Rockaway Beach Branch - Historical Operations

[Dave Keller]

P.S.

The IND connection made to the LIRR tracks south of Liberty Avenue was for the purpose of allowing IND service to Aqueduct racetrack now that the LIRR no longer serviced that stop.

Read Herb George's great book "Change at Ozone Park." It explains all sorts of stuff.

Dave Keller

[finsuburbia]

When the LIRR sold the part of the Far Rockaway Branch to the city which eventually became the IND Far Rockaway Line, why did the LIRR move their Far Rockaway station to ground level? Also, why did they place it two-three blocks away from the subway stop?

[LongIslandTool]

The LIRR station building was always at ground level. It housed the general offices for the five trolley lines that the LIRR owned. The platforms were on a temporary elevated structure built in 1939 with the assumption that the NYCTA would one day take over the operation.

When the City purchased the branch, the LIRR no longer needed the land that once contained the old Far Rockaway team yard, Railroad Express and the site of the old Rock Interlocking. They sold the property, which was quite valuable in 1955. The original station was knocked down shortly after.

The LIRR constructed a new station at Nameoke Avenue and the TA constructed a station several years later across the street from the original one on Mott Avenue. The new LIRR station was originally built on a belgium block embankment, as the street was depressed with a bridge going over it. The street was raised and the embankment removed after decades of flooding.

The old yard and station is now the site of a shopping center. The old Rock tower stood immediately railroad north of the present LIRR station.

[finsuburbia]

Interesting history. Its a shame that the new LIRR station wasn't built where the old one was. As of right now, the station's kind of hidden and the distance doesn't really encourage multimodal connections.

[CNJGeep]

Ha, you're tellin' me! I got lost looking for the LIRR station after stepping off of the (A) in Far Rock. Took me about half-an-hour, and then my train was delayed because of a brush fire by about thirty-five minutes. *sigh*
But I didn't know about the history of the station location. Thanks!

[BMT]

Here's a bit of Rockaway Branch trivia: with the exception of three stations on the A line of the IND subway, all of the other station stops are original LIRR stations. The modified stations are (1) Howard Beach, (2) Broad Channel, and (3) Mott Avenue (which actually never existed until the city takeover of the line). I consider Rockaway Park original even though it was heavily modified for NYCTA use because most of the track configurations + the station building remained unchanged until very recently (last year construction began that now encroaches on the old structure, making the large waiting area smaller).

[jayrmli]

As was mentioned in an earlier post, when the Rockaway line was grade separated, features were built in for its eventual takeover by the subway system. That is why the stations were converted to subway stops with little or no modification so easily.

Jay

[ElliotCourtney]

When was the end of service on the line out to Rockaway Park and Ozone Park. I looked at a employee timtable from 1964 but I couldnt find any mention of this branch. If some one could tell me these dates it would be very helpful.
Thanks
Elliot

[Ocala Mike]

This would have been sometime in the summer of 1955. By Oct., 1955, the NYC Transit Authority took over south of Ozone Park. Service to Ozone Park continued for some time after that, however.

[The Tenth Legion]

I believe it was abandoned between the Main Line in Rego Park and Liberty Avenue in 1962.

[Ocala Mike]

That sounds about right, 10th Legion. My 1960 Form LI-1 still lists one (and only one) train a day in each direction, NYP to Ozone Park.

[The Tenth Legion]

Wow, one train in each direction on a line that is double-, and in some stretches of the line, triple- & quadruple-tracked.......

[ElliotCourtney]

Wow thanks for the info. This also dates some ticketsof mine that still lists Rockaway Park as a branch.
Elliot

[R36 Combine Coach]

June 8, 1962 was the final day for the Rockaway Branch.

[Noel Weaver]

There was a book done on this territory some years ago titled "Change at Ozone Park" by Herbert George. I do not know if it
is still in print or not but it is well done and will give you all the information that you want and more.
Noel Weaver