LIRR agreed to double-track the Montauk Division west of Richmond Hill and the Atlantic Division west of Woodhaven Junction.
After a delay caused by financial problems,[6] the line opened on August 26, 1880, and the LIRR stopped running trains from its New York terminals to Rockaway Beach via Valley Stream and its Far Rockaway Branch. It continued to operate through trains to Far Rockaway, as well as trains between Long Beach and Rockaway Beach.[7][8][9]
The company went bankrupt and was sold under foreclosure on July 30, 1887 to Austin Corbin, owner of the LIRR, who reorganized it as the New York and Rockaway Beach Railway (NY&RB) on August 19, 1887 and transferred the property on September 1, 1887. The old Far Rockaway Branch west of Arverne was soon connected to the NY&RB at Hammels,[1][10] and was abandoned west of the new connection.[citation needed] The NY&RB began operating trains to Far Rockaway over this connection.[11]
From July 17, 1898 to 1917, the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad (later Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company) operated trains from Williamsburg (later Lower Manhattan) to Rockaway Beach (at the western part of the Rockaway Peninsula), using a connection to the Atlantic Avenue Division at Chestnut Street Junction (in present-day East New York) and the Rockaway Beach Division south of Woodhaven Junction.[12][13][14]
The NY&RB was operated independently until July 1, 1904, when the LIRR leased it as the Rockaway Beach Division.[15] The line south of Woodhaven Junction was part of the LIRR's first electrification, along with the Atlantic Avenue Division west to Atlantic Terminal, with electric passenger service beginning July 26, 1905.[16] Steam trains continued to serve Rockaway Park from Long Island City until June 16, 1910, when the electrified Glendale Cut-off opened, extending the line north from Glendale on the Montauk Division to White Pot Junction at Rego Park on the Main Line. At the same time, the Rockaway Beach Division was electrified north of Woodhaven Junction, and the Main Line was electrified west of Rego Park (and into Penn Station when the East River Tunnels opened on September 8, 1910).[17] The New York and Rockaway Beach Railway was merged into the LIRR on July 19, 1921.[18]
The June 1947 weekday schedule shows 68 trains crossing Jamaica Bay north to south:
- 28 trains to Rockaway Park from Penn Station and 14 from Brooklyn
- five trains to Far Rockaway from Penn and one from Brooklyn
- two to Jamaica from Penn and one from Brooklyn
- 11 to Penn from Penn, and one from Brooklyn to Penn
- two to Brooklyn from Penn and three from Brooklyn to Brooklyn
Many trains had quick connections at the Ozone Park station.
Final years: 1950-1962
A fire on the trestle across Jamaica Bay between The Raunt and Broad Channel stations cut service on the middle section of the line on May 8, 1950.[19] The LIRR continued to operate over the line with two services. One to Rockaway Park west of Hammels via the Far Rockaway Branch through Nassau County, and the other to Hamilton Beach via the Main Line's connection to the Rockaway Branch through Whitepot Junction. The Jamaica Bay trestle meanwhile remained out of service.[20] The LIRR saw the Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park as a liability, and sought to either sell or abandon it. The city of New York, however, saw great potential in extending subway service over Jamaica Bay and purchased the line in 1955. After an extensive rebuild of all trestles and converting the line for transit operations, the city began operating it as the IND Rockaway Line on June 26, 1956 to great fanfare.[21]
The line's connection with the Atlantic Branch at Woodhaven Junction, consisting of an interlocking, tunnel portal and incline that rose to meet the elevated Rockaway Branch, was closed and removed in October 1955. This connection had primarily been used to allow trains from Brooklyn to reach Aqueduct Racetrack. The remains of the interlocking can still be seen in the Atlantic Avenue tunnel, while the incline is now owned by Logan School Bus Company which park their busses along the right of way.
LIRR service of the remaining portion of the Rockaway Beach Branch between Rego Park and Ozone Park was greatly reduced and truncated to a single-track operations between the two endpoints starting in 1956. Patronage sharply declined over the next few years, with service consisting of a single train in each direction between New York Penn Station and Ozone Park. No connection with the IND Rockaway Line was made in Ozone Park, further hurting any potential ridership growth. Realizing the current truncated operation was served better and more frequently by the transit authority—coupled with the fact it was the only LIRR line to not serve Long Island proper—service quietly ceased on June 8, 1962.[22][23]
Legacy
The LIRR never filed to abandon the isolated section of double trackage between Elmhurst and Ozone Park, due to the intended connection to the IND Queens Boulevard Line subway. As of 2010, the line remains officially out of service and it known by locals as "the forgotten spur."[22] As such, no effort has been made to remove and dismantle any railway hardware. Rails, wooden ties, electrical towers and even de-electrified third rails still adorn most of the route, and is a regular haunt for hikers, homeless, and such. The right-of-way can be easily be seen, especially along the abandoned elevated embankment in Woodhaven and Ozone Park.[22] It is currently owned by the City of New York.
