42-616: Woodhaven Junction was a station complex on the Atlantic Branch and Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road , located at Atlantic Avenue between 98th and 100th Streets in Woodhaven , Queens , New York City . The elevated Rockaway Beach station was closed in 1962 along with the rest of the branch, while the underground Atlantic Branch station was closed and abandoned on January 7, 1977. The station
84-547: A streetcar connection to the 8th Street Ferry in Williamsburg , and it opened its own track in Boerum Street, Broadway, and 8th Street to Williamsburg (operated by horses, soon replaced by steam dummies , west of Bushwick) on November 4, 1868. A branch was also built from Maspeth (west of Flushing Avenue ) northwest to Furman's Island at the junction of Newtown Creek and Maspeth Creek for freight. However,
126-656: A new freight terminal at Long Island City by rebuilding part of the old New York and Flushing, but passenger service continued to operate to Williamsburg. Since the LIRR built the Sag Harbor Branch in 1869 and 1870 to cut off the competition, an extension beyond Patchogue was not built. Prior to the acquisition by the LIRR, there was a proposal by the SSRRLI to extend the main line southeast towards Bellport , and then northeast to Brookhaven and Southaven . Rather than
168-464: Is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York . It is the only LIRR line with revenue passenger service in the borough of Brooklyn . The line consists of two sections constructed separately. The portion of the line from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica was constructed as part of the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad and opened in 1836, while
210-566: Is present on the south side of Atlantic Avenue west of the elevated line. The northern staircases to the elevated station are still visible. The former track junction and part of the Rockaway Branch right-of-way south to 97th Avenue has been paved over and is used as a school bus depot for the Logan Bus Company; the ramp and tunnel portal of the wye have been filled in. Atlantic Branch The Atlantic Branch
252-707: Is the successor to two separate lines: the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad (opened 1836) along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Jamaica, and the South Side Railroad of Long Island (opened 1867) from Jamaica to Valley Stream. The Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad opened the line from South Ferry to what is now 151st Street in Jamaica on April 18, 1836. Initially the line turned halfway between Classon and Franklin Avenues, running halfway between Herkimer Street and Schuyler Street (now Atlantic Avenue) along
294-431: Is underground along Atlantic Avenue . From there the line is elevated above the median of Atlantic Avenue to Dewey Place (with a stop at Nostrand Avenue ) before returning underground. At East New York the line rises to street level to cross above the north-south, freight-only Bay Ridge Branch , then descends underground once more. Between East New York and Jamaica , the closed but intact station at Woodhaven Junction
336-749: Is visible. At 121st Street in Richmond Hill, Queens , the line rises to street level and passes the Morris Park Facility before joining the elevated Main Line at Jamaica. Immediately east of Jamaica, the line turns southeast, ducking beneath the eastward Main Line tracks. It curves parallel to the Montauk Branch after a few miles and continues next to it to Valley Interlocking in Valley Stream. The current Atlantic Branch
378-1025: The Broadway and Lexington Avenue els with a connection built at Chestnut Street in Brooklyn. This allowed BRT trains to access the Rockaways and Manhattan Beach, while affording the LIRR a connection into Manhattan to the BRT terminal located at Park Row over the Brooklyn Bridge (this service predated the opening of the East River Tunnels to Penn Station ). Nevertheless, the Interstate Commerce Commission ended this service in 1916 when they classified different operating standards between rapid transit trains (such as BRT trains) and regular heavy rail railroads (such as
420-737: The Flushing and North Side Railroad soon drove most traffic away from the New York and Flushing, leading to the portion east of Winfield being sold to the Flushing and North Side in 1869, and the rest lying unused. The Hunters Point and South Side Railroad was incorporated on January 5, 1870 to connect Fresh Pond on the South Side with the East River , and opened in 1872 to a point on the New York and Flushing. The South Side thus gained
