Speculation on Continental Extrusion and the Central Branch

OK, this is not to be a flame war on Pataki or anything...

The old-schoolers among us (including me) remember that at the east end of the Central Branch (which, from the 80s was and still is Endo Blvd) there was a plastics company called, I believe, Continental Extrusion (could have been Continental Extruding, or some derivate, not sure). This plant took a lot of covered hoppers (I remember seeing 6 - 8 at a time, sometimes there were more in the Stewart Ave. Freight yard), and seemed a big customer.
Of course, just as the LIRR started to get around to promoting freight service again, Contentinal closed (becoming, at first, a discount clothing outlet - now it's a self storage facility). I think this was 1992 or 1993, but it was before the NY&A era.
Now, lets say that Continental had remained both operational and a strong generator of freight into the NY&A era - would the LIRR then have had to let NY&A have freight operational rights over the Central branch (not that much difference in the rest of the line would have happened - except for the intermodal ash trains the line was pretty sparse, and the Refridgeration facility (erstwhile White Rose - good for 1 reefer-car per several months) on Dribblee would have eventually become Lowes).
But with a solid, large private customer, how do you think things would have played out).

That is a good question. I am not sure you will ever get an answer to it.
However, this might be a good indicator. The Line ended fairly close to Endo Blvd. After Continental closed, the LIRR very quickly cut back the line to where it is today just inside of the old boundary of Mitchell Field. I think it is obvious that they didn't want anyone going in to that building who might consider using rail service. Just think about. You buy a building with a rail line right next to it but your told that you can't have service because the state made a deal to keep trains from running thru a politically connected village. Might make for an interesting law suit, don't you think?

Yes, I remember that branch when it was quite active. I was a student at Nassau Community College in the late 1980's. I was walking to class, and I saw them switching about 5 covered hopper cars to the plant. I went back there and there were piles of plastic pellets, piled high like snow drifts! I wasn't a railfan back in those days, I suppose that's how I started watching trains. I saw the circus train back there whenever they were in town. Not much going on there these days. The last time I was out there, there were some MOW flat cars with concrete ties parked on the other side of that small yard there. They also had a few of the old parlor cars parked near there.