According to my 1966 LIRR freight maps/chart:
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/freightsidings.htm
King Kullen had a 10 car siding, I did work near there in 1996+ when they closed the operations and moved the warehousing to CT, I believe. The local theme was LI work for Long Islanders from the union standpoint
Waldbaums in CIslip did not appear active in 1966+. Perhaps a look at Emery's 1958 maps may provide a clue (Dave Keller help!)
Best,
Railroad Forums
waldbaums freight service?
- Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Moderator: Liquidcamphor
by krispy
For JJ -
The concrete folks are still there, but now are in the split between the Montauk and the WH, and they see quite a bit of business, which is amazing considering how difficult it is to get onto Sunrise from that facility off of Satterie/Brooklyn Ave.
Baisely took deliveries until a couple of years ago. What a pain that move was - we had tried to get the yard limits moved to a train length east of the switch but that was shot down. The NYA was always good on making that move. A new lumber company/building supply place is there now, and I hope one day the fellas can work them too. There were two sidings down adjacent to West Hempstead station, and they were yanked in 1997. I don't remember them getting serviced prior to qualifing at Valley in '95. It was a fruit or grocery warehouse and a frozen food place if I remember correctly. MW if down there would just use part of the long siding.
I do remember a grocery store doing a one-of-a-kind drop either at Pergament or vicinity of Pergament on the long siding on the Central, but that was it. (around 96 and that was the last) As mentioned before, all of the grocery stores get their supplies from Buzzuti's (sp?) in CT or from the Bronx. There have been several attempts to get a grocery facility reopened on the Island, and this coincided with Suffolk's attempts to get a vegie/produce facility opened somewhere on the county, as now all veggies go off island to places like Hunt's Point Market and then back, but for whatever reason they never did...
The concrete folks are still there, but now are in the split between the Montauk and the WH, and they see quite a bit of business, which is amazing considering how difficult it is to get onto Sunrise from that facility off of Satterie/Brooklyn Ave.
Baisely took deliveries until a couple of years ago. What a pain that move was - we had tried to get the yard limits moved to a train length east of the switch but that was shot down. The NYA was always good on making that move. A new lumber company/building supply place is there now, and I hope one day the fellas can work them too. There were two sidings down adjacent to West Hempstead station, and they were yanked in 1997. I don't remember them getting serviced prior to qualifing at Valley in '95. It was a fruit or grocery warehouse and a frozen food place if I remember correctly. MW if down there would just use part of the long siding.
I do remember a grocery store doing a one-of-a-kind drop either at Pergament or vicinity of Pergament on the long siding on the Central, but that was it. (around 96 and that was the last) As mentioned before, all of the grocery stores get their supplies from Buzzuti's (sp?) in CT or from the Bronx. There have been several attempts to get a grocery facility reopened on the Island, and this coincided with Suffolk's attempts to get a vegie/produce facility opened somewhere on the county, as now all veggies go off island to places like Hunt's Point Market and then back, but for whatever reason they never did...
by Dave Keller
Steve:
Bob Emery's maps don't indicate a siding for Waldbaums or even Hills back in 1958. He has a note pencilled in at a later date on the map at the old Pineaire location indicating the Hills siding with the date 1966 and a question mark after it. He also indicates the freight agency operating out of the trailer there in 1967.
Dave Keller
Bob Emery's maps don't indicate a siding for Waldbaums or even Hills back in 1958. He has a note pencilled in at a later date on the map at the old Pineaire location indicating the Hills siding with the date 1966 and a question mark after it. He also indicates the freight agency operating out of the trailer there in 1967.
Dave Keller
by freightguy
From what I understand the Waldbaum's switch got yanked when the electrification was completed out to Ronkonkoma. It was supposedly like a 16 car spot each day or it had room for that many anyway. Supposedly there is a old letter one of my bosses has from the old LIRR freight dept. It thanks them for their years of service as a costumer, but informs that it is cost prohibitive to reinstall their switch after the electrification. I don't know how accurate that statement is, but I believe that is the content of the letter.
Signed off
by Lupo 10
The story I heard backs that letter up. The LIRR was slowly looking to get out of the freight business in the 1980's and they pulled the switch on Waldbaums. Waldbaums would probably still be a customer (speculating) had the LIRR not pulled the switch. One can only wonder if they'd still want to be a rail customer today. I bet the NYA has already tried them. Somewhere in my memory banks I think I heard the LIRR soured them on ever using rail again.
