THE BROOKLYN & JAMAICA RAIL ROAD COMPANY THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD COMPANY
JAMAICA STATION PART TWO
THE SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD COMPANY OF LONG ISLAND
"JA" TOWER, "JAMAICA BLOCK", ORIGINALLY NUMBER 40 - NUMBER 36 AFTER 1903.
THE ENGINE RUN - AROUND TRACK
RAN BETWEEN JA TOWER ON THE MAIN LINE AND MP TOWER ON THE ATLANTIC BRANCH
A STREET CROSSED THE ENGINE RUN AROUND TRACK
TOWER NUMBER 67 LATER "MP" ON THE ATLANTIC BRANCH AT EAST END OF MORRIS PARK SHOPS.
SOUTH END OF ENGINE RUN AROUND TRACK
"SHOPS" STATION FOR EMPLOYES
THE RAILROAD PURCHASED PROPERTY NORTH OF THE MAIN TRACKS AND IN 1899 BUILT A NEW FREIGHT YARD
LOOKING NORTHEAST ACROSS VAN WYCK AVENUE AND PAST DUNTON STATION
THIS FREIGHT HOUSE WAS NEAR JAMAICA AVENUE, NORTH OF THE NEW YARD
TOWER NUMBER 15 - JAMAICA AIR TOWER - "JT" TOWER
THE RAILROAD'S FIRST POWER INTERLOCKING WAS INSTALLED IN 1899 AT THE WEST END OF JAMAICA STATION, A "STRAIGHT AIR" SETUP AS OPPOSED TO THE LATER ELECTRO-PNEUMATIC INTERLOCKINGS.
IN 1903 JAMAICA STATION WAS WIDENED TO SIX TRACKS WITH FOUR ISLAND PLATFORMS. THE RIGHT OF WAY EAST OF THE STATION WAS WIDENED AND NEW OVERHEAD BRIDGES REPLACED THE OLD ONES AT PROSPECT, WASHINGTON AND UNION HALL STREETS.
IN 1903 OR 1904 JOHN TOOKER PHOTOGRAPHED NEW YORK AVENUE CROSSING AND TOWER
ON AUGUST 29, 1905 ELECTRIFICATION WAS EXTENDED THROUGH JAMAICA
UNTIL JUNE 1906 THE SWITCHES AT THE EAST END OF JAMAICA STATION WERE HAND OPERATED BY
SWITCHMEN - EVEN THE DOUBLE SLIP SWITCHES WITH MOVABLE POINT FROGS.
AT THE LEFT ARE A GAS HOUSE AND GAS STORAGE CAR FOR SUPPLYING GAS LIGHTED PASSENGER
CARS.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE CABIN IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO WAS "CABIN ONE".
SMITH STREET BRIDGE SIGNAL STATION
A TEMPORARY SIGNAL STATION WAS PLACED ON THE SIGNAL BRIDGE AT SMITH STREET AND THE AUTOMATIC SIGNALS WERE REMOVED FROM SERVICE, PROBABLY IN 1905 (A JOB WAS ADVERTISED OCTOBER 25, 1905). IT BLOCKED TRAINS WITH CABIN ONE, JAMAICA STATION AND "RJ" TOWER, ROCKAWAY JUNCTION. UNDOUBTEDLY TOWER 41 WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME THE AUTOMATIC SIGNALS WERE INSTALLED, PROBABLY IN 1904. THESE PHOTOS ARE FROM 1929.
EAST END OF JAMAICA STATION THE SECOND TOWER NUMBER 41 - THE FIRST "JE" TOWER
A ONE STORY EXTENSION WAS ADDED ON THE TOWER'S EAST SIDE