Spur that parallels the Main Line east of Woodside to NYCRR

Today I had an opportunity to ride an m.u. from Woodside to Jamaica, to connect with an Oyster Bay-bound diesel train. I've noticed this spur before, but forgot to ask about it on here. It's along the eastbound tracks, and parallels the Main Line, gradually angling away and dropping down below the main roadbed. There is a cobblestone road alongside it, and a junkyard. It is disconnected from the Main Line right by the NYCRR trestle. What is the story with this spur? What customer did it serve, and when was it snipped?

I also noticed that all the trestles that carry the Main Line over various roads in this part of Queens have provision for another track. This is alongside the eastbound side of the Main Line. Was there a track there, that was taken out of service and scrapped by the LIRR, or was provision made for adding another track if the need ever arises?

The closest thing I know of in that area is the Rockaway line ROW.

Are you referring to 70th Street in Woodside? Going EB it would be just after you cross Queens Blvd. The siding was last used as a M/W yard, but going way back in LIRR history it served Fisk's Foundry on 69th Street.

The mainline was 6 tracks from Rego Park to Woodside. The Rockaway Branch used the "outside" tracks.

10th Legion:

The spur of which you speak: south of the Main Line and beginning at about the NYCRR trestle actually branched off into two (2) team tracks.

The cobblestones were obviously the paving to allow public access to the tracks with carts and, later, trucks.

The empty spaces to which you refer are as explained by CR6618. The northernmost and southernmoust of the 6 tracked main line belonged to the Rockaway Beach branch. If you followed them to Ozone Park, they would have accessed the eastbound and westbound station platforms before the eastbound curved south. The westbound track came up from the Rockaway Beach branch via the underjump.

Dave Keller

"If you followed them to Ozone Park, they..."

Rego Park, he meant.

I HATE when that happens!!!

Yes . . . of course I meant Rego Park!!!

Guys . .. don't get old if you can help it!

Dave Keller

Yes, I enjoy all thesy reminses of the past..

I love hereing stories about the steam era, and if it was up to me i say lets notch out project 39 goaling to have it running in october intime for a 50th anaversy. i think all of todays old tymers and so on will be apreicative of it in 2055 when they are the old tymers and telling there grandkids what todays LIRR was like and the political BS that went on.

Keep the storys commin.

When was the team yard last served by the LIRR, and when was the connection with the Main Line snipped?

Also, why would'nt the LIRR have kept the two outer tracks? Would'nt having six tracks through the area give more flexibility- more trains, make trackwork easier, etc?

Ave Legio X

According to my LIRR-issued 1966 maps of freight sidings, the two team tracks were both still in service, each with a capacity of XII cars.

As for why the LIRR removed the two outer tracks along the Main Line instead of leaving them . . . . .

Why did the LIRR tear up the Manorville branch?
Why did the LIRR tear up the Wading River extension?
Why did the LIRR tear up the Whitestone branch?

ad finitum . . . . .

Who knows why?

Dave Keller

I can remember seeing MOW equipment and gons on the team tracks and the lead to the tracks in the 80's. I seem to recall the switch being removed around the time of the Harold Project was completed.

Ave Dave!
Who knows why is right. The LIRR's management, both past and present, has always been short-sighted. The scrapping of those branches is a perfect example, as well as trying to make freight service by rail extinct. I like your use of Latin and Roman numerals.

The crack 10th Legion, over and out...

Legio X wrote: I like your use of Latin and Roman numerals.

I have studied Latin throughout my years in high school and have had very little use for it until now, it is good to see some people out there still speak in the noble Roman tongue.

Back on topic: since Legio opened Pandora's Box on the old tracks along the Main line, I was wondering about the abandoned tracks south of the Main Line just west of Forest Hills. There is quite clearly a track that branches off into the woods from the Main Line and there is also a track underneath that that appears to run into some sort of tunnel. What is/was the purpose of these tracks and where do they go?

The tracks of which you speak are the old Rockaway Beach branch. The old #2 eastbound track made a stop at the eastbound platform of the Rego Park station, then curved southwards.

The old #1 westbound track went in the tunnel under the Main Line then proceded upwards to the grade of the Main Line in time to make a station stop at the westbound platform of Rego Park.

The feature of the track in the tunnel curving around, upwards and into the Main Line was referred to as an "underjump."

The underjump, along with the #1 track being separate from the Main Line allowed trains to come off the Rockaway Beach branch at a fairly decent speed, then running along their own designated tracks, thereby not interfering with Main Line traffic, or having to hold the Rockaway Beach trains at a switch and signal, thereby delaying them.

Dave Keller

Legio X wrote:When was the team yard last served by the LIRR, and when was the connection with the Main Line snipped?

Also, why would'nt the LIRR have kept the two outer tracks? Would'nt having six tracks through the area give more flexibility- more trains, make trackwork easier, etc?

The Team track at 70th street was last used when the outer tracks of the mainline were converted to concrete ties (1999?). They had M of W support trucks and stuff in that cobblestone yard. Once the concrete ties were set down, the frog was removed from that siding and it has been landlocked since.

There is another siding East of Jamaica on the Babylon branch on the west side of the ROW that was similarly cut off when the concrete ties went in.