List of streetcar lines on Long Island
The following streetcar lines once operated on Long Island, New York in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties. Many of these systems were owned by the Long Island Consolidated Electrical Companies, a holding company partially owned by the Long Island Rail Road, and Interborough Rapid Transit Company between March 30, 1905 and July 18, 1935.
Babylon Railroad
The Babylon Railroad Company began in 1870 as a horse-drawn trolley from the South Side Railroad's Babylon Station to the Fire Island Ferry. After the Central Railroad of Long Island opened in 1873 passengers could access the horse car to the Great South Bay at the Watson House.[1] A second line was opened from Babylon Station into Amityville in 1910.
Name | From | Route | To | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fire Island Line | Babylon Station | Deer Park Avenue and Fire Island Avenue to ferry at Great South Bay. | Great South Bay Ferry | Abandoned May 15, 1920. |
Amityville Line | Babylon Station | Trolley Line Road and Union Avenue. | Amityville 1910 (station 1912) | Abandoned May 15, 1920. |
Cedarhurst Railway
The Cedarhurst Railway Company ran a line from Woodmere (LIRR station) to Brosewere Bay where the Rockaway Hunt Club and Rockaway Steeplechase Association were located.[2]
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cedarhurst Railway | Woodsburgh Railroad Station | Brosewere Bay | Wood Lane, Railroad Avenue, Rutherford Lane. | Abandoned 1894. |
Echo Line Railroad
The Echo Line was a trolley line that ran from Port Jefferson Harbor to Port Jefferson (LIRR station) in what was then the Hamlet of Echo, New York. It was acquired by the Suffolk Traction Company to be merged into the main trolley line to Patchogue, but collapsed along with the rest of Suffolk Traction Company.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Echo Line | Port Jefferson Harbor | Port Jefferson Station | Main Street, East Main Street, East Broadway. | Abandoned in 1919. |
Freeport Railroad
The Freeport Railroad was based in Freeport, New York, and existed between 1913 and 1924.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fishermen's Delight | Freeport station | Nautical Mile | Otten Street, Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Boulevard). | Served the Ferry to Point Lookout. Abandoned in 1924. Replaced by n62 bus via Guy Lombardo Blvd. (abandoned in 2017) |
Garden City Shuttle
In the early-20th Century, the Long Island Rail Road installed a trolley line that ran along the former CRRLI Main Line between Garden City Station and Plainedge from 1915 to 1933. A connection to Country Life Press station was established in 1927. Trolleys were replaced by MP41's and later MP54's.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Long Island Rail Road | Garden City Station | Salisbury Plains | Central Branch | Terminal changed in 1927 to Country Life Press |
Long Island Rail Road | Country Life Press Railroad Station | Salisbury Plains | LIRR Central Branch. | 1933, Trolley Car replaced by MP41s, 1949 by MP54s. |
Glen Cove Railroad
The Glen Cove Railroad was one of two trolley lines that ran from the Sea Cliff Railroad Station into the City of Glen Cove. The line existed between 1905 and November 15, 1924.[3]
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Glen Cove Railroad | Sea Cliff Railroad Station | Glen Cove Waterfront | Oyster Bay Branch, Duck Pond Road, Landing Road. | Abandoned 1924. Split up between current n27 bus route, and City of Glen Cove bus loop route. |
Huntington Railroad
The Huntington Railroad was established on July 19, 1890 with a trolley line between Huntington Village and Halesite. It was eventually extended to Huntington Railroad Station, then along what is today mostly NY 110 through Melville, Farmingdale, and as far south as the docks of Amityville.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Huntington Railroad | Halesite | Amityville | Wincoma Drive, East Shore Drive, New York Avenue, Walt Whitman Road, Amityville Road, Broad Hollow Road, Conklin Street, Main Street(Farmingdale), Broadway, Sterling Place, Greene Street, Bennett Place, Richmond Avenue. | Service ended September 23, 1919. Current S1 bus route. |
Huntington Traction Company
The Huntington Traction Company was the successor to the Huntington Railroad Company inheriting the original line between Huntington Railroad Station and Halesite. The company ran the line only as far south as Jericho Turnpike until it was finally abandoned in 1927.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Huntington Traction Company | Halesite | South Huntington | Wincoma Drive, East Shore Drive, New York Avenue, Walt Whitman Road. | Abandoned in 1927. Northern portion of current S1 route. |
Nassau County Railway
The Nassau County Railway, also known as the Sea Cliff Village Trolley was the other trolley that ran from the Sea Cliff Railroad Station. However it ran between July 2, 1902 and December 31, 1924, towards Sea Cliff Landing.[4]
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sea Cliff Railroad Station | Sea Cliff Landing | Sea Cliff Avenue | Abandoned 1924. Incorporated into current n21 bus route. | |
New York and Long Island Traction
The New York and Long Island Traction Company operated east to Freeport, Hempstead, and Mineola in Nassau County.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mineola Line | Queens Village (Becomes Long Island Electric Railway at the Queens-Nassau Line) | Mineola | Jamaica Avenue | abandoned April 3, 1926 now the n24 bus |
