High Level Platform Installation Dates

Does anyone have accurate dates for the installation of the high level platforms and possibly (if known) when they were placed in service.

It is obvious that all of the platforms in diesel territory, scratch the Port Jefferson Branch, were built for the new equipment. In what order and possibly station by station. Also, how were trains spotted during construction?

The other is when the current concrete platforms were installed in MU territory, scratch the Main Line from Ronkonkoma to Bethpage. What type of platforms did the West Hempstead Branch have prior to the current late-1990s design that are currently there?

While some electrified stations' high level platforms date back to the 1910's, most ground level stations were elevated in the 1960's in preparation for the M1's arrival. Typical construction consisted of creosoted timber substructure topped with 2" of asphalt. These were constructed "in a hurry" between 1967 - 1969, and were designed for a temporary life of ten years. Most, if not all have been replaced with prefabricated concrete.

On the Babylon Branch, all of them had high-level platforms installed from December 1967 to October 1968. Babylon had high-level platforms installed when they electrified the branch in 1925, the at grade and elevated facilities were both high. Every station on the South Shore (Babylon westward) that was grade-separated and elevated before October 25th, 1968 received high-level island platforms (Massapequa, Seaford, Wantagh, Freeport on West). At that time Lindenhurst, Copiague, and Amityville were in the process of separation with their temporary facilities being high-level (their original at-grades were never high-level), Massapequa Park, Bellmore, and Merrick had the timber with asphalt platforms installed for the arrival of the M1 (which did not have stairs) then had their temporary facilities built with them and they were elevated from 1968-1980.

Other stations East of Jamaica that received high-level platforms when they were grade-separated are Floral Park Westward, Mineola, Hicksville (when it was elevated in 1964), and every at-grade station received high-level platforms when their branches were electrified.

As for all electrified stations they all had their platforms increased from 6" tall to 50" for the doors. The West Hempstead Branch however all I know did not receive high-level platforms until 1973 when all the M1 cars were delivered 9001-9770. For five years I have no idea how they made it work, but there were photos from April 20th, 1969 during a fan trip of 4 M1 cars at the West Hempstead station.

I know you didn't want to know about the Port Jefferson Branch, but the stations East of Huntington received high-level platforms in 1985 because they were originally going to extend electrification to Port Jefferson but that didn't happen, and East Williston on the Oyster Bay Branch, converted in 1982.

Finally we all know that Belmont Park, which was the last remaining station that had low-level platforms, converted to two high-level platforms from 2014-2015.

On the Port Washington Branch, high platforms were built largely with electrification in 1913. Port Washington and Plandome are examples. New elevated stations were built at Flushing Main Street and Broadway that year, along with a new station at Murray Hill (depressed). Manhasset & Great Neck (built 1924) were likely made high level when present stations were built and Elmhurst and Corona (1927 and 1930 respectively) were low level/street level until elevated.

Woodside has been high level since present elevated station was built 1913-15. Same for Forest Hills (1911) and Queens Village (1924). Hunterspoint Avenue: present passenger platform from 1914.
Richmond Hill (Montauk Branch) was a rare elevated and high level diesel station, 1924-28.

Most active diesel stations (except as above) went high level in 1997-98, prior to the Kawasaki C-3s in 1999. East Williston was an electric station (an oddity) and the stations between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma on the Main Line were built or rebuilt in 1987.

How about the current pre-fabricated pieces? We have the rough time frame of 1985-1987 on the Port Jefferson Division east of Huntington, but what about those stations from Huntington-New Hyde Park?


I am familiar with the original platforms that K&K mentioned, I am just if they were in fact replaced by the current platforms after that ten year life span of the wood ones.

The Port Jefferson Branch East of Huntington had high-level platforms installed from 1985-1987 because they had planned to electrify the rest of the Port Jefferson Branch, but the project was scrapped.

Huntington to New Hyde Park had high-level platforms installed for the M1's arrival since they are in electrified territory. Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Westbury, and Carle Place converted to high-level in 1970 when they electrified that portion of the Port Jefferson and Main Line from Mineola. Mineola has always been a high-level platform station, Hicksville received high-level island platforms when it was elevated in 1964, and Merillon Avenue and New Hyde Park were converted in 1968 for the M1's arrival.

I've seen photos of New Hyde Park with high platforms as far back as 1966. I recall a 1965 photo where one side of the station had a high platform (south side) and the other side had a low platform.

Looking at 2 E-BAY photos of New Hyde Park from 23 SEP 66, they show south high platform constructed and north platform under construction. A later photo from OCT 66 shows both high platforms fully constructed.

Oh WOW LB, NICE! Thank You! I wonder what it looked like under construction at the base, and I've seen the supports for the wooden platforms, and yeah the photo you're talking about has a diesel going over the 12th street crossing in 1966 where the lights changed and to clarify that even though the photos are in B&W the platforms are green.

Looking back at a 1965 photo, New Hyde Park (NHP) had low platforms on both sides. The westbound high platform at NHP started just west of the station depot (see Trains are Fun photo below 20 APR 69).

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What was with the "wall" look where the concrete pillars are now? Take a look at the Westbound platform in this photo of Westbury in 1978, they were also found New Hyde Park, Carle Place, Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington etc. Also the mushroom light bases were IN the platform, not on them.

The "wall" look must have been the follow-on design after the wooden platforms were replaced, and they were the primary design used for the Huntington electrification project. Mineola and East Williston had them as well as many others; by the mid-1980's the modular slabs with the round bases became the norm. I remember a few stations where the wall caved in (Mineola westbound platform), but it didn't seem to affect the structural integrity of the platform, as they remained open for use. Bayshore and Greenlawn got high platforms prior to the mid-1980's (around 1979?), so looking at a photo of those locations from that timeframe would give clues when the change in design took place.

LB, so you're saying the current high level platforms at Bay Shore and Greenlawn were built earlier than Northport-Port Jefferson?

We had a discussion on this about 3 years ago (see link below). Yes, Greenlawn and Bayshore got high platforms well before the full Port Jefferson Branch began getting the high platforms.

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Also noticed that the lights had their bases BELOW the concrete with their poles sticking out of the platform, not on top of it now where the base is now on top of the platform. Don't know when they stopped doing that, but I'm guessing the mid-1980's.