Long island City( Montauk
Branch)
By Peggy
Darlington and Wayne Whitehorne
We will begin our city journey at
Long Island City station, which is a 2 car hi-level
island platform with one stair and one wheelchair ramp alongside
Borden Ave. The platform is newly relocated, and is
sandwiched in between yard tracks (they are Tracks #2 and #3).
The original low platform was against the old chain link fence
on Track #1. The station first opened on May 9th,
1861 and has its platform and station house enlarged over the
next 20 years. A second station house was built in 1891
and was restored in 1903 from a fire the year before.
However, the station house was a victim to Robert Moses and his
Queens Midtown Tunnel in 1938, as the tunnel portals actually
run one block to the north of the station. The Queens
Midtown opened for passenger car service in 1940
The Montauk Branch contains 5 stations
that were closed due to low usage in 1998.
Leaving here trains
have a choice of the Montauk branch or going on to Hunter's
Point and the line from NY Penn Station
Penny Bridge Located at grade near
the intersection of Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Blvd. There
may have been a wooden shed there at one time, according to some
historic photos.
Haberman At grade, 50 Street at 56
Road. There was no platform here, just a sign, which has since
been removed.
Fresh Pond Below grade, Admiral
Avenue at Fresh Pond Road. There was a metal stair leading to
street level; only a sign at trackside.
Glendale
At grade, 73 Street at Edsall Avenue. There was never a
station as such; only a small clearing at trackside.
Richmond Hill Island platform on an
embankment; 118 Street between Metropolitan and Hillside
Avenues. This was the only stop on this line that could
technically be called a 'station'. It had a concrete
platform and a modest canopy, both of which are still in place.
There were no platform lights (at least none that we could find
.)
We now enter
Jamaica
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