Jamaica-Hempstead Line | Jamaica (Becomes Long Island Electric Railway at the Queens-Nassau Line) | Freeport | 160th Street Jamaica to Belmont Park on 160th Street, Jamaica Avenue, and Hempstead Avenue(Turnpike) | Joint NY&LI-LIER service; abandoned April 3, 1926 Current n6 bus. |
Brooklyn-Freeport Line | Brooklyn (Becomes Long Island Electric Railway at the Queens-Nassau Line) | Freeport | Rockaway Boulevard, North Conduit Avenue, and Sunrise Highway | abandoned April 3, 1926 Current n4 & n36 bus. |
New York and North Shore Traction
The New York and North Shore Traction Company operated from northeastern Queens east into Nassau County. It was established in 1902 and was originally known as the "Mineola Roslyn & Port Washington Traction Company," then renamed 1907.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
North Shore Line | Flushing, Queens | Roslyn | 35th Avenue, 39th Avenue, and Northern Boulevard | abandoned 1920 now the n20 bus |
Port Washington Line | Port Washington | Mineola | Main Street (Port Washington), Port Washington Boulevard, Middle Neck Road, Old Northern Boulevard, Main Street (Roslyn), Roslyn Road, Railroad Avenue, Roslyn (LIRR station), Warner Avenue, Mineola Avenue, Willis Avenue. | abandoned 1920 Now the n23 bus. |
Hicksville Line | Mineola | Hicksville | Westbury Avenue, Maple Avenue, Post Road, Union Avenue, Prospect Avenue, West John Street. | abandoned 1920 Includes part of the n22 bus. |
Northport Traction Company
The Northport Traction Company operated from the Northport East Railroad Station into downtown Northport Village.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northport Traction Company | Northport East Station | Northport Village | Larkfield Avenue, Laurel Avenue, Main Street, Woodbine(Cherry) Avenue by Northport Harbor. | abandoned 1924 now includes some of the HART H40 bus route. |
Seashore Municipal Railroad
The Seashore Municipal Railroad was another trolley line based in Freeport, New York.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seashore Municipal Railroad | Freeport | Freeport | Freeport (Atlantic) Avenue south to Scott's Dock between Miller Avenue and Ocean Avenue | Abandoned. Currently occupied by condominiums. n62 bus via Guy Lombardo Blvd. abandoned in 2017. |
South Shore Traction Company
The South Shore Traction Company was based in Sayville, New York. It had plans to expand into Patchogue and north through Bohemia, Lake Ronkonkoma, St. James and Stony Brook towards Port Jefferson, not to mention through Nassau and Queens County. However, because it was unable to break through the monopoly of the LIRR-held lines in Nassau County, it sold off its two original lines to the Suffolk Traction Company.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sayville Railroad Station | Sayville @ the Great South Bay | Railroad Avenue, Montauk Highway, Candee Avenue | Acquired by Suffolk Traction Company, then abandoned. Part of current S57/S59 bus route. | |
Bayport-Blue Point Line | Sayville Railroad Station | Blue Point | Middle Road, Oakwood Avenue, Railroad Street/Maple Street, Blue Point Avenue, Montauk Highway | Acquired by Suffolk Traction Company, then abandoned. Part of S40 bus route. |
Suffolk Traction Company
The Suffolk Traction Company operated between Patchogue, Canaan Lake, and Holtsville in Suffolk County. It also had lines to Medford, Blue Point, Bayport, and even a connection to Sayville. The Sayville, and Bayport-Blue Point Lines were originally owned by the South Shore Traction Company. Plans to extend the main trolley to Port Jefferson failed, even as a bridge was being built over the LIRR Main Line. Another extension that was never built included a line towards Bellport and Brookhaven.
Name | From | To | Route | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Main Line | Patchogue Railroad Station | Holtsville | South Ocean Avenue, North Ocean Avenue, Old North Ocean Avenue, Suffolk Traction Boulevard | Abandoned. Segments of the ROW no longer exist north of the Canaan Lake neighborhood. Part of current S63 bus route. |
Medford Line | Patchogue Railroad Station | Medford | Unknown(Presumably, the current NY 112). | Abandoned. Part of current S61 bus route. |
Bayport-Blue Point Line | Sayville Railroad Station | Patchogue @ Medford Avenue | Middle Road, Oakwood Avenue, Railroad Street/Maple Street, Blue Point Avenue, Montauk Highway | Abandoned. Served Bayport, Blue Point, and went as far east as what is today NY 112. Part of current S40 bus route. |
Sayville Line | Sayville Railroad Station | Sayville @ the Great South Bay | Railroad Avenue, Montauk Highway, Candee Avenue | Abandoned. Part of current S57/S59 bus route. |
References
- Images of Rail: Lost Trolleys of Queens and Long Island, by Stephen L. Meyers(2006).
External links
- All of Long Island
- A Desire Named Streetcar, by Sylvia Adcock (Newsday—Long Island; Our Story)
- Long Island Transit and LI Trolley Map (Chicago Transit & Railfan Website)
- Pennsylvania Railroad Company Discontinuance/Last Runs of Passenger Service (Railroad – Ferry – Steamboat – Trolley – Rapid Transit) by Line Segment (June 30, 2003)
- Huntington
- Northport
- Nassau and Queens
- Sayville-Patchouge-Holbrook
- Suffolk
- Patchogue-Medford Library Local History Department.