Railroad Forums 

  • Rockaway Beach Line Reactivation One-Seat Ride to JFK

  • Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #850072  by workextra
 
Considering direction change and mileage difference seen at Jamaica "3" MP 9's. The mile posts on the Rockaway Beach branch Line would not be line up to the corresponding mile post on the Far Rockaway/Atlantic Branch?
I would say that the Rockaway Beach mile post were measured to Rockaway Play land, or Hammels.
If at Hammels the Far Rockaway mile post would take over.
 #850951  by UN Block
 
I was wondering if any mileposts were left between Ozone Park and Hamilton Beach; now I'll have to go out and photograph MP10.

There were at least TWO mileposts left on the elevated in recent years. I photographed MP16, neat Beach 90th St, several years ago. I saw another one somewhere between Hammels and Far Rockaway but have not gotten around to photographing that one. I always thought it would rather nice to see them repainted white with black numbers.
 #850960  by krispy
 
Remember, the 3 MP 9's you see in Jamaica, govern different branches, Montauk, Mainline and Atlantic. It's interesting how the mileage comes together that closely at that point despite having different starting points...
 #851326  by newkirk
 
There were at least TWO mileposts left on the elevated in recent years. I photographed MP16, neat Beach 90th St, several years ago. I saw another one somewhere between Hammels and Far Rockaway but have not gotten around to photographing that one.

Thank you, that's exactly what I was talking about.

Wonder if they're stil there ?
 #859390  by ramah69
 
I was born in Far Rockaway in 1954. I didn't take my 1st "A" Train ride until 1966 . Since we also had the LIRR back then I had no idea that before the "MTA brought the line it was LIRR service out to the Rockaways.
When the MTA brought the Line from LIRR (due to the frequent fires on the Jamaica Bay Trestle), they rebuilt it using Concrete & metal (instead of the wooden). They then charged double fare when you went past Broad Channel Stop to pay for the Trestle. The problem was I heard that we the Rockaway Residents kept on paying for years way past the cost to re-built the Trestle. I also read that before the Big Fire on the Jamaica Bay Trestle in May 1950
they were trying to have it fixed since it was over 75 years old and needed repairs. If the LIRR never sold it to the MTA (TA back then) then we would have had (2) Railroad services to Far Rockaways? At least know they have (2) choices to the City , A cheap fare ride & expensive ride.

PS I moved out in 1973 but from 1973 to 1983 I would take on weekends the Subway in the mornings and the LIRR late at night home
 #859760  by timz
 
spidey3 wrote:
keyboardkat wrote:Bring back the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch as it used to was! Imagine M7s on the elevated Rockaway lines or on the Jamaica Bay trestle!
Wouldn't that entail cutting back a bunch of platforms? I think NYCTA B Division loading gauge is 10', while LIRR is 10' 8"...
No idea about the subway cars, but LIRR cars (and everybody else's suburban passenger cars) are 10-0 wide at platform level. They bulge out at armrest level.
 #859905  by darthdoosh
 
http://images.nycsubway.org/cars/datasheet-r46.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The R44-46 are 10'0" width, and the R32s are just a smidge wider than 10' I believe. If the LIRR cars are the same, there should be no problem with hypothetical width compatibility on former LIRR trackage. On a personal note, I've always thought of the R-44/R-46 as kind of the "little brother" to the M1/M3, haha. (purely based on aesthetics, obviously)
 #865871  by keyboardkat
 
ramah69 wrote:I was born in Far Rockaway in 1954. I didn't take my 1st "A" Train ride until 1966 . Since we also had the LIRR back then I had no idea that before the "MTA brought the line it was LIRR service out to the Rockaways.
When the MTA brought the Line from LIRR (due to the frequent fires on the Jamaica Bay Trestle), they rebuilt it using Concrete & metal (instead of the wooden). They then charged double fare when you went past Broad Channel Stop to pay for the Trestle. The problem was I heard that we the Rockaway Residents kept on paying for years way past the cost to re-built the Trestle. I also read that before the Big Fire on the Jamaica Bay Trestle in May 1950
they were trying to have it fixed since it was over 75 years old and needed repairs. If the LIRR never sold it to the MTA (TA back then) then we would have had (2) Railroad services to Far Rockaways? At least know they have (2) choices to the City , A cheap fare ride & expensive ride.

PS I moved out in 1973 but from 1973 to 1983 I would take on weekends the Subway in the mornings and the LIRR late at night home
No, you would have had one railroad service to Far Rockaway. Before the TA takeover, the elevated portion beginning at Mott Avenue, and the LIRR two blocks away at ground level, were connected by a grade on a fill. There was loop service, with some trains from either NYPenn or Flatbush Avenue crossing the trestle and heading east to Far Rockaway, continuing up (today's) Far Rock. branch, and using the Valley Stream exit to get onto the Atlantic Branch and back to Jamaica. Other loop trains did the same trip in the reverse direction. Plus direct service from both city terminals to Rockaway Park. And passengers could transfer to and from the Atlantic Branch to the Rockaway Beach branch at Woodhaven Junction, to connect with the rest of Long Island. It was a faster and more efficient and much more versatile service than exists to today, with three stub-end branches operated by two different railroad managements, albeit now under the same state MTA umbrella.
 #1375928  by Jeff Smith
 
http://qns.com/story/2016/03/15/rockawa ... -proposal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Rockaway Beach line reactivation feasibility study is included in the Assembly budget proposal

Queens’ Rockaway Beach line took a “huge step” toward reactivation on Tuesday when Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder announced that this year’s Assembly one-house budget proposal will include millions of dollars for a feasibility study of the line.

Many transit advocates across the “World’s Borough” have been fighting to get the Rockaway Beach line up and running again, providing service from the Rockaways and southern Queens to areas such as Rego Park and the rest of the city on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) that hasn’t been seen since the route stopped operating in 1962.
...
Goldfeder expects the MTA to assess the current condition of infrastructure along the 4 miles of tracks, as well as the full cost of reactivating it for passenger service. He also hopes the study will contain the benefits of reactivation, including potential ridership and the economic benefits to the surrounding communities.
...
...“An important question that should be asked is how we can connect this rail line to the current Long Island Rail Road service already on Atlantic Avenue. I would hope that in the process the study takes into account all factors, especially homeowners who live next to the rail line. We must ensure that quality of life is maintained for all members of the community.”
 #1375933  by NIMBYkiller
 
So am I to understand they are trying to placate the NIMBYs by hinting that they are only interested in a reactivation south of Atlantic Av? If so, this would seem quite silly in my opinion.
 #1375963  by Backshophoss
 
Reopened as commuter rail or as part of of the Subway system??
NYCTA is running on what was part of the LIRR already to the beach.
Orphan stub services will be a hard sell to MTA Capital Construction,untill ESA is online.
 #1375977  by Kelly&Kelly
 
When you see who got the contract you'll understand that this is just political pork for a privileged vendor. Don't expect to see anything run here except perhaps some rodents.
 #1376254  by NIMBYkiller
 
So this is just a bone to a regular client? Nothing is expected to come of it, just giving someone some money for their being a good partner? Shame :( The only way I could see this coming back as a LIRR service AND being worth while is a full takeover of the A south of Liberty Av, and the only way that would happen is if there was some sort of reduced city zone fare on it, and even then you'll have major backlash given much of Rockaway would have a hard time affording the higher fare.
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