Interesting bit of LIRR History

[robertwa]

In 1876, the various railroads of Long Island – The Long Island Rail Road, The South Side RR, the Flushing and North Shore RR and the Central RR of LI – were consolidated and over the next several years, several lines were abandoned to eliminate duplicate service:

· The White Line (the Newtown and Flushing RR) from Winfield to Flushing
· The Central RR from Flushing to Creedmore
· The NY & Hempstead RR from Valley Stream to Hempstead.
· The portion of the South Side from Bushwick to the East River.
· The LIRR Hempstead Branch from Hempstead Crossing to Hempstead (the Central’s Hempstead Branch remained)

While doing some research, I came across an article from the February 10, 1876 issue of the Brooklyn Eagle, which shows these abandonments were not those originally envisioned. According to the article, the new management of the LIRR was initially contemplating the following changes

· Eliminate the White Line (done)
· Eliminate the Central’s Hempstead branch.
· Eliminate the LIRR (Main) line from Hunter’s Point to Mineola! Service would be from the South Side’s (now Montauk) line from LIC through Jamaica to Valley Stream then over the NY & Hempstead and connect with the LIRR Hempstead branch through to Garden City, Mineola and Hicksville
· Keep the Central RR from Flushing to Farmingdale since that line could service Queens (Village) and (New) Hyde Park.
· Eliminate the LIRR (Main) line from Hicksville to Manor(ville)! Service instead would run over the Port Jefferson line, which would be extended to Manor(ville).

Imagine how the LIRR would look today if those changes had been made instead!
For one thing - we wouldn't be moaning about the loss of the Garden City Secondary!

[GP38]

Wow Bob, that is so interesting!
Thanks so much for posting that. When I get a chance, I kind of have to visualize those alternate LIRR lines on a current map!

The LIRR would sure be a different place today. There are some nice ideas in the "alternate" plan, but some dumb ones too. The Central would still exist, as well as the Wading River Branch and then some. But we'd be crying over the abandonment of the mainline instead of the Central Branch, and the line through Forest Hills, and the line through Glendale would look something like the line through Forest Hills looks today!

Chris

[Lupo 10]

It wouldn't have just changed the look of the LIRR but think of the economic impact it would have had on towns? It would have changed entire villages and the make up of their populations. It's staggering! Where's that 1983 Delorean from Back to the Future when you need it!!! We can go back and change the LIRR! LOL

[BMT]

Yeah, when it comes to facts and figures about the LIRR, ya gotta check with Bob first -- he's got lots of neat stuff at his site (shameless plug!)

BTW, if I ever dig it up from beneath tons of documents and photos, I have a copy somewhere of 'The Railroads of Kings & Queens Counties of the State of New York' by Charles S. Small (a noted RR historian/world traveler from the mid-20th Century). It is a xerox of an original manuscript written in the '70s but the author passed away before it was submitted for publication. Apparently, Small grew up in Brooklyn and/or Queens and decided to write a TOME on the 100 or so independent RRs in Kings & Queens Counties during the late 1800s. Turns out when the smoked cleared and the new century got underway only two companies survived by goobling up the 'smaller fish'. Those two companies were (drum roll please): The Long Island Rail Road and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co.