LIRR to Jones Beach

Just read over in Subtalk that there were originally plans for a LIRR line to Jones Beach, but Robert Moses killed it.

Does anyone know anymore about this? I'm guessing it would've been an extension of the Long Beach line extension to Point Lookout(?). Or was it just going to be a branch from the Montauk line?

Imagine how nice that ride would've been via the Long Beach line!

At one point in time, the Long Beach line extended all the way to Point Lookout. Imagine if they had kept that portion and built a trestle over Jones inlet and then extended the line from Point Lookout to Jones Beach (and beyond?)

From the few, very rare photos that I've seen of the extension to Point Lookout, it appears that the tracks were not too permanently laid. It almost looks as though they were laid on top of the dunes (of course, that could just have been an illusion due to blowing sand covering everything).

The original Long Beach station was located about in line with the present one, only closer to the water. The tracks curved around, went past the front of the depot (which faced the water) and continued on towards Point Lookout.

Dave Keller

If a line to Jones beach were to be relaid, it would have to be built just east of Port then some how EL over sunrise and ride as an EL over the southern meadowbrook pky. then can be at grade in the beach area. i would like to make it return to the main via the robert moses causway, but this is just fantisfull thinking.

also had a brite idea to run the long beach train to the bord walk and make the platforms connect to the bordwalk. that would make the current stop be renamed to Long Beach Village.

But thats all gone now and has been for a long time, so there for we can make it a reality in MSTS. but not on LI it self.

Now, I don't know the area of Long Beach all that well, but with the help of Mapquest, I have found 2 routings to bring the LIRR to Jones Beach.

From Long Beach RR, continue south to near the shore, then run it along the shoreline(not right at the shore, behind the beach, but south of where the houses are), then over the inlet to Jones Beach

or


From Long Beach RR station, there is Park Av. Park Av has a median. Run the trains down the median(above grade) to where it becomes Lido Blvd(no median). I'm not sure about that area, but I'm sure something can be found. It's only about 1 mile that I'm unsure of. That is the section between Park Av and Lido Beach West Town Park(which may be even less than a mile). From there, 2 options:

1. North of Lido Blvd, between Lido Blvd and the Golf Club, then crosses onto the south side of Lido Blvd, dives southeast through Point Lookout town park, then across the inlet to Jones Beach.

2. Southeast through Lido Beach West Town Park, east through Lido Beach District Park, Lido Beach Town Park, Nassau Beach County Park, Point Lookout Town Park, across the inlet to Jones Beach

After crossing the inlet, there's an array of possible ROWs. One could be down the median of Bay Pkwy, then Ocean Pkwy, with stops at some place on the beach and then maybe another one at the amphitheatre

I think option 2 would be the best, but I still need to visit the area and check out just how clear the possible ROW is. Where was the original one?

Jarad,

Thers like no hope in re building the line from the current long beach station. it is way too populted and way to much traffic esp. in the summer.

I have taken the train to the beach plenty of times before and have scouted out several ideas witch none of witch would work out.

TOO many buildings, even in direct line to the beach it self. then where the ROW can exist reasonably there is also several structurs in the way.

1) any hope to see rail in the jones beach vacinity would be to build an EL. at the East end of the Freeport platform then keep it an EL over Route 27 and the meadow brook then it can be at grade in the middle of the parkway median to the beach.

Plan 2 (Jarad youll like this one.)

2)

Re build the CRR down to the meadowbrook Pky then run the ROW South along the PKY to the beach. i find that doing it that way would be much more eaiser then just turning south from Port.

That's why I said make it ABOVE grade if it were to go down the median of Park Av.

I know, this one is definately a railfan pipe dream, just saying....it's there.

Build light rail and pass under an LIRR Babylon line stop, or two. Beach would make a nice endpoint for a north/south LRT system.