|


By Peggy Darlington
North will refer to Trains to Oyster Bay while South
indicates Trains to New York. LIRR officially considers all
lines to run East and West but for this page we will use other
directions to clarify .All platforms high unless stated.
The LIRR’s Main Line offers some rich
history. From the moment the train leaves Jamaica station, it
can be a pretty fast run to Hicksville, and offers a mixture of
elevated, and at grade stretches. The Main Line is home to five
different branches that use all or part of the 25 plus miles of
track from Jamaica to Hicksville. Port
Jefferson and Ronkonkoma trains
make up the bulk of the LIRR’s main line. Some
Montauk trains occasionally use the
main line, before branching south to Babylon once it passes
Bethpage station on the Ronkonkoma branch. Oyster Bay trains
usually start at either Jamaica or Mineola then tail off towards
the north shore upon leaving Mineola. Finally,
Hempstead trains follow the main
route from Jamaica to Floral park, before angling to the right,
en route to its branch terminal. Port Jefferson line is a branch
of the LIRR main line from Hicksville and serves Long Island’s
north shore.
The current main line from Jamaica to Hicksville was complete
in 1837.
LIRR Main Line
|
Stations |
Turns
off After |
Direction |
Line |
|
Hollis-Floral Park |
Floral Park |
Southeast |
Hempstead |
| (None) |
Queens Village |
Southeast |
Belmont Spur |
| Floral
Park- Hicksville |
Hicksville |
Northeast |
Port Jefferson |
| Floral Park- Mineola |
Mineola |
North |
Oyster
Bay |
|
Hicksville |
Hicksville |
Southeast |
Ronkonkoma |

First up, after leaving the main line is East Williston
with two tracks and two wall platforms. substantial bus shelters
are provided on both platforms. The Southbound platform is
longer. The north end of the northbound platform has closed
stationhouse along with the old low platforms.
Albertson follows with two wall platforms
serving two tracks I observed nice bus shelters but no
stationhouse. A careful observation found the old low platforms
underneath the ramps to the current platforms at the south end
This station is at grade level.
Roslyn follows with two tracks two wall
platforms. A nice two story stucco stationhouse is on the
west wide with a crossover at the North end the line becomes a
high embankment over a picturesque valley to our west and near
grade to our east. before reverting to low embankment.
Greenvale follows with two tracks, two wall
platforms. this is the home of NY Institute of Technology. the
west side is at grade and the east side is elevated This station
also has the nice bus shelters.
Glen Head also has two tracks, two wall
platforms. nice bus shelters, . A closed stationhouse was found
at the north end of this at grade station along with old low
platforms.
Sea Cliff also has the nice bus shelters, two
tracks, two wall platforms and a nice brick stationhouse at the
south end of the southbound platform. A wooden covered bench was
found on the southbound platform. I found a third track to the
East of the northbound track which seems to be abandoned.
Don't blink or you will miss a short, one car platform
station, Glen Street which is located within the
town of Glen Cove. this station has nice bus shelters This
station serves a school and has a brick stationhouse at the
north end of the southbound platform.. the North end of both
platforms reveals the old low platforms.
Glen Cove follow with two tracks, two short
wall platforms old low platforms complete with wood bus shelters
are at the north end of both platforms. A brick stationhouse is
at he north end of the southbound platform.
We start a descent at a moderate sped and enter
Locust Valley with two tracks, two wall platforms,
bus shelters, The north end of the southbound platform has a
mission style stationhouse with a red clay tile roof and is
physically located on the old low platform North of the
current station. The southbound low platform is extended to hold
a tower.. We are still descending at a moderate speed and
accelerate.
We become a single track and view the abandoned Mill Neck
Station complete with low platform and
station house on the geographic West side of our single track
.
we enter a wooded area and observe a large body of
water.--We have arrived at Oyster Bay which has a
view of boats in the Oyster Bay of Long Island Sound The station
has two tracks with a wall platform serving the east track only.
the station is on a low embankment with no stationhouse. North
of the station the West track merges with the east track
and enters a small yard.
|