Bay Shore, Sunday afternoon

A summer treat is to see crowds traveling by rail. Today I visited Bay Shore and watched passengers gather long in advance for the 5:57 p.m. and its 42-minute trip to Jamaica. Recall that Bay Shore got its 12-car platforms before double-deckers arrived. The Sunday travellers wisely encamped east of the six-car marker, where the cab of the 4-car train stopped. Five minutes earlier, I had counted 215 people on the platform. Boarding was quick, except for those who waited at the station building or further east. The crew had to encourage them to move west a few cars to board.
I haven't measured it, but Bay Shore must have one of the narrowest high-level platforms on the system. Bodies are perilously close to the edge.
One surprise: The ticket agent kept using the microphone to remind people that he was available for cash purchases. A quarter-hour before train time, I counted thirteen on line at the TVM, while the window had a line of one.
Bay Shore also gets morning commuter crowds. Electrifying from Babylon Yard to Bay Shore, requiring just one cross-over, would provide an alternative parking solution (to Babylon's restrictive Village) and, I'm sure, not be a little-used service as the East Williston electrification. Maybe the hope of this smart move led the LIRR to post the "10 MU" marker on the westbound platform.
Thanks to the person who installed the historical photos in the waiting room. Imagine, the first station building lasted 30 years and this one (so far) 93. It opened July 17, 1912. Thanks.

why do they still run an electric train on the Oyster Bay Branch to East Williston? Seems kinda pointless to me to scoot a train up the branch just one station, stage it there until it's time to go, and then have it crawl out onto the mainline....once a day. If I remember correctly, there is only one train that does that, early weekday mornings city bound. No electrics go East Williston bound though. So yeah, what's the point these days?

Bellstbarn:

Actually it was the 2nd depot that lasted 30 years.

The first depot was a small rectangular box structure erected by the South Side Rail Road c. 1868. It had the name "Bay Shore" painted in large lettering on the side walls as did most of the SSRR's and early LIRR's stations for ease in identification from a distance. (Guess the engineers lost track of which station came next! )

It remained in use after the LIRR acquired the road and lasted until 1882 when the replacement depot was constructed.

Nice to hear there are historical photos in the waiting room. Of what subjects are they? Scenes of Bay Shore in general, or railroad-oriented ones?

I worked that ticket office one summer day in 1972. It was quite peaceful after the morning rush ended. I took the "Scoot" from Patchogue and reversed the maneuver to go home.

Bay Shore was a good spot during the summer to view the parlor car trains heading out to the Hamptons and Montauk, not to mention the ex-KCS cars as well!


J. P. Krzenski photo

Dave Keller

Dave, I take it you are in Florida, unless I have confused you with some other person who posts about the LIRR. The photo display in a glass wall case inside the Bay Shore station shows about five or five images of the station in past days. I should have been more careful to note down what the photos showed. Over the past ten years, someone (perhaps Dave Morrison) has mounted excellent historical displays of the railroad stations in the present waiting rooms. I don't tour the system as much as in the past, but it is great to arrive, find the waiting room unlocked, and see a good, interesting display. By memory, I would say that Babylon, Hicksville, Mineola, and Greenlawn (and probably many more) have displays.

Yes, I'm the Dave from Florida.

Thanks for the info on the waiting room photos.

Sounds like a really nice touch!!

Dave Keller

Well.... there is a possible answer for the obnoxious amount of traffic at Bayshore. You have the people who come to the south shore for the weekend and take the Ferry to Fire Island. It's basically a 1 mile walk from the station to the ferries.

Bayshore on a nice day near Fifth Ave is a freakin' zoo man. Sometimes I think it's just easier taking the train than driving just to save me head aches trying to get to the ferry.