ERA BULLETIN — JULY, 2016 The Bulletin Electric Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated Vol. 59, No. 7 July, 2016 The Bulletin 60 YEARS OF SUBWAY SERVICE Published by the Electric TO THE ROCKAWAYS Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated, PO Box by Bernard Linder 3323, New York, New York 10163-3323. June 28, 1956 was an important day. Sub- day express running time is about 99 way trains started operating to the Rocka- minutes, but midnight locals take a little long- For general inquiries, ways. The first trains were the 6:38 PM er — 112 minutes. th contact us at bulletin@ Rockaway Park and the 6:48 PM B. 25 Long Island Rail Road trains were providing erausa.org. ERA’s Street-Wavecrest trains from Euclid Avenue. service to the Rockaways long before sub- website is Rockaway riders were able to enjoy more way service was extended there. Unfortu- www.erausa.org. frequent service and a cheaper ride than the nately, the railroad trains operated on a Editorial Staff: Long Island Rail Road previously provided. wooden trestle where fires occurred fre- Editor-in-Chief: But passengers from the mainland leaving quently. On May 7, 1950, another fire de- Bernard Linder Rockaway stations paid an additional fare stroyed this trestle and the railroad was una- Tri-State News and Commuter Rail Editor: and passengers boarding at Rockaway sta- ble to spend large sums of money to repair it. Ronald Yee tions paid two fares for trips beyond the sec- To provide service on this busy route, the North American and World ond zone. For trips within the second zone, City of New York decided to buy it. On June News Editor: passengers paid two fares, received an iden- 11, 1952, the Rockaway Line was sold to the Alexander Ivanoff tification ticket, and got a refund when leav- city for $8.5 million, and the portions still op- Contributing Editor: Jeffrey Erlitz ing. erated by the Long Island Rail Road were Because of a delay in delivering equipment, leased back to it. Production Manager: power was inadequate and trains operated in During the transition period, LIRR service David Ross series for 3.70 miles between Howard Beach was curtailed. Service to Hamilton Beach and Broad Channel. The original running was reduced after the trestle fire, after which ©2016 Elect ric time from Euclid Avenue was 44 minutes to trains terminated at Ozone Park from Octo- th Railroaders ’ B. 25 Street and 40 minutes to Rockaway ber 2, 1955 to June 8, 1962. Pursuant to the Association, Park. Less than a month later, July 22, 1956, lease with the City of New York, LIRR operat- Incorporate d sufficient power was available and running ed service over the city-owned portion be- time was speeded up eight minutes. tween Ozone Park and White Pot Junction. During the summer, rush hour E trains op- The lease was renewed in 1956 and 1959, erated from 179th Street to B. 25th Street (6 and expired June 10, 1962. LIRR discontin- In This Issue: trains) and Rockaway Park (6 trains). At oth- ued operation and the property reverted to From er times 4-car shuttles operated from Euclid the City of New York. After the trestle fire, Recognition to Avenue to both terminals. Effective Septem- LIRR trains were rerouted via Valley Stream ber 16, 1956, A trains ran between 207th to Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park. Ser- Dominance— Street and B. 25th Street except during the vice was reduced again on October 2, 1955 The New York midnight hours, when shuttles still operated and all trains terminated at Far Rockaway. Connecting to Euclid Avenue. Six rush hour A trains ran NYC Transit replaced the burned wooden Railroad between 207th Street and Rockaway Park trestle with an embankment built of sand while shuttles ran to Euclid Avenue at other dredged from Jamaica Bay, upon which (Continued) th tracks were supported by steel and concrete …Page 2 times. A trains operating between 207 Street and Far Rockaway furnish the longest pilings. A new signal system was installed, ride on the transit system, 32.29 miles. Mid- (Continued on page 4) NEXT TRIP: WEEKEND TRIP TO ROCHESTER/CLEVELAND/BUFFALO1 — OCTOBER 15-17 NEW YORKERA DIVISION BULLETIN BULLETIN — JULY, OCTOBER, 2016 2000 FROM RECOGNITION TO DOMINANCE: THE NEW YORK CONNECTING RAILROAD (BRIDGING THE BAY AND CONNECTING THE PIECES) by George Chiasson (Continued from June, 2016 issue) LIRR ON THE CULVER LINE, RELATIONSHIP enter the Bay Ridge Branch, cross above the Brighton WITH THE BAY RIDGE BRANCH, AND OTHER Beach Railroad, and proceed onto the Manhattan RAPID TRANSIT VENTURES Beach Branch for their final leg to the shore and its rich- The undeniable mobility movement toward trolleys ness of attractions. This special service was offered in and elevated trains in the rapidly developing city of addition to LIRR’s trains between Bay Ridge and Coney Brooklyn eventually drew the Prospect Park & Coney Island, and the Gravesend racing specials out of Long Island to a closer affiliation with Long Island Rail Road Island City, each