462-1009: The IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway from Far Rockaway to Hammels (abandoned beyond Hammels to Rockaway Park ) and an abandoned branch from Valley Stream to Hempstead . The South Side Railroad was incorporated March 23, 1860, and organized April 20, 1860, to build from Brooklyn to Islip , with Willet Charlick, brother of the LIRR 's Oliver Charlick, and Charles Fox of Baldwin in control. An April 12, 1867, supplement to its charter authorized an extension to East Hampton . Construction began in June 1866, and it opened for regular service from Jamaica east to Babylon on October 28, 1867. Extensions opened to Islip on September 5, 1868, Sayville on December 11, 1868, and Patchogue on April 10, 1869. The SSRRLI
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#1732780274193504-727: The Atlantic Branch (then the Old Southern Road ) uses the old South Side to Springfield Junction. The line was soon reopened due to a lawsuit, but closed again by Austin Corbin as of January 6, 1881. Effective May 17, 1906, when an electrified third track opened alongside the Montauk Division from Springfield Junction to Valley Stream, the Old Southern Road and this new track became part of
546-790: The Atlantic Division. Grade-crossing elimination work between Laurelton and Jamaica began in May 1958. East of Valley Stream, the Far Rockaway Branch continues to Far Rockaway and the Long Beach Branch continues to Long Beach . As of February 27, 2023 , the Atlantic Terminal, Nostrand Avenue, and East New York stations are primarily served by a shuttle running between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica. These stations are also served by trains on
588-590: The Brookhaven station that existed on the LIRR between 1884 and 1958, the planned station in Brookhaven was to be named "Fireplace" after Fireplace Neck. The South Side Railroad incorporated a subsidiary, the Far Rockaway Branch Railroad , on June 22, 1868 to construct a branch from the main line at Valley Stream to the Rockaways. The new line opened on July 29, 1869 to Mott Avenue at Far Rockaway . While constructing it in summer 1869,
630-510: The LIRR main line from Berlin Junction (west of Jamaica) to Rockaway Junction and the LIRR's Rockaway Branch to Springfield Junction , where it crossed the South Side. This change took effect June 25, 1876, and resulted in the closure of the South Side's Berlin, Beaver Street (Jamaica), Locust Avenue , and Springfield stations. This formed the current configuration, where the Montauk Branch follows this route, mostly ex-South Side, and
672-539: The LIRR's Springfield Branch. This route east of Jamaica is still the main one for trains using the ex-Southern ( Montauk Branch ) east of Valley Stream, but the "Lower Montauk" west of Jamaica has not been used by passenger trains since 2012. However, the LIRR entered receivership in late 1877, and the Southern was reorganized on November 20, 1879 as the Brooklyn and Montauk Railroad, The Brooklyn and Montauk opened an extension from Patchogue to Eastport to connect to
714-518: The LIRR). By the late 1930s, it was clear that the rest of the line needed to be grade separated. Much of the surrounding area along Atlantic Avenue in Ozone Park and Richmond Hill began their suburban development leading to more traffic along Atlantic Avenue which was plagued by the line's many grade crossings. The City of New York along with the LIRR thus allocated the funds to depress the rest of
756-597: The New York and Hempstead Railroad. The line opened on September 28, 1872, and was leased to the South Side on May 10, 1873. The South Side entered receivership on November 9, 1873, and was sold on September 16, 1874 to the Poppenhusens, who also controlled the Flushing, North Shore and Central Railroad. The South Side was reincorporated as the Southern Railroad of Long Island on September 25, 1874. The two Poppenhusen lines were connected at Babylon, and
798-465: The Poppenhusens acquired the LIRR. The line beyond Bushwick to Williamsburg was abandoned February 26, making the line to Bushwick a branch; passenger trains operated over a new connection into the LIRR's Long Island City terminal. The LIRR leased the Southern on May 3, 1876. In June, the Southern became the main passenger route from Long Island City to Jamaica; most passenger trains on the Southern from Jamaica east to Springfield Gardens were rerouted to
840-541: The Rockaway Beach Branch closed first on June 8, 1962, along with the rest of the Rockaway Beach Branch. The underground station of the Atlantic Branch closed on January 7, 1977 due to vandalism and declining ridership. At the time, only two trains, one in each direction, stopped at Woodhaven. Most lights at the station had been broken by thrown beer bottles and rocks, and the walls were covered with graffiti and were filthy. LIRR President Robert Pattison said
882-617: The South Side Railroad is now the Montauk Branch of the LIRR from Long Island City to Jamaica , the Atlantic Branch from Jamaica to Valley Stream , and the Montauk Branch again from Valley Stream to Patchogue . The Brooklyn and Montauk extended the line to Eastport while leased to the LIRR. The South Side also owned or leased lines that are now the Bushwick Branch and Far Rockaway Branch , as well as
