ARRT'S     ARRCHIVES




Copyright © 2005 - 2009 Arthur John Huneke
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


ONE   HUNDRED   YEARS
THE   LONG   ISLAND   RAIL   ROAD
1905   -   ELECTRIFICATION   -  2005


ONE   HUNDRED   YEARS AGO   -   OCTOBER   3,   1905   -   THE   LONG   ISLAND   RAIL   ROAD   ELECTRIFIED   THE   "OLD   SOUTHERN   ROAD"   BETWEEN   JAMAICA   AND   SPRINGFIELD   JUNCTION.





THE RESEARCH OF BILL SLADE,   BOB EMERY AND ART HUNEKE DISCLOSED THAT ELECTRIC TRAIN SERVICE FROM JAMAICA TO CENTRAL AVENUE STATION - LATER LAURELTON - BEGAN OCTOBER 16,   1905.   THIS SERVICE DOES NOT APPEAR IN EMPLOYE TIME TABLE NUMBER 37 OF NOVEMBER 1905 NOR DOES THE "OLD SOUTHERN ROAD" APPEAR.   LOCUST AVENUE AND SPRINGFIELD STATION WERE SHOWN IN TIMETABLES UNTIL 1899 - 1900.   THEREAFTER THE ONE OR TWO TRAINS STOPPING THERE WERE LISTED ON THE MONTAUK DIVISION PAGES WITH A NOTATION THAT THEY OPERATED VIA THE "OLD SOUTHERN ROAD".
PERHAPS THE FIRST ELECTRIC TRAIN SERVICE WAS LIKE THE FAR ROCKAWAY TO HAMMEL TROLLEY CAR SERVICE WHICH ALSO DID NOT SHOW IN THE SCHEDULES.   ONCE THE ELECTRIC TRAIN SERVICE WAS EXTENDED TO VALLEY STREAM IN MAY 1906 THE "OLD SOUTHERN" APPEARS AS PART OF THE ATLANTIC DIVISION.


THESE ARE THE STATIONS SHOWN IN EMPLOYE TIME TABLE NUMBER 38 SUPPLEMENT NUMBER ONE
OF MAY 17, 1906.   TRAINS ON THE "OLD SOUTHERN ROAD" COULD NOT STOP AT JAMAICA STATION WITHOUT MAKING A REVERSE MOVE AND USED BEAVER STREET STATION - PASSENGERS WALKED TO CONNECTIONS AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FOOT SUBWAY.   MOST OF THE VALLEY STREAM TRAINS TERMINATED AT BEAVER STREET.



BEAVER   STREET   STATION   JAMAICA


BEAVER STREET STATION - IN DISTANCE AT EXTREME RIGHT AND LEFT
OF DIAMOND CROSSING SIGN - IN RELATION TO JAMAICA STATION.




"SJ"   TOWER   PROTECTED   THE   TROLLEY
CROSSING   AT   SOUTH   STREET   JAMAICA



POWER   PLACE   STATION   became   CEDAR   MANOR.



LINDEN   BOULEVARD   CROSSING   AT   CEDAR   MANOR   STATION
IN THE DISTANCE CAN BE SEEN "NA" TOWER AT NEW YORK AVENUE TROLLEY CROSSING



"NA"   TOWER   -   NEW   YORK   AVENUE




LOCUST   AVENUE   CROSSING   AND   STATION

THE   EMPLOYE   TIME   TABLE   READS   "RACE   TRACK   (LOCUST   AVENUE)".
"LA"   TOWER   IS   LOCATED   HERE   IN   EMPLOYE
TIME   TABLES   BY   1911   AND   THROUGH   SEPTEMBER   1919.



METROPOLITAN   JOCKEY   CLUB
at   JAMAICA   RACE   TRACK





JAMAICA RACE TRACK at right was served by LOCUST AVENUE STATION.
HIGH PLATFORM WAS USED ONLY BY RACE TRAINS. Regular Westward
Trains stopped at LOW PLATFORM at extreme left.    WEBER-ZIEL photo.


THANKS TO DAVE KELLER FOR THIS GREAT 1930'S SHOT SHOWING THE STATION BUILDING




AUGUST 1959 PHOTO BY BILL RUGEN


FARMERS   AVENUE   CROSSING


SPRINGFIELD,   HIGBIE   AVENUE   STATION


SPRINGFIELD   ROAD   CROSSING
SOUTH   SIDE   RAILROAD'S   SPRINGFIELD   STATION   WAS   LOCATED   HERE


A TRAIN OF MP41S AT CENTRAL AVENUE STATION BEFORE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATION BUILDING.   IN THE DISTANCE ARE THE PORTABLE SUB-STATION BUILDING AND THE OVERHEAD BRIDGE OF THE NEW YORK AND LONG ISLAND TRACTION COMPANY.


CENTRAL   AVENUE   -   LAURELTON   STATION


IN THE DISTANCE ARE "SM" CABIN AND "E.D.T." END OF DOUBLE TRACK.   SEE NEXT PAGE


IN 1904 - 1905 THE L.I.R.R. WAS PLANNING TO REBUILD THE CEDARHURST CUT OFF AND CONNECT IT WITH THE ATLANTIC DIVISION.   ELECTRIFICATION AND DOUBLE TRACK OPERATION WOULD HAVE EXTENDED EAST OF LAURELTON VIA THE CUT OFF TO CEDARHURST AND THE ROCKAWAYS.



LAURELTON   STATION


THE PAY CAR AND PORTABLE SUB-STATION BUILDING AT SPRINGFIELD JUNCTION