East Williston (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
East Williston is the first station
along the Oyster Bay Branch
of the Long Island Rail Road
, at Hillside Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue in East Williston, New York
. Electrification for the Oyster Bay branch ends just north of the station, so most trains are powered by diesel locomotives, but one electric train a day originates here for the sole purpose of third rail polishing.
Third rail was installed from Mineola
to East Williston because there were originally plans to electrify the entire Oyster Bay Branch, however this never occurred.
s, each 10 cars long. The west platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by southbound or New York City
-bound trains. The east platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by northbound or Oyster Bay
-bound trains. The Oyster Bay Branch has two tracks here.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
along the Oyster Bay Branch
Oyster Bay Branch
The Oyster Bay Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Mineola station, and runs north and east to Oyster Bay.-History:...
of the Long Island Rail Road
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...
, at Hillside Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue in East Williston, New York
East Williston, New York
East Williston is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 2,556 at the 2010 census.The Village of East Williston is in the Town of North Hempstead.- History :...
. Electrification for the Oyster Bay branch ends just north of the station, so most trains are powered by diesel locomotives, but one electric train a day originates here for the sole purpose of third rail polishing.
History
East Williston's station house opened in in 1880. It originally contained a freight house and wooden platform shelters that were closed during the mid-20th Century. The canopies surrounding the station house began to sag by the 1960, but were restored between 1965 and 1966. High level platforms were added in December 1982. These projects did little to keep the station house in stable condition, and it was closed on December 10, 1996. Since then, it has operated as little more than a pair of sheltered high-level platforms with ticket vending machines and handicapped access ramps. Efforts to preserve the original station house failed when it was found to be too structurally unstable, and it was razed on December 11, 2004. Some in the community have been considering building a whole new version of the original station house. The LIRR still uses an image of the former station house for their official website.Third rail was installed from Mineola
Mineola (LIRR station)
Mineola is a train station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road in the village of Mineola, New York. All trains for the Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, and Oyster Bay branches run through this station, as well as a few for the Montauk Branch. As of May 2011, 145 trains stop at this station...
to East Williston because there were originally plans to electrify the entire Oyster Bay Branch, however this never occurred.
Platforms and tracks
The station has two high-level side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, each 10 cars long. The west platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by southbound or New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-bound trains. The east platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by northbound or Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay (LIRR station)
Oyster Bay is the terminus on the Oyster Bay Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. The station is located off Shore Avenue between Maxwell and Larabee Avenues. It is a sheltered concrete elevated platform that stands in the shadows of the original station, which was accessible from the ends of...
-bound trains. The Oyster Bay Branch has two tracks here.
External links
- Unofficial LIRR History Website
- Sam Berliner III's Long Island Railroad page
- 1999 Former East Williston Station Photos (Victorian Stations of the LIRR)
- The End of East Williston Station
- Station from Google Maps Street View
