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Oyster Bay (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
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 Maxwell, Audrey, and Hamilton Avenues. Both stations exist along the south side of Roosevelt Park.
The original Oyster Bay Station was built on June 25, 1889 and remodeled in 1902. At one point there were plans to extend the line east towards the Port Jefferson Branch
. There was also a large pier built to facilitate the loading of passenger cars onto a short-lived ferry to Wilson's Point in South Norwalk, Connecticut
that is now owned by the Flowers Oyster Company. The former Oyster Bay Station and the Oyster Bay Long Island Rail Road Turntable
were both listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places
on July 6, 2005. Efforts are under way to transform the former station into a Railroad Museum.
No bus access is available for the station, however local taxicabs do stop.
located south of the tracks. The Oyster Bay Branch has two tracks at this location. The north track, not adjacent to the platform, is a passing siding leading to a seven-track yard just beyond the station.
train station on land donated by Col. Robert Townsend. The original station had a large wooden platform and an elegant porte cochere - a covered porch large enough for horse-drawn carriages to pass through.
In 1891, the Long Island Rail Road
connected the land to the sea via a 1000 feet (304.8 m) wharf that enabled rail cars full of passengers to be loaded onto a ferry. This ferry, called the Cape Charles would take passengers to Connecticut where the railways would be connected to the Housatonic Railroad and continue on to Boston. Unfortunately, this unique service from New York to Boston ceased operations when a land route across Connecticut was built.
1891 also proved to be a tragic year, when Locomotive No. 113 violently exploded as it sat in the station awaiting passengers. People as far away as East Norwich felt the force of the blast, and three crewmen were killed.
When Theodore Roosevelt
became President of the New York City Police Board in 1895 he commuted regularly through this station, and when he became President of the United States in 1901 a huge expansion of the station was planned to accommodate the expected rise in visitors to the hamlet. Those 1902 renovations included the removal of the porte cochere and the addition of 400 feet (121.9 m) weather sheds. Inside the station a large fireplace and tiled hearth were added, and on the exterior a special stucco was used that contained real oyster shells.
At the end of the 20th century the station fell into a state of disrepair. To accommodate newly built double-decker trains a new station and platform were built nearby.
An organization called The Friends of Locomotive 35 in conjunction with the Oyster Bay Historical Society, have begun work to transform the station into the new home of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum.
The Friends of Locomotive #35 Inc. has re-incorporated as the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, a NYS Historical/educational Not for Profit Museum and is working on the Museum on its own under the Town of Oyster Bay. The original LIRR Oyster Bay railroad station is now owned by the Town of Oyster Bay, rather than the LIRR and currently is not accessible to the public while undergoing various engineering and architectural studies and reviews in order to start the restoration into a museum.
The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Preview Center is now open at 102 Audrey Ave. a few hundred feet from the station building near Oyster Bay Town Hall. We can be reached by phone at 516-558-7036
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
on 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...
. 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 Maxwell, Audrey, and Hamilton Avenues. Both stations exist along the south side of Roosevelt Park.
The original Oyster Bay Station was built on June 25, 1889 and remodeled in 1902. At one point there were plans to extend the line east towards the Port Jefferson Branch
Port Jefferson Branch
The Port Jefferson 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 Hicksville and runs northeast and east to Port Jefferson...
. There was also a large pier built to facilitate the loading of passenger cars onto a short-lived ferry to Wilson's Point in South Norwalk, Connecticut
South Norwalk, Connecticut
South Norwalk is a neighborhood in Norwalk, Connecticut. SoNo features a high density of bars and eateries and is the center of Norwalk's nightlife and restaurant culture...
that is now owned by the Flowers Oyster Company. The former Oyster Bay Station and the Oyster Bay Long Island Rail Road Turntable
Oyster Bay Long Island Rail Road Turntable
Oyster Bay is the location of one of few remaining Long Island Rail Road stations with an original turntable on site. The turntable was built in 1902 to replace a smaller one that had been relocated from the Locust Valley station...
were both listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 6, 2005. Efforts are under way to transform the former station into a Railroad Museum.
No bus access is available for the station, however local taxicabs do stop.
Platform and track configuration
This station has one 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...
located south of the tracks. The Oyster Bay Branch has two tracks at this location. The north track, not adjacent to the platform, is a passing siding leading to a seven-track yard just beyond the station.
History
In 1889, the Oyster Bay Extension Railroad, a subsidiary of the Long Island Railroad, extended the terminus of its rail line from Locust Valley to Oyster Bay and constructed this beautiful VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
train station on land donated by Col. Robert Townsend. The original station had a large wooden platform and an elegant porte cochere - a covered porch large enough for horse-drawn carriages to pass through.
In 1891, 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...
connected the land to the sea via a 1000 feet (304.8 m) wharf that enabled rail cars full of passengers to be loaded onto a ferry. This ferry, called the Cape Charles would take passengers to Connecticut where the railways would be connected to the Housatonic Railroad and continue on to Boston. Unfortunately, this unique service from New York to Boston ceased operations when a land route across Connecticut was built.
1891 also proved to be a tragic year, when Locomotive No. 113 violently exploded as it sat in the station awaiting passengers. People as far away as East Norwich felt the force of the blast, and three crewmen were killed.
When Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
became President of the New York City Police Board in 1895 he commuted regularly through this station, and when he became President of the United States in 1901 a huge expansion of the station was planned to accommodate the expected rise in visitors to the hamlet. Those 1902 renovations included the removal of the porte cochere and the addition of 400 feet (121.9 m) weather sheds. Inside the station a large fireplace and tiled hearth were added, and on the exterior a special stucco was used that contained real oyster shells.
At the end of the 20th century the station fell into a state of disrepair. To accommodate newly built double-decker trains a new station and platform were built nearby.
An organization called The Friends of Locomotive 35 in conjunction with the Oyster Bay Historical Society, have begun work to transform the station into the new home of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum.
The Friends of Locomotive #35 Inc. has re-incorporated as the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, a NYS Historical/educational Not for Profit Museum and is working on the Museum on its own under the Town of Oyster Bay. The original LIRR Oyster Bay railroad station is now owned by the Town of Oyster Bay, rather than the LIRR and currently is not accessible to the public while undergoing various engineering and architectural studies and reviews in order to start the restoration into a museum.
The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Preview Center is now open at 102 Audrey Ave. a few hundred feet from the station building near Oyster Bay Town Hall. We can be reached by phone at 516-558-7036
External links
- Oyster Bay Station History (Arrt's Arrchives)
- Oyster Bay Railroad Museum (a.k.a.; Friends of Locomotive 35)
- Moving equipment to and from Mitchell Field (Including YouTube Videos) (Unofficial LIRR History Website)
- Oyster Bay Station History (Steve Lynch's LIRR Maps, Photos, Charts, etc.) (TrainsAreFun.com)