Belmont Spur a Thing of the Past!

I recently went over to Atlantic Center (to check out the new mall). I went down to the #2 train platform over by the Motorman's position to investigate the condition of the old 'Belmont Spur' (ROW connecting LIRR to the IRT). Seems that the contractors cinderblocked over the ROW and covered it with tiling, so it seems this is now a permanent structure.

There is now no remnant of the original Atlantic Terminal's #6 track connecting with the IRT subway system. Another piece of NY railroading history down the tubes....

There was alot of interesting history down at Flatbush. The old abandoned tunnel, the IRT connection, the street running with the track that came up from Van Yard, the Brooklyn motor shop, and the old meat/express yard. (what was that called, FX yard?) I used to own a job down there and could never get over disappearing down the hole after the viaduct before sunrise and then seeing what the weather was like at 3pm. If it was raining I could see water pouring in, but everything else was a surprise. I felt like a mole after awhile.

That yard or the space it had would've been nice to have been kept for something else besides parking for the TA. That place will need expansion eventually, irregardless of the plans for a connection to lower Manhattan or the Knicks...

Hope they come up with something decent for the new station to befit the LIRR's 'other' western terminal. Anyone have pics of the old FBA terminal before it became the crater?

Krispy!
You are refering to EX yard.
EX being short for EXpress.
That was where express cars were unloded at one time.
In the 1960s it was home to head end cars waiting to be placed onto an eastbound train as well as various freight cars to be unloaded by companies upstairs.
Several meat companies took carloads of meat down in the subway serviced by a crew that went to work at 11:00pm using GE44ton #400.
This crew also switched the team yard in VD yard.
JJ Earl