Johnson Ave. Yard

Here and there I've seen references to Johnson Ave. Yard, but no in depth information. Anybody know where it is/was, and any other information about it. Thanks.

Reference to it: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/workingyard%20A.htm

"...I remember a team yard in Richmond Hill and Johnson Ave yard behind Hall tower with leads to the Dunton Shops..."

Steve

I'm quite familiar with Jamaica, Queens and I know of no Johnson Ave. in the vicinity of Jamaica Station and the towers that control it. In the passing references to it I've seen, it seems to be/was a freight yard. Is/was it somewhere else in Queens or Brooklyn? Thanks.

If I remember correctly, Johnson Ave. Yard goes down a hill under the Air Train building and has about 5 tracks in it. I remember hearing a story about a car inspector getting killed when the brakes released on a car at the top of the hill (by Hall Tower) and rolled into him a the bottom without him even knowing it was coming...
I'm not sure if the street was renamed, but I don't know of any Johnson Avenues around the RR tracks in Jamaica.

Johnson Ave yard is south of the station. In the area you also have the storage yard, receiving yard, advance yard, morris park yard, the boneyard, D Yard, and E Yard.

nyandw wrote:Reference to it: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/workingyard%20A.htm

"...I remember a team yard in Richmond Hill and Johnson Ave yard behind Hall tower with leads to the Dunton Shops..."

Steve

Teutobergerwald: The article references old timers with long memories. "Working Yard A
by Joe Falco,JJ Earl, and Mark Smith" Street names do change. Just because in your life span Johnson Ave doesn't exist the info provided isn't incorrect.

Yes, Johnson Avenue was south of Jamaica Station and fed the Dunton Electric Car Shops which was in the same location. It had a yardmaster's cabin at the switch which was just west of the Sutphin Boulevard overpass, south of the secondary tracks.

The yard tracks had a significant grade to them which made the place challenging at times when equipment had brakes cut out. It was built as a freight team yard and lead to the Shops.

The yard was used for shop equipment that was destined to go into Dunton Shops. There were several significant accidents in the yard. An old style double decker got away down the hill and wound up sticking out over the retaining wall of the Van Wyck Expressway, as did an M-1. And yes, a car inspector was crushed by a self-charging M-1 in the late 1980's.

Dunton Shops, which were horribly outdated and went back to 1913 were closed in the 90's and demolished to make way for the Airtrain project. They were replaced by the Hillside Shop.

Does tool remember the exotic weeds that sometimes grew near the yardmasters office in Johnson ave?

Yes, along with the cat-sized rats which grew there too.

When i used to listen to the scanner, I would hear Hall tower telling the conductor to park the train on 5 Johnson ave. Is this the storage yard for Jamaica station?

fond memories workin in dunton as an electrician apprentice..before coming to engine service...sweatin away with the car repairmen on the drop pit

Tool, you bring back old memories of a picture in the Long Island Press (of sainted memory) of that double-decker hanging over the Van Wyck. I never forgot it.

Nice thread guys! Robert Emery (another old timer, Teutobergerwald) map 1958 has Atlantic Ave west of Van Wyck then east of it is: 94th Street or Johnson Ave.

Perhaps someone can post the Emery map?

That would be 94 Avenue, not 94 Street. 94 Street runs north/south and is west of the Van Wyck Expwy. near Woodhaven Blvd.