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#1732780274193924-534: The South Side on September 14, 1872, along with the Hunters Point and South Side and New York and Flushing. The Hempstead and Rockaway Railroad was incorporated in April 1868 to build from Valley Stream on the South Side to Hempstead . The New York and Hempstead Plains Railroad was incorporated March 1, 1870, to build from Bay Ridge east to Hempstead, and on August 10, 1871 the two companies merged to form
966-462: The Southern's branch to Hempstead was abandoned temporarily after only two years of operation. The Southern Hempstead Branch Railroad was incorporated on July 1, 1875 as a reorganization of the New York and Hempstead, and the Southern began operating it shortly thereafter. It was however closed permanently in May 1879, since Hempstead was already served adequately from the north (effectively the LIRR's current Hempstead Branch ). On January 26, 1876,
1008-538: The West Hempstead Branch, as well as a limited number of weekday trains on the Hempstead and Babylon branches. Other trains traveling east of Jamaica run to Penn Station , Grand Central Madison , or Long Island City . [REDACTED] Media related to Atlantic Branch (Long Island Rail Road) at Wikimedia Commons South Side Railroad of Long Island The South Side Railroad of Long Island
1050-631: The company installed about 700 feet (200 m) of tracks across William B. McManus's farmland near Lawrence . However, the transaction had not been completed, and McManus and some friends tore up the track the next night; after a legal battle, the company paid McManus. The Far Rockaway Branch was extended September 2, 1869 to the Boardwalk at Beach 30th Street. The Rockaway Railway was incorporated September 5, 1871 to continue from Far Rockaway west to Rockaway Point , and opened July 4, 1872 to Beach 103rd Street at Seaside , . Both companies were merged into
1092-722: The early expansion plans of the city's Independent Subway System in the 1930s, the Rockaway Beach Branch was planned to be absorbed into the new subway, which would have turned the Woodhaven elevated station into a stop on the IND Queens Boulevard Line or a new Queens crosstown line. In 1950, the Rockaway Beach Branch south of the Howard Beach station had closed after the trestle on Jamaica Bay between The Raunt and Broad Channel Stations
1134-518: The elevated station was a two-track wye, curving northwest from the Rockaway branch to merge with the Atlantic branch west of its station at about 96th Street. Woodhaven Junction is one of two stations on the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch still standing (the other being Ozone Park), while the underground Atlantic Branch station is still visible from passing trains. The now-abandoned LIRR substation
1176-446: The entire line to Jamaica was to be grade separated. Between 1903 and 1905 the line was depressed into a tunnel from Flatbush Avenue to Bedford Avenue, then placed on an elevated viaduct from Bedford Avenue to Ralph Avenue then depressed back into a tunnel until Manhattan Crossing located just west of East New York station. At East New York the line returned to grade level then rose onto another elevated viaduct until Atkins Ave. The rest of
1218-490: The line from Atkins Ave to Morris Park located just west of Jamaica remained at grade level along Atlantic Avenue with numerous grade crossings with the anticipation of grade separating the line later on. Additionally a new terminal and yard was built at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Electric service commenced in 1905 with the line consisting of two tracks between Flatbush Avenue and Woodhaven Junction and four tracks beyond that point to Jamaica. LIRR then ran two services along
1260-539: The line from Jamaica to East New York had many more stations along Atlantic Avenue spaced at closer intervals, much like a rapid transit line. The four tracks between Jamaica and Woodhaven Junction lent itself to this service with the "rapid transit" trains using the outer two tracks while commuter trains used the inner two tracks. In November 1925, 25 "local" trains left Brooklyn each weekday for Queens Village, 12 more ran to Hillside, and 16 more ran to Jamaica. All trains made all stops, 15 of them west of Queens Village. Fare
1302-420: The line from Morris Park to East New York in a tunnel. Building of the tunnel commenced in 1939 (although plans to build the tunnel date back to 1893) with two of the line's four tracks being pulled out of service and the rapid transit service being discontinued. On December 28, 1942, the tunnel was completed and opened with the two remaining at-grade tracks pulled out of service. Around this time Atlantic Avenue
