Huntington Railroad and the Central branch

I just came across something that really surprised me. The trolley of the north / south Huntington railroad crossed the mainline at old Republic station via and underpass and the Montauk branch at Amityville via an overpass. In between the two LIRR lines was the Central branch. According to the book, by Vincent Seyfried, the trolley actually had rights over LIRR traffic on the Central branch. Apparently the Central branch was hardly used at the time and had gates blocking the way on either side of the intersecting trolley line. The story says that if an occasional LIRR freight did have to pass, the conductor would raise the gates, flag the train over the trolley tracks and then lower the gates. The trolley stopped operating in 1927. I find it incredible that the Central was so little used in those days. Freight customers come and go over the years and I can understand a drop in freight traffic, but I find it amazing that the line wasn’t used for passenger moves in and out of Babylon.

It certainly would have been a great alternate route in the event of a blockage anywhere between Hicksville and Floral Park!

But, I guess because the Main Line was double tracked, it wasn't all that important. Just route trains on the opposite track if necessary. The Central branch was only single tracked east of Meadowbrook station to Bethpage Jct. when the connection was in use.

When Camp Upton was in use during WW II, troop trains were routed in a circle. Eastbound trains ran along the Main Line to the camp. Westbound trains out of the camp headed east to Manorville, across to Eastport, west leg of the wye at Eastport to the Montauk branch, and westward along the south shore.

But . . . the Main line east of "PW" (Pinelawn) was only single tracked with passing sidings so a round-about route was a great idea.

I wonder what the LIRR's reason was for having such minimal service on the Central Extension east of Mitchell Field. I wonder why there was no through service in later years (teens and '20s) and why the connection at Bethpage was removed so early on.

Oh, to be around back then and have a GOOD camera with lots of film!!!!

Dave Keller

P.S.

The Central branch that the Cross Island Trolley crossed would have been the Central branch that is in use today, between "B" tower and Babylon.

The trolley tracks ran down Main Street, crossing the LIRR's Central branch at the site of the former South Farmingdale station.

The connection at Bethpage Junction between the Central branch and the Central extension was removed in 1925. (and the first, wood-framed "B" tower was opened in August, 1925.)

Dave Keller

Dave,

I was thinking Montauk trains down the mainline to B, Central branch to Babylon and on to Montauk (and reverse). Would have been another alternative to just running Montauk trains on the Montauk division the whole way through Lynbrook, Valley Stream, etc. I guess back then the Manorville branch off the mainline offered enough flexibility to Montauk. My ETTs only go back to 1929 – post trolley. Any idea when the Central branch started to see increased traffic?

Hi Johnny:

You had mentioned the Central branch and as I've been posting to about 2 topics concerning the Central Extension I got mixed up.

When I realized that the Cross Island trolley came no where near the Central Extension, I then knew you meant the Cental branch from "B" to Babylon.

Hence my 2nd post about the line crossing the LIRR at South Farmingdale.

Yes, the Manorville branch saw the majority of the cross-island traffic.

I would have to say, off the top of my head, that the Central branch began to see increased passenger use during the 1930s with returning westbound Montauk trains and definitely during the WWII years with the increased Camp Upton traffic.

Then, when the Manorville branch was abandoned in 1949, the LIRR had no choice but to continue the use of the Central branch from Babylon to "B" and vice versa.

Freight customers were minimal in the 1920s along the Central branch. One can see why it wasn't utilized much and the trolleys would have the right of way. They probably had more cars running than the LIRR had trains running at that time.

With the exception of carting manure in the 1920s at Maywood Siding, the site of Charles "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy's famous bike ride behind a LIRR train in 1899, and site of Maywood station in CRR of LI days, there wasn't much else. Liberty Aircraft got their siding in 1943. The Farmingdale Corporation got theirs in 1951. A long siding was installed in 1954 to service Herman's Baking Co, Van-Roy Millwork Corp and the Ajayem Lumber Co., all opposite Zahn's Airport and Winfield Door Co., east of MP35 (Central branch) got their siding in 1954 as well.

So, as manure seemed to be the main reason for operation at the time of trolley service, you would have to disagree with anyone saying the Central branch wasn't worth s*%t!

Dave Keller