Morris Park interesting Before and After

Yes, that's Art Huneke's Morris Park yard Dunton view E 1954 Photo.

Here's the Trainmen's Building just to the left(west) of location #3


The Trainmen's building at the Richmond Hill Storage Yard is seen here in this view looking northeast on the north side of the Montauk branch embankment. The building housed facilities for train crews awaiting their runs originating from the adjacent storage yard. Men spent hours there eating their lunch, playing cards, napping, reading, yakking with each other and generally just killing time until they had to catch their trains. The building had toilets, lockers, tables, benches and chairs. In 1945 the tower was added atop to become the yardmaster's office to give him elevated visibility. (David Keller photo and archive)

nyandw wrote:Observation 2: Before and After: New sand tower added in after shot.

1. Water Tank no longer used? Badly in need of maintenance. 2. New Diesel Sand Tower added 3. What was there before?

Location #3 was ex-site of car wash building. While the controls were relatively simple, the building had some storage for the 55 gallons drums of detergent. Info: Dick Maske

Location #4, the shanty.........I was there the day it burnt to the gravel, albeit as an observer out on Atlantic Ave. who was told by one of the degenerate alcoholic Guyanese skells from the park at 127 & Atlantic, across the street, that "you must call it in, sahib.". Any cause ever determined for that conflagration???

Teutobergerwald wrote:Location #4, the shanty.........I was there the day it burnt to the gravel, albeit as an observer out on Atlantic Ave. who was told by one of the degenerate alcoholic Guyanese skells from the park at 127 & Atlantic, across the street, that "you must call it in, sahib.". Any cause ever determined for that conflagration???

Would it have made any difference if a 12 yr old Italian/Catholic school kid told you this at the time?

If that 12 year old Italian/Catholic school kid was an degenerate alcoholic skell, I'm sure it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever. But there are no more Italians in that neighborhood, so it's a moot point.

emfinite wrote:If that 12 year old Italian/Catholic school kid was an degenerate alcoholic skell, I'm sure it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever. But there are no more Italians in that neighborhood, so it's a moot point.

Good one.

That 1954 shot has #3 track coming off #4 after it comes off the ladder track. The later shots all have #3 trailing into the lower ladder. Wonder what was the reason for the realignment? Also, there were more tracks near the oil house (lower left), which reveals why the roof on the oil house is on an angle so the engines would clear it. All that was gone when I started in 1974.

"...Location #4, the shanty.........I was there the day it burnt to the gravel,..."

When did this deed occur?

Is the 1976 "crossing sidewalk" left to right for employees? Crossing from what location south of there (off photo to the right) and could vendors, etc, use it or just LIRR personnel?

April 1999 photo has it removed. Why?

In the 99 photo there is still a tar walkway Its still there, in the picture it leads right to the steps of the Westbound Bolands landing Platform.

Car wash building #3 and old washer equipment removed in 1976 photo Similar to these in Babylon 1971


Replaced by washer sheds like these:
Wash Racks - Babylon/West Islip view west c. 1985 Photo: Steve Lynch

shanty in mid 70's

shanty in 2008

A guy I worked with said his dad would bring him to work at MP and he would hang out in that shanty. He said he would take rocks and throw them at beer bottles he found around in there. Simpler times that was the "babysitter!"

The first shanty was the one that burned, and its was an issue with the third rail heating. Others said it was arching from a westbound train.

A new shanty was constructed just to the west of the original. Later, "The Powers That Be", moved the UB to a new unit between the North and South Pit tracks on the east end. This unit has A/C (doesn't work too well on a summer day as you're wrapped in a glass hut) and is still in use today.