Steam Locomotive Engineer's Experiences

[krispy]

Routing freight down the Atlantic can be done through 9 track without concern of platform canopy damage, which was the problem with routing freights through the station. But it is possible, and you'll plenty of work trains doing that in the station during the weekends until they complete the new Jamaica station. There is no need now as there is no sidings down the Atlantic, LB and Far Rock, and no need to use the yard at Valley.

Just looking out the window, there is lots of evidence of many sidings east of Hall on the Atlantic, and there must have been alot of traffic at one time.

[LI Loco]

I know there's was a siding for a coal trestle, but as far as I know, that's it on the Atlantic. There is no real industry on the Atlantic (in Queens) to warrant rail service. The only significant freight I knew about was a small yard near the Locust Manor station to handle covered hoppers filled with cement for construction of the Rochdale Village apartment complex.

[JoeLIRR]

Between Jamaica & locust mannor there are what appears to be reminates of a coal delevery dock. i beleve one in each direction. the reminats im talking about are just east of of the tunnel into jamaica. (where west bound trains usally have a approch or maby a restricting signal.)

[BobLI]

Dont forget the coal Dockon the atlantic branch which had a siding from the elevated down to ground level. If you look closely you can see the embankment where it went to ground level. Now its been torn down for a long time and an empty lot there now.

[JoeLIRR]

This may be off topic, but what was the tracks that cross ocean ave in lynbrook @ ground level used for. there is reminance of an embankment or somthing to that effect. is there any hope in it being re used buy the lumber yard there. im may ahelp to releve merrick rd of some tucks that the in everyones and are an accident waiting to happen.

[BobLI]

The track that crosses Ocean ave went into an LILCo now LIPA power grid substation. Probably used to deliver a transformer there. Its severed at the track level and only trace left is in Ocean ave. Even the track in the substation is gone, no hope !!! I cross it when i am leaving the supermarket on the other side of the tracks.

[dukeoq]

The year was 1960 and the old Jamaica Race Track had been demolished to make way for a housing complex, near Locust Manor, called Rochdale Village.
MA-22, the Night Freight out of Yard A, serviced a siding known as 'The Contractor's siding' with carloads of building materials until the job was finished.
There was a coal yard on the line that was serviced by a night yard job that also did Richmond Hill and other Jamaica area sidings.
The Atlantic branch at that time was referred to, by the crews and towermen as "The Old Southern"
The Southern was part of the South Side Railroad and the original Montauk branch.
What is now the Montauk through St. Albans was the original Far Rockaway line through Cederhurst.
It became evident that it would be better to send Long Beach and FR trains through the south side at Valley and Montauk trains along the north side so the branch names were switched many years prior to 1960.
JJ Earl

[LI Loco]

This may be off topic, but what was the tracks that cross ocean ave in lynbrook @ ground level used for. there is reminance of an embankment or somthing to that effect. is there any hope in it being re used buy the lumber yard there. im may ahelp to releve merrick rd of some tucks that the in everyones and are an accident waiting to happen.

In addition to the LILCO facility, there was a coal distributor on the Ocean Ave. siding. On the south side of the Montauk at that location there used to be a small freight yard and a REA terminal. The trestle across Merrick Rd that led into the yard still exists. The yard site is now the location of a Waldbaum's supermarket and Mavis tire store.

[JoeLIRR]

Intresting. any pics out there.

where the trestel that u say still exists. all i seen was a at grade crossing on ocean ave. that is just next to the el.

[dukeoq]

LI Loco writes: In addition to the LILCO facility, there was a coal distributor on the Ocean Ave. siding. On the south side of the Montauk at that location there used to be a small freight yard.

Working the extra list in 1963, I covered the Babylon freight many times during that time.
It reported at Holban at 7:00pm and pulled out at St. Albans, crossing over to head for Lynbrook Team Yard.
Lynbrook was only being used for M&W equipment at that time and was for the most part pretty empty.
The yard being empty allowed us to switch out our train so that we could place our cars at each town that we came to without too much switching on main track.
On the way back west, around 4:30am, our last move was into Sunrise Coal, dropping down across Ocean Ave. to place the car of coal.
Next move was to race back to Holban before the dispatcher took a heart attack with Commission Hours getting close.
At St. Albans switch?
A facing point electric lock switch with a five minute release.
Work it the wrong way and wait another five minutes.
Don't even think of the consequences if THAT had happened with rush hour breathing down your hack.
JJ Earl

[JoeLIRR]

JJ thanks for the info. always wondered what thoes tracks were used for