of which had been using the Culver through the 1890s, with its outright purchase being con- Line south of Parkville Junction since 1885 and 1886. It summated on January 24, 1893. Culver’s former com- was taken seriously enough to generate the creation of pany had already been operating a healthy chunk of its a substantial railroad terminal at Manhattan Beach it- service into the “Union Depot” at 36th Street & 5th Ave- self. For whatever reason (we might speculate that nue for some time, being readily supplied with passen- Corbin’s preferred clientele didn’t respond to the availa- gers that transferred from the Fifth Avenue “L” above bility of through service over the elevated system as he since June 7, 1890. For its first two years (until July 14, had hoped) this particular routing nevertheless turned 1892) this service was operated in equal partnership out to be a single-season affair upon its conclusion on with trains of the Brooklyn, Bath & West End Railroad, October 30, with similar, jointly-operated trains consist- but after being financially wooed by the South Brooklyn ing of BER equipment and crews sticking to the Culver Railroad and Terminal, the cohort company traded inter- Line for their whole trip to Coney Island beginning with est in the Union Depot for a separate deal to run about the 1896 season that May. This was Corbin’s final act half of its trains into the adjacent 39th Street Ferry, as far as coordinated service between the Brooklyn “L”s which had seen little use for several years. From there and LIRR was concerned, for he died in an unfortunate patrons could access boats that steamed directly to and accident on June 4. The schedule of existing seasonal from Lower Manhattan instead of being required to navi- specials then stayed the course through the summer of gate the dawdling, uncomfortable “L” system before and 1897, but by that time the Brooklyn traction empire was after each trip. This indeed proved to be a more attrac- in an optimal stage of development and without Corbin tive alternative and all remaining West End operations to harness it in a fashion directed toward the benefit of (by then operated entirely with electric streetcars) vacat- his own interests, LIRR’s newer, younger management ed Union Depot in favor of the 39th Street facility on (guided by another New Englander, successor Presi- June 29, 1895. dent William H. Baldwin) seemed inclined to acquiesce Meanwhile, Corbin was infatuated with the potential to the competitive realities and let LIRR withdraw from line-haul utility that the “L”s could offer, with his favored the local transportation scene over time. Culver and Manhattan Beach operations in line to be Owing to unfavorable business arrangements with prime beneficiaries. He joined the Board of the Brooklyn connecting steamboat operators, both LIRR and its Pro- Elevated Railroad Company in 1894 and ultimately in- spect Park & Coney Island affiliate dropped all passen- fluenced his fellow board members to allow a direct, ger service from its Bay Ridge terminal to Manhattan physical connection between the Fifth Avenue “L” and Beach and Coney Island (Culver Depot) after the 1897 the Culver Line which left the existing structure between season ended. Having been significantly enlarged from 5th and 6th Avenues and ramped to the surface, tying its original state between 1892 and 1895, trains and boats at the Bay Ridge facility were by then interacting into the “Prospect Park & South Brooklyn R.R.” (the th connecting trackage that had opened in 1890) as it en- at a newer, larger deep water port at the foot of 65 tered Union Depot. On August 5, 1895 a jointly- Street. This included the freight side of operations as operated seasonal service (at least in an administrative well as passenger trains, with LIRR doubled in size at sense, the equipment and crews were provided by the site relative to the neighboring Sea Beach Railroad. BER) was inaugurated which originated at the Washing- Thereafter, commencing in May, 1898, LIRR trains to Coney Island originated from both Union Depot ton (Sands) Street elevated station next to the Brooklyn th Bridge, traversed the Fifth Avenue Elevated to 36th (nominal) and the newer 39 Street Ferry (seasonal), Street, and then took this new ramp connection to the following the Culver Line for the length of their journeys. Culver Line. On Gravesend (McDonald) Avenue, be- By this final season, the Culver Line had a slightly differ- tween the present-day Foster and Elmwood Avenues, ent range of stations than it had possessed ten years was “Parkville Junction,” where a left-hand turn-out had (Continued on page 3) been added to allow these through excursion trains to 2 ERA BULLETIN — JULY, 2016 From Recognition to Dominance cessions to, and cooperation from the BRT: one from 39th Street Ferry to Manhattan Beach, the other from (Continued from page 2) Long Island City to the Gravesend Race Track by way earlier, but still not those which completely resembled of Parkville Junction.