One hour cab ride from Far Rockaway to Lower Manhattan
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Hey wasn't Bluelinec4 on the "Extra Board" for this route?
Farmer Bill, you did an excellent job recording this. You were lucky to have an R32. I recorded this about a year ago but had the newer cars with the double doors in the front to isolate the motorman. Left a lot to be desired, Vic
I caught a downtown R32 "A" train this afternoon. Nice way to end the week.
Stuart
They moved alot of the 32's that used to be on the C over to the A now. People are getting spoiled by the 160's on the C They like to have the 32's above ground especially in the summer. They have an overheating problem. Thats why they are on the J also.
Rockaway in the summer is a nice run in the summer Very relaxing on the flats between Howard beach and Broad channel My avatar pic was ake just before the Broad channel bridge on an R46
I remember riding the LIRR to Rockaway when I was a young lad! We boarded in Brooklyn.
Hello ART --
I started to ride the LIRR on a few joyride trips (it was a PITA because of multiple zone various-fare tickets) around 1962 -- but I did ride the NY Central with a family member numerous times in the early to mid 1950's --from Grand Central to Harmon -- and I remember being in the vestibule of the car behind the electric loco and looking out the open outer doorway (no door there where the diaphram would have been) across the vestibule, and seen the rear-facing "porch" of the huge electric loco -- and then the steam loco tender with its rear headlight at the change to Steam Loco for trip north to Chatham !! (early 1950's)
My mother and I rode in (she drove, heh) her 1942 Plymouth coupe from Upper East Side Manhattan all the way out to Rockaway Park-Playland ia number of times n the early to mid 1950's (she sold the car in 1956) -- and we stayed at a ratrap wooden clapboard old rooming house for the weekend (say "cheap.." ) right across the narrow street from that huge wooden Roller Coaster. What I most remember however, is seeing and hearing the whining, groaning ancient LIRR MP-54's running of the concrete 2 track trestle from Rockaway (Mott Ave end) back and forth to the southern Far Rockaway terminal. By then the Hammels "Y" Junction to the Jamaica Bay and Queens mainland was out of service due to the bay long wooden trestle which burned in 1950.
Here is the way I remember the LIRR (seeing it) on the Rockaway peninsula on that 1920 built neat concrete EL (compared to the ancient 1878 built Manhattan 3rd Ave EL I lived next to and was very sentimental about !!
BELOW -- View looking north along the LIRR Concrete Ornamental EL with a train of LIRR MP 54's passing by towards Beach 44th Street / Frank Avenue Station on Edgemere Avenue with a northbound train - 1955
BELOW is looking S/W at Hammels Y around 1955 with the one track connecting the south Rockaway line to the north part towards Mott Ave and northward. The Bay trestle would have connected about 2 blocks to the right (west) -- note the rusted out of service former Queens Mainland main tracks to the right.
Below is the Hamilton Beach Station on the Queens Mainline portion of the LIRR that ended near where the wooden trestle was burned out across Jamaica Bay. We could see these trains from parallel Cross Bay Blvd driving to and from Rockaway Park
BELOW on the 2 track LIRR Rockaway concrete EL in 1955 - at Rockaway Playland Station
BELOW -- this is what greeted us entering the Rockaway Peninsula from the Cross Bay Blvd. after crossing its own Jamaica Bay trestle and bridge over the bay - LIRR MP-54.s on the concrete ornamental EL as it passes over Cross Bay Blvd. -- 1955
We4ll, I just wanted to share my memories of this for those who also remember it like this back then like I do !!
Regards - Joe F
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Hello ART and all---
The entire are of long ago back to back summer (basically wooden shacks, heh) bungalows on the Rockaway peninsula from Beach 56th street north to Beach 32nd street --- that existed from likely the 1920's thru the late 1960's, is presently a completely barren wasteland since the massive fires and arson explosion in the 1970's-80 -- --sad to see -- these people had their summer bungalow homes year round but generally used them in summer months and milder weather for weekend and vacation get-aways. Here is a google "drive around" street view along one of the streets (Beach 35th St) where you can drive around the entire area --a brand new boardwalk runs thru this whole stretch of barren wasteland -- with streets dead ending in sand and trash mostly just before the boardwalk.
https://www.google.com/maps/@4...7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
BELOW is a google link to an aerial view of the section from 32nd to 56th streets from the former LIRR (now IND Transit) concrete EL east to the Atlantic Ocean.
BELOW -- north in 1955 on Edgemere Avenue to the Frank Ave - Beach 44th St Station along the then Long Island Railroad Ornamental Concrete "EL" erected between 1919-20. Built to to remove the LIRR Commuter train tracks tracks from surface level. Seen is a northbound LIRR Commuter MU train of MP-54 cars.
The area to the right was quite built up then -- from the EL to about 2 blocks from the Atlantic Ocean.
Below is the same basic location on Edgemere Avenue and same station, in 2015. The EXIT stairway at the south end of the N/B station was removed some years after the 1956 rebuild and conversion of the line for IND Division subway trains of the NYC Transit System. This seems to be a somewhat telephoto lens type view as the EL arches appear compressed creating much tighter rounded-top arches -- see a more true to prototype shape of the actual arches in photo below;
As you can see BELOW, SIXTY years later, the barren wastelands to the right -- long ago all filled with stores, shops, commercial, residential and related properties along the right sidewalk along Edgemere Avenue at least until the mid-late 1970's -- removed by the city of NY after abandonment due to and after the constant vandalism, break ins and arson fires of the very late 1960's thru late 1970's era. In an era when the Rockaways went to destruction as a high crime and drugs ridden area and the long legendary Rockaway Playland and amusement areas finally closed down and was totally demolished.
When the LIRR closed and abandoned its direct railway link "over Jamaica Bay" in 1950 due to the totally destructive wooden trestle fire on the bay, there was no straight fast direct train service from and thru Queens (and from Manhattan PRR-LIRR Penn Station) to Rockaway via Hammels "Y" Junction. That caused a drop in visitor attendance and visitors had to drive or take a series of buses to get there. Only after the City of NY bought the LIRR Jamaica trestle ruins and route R-o-W and rebuilt it for re-opening with IND subway service in Summer 1956 - did the Rockaways have direct train service by the cheaper NYC Subway.
I believe the Rockaway Amusement Park and Playland finally closed for good around 1986 -- and was torn down around in parts between 1989 and early 1990's -- below is a website with great photos of the Amusement Park taken in the mid 1970s' -- while it still retained that 1940's thru 1960's look and style.
And a NY Times article on the closing of the Amusement Park and some history, and the reason why it closed.
For those who remember this place and era, and were there, enjoy !
Regards - Joe F
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Fascinating video and trip. I have a question. What is the purpose of the blue lights in the underground portion and what is the logic of their placement. Sometimes they seem to be opposite signals, sometimes in pairs on either wall but with no logic I can see for their placement.
