ARRT'S   ARRCHIVES

THE   SOUTH   SIDE   RAILROAD   of   LONG   ISLAND   -   1868 FRESH   POND   STATION     BUSHWICK   JUNCTION   STATION THE   LONG   ISLAND   RAIL   ROAD   -   1998

SEYFRIED WRITES THAT THE SOUTHSIDE RAILROAD BUILT THROUGH "FRESH PONDS" AND THAT SERVICE BEGAN IN JULY 1868.   A STATION CALLED FRESH POND HAD OPENED BY JANUARY 1869. OVER THE YEARS THE STATION NAME CHANGED: THE SOUTH SIDE'S PUBLIC AND EMPLOYE TIMETABLES OF 1870 REFERRED TO FRESH   POND   (THERE WAS NO JUNCTION UNTIL 1871) THE LONG ISLAND'S 1877, 1878 AND 1880 PUBLIC TIMETABLES REFERRED TO FRESH   POND   WHILE THEIR 1880 EMPLOYE TIMETABLES REFERRED TO FRESH   POND   JUNCTION.   IN 1883 THAT NAME WAS USED FOR THE NEW JUNCTION WITH THE MANHATTAN BEACH DIVISION 1/2 MILE EAST AND THE OLDER JUNCTION BECAME   BUSHWICK   JUNCTION.   1885 EMPLOYE TABLES REFLECT THAT CHANGE. 1887 AND 1889 PUBLIC TIMETABLES SHOW:   FRESH POND (BUSHWICK JUNCTION) IN 1890 THE STATION NAME BECAME   BUSHWICK   JUNCTION IN 1917 THE STATION NAME BECAME AND REMAINED   FRESH   POND

A FRAME PASSENGER STATION APPEARS IN THIS 1910 PHOTOGRAPH LOOKING NORTHEAST ALONG METROPOLITAN AVENUE.


BUSHWICK   JUNCTION

IN OCTOBER 1869 THE SOUTH SIDE RAILROAD BOUGHT THE PORTION OF THE NEW YORK & FLUSHING RAILROAD RUNNING BETWEEN WINFIELD AND HUNTERS POINT.

go to FLUSHING RAIL ROAD - NEW YORK & FLUSHING RAILROAD

IN 1870 THE SOUTH SIDE INCORPORATED THE HUNTERS POINT & SOUTH SIDE RAILROAD TO CONNECT THE SOUTH SIDE AT FRESH POND - CREATING FRESH POND JUNCTION (BUSHWICK JUNCTION) - WITH THE NEW YORK & FLUSHING RAILROAD AT MASPETH - NEW YORK & FLUSHING JUNCTION.   THIS LINE WAS BUILT IN 1871 AND INCORPORATED INTO THE SOUTH SIDE IN 1872.

IN 1892 THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD INSTALLED THE BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM BETWEEN LONG ISLAND CITY AND JAMAICA - TOWER 6 (MV) WAS AT FLUSHING AVENUE CROSSING,   TOWER 7 (BJ) WAS AT BUSHWICK JUNCTION,   AT THE EAST END OF THE STATION.

STREET CAR LINES ON METROPOLITAN AVENUE AND FRESH POND ROAD CROSSED EACH OTHER AND THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD TRACKS AT THE WEST END OF BUSHWICK JUNCTION STATION.   IN JUNE 1896 AN INTERLOCKING WAS INSTALLED TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE TROLLEYS AND TO OPERATE CROSSING GATES.   RATHER THAN RENUMBERING TOWER 7 AND ALL THE TOWERS EAST THEREOF THE NEW ONE BECAME   6 1/2 (MX).






LOOKING NORTH ON FRESH POND ROAD IN 1910.   SIGNALS   5   AND   12
-   ORIGINALLY BOTH   5   -   ARE ON THE IRON POST AT THE RIGHT.


LOOKING NORTHEAST ALONG METROPOLITAN AVENUE IN 1910


FROM RAILROAD AGE GAZETTE OCTOBER 30, 1908







IN  1915  THE TRACKS WERE DEPRESSED,   ELIMINATING
THE   GRADE   CROSSINGS   AND   TOWERS   MX   AND   BJ.


THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF AN EASTBOUND HAULER PASSING FRESH POND STATION WAS TAKEN SEPTEMBER 17, 1941.   A NOTATION ON THE BACK SAYS THAT ENGINE 107 WAS PUSHING.
SINCERE THANKS TO DENNIS ROUSE FOR THIS PHOTOGRAPH.


FRANK RESCHKE TOOK THIS PHENOMINAL PHOTOGRAPH.
H10S NUMBER 107 WAS HAND FIRED AND THIS WAS THE RAILROAD'S STEEPEST HILL.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANK ZAHN - MANY THANKS FRANK!


DICK MAKSE COMES THROUGH AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH A SPECTACULAR
ACTION SHOT OF TRAIN NUMBER 552 ON AUGUST 6, 1970.   HE COMMENTS:

"Dropping sand on the second curve west of Fresh Pond, Eng. 204 leads the private club car Oyster Bay, six coaches and a bar up the 1.8 percent Mt. Olivet grade. During steam days, this was a helper district on the LIRR and still features "G" plates on the two position light signals governing the hill."


OCTOBER 26, 1952 - THIS TIME THE 107 IS ON A FAN TRIP.

go to OCTOBER 26, 1952 STEAM FAN TRIP



SEPTEMBER 1982 - THAT CONCRETE BUMPING BLOCK WAS AT THE END OF THE "BATTERY CAR TRACK" - THE BATTERIES GOT RECHARGED THERE BETWEEN TRIPS TO BUSHWICK.


SEPTEMBER 1982


FEBRUARY 1998




go to ----> FRESH POND JUNCTION

return to ----> TOWER No. SIX - MV TOWER - OLIVET