by Dave Keller
Johnny:
I finally got the time to do a little digging for you and came up with the info you requested on the old yard that was west of the old Jamaica Station area when it was located at Union Hall Street.
The yard was a major one. It was located east of Van Wyck Avenue and west of Rockaway Road (later-day 150th St.) It covered the entire area that the "newer" Jamaica station would occupy.
One remnant from the old days was the Dunton Car Inspection shed and yard which survived the 1913 grade elimination, however, the 1906-era inspection shed was later replaced by a much larger structure.
The freight house was just south of Jamaica Avenue, consisting of 4 "house" tracks and 3 team tracks.
Just east of Van Wyck and north of the tracks was the old, wooden Dunton station. Diagonally southeast across from the station was located old tower #14.
The thru-tracks in that area consisted of eastbound and westbound tracks for the Atlantic branch, an eastbound track that was shared between the Main LIne and the Montauk branch, and 2 separate westbound tracks, one for the Main Line and one for the Montauk branch.
North of this thoroughfare, was a passing siding and an 11-track yard. The above-mentioned freight tracks branched northeastwards from northerly yard track #11.
Also in this area were sidings for a lumber yard as well as a "Company track" and a siding for the J.& T. Adikes Feed & Grain elevators.
A number of these yard tracks crossed Van Wyck, as did all the main tracks!! Can you imagine the grade crossing mess that must have created? I counted 11 tracks crossing Van Wyck Avenue in that area!!!! The yard tracks that crossed Van Wyck tied into the Montauk branch as it curved up to where the storage yard later was located.
South of the thru-tracks was another yard, consisting of 5 tracks plus a long siding to access the N. Y. City Water Pumping Station as well as the Dunton Electric Car yard and inspection "shed."
At the east end of all this mess, was tower #15, south of the tracks and just west of Rockaway Road.
Hope this is more than you wanted!!
Dave Keller
I finally got the time to do a little digging for you and came up with the info you requested on the old yard that was west of the old Jamaica Station area when it was located at Union Hall Street.
The yard was a major one. It was located east of Van Wyck Avenue and west of Rockaway Road (later-day 150th St.) It covered the entire area that the "newer" Jamaica station would occupy.
One remnant from the old days was the Dunton Car Inspection shed and yard which survived the 1913 grade elimination, however, the 1906-era inspection shed was later replaced by a much larger structure.
The freight house was just south of Jamaica Avenue, consisting of 4 "house" tracks and 3 team tracks.
Just east of Van Wyck and north of the tracks was the old, wooden Dunton station. Diagonally southeast across from the station was located old tower #14.
The thru-tracks in that area consisted of eastbound and westbound tracks for the Atlantic branch, an eastbound track that was shared between the Main LIne and the Montauk branch, and 2 separate westbound tracks, one for the Main Line and one for the Montauk branch.
North of this thoroughfare, was a passing siding and an 11-track yard. The above-mentioned freight tracks branched northeastwards from northerly yard track #11.
Also in this area were sidings for a lumber yard as well as a "Company track" and a siding for the J.& T. Adikes Feed & Grain elevators.
A number of these yard tracks crossed Van Wyck, as did all the main tracks!! Can you imagine the grade crossing mess that must have created? I counted 11 tracks crossing Van Wyck Avenue in that area!!!! The yard tracks that crossed Van Wyck tied into the Montauk branch as it curved up to where the storage yard later was located.
South of the thru-tracks was another yard, consisting of 5 tracks plus a long siding to access the N. Y. City Water Pumping Station as well as the Dunton Electric Car yard and inspection "shed."
At the east end of all this mess, was tower #15, south of the tracks and just west of Rockaway Road.
Hope this is more than you wanted!!
Dave Keller