Restoration proposals
Since service ended in 1962, there has been repeated talks of restoring the line to active passenger service. In 2001, the MTA suggested routing the proposed AirTrain JFK airport service over the line. The route was to begin at Penn Station, following the route of the original Rockaway Beach Branch, through Rego Park, Ozone Park, and ultimately branching off at the current Howard Beach-JFK subway station served by the IND Rockaway Line.
The routing was met with approval from advocacy groups including the Rockaway-based Committee for Better Transit, Inc. and the Rockaway Transit Coalition. However, local and political opposition from Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill and Glendale hurt the prospects of restored service, as residents along the line complained that noise levels would increase and neighborhoods would be aesthetically marred. In addition, the MTA cited high operational and construction costs as detriments.[24]
In 2005, residents began suggesting a conversion of the line to either a rail trail or, preferably, a rails with trails. It has been argued that restoration is needed to enable redevelopment of the Rockaways, "a potentially very attractive area that has long suffered from slow transit service. Higher property values and influxes of people attracted by fast service to Midtown could revitalize en-route neighborhoods like Richmond Hill."[25]
List of stations
Miles Name Opened Closed Re-opened Grand Street July 1, 1913 1925 Rego Park May 1928 June 8, 1962 Parkside September 15, 1927 June 8, 1962 Brooklyn Hills 1882 1911 Brooklyn Manor January 9, 1911 June 8, 1962 Woodhaven Junction by 1893 June 8, 1962 Ozone Park by 1883[26] June 8, 1962 Aqueduct 1883 October 3, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Aqueduct – North Conduit AvenueHoward Beach
earlier RamblersvilleMid-June 1899 June 27, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Howard BeachHamilton Beach October 16, 1919 June 27, 1955 Howard
also Howard's Landing1898 October 23, 1907 Goose Creek 1888 September 1935 The Raunt 1888 May 23, 1950 Broad Channel 1880 or 1881 May 23, 1950 June 28, 1956
as Broad ChannelBeach Channel 1888 May 31, 1905 Hammels
earlier HammelAugust 26, 1880[9] 1941 Holland August 26, 1880[9] October 3, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Beach 90th StreetPlayland
earlier SteeplechaseApril 1903 October 3, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Beach 98th StreetSeaside August 26, 1880[9] October 3, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Beach 105th StreetRockaway Park August 26, 1880[9] October 3, 1955 June 28, 1956
as Rockaway Park – Beach 116th StreetExternal links
- Rockaway Beach Branch at Forgotten New York.com
- Walking tour of Rockaway Beach Branch at oldnyc.com
- Restoration proposals at Wired New York.com
- Restoration proposals at NYC Transit Forums.com
- Committee for Better Transit, Inc.
References
- ^ a b Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Report: New York and Rockaway Beach
- ^ "Another Railroad Fight". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 2. June 8, 1877. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1877/06/08&Page=2&skin=BE.
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1877PDF (156 KiB), June 2006 Edition
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1878PDF (126 KiB), June 2006 Edition
- ^ "A Queer Railroad Job". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 4. April 25, 1880. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1880/04/25&Page=4&skin=BE.
- ^ "Caravansary". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 4. July 23, 1880. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1880/07/23&Page=4&skin=BE.
- ^ "To Rockaway". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 4. August 23, 1880. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1880/08/23&Page=4&skin=BE.
- ^ "Developing". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 1. August 26, 1880. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1880/08/26&Page=1&skin=BE.
- ^ a b c d e "Opened". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 4. August 26, 1880. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1880/08/26&Page=4&skin=BE.
- ^ Peter Ross, A History of Long Island From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, History of the Long Island Railroad, 1903
- ^ "New York and Rockaway Beach Railway". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 1. August 15, 1888. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1888/08/15&Page=1&skin=BE.
- ^ "L Trains to Rockaway". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 14. July 16, 1898. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1898/07/16&Page=14&skin=BE.
- ^ "New Rockaway Route Open". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 9. July 17, 1898. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1898/07/17&Page=9&skin=BE.
- ^ PRR Chronology, Discontinuance/Last Runs of Passenger ServicePDF (40.6 KiB), Edition of June 30, 2003
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1904PDF (61.9 KiB), March 2005 Edition
- ^ Arrt's Arrchives: July 26, 1905
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1910PDF (53.7 KiB), March 2005 Edition
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1921PDF (100 KiB), June 2004 Edition
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1950PDF (50.5 KiB), December 2004 Edition
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1950PDF (50.5 KiB), December 2004 Edition
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1956PDF (45.9 KiB), December 2004 Edition
- ^ a b c George, Herbert Change At Ozone ParkCopyright 1993, RAE Publishing
- ^ PRR Chronology, 1962PDF (72.8 KiB), June 2004 Edition
- ^ McLoughlin, John C. (February 17, 2001). "MTA Derails Rockaway LIRR Plan". The Wave. http://www.rockawave.com/news/2001-02-17/Front_Page/MTA_Derails_Rockaway_LIRR_Plan0217.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5561 Wired New York.com
- ^ "A Grand Success". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: p. 1. May 14, 1883. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?BaseHref=BEG/1883/05/14&Page=1&skin=BE.
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- Railway companies established in 1877
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