Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road)
Encyclopedia
The Central Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) in the U.S. state
of New York
, extending from 40.734°N 73.470°W just east of Bethpage
to 40.696°N 73.341°W just west of Babylon
. It was built in 1873 as part of the Babylon Extension of the Central Railroad of Long Island
(CRRLI), which was owned by Alexander Turney Stewart
. The branch was mostly unused following the 1876 merger of the CRRLI and the LIRR, but in 1925 it was rebuilt and reconfigured to connect the Main Line
(Ronkonkoma Branch
service) at Beth Interlocking southeast of the Bethpage station
with the Montauk Branch
(Babylon Branch
service) at Belmont Junction west of the Babylon station
. This allowed non-electric Montauk Branch trains that begin or end east of Babylon to use the Main Line from Bethpage to Jamaica
. The branch is colored as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch
on some LIRR maps, but these trains are shown on Babylon and Montauk Branch timetables.
There were two stations along this stretch: Farmingdale (later renamed South Farmingdale
) and Breslau. The South Farmingdale station had a sheltered platform
and was the last station in service along this branch, discontinued about 1974.
It was along this stretch of the Central Branch that Mile-a-Minute Murphy
set a record in 1899, pedalling a bicycle for one mile behind a train in less than one minute.
to Bethpage Junction, and later extended to the Babylon shoreline via the aforementioned Babylon Extension. At Garden City
a spur line was also built to service residents of Hempstead
. At the time, Stewart was building Garden City, one of the first planned suburban
communities in the United States. The railroad had a dual purpose in that it was to service Stewart's Bethpage Brickworks (within the hamlet now called "Old Bethpage"), which was supplying the building materials to the Garden City construction site. Additionally the railroad would also supply the new residents of Garden City with both commuter service to Long Island City, where they could then connect to ferries into Manhattan. Service along the Babylon extension also was popular for excursions to the Babylon shoreline and to ferries to Fire Island
.
In 1876 the CRRLI was acquired by the LIRR and Stewart's line became known as the LIRR's Central Branch. The portion from Flushing
to the Creedmoor Rifle Range (the site later to become Creedmoor State Hospital) was abandoned in 1879, although the tracks were not removed until World War I. The portion from Creedmoor to Floral Park
survived as freight service and was known as the Creedmoor Branch
until service ended in the late 1960s and the tracks demapped in the early 1970s. The LIRR used the Central's right of way between Floral Park and Garden City along with the Central's spur line to Hempstead to make up what is today the railroad's current day Hempstead Branch
. Past the Garden City station the Central Branch continued on a straight path through central Nassau County through what is today the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
and Eisenhower Park until Bethpage Junction and then south-east to Babylon via the Babylon Extension.
In 1925 the Stewart's Central branch was severed from its connection to the Babylon extension with the reconfiguration of Bethpage Junction
. The portion of the line from Garden City to just west of the disconnection at Bethpage Junction came to be referred to as the Central Extension. Also in 1925, the Babylon Extension was fully rebuilt with the main purpose of providing a connection between the two main trunk lines of the LIRR, the Main Line and Montauk Branch, and thus became known as the current-day aforementioned Central Branch. In 1939 the Central Extension between Garden City and the end of line in Bethpage was abandoned for regular passenger service. During World War II the eastern portion of the rail was removed and sold for scrap. After World War II a portion of the track was rebuilt to move materials for the construction of Levittown
, however, it never again reached Bethpage Junction (thus, nor Babylon), and those tracks too were soon removed.
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR) in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, extending from 40.734°N 73.470°W just east of Bethpage
Bethpage (LIRR station)
Bethpage Station is a station along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, in Bethpage, New York, and serves Ronkonkoma Branch trains...
to 40.696°N 73.341°W just west of Babylon
Babylon (LIRR station)
Babylon is a station on the Long Island Rail Road in the village of Babylon, New York at Railroad Avenue west of Deer Park Avenue. It is on the Montauk Branch, and is the eastern terminus of the Babylon Branch service...
. It was built in 1873 as part of the Babylon Extension of the Central Railroad of Long Island
Central Railroad of Long Island
Central Railroad of Long Island is a former railroad on Long Island built by Alexander Turney Stewart, who was also the founder of Garden City. The railroad was established in 1871, was merged with the Flushing and North Side Railroad in 1874 to form the Flushing, North Shore, and Central Railroad,...
(CRRLI), which was owned by Alexander Turney Stewart
Alexander Turney Stewart
Alexander Turney Stewart was a successful Irish American entrepreneur who made his multi-million fortune in what was at the time the most extensive and lucrative dry goods business in the world....
. The branch was mostly unused following the 1876 merger of the CRRLI and the LIRR, but in 1925 it was rebuilt and reconfigured to connect the Main Line
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles to Greenport...
(Ronkonkoma Branch
Ronkonkoma Branch
The Ronkonkoma Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. On LIRR maps and printed schedules, "Ronkonkoma Branch" refers to trains running along the railroad's Main Line from Hicksville east to the line's terminus at Greenport.The section of the...
service) at Beth Interlocking southeast of the Bethpage station
Bethpage (LIRR station)
Bethpage Station is a station along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, in Bethpage, New York, and serves Ronkonkoma Branch trains...
with the Montauk Branch
Montauk Branch
The Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles from Long Island City on the west to Montauk on the east...
