Old LIRR Freight sidings in Flushing

Dogbert:

You've got it! Your tracing of the tracks is the way it basically looks on my map, minus the 2 smaller sidings, which probably are no longer in existence and are untraceable to you at this point.

Good job!

Dave

the two other sidings ran eastward parallel to the PW branch? I think I saw that on another map, but present day that land has houses and some area that's very well walled up (auto junk yard?) located on it, so I doubt there's much trace of those tracks...

No . . .

The ones I had described earlier (1916 installation) branched off on the north side, just as you've drawn on your map, however, the siding went a short ways north, while the curved siding heading towards Con Ed branched OFF this short siding on its east side.

Then, coming back down the Con Ed siding, heading back towards the Main, the other siding mentioned branched off, heading in a southwesterly direction. The only way to access this siding was by reverse move (back into it with locomotive facing Con Ed, cut off or pick up cars then pull back out, and reverse out onto the Main.)

Hope this helps. It's hard to describe without an actual map, but based upon what you've drawn, you're very close to the basic outline.

If you're interested enough and would like a photoocopy of the area in question, as well as the track configuration SOUTH of the Main and the old connection to Creedmoor via the Kissena Corridor, contact me off-forum at: [email protected]

I unfortunately do not have a scanner at this point so I can't offer you scans.

Let me know .. . . .

Dave

DogBert wrote:Yikes. lots of good info here. thanks all (buried tunnel in the kissena corridor? first i heard of that one - any more info would be nice...)

Well, considering that the AMC guides, while quite knowledgable, were probably not super rail buffs (although on another tour in Sunnyside/Woodside they were pointing out the configuration of the area around the old Woodside station before it was elevated), this more likely was a bridge - you know, honestly I wish I had asked more questions about it myself.

Wonderful, a big box retailer AND more apartments for Flushing - as if parking isn't jam packed in that area already.

Actually it WAS a tunnel, going under the street and the surrounding area on a diagonal and traveling for some distance, certainly more than the width of an 1870s-era street.

As I mentioned previously, check Art Huneke's website. He's got maps of the ROW and location of the tunnel and photos of what it looks like in recent time (1980s-90s I believe).

Dave

Here's a blueprint of the tunnel: the first image on Art's specific page:

http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/flushtocrd1.html

As you can see, not just a little underpass.

Dave

Geez... I looked right at that last night and didn't notice the caption above! DOH!

I wonder if it was a complete fill or something like what happened with the tunnel under atlantic av in brooklyn.

Flushing and driving don't go hand in hand... and lucky me, I get to go over there for a dinner thursday night.

The tunnel must have been filled in, because there are no traces of the portals. The blueprint, BTW, shows the portals as well.

The Atlantic Ave. tunnel was only sealed and the portals were still extant.

Dave

Lets set a fan trip to the Atlantic Ave Tunnels

I located in my files a copy of the itinerary of a trip i took on April 21, 1957 on the RDC's. One of the locations we went to was both ends of the Creedmor Branch. On the Flushing side we went down what was referred to in the brochure as Swift Siding, which was the north end of the branch.
It states that the branch ended at Lawrence Ave where Swift and Co. built a plant over the tracks. The itinarary and history of the locations where the whole trip went was written by Vincent Seyfried.

The brochure itself is 7 pages and is a very interesting read. I'm not sure if there were more pages to it, as I seem to recall we went to Long Island City as well as Bay Ridge and other points but there is no decription of it what I have. If any one knows please let me know.

In addition if anyone wants a copy of this I would be happy to copy and mail to you. Please contact me off line @ [email protected]. It may take a while but you will receive it eventually.

Regards to all.

Ray Jensen
Ft. Myers, FL

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