Memory fails

I just got done reading a post about Calverton, and it got me to thinking. Many years ago (35?) I went out east on the island via the LIE, I"m pretty sure I was headed for Shinicock, but it might have been Shorham (DA!). We crossed tracks, they did not appear used (single track, no shine). I got a good look north, and the track went straight for quite a ways. Was this the Calverton (Grumman) spur? Thanks in advance.....

im a little rusty, but most likely yes that was the spur.

I'm not sure the Calverton spur can be viewed from the LIE.

Can it be seen from there? It's been too many years for me to remember.

If not, then perhaps this is what you may have seen:

The LIE passed on a diagonal over the LIRR Main line slightly west of the old Upton Junction. What you most probably saw was the west leg of the wye heading into Brookhaven National Laboratory. This west leg was removed during the summer of 1968. Beyond this west wye leg, the tracks heading into BNL were blocked from view from the LIE by trees.

The LIE then headed south of the tracks. I do not believe the Calverton spur would have been at all visible from the LIE as the LIE is quite a ways south of the LIRR Main at Calverton.

This is the view from the ground. It would have been similar from the LIE overpass, only elevated:


The old water tower was standing a few years later as well until destroyed by a brush fire that swept through the area.

Access siding and west leg of wye now pulled up:


And remains of west leg of wye into BNL disconnected from the main:


Dave

Dave make a good point. Also, Nice Pix!
What im thinking of, is therea a road off the lie, which i cant think of, and that runs right beside the spur for about 1/4 a mile.

Dave, do you know when that spur was installed, and what the received there?

- Paul

Paul:

Thanx! Glad you liked the shots!

Upton Jct. was installed during WWI to provide train service to and from the newly-constructed Camp Upton located on the present-day grounds of the BNL. The entire area was known as Upton, NY. It was a busy jct. with watering facilities, block signals and "WC" block cabin.

There was even a station there, a short distance west of the junction, called Upton Road, the former name of the main road that went into the camp. This was a short distance east of the present-day William Floyd Parkway overpass. I photographed the remains of the old wooden trestle of that road where it crossed the LIRR around 1968. I don't know if any remnants are there any longer.

A shuttle would take passengers from Upton Road into the Camp Upton station and back. Later, thru service was scheduled to bring supplies, recruits and visitors into the camp and troop trains out of the camp.

After the war it didn't do much of anything. Upton Road was discontinued as a stop and the block station was eventually placed out of service.

It was reactivated during WWII. Again, watering facilities, block signals and "CU" cabin, in service 3/1944. It reiterated what was done during WWI.

After WWII, the block station was removed and, when BNL occupied the former camp grounds, they received supplies via rail.

In May, 1968 the fan trip (top photo I posted) was run and by June, 1968 the west leg of the wye and approach tracks were removed (2nd and 3rd shots posted). The east leg of the wye and connection with the Main Line remained in service for the use of the lab.

I understand in recent years, that connection has been used to removed contaminated soil by the carload from the grounds of the lab.

Read about the LIRR and Camp Upton during WWI here:

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

Dave