(Babylon Branch
Babylon Branch
The Babylon Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The term refers to the trains serving Montauk Branch stations from Valley Stream east to Babylon. The Babylon Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of...
service) at Belmont Junction west of the Babylon station
Babylon (LIRR station)
Babylon is a station on the Long Island Rail Road in the village of Babylon, New York at Railroad Avenue west of Deer Park Avenue. It is on the Montauk Branch, and is the eastern terminus of the Babylon Branch service...
. This allowed non-electric Montauk Branch trains that begin or end east of Babylon to use the Main Line from Bethpage to Jamaica
Jamaica (LIRR station)
Jamaica is a major hub station of the Long Island Rail Road, and is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. It is the largest transit hub on Long Island and is one of the busiest railroad stations in the country with over 200,000 daily passengers...
. The branch is colored as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch
Ronkonkoma Branch
The Ronkonkoma Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. On LIRR maps and printed schedules, "Ronkonkoma Branch" refers to trains running along the railroad's Main Line from Hicksville east to the line's terminus at Greenport.The section of the...
on some LIRR maps, but these trains are shown on Babylon and Montauk Branch timetables.
There were two stations along this stretch: Farmingdale (later renamed South Farmingdale
South Farmingdale (LIRR station)
South Farmingdale was a station along the Central Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in South Farmingdale, New York, United States. It first appeared on timetables of the Central Railroad of Long Island in May 1873, though service may have been delayed a month or two.In 1873, it was named...
) and Breslau. The South Farmingdale station had a sheltered platform
and was the last station in service along this branch, discontinued about 1974.
It was along this stretch of the Central Branch that Mile-a-Minute Murphy
Mile-a-Minute Murphy
Charles Minthorn Murphy , also known as Mile-a-Minute Murphy, was an American cycling athlete. He was the first man ever to ride a bicycle for one mile in less than a minute...
set a record in 1899, pedalling a bicycle for one mile behind a train in less than one minute.
The Central Railroad of Long Island
The current day Central Branch right of way dates back to 1873 when Alexander Stewart chartered and built the Central Railroad of Long Island. A line of tracks was built by the CRRLI from FlushingFlushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
to Bethpage Junction, and later extended to the Babylon shoreline via the aforementioned Babylon Extension. At Garden City
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
a spur line was also built to service residents of Hempstead
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
. At the time, Stewart was building Garden City, one of the first planned suburban
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
communities in the United States. The railroad had a dual purpose in that it was to service Stewart's Bethpage Brickworks (within the hamlet now called "Old Bethpage"), which was supplying the building materials to the Garden City construction site. Additionally the railroad would also supply the new residents of Garden City with both commuter service to Long Island City, where they could then connect to ferries into Manhattan. Service along the Babylon extension also was popular for excursions to the Babylon shoreline and to ferries to Fire Island
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
.
In 1876 the CRRLI was acquired by the LIRR and Stewart's line became known as the LIRR's Central Branch. The portion from Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
to the Creedmoor Rifle Range (the site later to become Creedmoor State Hospital) was abandoned in 1879, although the tracks were not removed until World War I. The portion from Creedmoor to Floral Park
Floral Park, New York
Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. The village is at the western border of Nassau County, and is located in both the Town of Hempstead and the Town of North Hempstead...
survived as freight service and was known as the Creedmoor Branch
Creedmoor Branch
The Creedmoor Branch was the name of a short branch that the Long Island Rail Road gave to the right of way of tracks between its Floral Park station and Creedmoor State Hospital in Queens, New York...
until service ended in the late 1960s and the tracks demapped in the early 1970s. The LIRR used the Central's right of way between Floral Park and Garden City along with the Central's spur line to Hempstead to make up what is today the railroad's current day Hempstead Branch
Hempstead Branch
The Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at the Main Line at Queens Interlocking, just east of Queens Village station...
. Past the Garden City station the Central Branch continued on a straight path through central Nassau County through what is today the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
and Eisenhower Park until Bethpage Junction and then south-east to Babylon via the Babylon Extension.
In 1925 the Stewart's Central branch was severed from its connection to the Babylon extension with the reconfiguration of Bethpage Junction
Bethpage Branch
The Bethpage Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road , running from the present-day split between the Ronkonkoma Branch and Central Branch north about 1¾ miles to present-day Old Bethpage, New York.This branch was originally built by the Central Railroad of Long Island in...
. The portion of the line from Garden City to just west of the disconnection at Bethpage Junction came to be referred to as the Central Extension. Also in 1925, the Babylon Extension was fully rebuilt with the main purpose of providing a connection between the two main trunk lines of the LIRR, the Main Line and Montauk Branch, and thus became known as the current-day aforementioned Central Branch. In 1939 the Central Extension between Garden City and the end of line in Bethpage was abandoned for regular passenger service. During World War II the eastern portion of the rail was removed and sold for scrap. After World War II a portion of the track was rebuilt to move materials for the construction of Levittown
Levittown, New York
Levittown is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead located on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Levittown is midway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881....
, however, it never again reached Bethpage Junction (thus, nor Babylon), and those tracks too were soon removed.
External links
- Central Branch of the Long Island Rail Road(The Stewart Line) (Arrt's Arrchives)
- The Stewart Line 2
- 1903 map showing Central Branch, then named "Hempstead Branch".
