ARRT'S   ARRCHIVES





Copyright © September 2005 Arthur John Huneke
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


ROCKAWAY   BEACH   DIVISION
THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD
1880       -       1955



FIFTY YEARS AGO - OCTOBER 3, 1955 - THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD ABANDONED ITS ROCKAWAY BEACH DIVISION WEST (GEOGRAPHICALLY) OF FAR ROCKAWAY AND SOUTH OF OZONE PARK.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY W. J. (BILL) RUGEN
PUBLIC TIMETABLES AND TICKETS PRESERVED BY BILL SLADE.


GENERAL   ORDER   NUMBER   216   OF   EMPLOYE   TIME   TABLE
NUMBER   TWO   DESCRIBES   THE   ABANDONMENT:


THE   FINAL   PUBLIC   TIMETABLE



POCKET   TIMETABLES   AND   TICKETS



NEW   YORK   CITY   TRANSIT   PROVIDED   BUS   SERVICE


WHEN GRADE CROSSINGS WERE ELIMINATED IN THE EARLY 1940'S THE RAILROAD WAS PLACED ON A CONCRETE VIADUCT.   AT FAR ROCKAWAY THE STRUCTURE WAS STEEL TO ALLOW EASY REMOVAL WHEN THE LONG DISCUSSED TAKEOVER BY NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.   THIS TRAIN OF MP54'S IS PASSING THE CLOSED "ROCK" TOWER AND APPROACHING FAR ROCKAWAY STATION.


FAR   ROCKAWAY   -   LONG   ISLAND   RAIL   ROAD   AND   IND   TRAINS.


FRANK   AVENUE   STATION   EDGEMERE


FOLLOWING THE 1950 TRESTLE FIRE ALL ROCKAWAY PARK TRAINS HAD TO RUN TO JAMAICA VIA VALLEY STREAM.   THIS MEANT EASTWARD AND WESTWARD TRAINS SHARED THE SINGLE TRACK SOUTH LEG OF HAMMELS WYE.   THE WEST AND EAST LEGS WERE ABANDONED AND A CABIN - "DRAW" - WAS PLACED AT THE GEOGRAPHIC EAST END OF THE SOUTH LEG TO OPERATE THE HAND THROWN SWITCHES AND INTERLOCKED SIGNALS.   AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPS - "TRIPPERS" - WERE INSTALLED AT THE HOME SIGNALS.   THIS MAP ACCOMPANIED 1950 GENERAL ORDERS NUMBERS 1729 AND 1901.


"DRAW"   CABIN   AND   SUB-STATION   NUMBER   FIVE


CROSS   BAY   BOULEVARD


HOLLAND   STATION   LOOKING   GEOGRAPHICALLY   EAST
TOWARD   DRAW   CABIN'S   WESTBOUND   HOME   SIGNAL


PLAYLAND   STATION


SEASIDE   STATION   -   A   GRAVITY   OPERATED   RAILROAD   AT   THE   RIGHT


ROCKAWAY   PARK   -   HALF   THE   YARD   ALREADY   TORN   UP



NORTH   OF   JAMAICA   BAY

AN   AQUEDUCT   RACE   TRAIN   FROM   FLATBUSH   AVENUE   TERMINAL   LEAVES   THE   ATLANTIC   AVENUE   TUNNEL   AND   ENTERS   "OZONE"   INTERLOCKING   IN   JUNE   1955.   "OZONE"   INTERLOCKING   CLOSED   OCTOBER   3,   1955.


TRAINS   CONTINUED   TO   SERVE   OZONE   PARK   UNTIL   1962


AQUEDUCT   STATION   AND   RACE   TRACK


A   BLOCK   OPERATOR   AT   "RACE"   HANDLED   THE   CROSSOVER   SWITCHES   FOR   RACE   TRAINS


LOOKING NORTH AT HOWARD BEACH STATION


RACE   TRAINS   LAID   UP   AT   HAMILTON   BEACH


THE   CLOSED   "BEACH"   TOWER   -   ORIGINALLY   NUMBER   93   THEN   "WD".