Woodhaven Junction station - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-459: The line of the present Herkimer Place. It turned slightly to the southeast near Howard Avenue, crossing the centerline of Schuyler Street about one-third of the way between Hopkinson Avenue (Thomas Boyland Street) and Paca Avenue (Rockaway Avenue). It crossed into the town of New Lots just beyond Stone Avenue (Mother Gaston Boulevard). The Atlantic Branch was one of the first lines in the LIRR system slated to be electrified. In anticipation of this
1386-410: The line: the traditional commuter type services from points on eastern Long Island to Flatbush Avenue, along with what was called the "local rapid transit " service, frequent elevated/subway like service at lower fare between Flatbush Ave and Queens Village . Although referred to as a rapid transit service, standard LIRR cars were used, and the service was operated by regular railroad rules. At this time
1428-678: The portion from Jamaica to Valley Stream was constructed as part of the South Side Railroad of Long Island in 1867. Partly underground and partly elevated, the Atlantic Branch runs from Atlantic Terminal in Downtown Brooklyn to Valley Stream , in Nassau County , where it becomes the two-track Long Beach Branch with the two-track Far Rockaway Branch splitting southward just east of the Valley Stream station . The section between Atlantic Terminal and Bedford Avenue
1470-439: The station was a popular hangout spot for neighborhood vandals. The elevated station, located on a trestle adjacent to 100th Street, was built with two concrete high-level side platforms, with staircases down to the street and the Atlantic Branch on either side of Atlantic Avenue. The underground station's design resembled an Independent Subway station, with tile work of the same design; the name mosaic reads "Woodhaven." South of
1512-488: Was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York . Chartered in 1860 and first opened in 1867 as a competitor to the Long Island Rail Road , it was reorganized in 1874 as the Southern Railroad of Long Island and leased in 1876 to the LIRR. After a reorganization as the Brooklyn and Montauk Railroad in 1879 (immediately after which it was again leased to the LIRR) it was merged in 1889. The main line of
1554-532: Was built just west of the Woodhaven Junction station to connect the two lines, but these closed after the abandonment of the Rockaway Beach Branch between 1955 and 1962. The portion east of Jamaica was opened by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on October 28, 1867, as part of its initial line from Jamaica to Babylon . With the consolidation of the South Side into the Long Island Rail Road system in 1876, all passenger trains were rerouted to use
1596-507: Was destroyed by a fire. The city purchased the entire line in 1955, but only the portion south of Liberty Avenue was reactivated for subway service. Ridership declined on the remaining portion of the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch, and fewer trains were scheduled to stop at Woodhaven on the Atlantic Branch. Passengers who would normally use the station had to ride buses to the next nearest stations. The elevated station of
1638-503: Was first opened by the LIRR in the 1880s for the Rockaway Beach Branch (then known as the New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad), and in 1893 for the Atlantic Branch. Beginning in May 1940, both stations were rebuilt when the Atlantic Branch was grade separated and placed in a tunnel. The elevated Rockaway Beach station opened in September 1941, while the underground Atlantic Branch station opened for service on December 28, 1942. In
1680-471: Was forced to build its own line west of Jamaica due to the LIRR's purchase of the New York and Flushing Railroad on July 13, 1867. The South Side had been looking at using the New York and Flushing Railroad for access to Long Island City . To gain access to ferry service to New York City, the South Side decided to build to Williamsburg. The line from Jamaica west to Bushwick opened on July 18, 1868, with
1722-542: Was probably 10 cents for 13 miles Queens Village to Brooklyn, compared to about 40 cents on "express" LIRR trains making six or seven stops (but a monthly ticket good on any train was $ 7.10). For a while the LIRR operated joint service along the Atlantic Branch with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company (BRT) consisting of two connections, one with the Fifth Ave El at Flatbush Avenue, and another with
Woodhaven Junction station - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-466: Was raised over the East New York station via a viaduct that separated the road and the railroad. The elevated trestle from East New York to Atkins Avenue was also demolished as it had been included in the new tunnel to Jamaica. Only one station was included in the new tunnel: Woodhaven Junction, where the Atlantic Branch crossed under the Rockaway Beach Branch . An interlocking and track connection
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