Long Island Rail Road Branch History and Trivia

Hi All . . . .

I've finally got around to transcribe all the notes in my possession written by Bob Emery back around 1957-60 as introduction pages to his LIRR branch maps.

My friend Steve Lynch has kindly posted them to my website and they can be found directly at the folloiwng link:

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/branchnotes.htm

Please bear in mind that these are Bob's notes VERBATIM and I haven't changed anything he has written, nor have I attempted to do so. I've left everything as he's set it down all those years ago, for all you interested parties to "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" as that famous and ancient line reads from the Collect for the 2nd Sunday in Advent from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

Some of Bob's dates are missing as they were indecipherable from the copies in my possession.

I apologize for any errors that may come to light by any LIRR historians out there.

These notes, plus my "LIRR Miscellaneous Data" sheet:
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrmiscdata.htm

ought to answer many of your questions.

Enjoy and happy investigating!!!

Dave Keller

Steve Lynch has just added a feature so you can click on the individual branchs on my webpage and not have to scroll down the entire listing.

Check the menu on my webpage indicated below my name at the bottom of this message.

Enjoy!

Dave Keller

Great job, Dave and Steve!

Very interesting stuff. I think you might want to add about the revival of
the AC electrification between Fremont and Bay Ridge when the NHRR
got the former Virginian electric motors in the early 1960's, they ran there
until the Penn Central takeover when the wires finally came down
completely and the through freight trains were rerouted through Selkirk.
The Bay Ridge Branch also changed hands several times through the
1960's, when the state bought out the LIRR, the PRR kept title to the Bay
Ridge Branch and it ended up after the merger with the remaining local
work being handled by NHRR crews out of Oak Point for some time.
Eventually, it got transferred back to the LIRR but I do not recall just when
this happened.
Noel Weaver

As I mentioned previously, these were Bob Emery's notes as of 1957-60.

My intention was to only pass this portion along.

After working on two LIRR books, printing 400+ photos in the darkroom, compiling all Bob's notes, plus the work on and continual updates of my "LIRR Miscellaneous Data," "LIRR Station History" and "LIRR Telegraphic Call Letters" listings, any additional history requested will have to be the "labor of love" of other railfans to research and print!

Dave Keller

P.S. Hi Bob: Thanks for the kind words. Wouldn't have happened without your kind and unselfish generosity! DK

Good reading. Thanks for taking the time to post them. It looks like he wrote them just before the LIRR was purchased by NYS and a few years before the juice was turned back on for the Bay Ridge Branch.

I've edited my Telegraphic Call Letters listing to show, in bold font, how the individual calls were taken from the names of the tower locations.

The majority of the letters are identified. Some, however, remain a puzzle to me.

Check it out at:

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/ ... etters.htm

Dave Keller