I was surprised too to see that other railroads had their hands on Manhattan! I have no idea who runs that Old New York site!
Guys, The yard LIRR uses was the NYC 30th street yards, where all the reefers full of food were unloaded, amoung other things. The B&O, Erie, LV and others all had small yards to serve Manhatten via car float from NJ. By the way, the 30th street yard was where the elevated line started, by gaining height while running around the north, west and south sides of the yard. Gary
Linda, I think someone else was in Staten Island running the freight, between the B&O and the SIRR's control. Just for a brief time. It may have been the N&W in the late '70's or early 80's. I've walked that abandoned line too! Seeing all ths old stations was wierd!
Johnny....... The line I'm talking about is a 2 track commuter line which ends at the ferry terminal. There were no freight facilities on this line. [ 20 November 2001: Message edited by: Lindalace9 ]</p>
Yes I know what you mean. But I think some freight was moved along there a long time ago, after the commuter trains "pulled out". There's a freight yard on the western end of the Island. It's still in use I believe. It connects to Bayonne I guess. There was also the POUCH TERMINAL RR on Staten Island. I'm not sure where they ran. There's a Pouch industrial park or housing development there now. A friend at work knew the family. It's an almost unheard of RR anymore.
There has never been any break in the commuter service on this line to my knowledge. I believe it was called Staten Island Rapid Transit.......owned by B&O......then in the late 40's was taken over by the City when the New York City Transit Authority absorbed the IRT, BMT and the IND. Power is electric.......3rd rail. I can't imagine how freight would be handeled since there are only 2 tracks and headway between trains is only about 15 minutes......less in rush hour.....these trains are on a timetable that gets them into the St. George ferry terminal so that commuters can "Make" the boat in the morning, and the train is waiting for them in the evening when they get off the boat. But I could be mistaken. In addition.......this line runs through towns like New Dorp, Great Kills, Dongan Hills, Annadale, Pleasant Plains and ends at Tottenville. These are all bedroom communities. There is no industry at all along this right of way. This line runs along what is known on the Island as the South shore. Industry on Staten Island is located on The North Shore, generally. This is the area directly opposite Bayonne, Elizabeth, Kearney and all those other smelly places. [ 22 November 2001: Message edited by: Lindalace9 ]</p>
Oh oh! We're on opposite sides of the Mason-Dixon Line! LOL! I'm talking about the North (shore) and you're talking about the South (shore)! I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood what you meant. Yes, I know about the line to Tottenville. I rode it back in '70-'71 for the first time. They were ancient trains back then. The motorman actually opened a sliding door to let this old lady on with her shopping cart! The doors must have been manually operated! Those cars had to have been from the 30's! They had real humming traction motors and were painted almost black. The motorman was enclosed in a cab that wasn't closed at the top. I can still smell the orange he was eating Oh! There was the heavy garlic smell before that........... I'll guess they were old BMT cars. Or maybe old EL cars? About 20 years ago I rode it and the railroad was selling tickets just like the LIRR or Metro North does, and the conductor was collecting them! I was confused and I was talking about the abandoned line on the Richmond Terrace side of Staten Island. There's an entire abandoned line that runs all the way to the other side of the Island. There are many abandoned platforms along the way. Some of the stations are up quite high too. All the tracks are there although it is extremely overgrown. I stood over them on Morningside Ave about a year ago and saw some bad washouts below. This was what I meant about the freight trains running along there after the commuter trains had gone. But they are long gone, after most of the heavy industry left the north shore. There is an active call to rebuild the line for commuters again!
Linda! Check out this cool site! That old car is exactly what I rode on!!!!!!!! http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/SIRT/sirt.html
How nostalgic! I love the old cars. Now that you have brought the old North Shore line to my attention I recall seeing many of the old bridges and viaducts. How could our progressive, modern, digital this and digital that society let these rail lines wither away? And then they have the gall to tell us to "take public transportation."
Linda, at $7 a pop to cross the Verrazano Bridge back into Brooklyn, it's worth the effort to take the Ferry (for free!) and ride mass transit both in the City and Staten Island. (Never mind traffic tieups). Not that many people live along the North Shore as it still is a commercial area. I guess back in the 50's the industry that supplied the riders on that line, started to fade fast. But now, there is a come-back for that area, especially since people are leaving Manhattan for the safety of Staten Island......... All those old tug boat repair places, factories and docks will eventually become middle class to upper crust housing. Staten Island will re-open that line in our lifetime. That site is very cool! It has a lot of neat stuff about NYC! And you're being from Queens, you must know of the abandoned line that runs to the Rockaways (? Isn't that where that old LIRR line runs to?) through places like Forest Hills. That's another vital RR line that is still standing tall. I hope we see many many changes. With all the crazy stuff going on here, we need to get more cars off of the road and more train lines running. The Second Ave Subway was a bust. These lines EXIST RIGHT NOW! Fix 'em up!!!!!!!!! What's your opinion on the Monorail from Jamacia to JFK? I think it's pretty cool, but a total waste. I doubt it will ever pay for itself. I know I couldn't drag my suitcases to Penn Station, take the LIRR to Queens (or the subway either) and switch to the Monorail. I'd ride it once just to see what it is like, but not for actual traveling purposes. Someone has to get with it and realize that this City is being overburdened by 4 wheeled vehicles. "My" Congressman Jerry Nadler has been fighting for a new rail freight tunnel for years. It could eliminate tens of thousands of 18 wheelers a year. Our bridges and tunnels are going to fall to pieces before much longer..............
Hi Johnny, There is an old abandoned LIRR line that (I believe) turns south from the maunline in Forest Hills. I think it extended through St. Albans. The line that went to Rockaway was given (Bought) to the NYC Transit Authority, re-conditioned and became a branch of the subway system. I can't offer much of an opinion about the monorail. I think monorails are wonderful and I wish the City would make use of them. I think people would love safe, high speed service. But I agree with you.......to schlep 2 heavy valises on the #2 train, change to LIRR at Penn Station, then change again at Jamaica...... Worse.........suppose you're on the #5 train. Now you must change at Grand Central to the shuttle to Times Square...then get on the south- bound 1 or 2 to Penn Sta. etc, etc... Even worse.....suppose you have to travel at rush hour....well,......I guess it would be better to stay home.
Linda, my FAVORITE SUBWAY LINE (!!!!!) is the #7! (LET'S GO METS!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I'd take the 1,9,2 or 3 to Times Square, change to the 7, and take that to B'way 74th to switch to the E to Jamaica and then ride the Monorail to wherever it leaves me at JFK, then probably board a bus....................... Then after my back goes out from carrying my luggae, I'll just love standing in the airport for 3 more hours until I can get on my delayed plane! And all of this for a 2 hour domestic flight!!!! My next trip is going to be on Amtrak! (Or....yikes!.......I'll whisper this.........by C-A-R........................
