LIRR has been around longer than....

Neat story, and some cool older pics in the link within the story.

Thanks for posting.

-Dave

I rode the LIRR growing up on Long Island and it has always been an impressive railroad to me. It is one of the oldest railroads in the United States that still operates under its original charter from 1834. 66 years of operation as an independent railroad, 66 years under PRR ownership, and owned by the State of New York since 1966.

MELGAR

I had a relative who was a conductor on the LIRR. He took me to work with him one day in the summer of 1980, when I was 13 years old. I had a BLAST riding trains all day, with a GP on one end, and an FA on the other, push-pull fashion. Got to ride in the vestibules. Even was aboard when some punk kids put a lawn mower on the track and we ran over it, breaking the train line and going into emergency!

Ah, the GREAT LIRR! Rode the electric MU's to Rockaway Beach with my parents as a young child (1945-48), and to my grandfather's house in Hicksville behind those marvelous G5's. We would take the Atlantic Ave. Line from Brooklyn to Jamaica, and I still vividly remember the heat from the boiler of that G5 as it pulled into Jamaica Station. Later, in my college years, I rode the Atlantic Avenue line from Woodhaven to Jamaica, and then to the Nassau Blvd. station in Garden City, for a short walk to Adelphi College. Once I walked from the campus to the Mineola station to catch the train for a short ride to Hicksville to spend the weekend with my cousins. After having moved to Hicksville in 1962, I frequently took the train into Penn Station with the change at Jamaica to the electric MU's. The ride through Sunnyside Yard before plunging into the East River tunnel was a  always a special treat with those GG1's and DD1's and the  huge passenger car marshalling yard! I well remember ALCO RS1's and the FM C-Liners, after steam had been phased out. As a child growing up in Woodhaven, Queens in the 1950's, my friend and I occasionally rode our bikes out to the Morris Park engine terminal, where the old coaling tower still stood in the early diesel years. Wonderful memories of a GREAT railroad!

Tinplate Art posted:

Ah, the GREAT LIRR! ...

...Wonderful memories of a GREAT railroad!

Art,

It certainly was great. My favorite was riding the double-decker passenger cars from Merrick through Jamaica, past Sunnyside Yards to New York Penn Station. Even today, standing alongside the tracks during commuter rush hours is a thrill. The frequency of twelve-car commuter trains is impressive. Hundreds of people waiting to board. There are still crossings at grade in Mineola. The only G5s I can photograph today shown below.

MELGAR

Kelly Anderson posted:

MELGAR posted:

I rode the LIRR growing up on Long Island and it has always been an impressive railroad to me. It is one of the oldest railroads in the United States that still operates under its original charter from 1834. 

HELLO!!  The Strasburg Rail Road is still operating under its original charter from 1832!!!  And has never been a subsidiary of another railroad either!!!!

Sorry. I stand corrected and have revised my post. However, as much as I like and truly admire today's Strasburg Rail Road, the LIRR moves a far greater number of people. I do wish the Strasburg all the best.

MELGAR

With all due respect to Kelly Anderson, there is NO COMPARISON between your also beloved and wonderful road and the GREAT LIRR. I guess you could say I am partial!  😃

185, not bad.

Once in a great while, I do find something on here of interest. Thanks for the link! 

Dan lives on in my layout!

SIRT posted:

Dan lives on in my layout!

On mine too!

MELGAR

I grew up in Mineola, with the Oyster Bay Branch running past the little league field, my grammar school, over Jericho Turnpike, and had a spur run to what was then Latham Bros. Lumber. I was born after steam stopped running, but the 4-6-0 G5s is one of my favorite engines. And I only run Long Island motive power and passenger cars. Dan lives on my layout too! 

Andy

STEAMFAN77,

Great examples of locomotives that have run on the LIRR.

MELGAR

GREAT LIRR models!

Steamfan77,

My Great Uncle was George Latham!  That was his Lumber Yard.  Did pretty well in the Post War years selling wood to some developer named Levitt! 

Jon

From the PRR era... love the keystone!!!

From 1946 to 1965, I lived just up Tyson Avenue (AKA 260 St) from the LIRR crossing at Tulip Avenue in Floral Park. So I had the great experience of knowing the LIRR in its steam era, and very fortunate to get a round trip cab ride is G5s No. 34 from Floral Park to Oyster Bay.

My teenage friends & I drank beer siting on the tracks of the Creedmore Branch, at what was once was the site of the Central Railroad's East Hinsdale Station. I still remember the LIRR's coal trains to Creedmore on the branch that ran through the backyards of homes in Bellrose and Queens Village.

On my walk to Our Lady of Victory School in Floral Park Village, I would take the underpass walkway at the LIRR's Tulip Avenue Crossing. As I recall, there were 3 tracks at the crossing and the Hempstead Branch cut-in just to the east of Tulip Avenue. The Hempstead Branch was also originally a part of the Central Railroad.

Great thread. The never ending love/ hate of the LIRR.

Adelphi University held classes for several years on metro NY commuter trains, including the LIRR. This was one of our former professors, Greg Gutman, founder of the program, teaching aboard a train.

Back in the early 60s in Suffolk County, I decided to play hooky on occasion and spent all day at the Oakdale station.  I was friends with the station master, a Grandfather type'.  I used to to help him with small maintenance jobs in maintaining the station.  Then wait for the PM trains returning from the city. The motive power was mostly RS-3 if I recall correctly, and they were all in pristine condition...

My grandparents lived close to the Hollis station, and between 1949-54, I would walk to it, and spend a good part of the day watching trains. The electric "locals" stopped at Hollis, and the steam "express"  trains roared past on the center 2 tracks. 

Thank you Mel and Art. Jon, that’s very cool. I used to love going there with my father. I was fascinated by how the tracks came up into the lumber shed. Bob, that is a great story. How long were those classes given?  Nice rolling stock all who have posted. I’ve learned a great deal as I’ve researched LIRR history, and specifically the Oyster Bay Branch. All great memories and stories. I’d like to keep this thread going too. 

Andy