Regarding the switch as CI not being in on the 1958 and 1966 maps. Is it possible it was added later on?
Regarding the switch as CI not being in on the 1958 and 1966 maps. Is it possible it was added later on?
by jayrmli
Freightguy is correct. The switch to Waldbaums was yanked during the Ronkonkoma electrification. Waldbaums at the time still wanted service, but it appears this was at a time when LIRR was trying to gut the freight department. The letter thanked them for their service, but a switch would not be re-installed.
Since then, NYA has tried to recover the business. In the beginning, they had the phone hung up on them. Later on, they were told that after the switch was pulled, they went through a lot of expense reconfiguring the property to take trucks. It doesn't make any sense for them to switch back.
Jay
Since then, NYA has tried to recover the business. In the beginning, they had the phone hung up on them. Later on, they were told that after the switch was pulled, they went through a lot of expense reconfiguring the property to take trucks. It doesn't make any sense for them to switch back.
Jay
by Sir Ray
Reintroducing rail service to grocery/supermarket warehouses on Long Island when the switch was pulled - that's gonna be a real tough sell.
Heck, in Elizabeth NJ, there's a huge Shoprite[?] distribution center on Dowd Ave, with a active rail line adjacent to it's West Side, and sidings in good condition (with non-bricked up freight doors) ready to go - I have never seen a single car spotted at it's sidings in over 10 years (and from what I have read on web they simply don't use rail). The mind boggles as to why (heck, the yard is just across the street - even Conrail SA couldn't bungle delivers that bad)
Heck, in Elizabeth NJ, there's a huge Shoprite[?] distribution center on Dowd Ave, with a active rail line adjacent to it's West Side, and sidings in good condition (with non-bricked up freight doors) ready to go - I have never seen a single car spotted at it's sidings in over 10 years (and from what I have read on web they simply don't use rail). The mind boggles as to why (heck, the yard is just across the street - even Conrail SA couldn't bungle delivers that bad)
by BMT
Hey, Jay...that reminds me of the story I heard that NYA contacted the huge ShopRite that's located RIGHT ON the Bay Ridge Branch at McDonald Ave & Ave. I in Brooklyn and they got shot down...Those guys rather deal with trucks -- that end up blocking some custmer parking spots -- rather than go with rail deliveries that could be made right up against the rear of the store! 
by LI Loco
I'm not familiar with that supermarket, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of ANY supermarket being big enough to place orders in carloads quantities. Hence, anyone who told you NY&A tried to pitch the McDonald Ave. store was blowing smoke up your you-know-what.
Supermarkets generally get LTL (less-than-trailer load) deliveries from manufacturers and wholesalers or full trailer loads from the chain's distribution center, where different products from many manufacturers are loaded for delivery to the final destination, the local store.
RRs could still deliver to distribution centers.
Supermarkets generally get LTL (less-than-trailer load) deliveries from manufacturers and wholesalers or full trailer loads from the chain's distribution center, where different products from many manufacturers are loaded for delivery to the final destination, the local store.
RRs could still deliver to distribution centers.
by trainspot
I wanted to add and ask these:
I chased a few freights in the 1970s, but only have 126 Instamatic photos!
I do remember the freight serving Waldbaums (also Hill's in Pine-Aire and Eldee's), and I once chased a freight from Valley to W-H by bike!
It had the 1520 that day and was backing into W-H with a Buffalo Creek flour boxcar when I got there. There was also a siding east of Malveren, on a curve, under a hwy. overpass.(Wasn't that near where the steam engine is suopposed to be buried?!?)
I have a few questions myself, I seem to remember tracks in the street just east of RVC station by the power plant, but not for too long in the early 1960's.
And does the Freeport team track still exist, and see use?
I chased a few freights in the 1970s, but only have 126 Instamatic photos!
I do remember the freight serving Waldbaums (also Hill's in Pine-Aire and Eldee's), and I once chased a freight from Valley to W-H by bike!
It had the 1520 that day and was backing into W-H with a Buffalo Creek flour boxcar when I got there. There was also a siding east of Malveren, on a curve, under a hwy. overpass.(Wasn't that near where the steam engine is suopposed to be buried?!?)
I have a few questions myself, I seem to remember tracks in the street just east of RVC station by the power plant, but not for too long in the early 1960's.
And does the Freeport team track still exist, and see use?
