A RR T'S A RRCHIVES |
---|
IN APRIL 1868 RESIDENTS OF HEMPSTEAD INCORPORATED THE HEMPSTEAD & ROCKAWAY RAILROAD TO RUN FROM THEIR VILLAGE TO A CONNECTION WITH THE SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD AT VALLEY STREAM. SURVEYORS WERE PUT TO WORK AND A CONTRACTOR HIRED. FINANCIAL AND LEGAL PROBLEMS DELAYED CONSTRUCTION UNTIL JANUARY 1870. THE BACKERS THEN INCORPORATED THEMSELVES AS THE NEW YORK & HEMPSTEAD PLAINS RAILROAD WITH PLANS TO BUILD TO THE EAST RIVER AT BAY RIDGE. ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1870 THE LINE TO VALLEY STREAM OPENED AS THE HEMPSTEAD BRANCH OF THE SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD WITH STATIONS AT BRIDGEPORT, NORWOOD AND WOODFIELD. MORE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS RESULTED IN THE MERGER OF THE TWO COMPANIES AND REORGANIZATION AS THE NEW YORK & HEMPSTEAD RAILROAD. |
ON DECEMBER 30, 1870 THE NEW YORK & ROCKAWAY RAILROAD COMPANY WAS CHARTERED TO BUILD FROM ROCKAWAY JUNCTION (LATER HILLSIDE) TO FAR ROCKAWAY. THIS LINE CROSSED THE SOUTH SIDE RAIL ROAD AT SPRINGFIELD JUNCTION AND RAN DIRECTLY TO OCEAN POINT (CEDARHURST) WHERE IT CURVED AND RAN ADJACENT TO THE SOUTH SIDE AS FAR AS FAR ROCKAWAY. IT THEN CROSSED THE S.S.R.R. AND RAN TO ITS TERMINAL AT LOCKWOOD'S GROVE. THE ROUTE BETWEEN SPRINGFIELD JUNCTION AND CEDARHURST WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE "CEDARHURST CUT OFF". THE LINE BETWEEN FAR ROCKAWAY AND LOCKWOOD'S GROVE WAS LATER KNOWN AS "THE GROVE TRACK". ABOUT JULY 1, 1871 THE LINE WAS LEASED TO THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD. |
THE NEW YORK, WOODHAVEN & ROCKAWAY RAILROAD COMPANY BUILT A TRESTLE ACROSS JAMAICA BAY AND BEGAN OPERATING IN 1880. THEIR TRAINS RAN OVER THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD BETWEEN WOODHAVEN JUNCTION AND FLATBUSH AVENUE TERMINAL AND BETWEEN GLENDALE JUNCTION AND LONG ISLAND CITY WITH THROUGH TRAINS TO BUSHWICK AS WELL. |