Southern Hempstead Branch
Encyclopedia
The Southern Hempstead Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road
from Valley Stream to Hempstead
. It was established in 1870 and abandoned in May 1879, and is not the same route as the current West Hempstead Branch
.
Hempstead residents were annoyed with the bad service provided by the LIRR on their Hempstead Branch
, and planned the New York and Hempstead Plains Railroad, which was to cross the South Side Railroad at Valley Stream and end at the 65th Street Ferry in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
, but only built east of Valley Stream. There were also plans to extend the line eastward into what is today North Massapequa
. Reliant on the South Side, the two companies often shared equipment. A railroad supplier named Pusey became president in 1871, but failed to do what he had promised and was soon discharged. Without notifying the company, the bondholders illegally appointed receiver Seaman Snediker, a friend of Pusey's, under foreclosure
, and they took the railroad on January 8, 1872. The owners discovered this the next morning and took control of the railroad's only locomotive
. The South Side leased the NY&HP in June 1873.
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...
from Valley Stream to 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:...
. It was established in 1870 and abandoned in May 1879, and is not the same route as the current West Hempstead Branch
West Hempstead Branch
The West Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York.The branch separates from the Main Line just east of Jamaica Station, and runs southeastward to West Hempstead...
.
Hempstead residents were annoyed with the bad service provided by the LIRR on their 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...
, and planned the New York and Hempstead Plains Railroad, which was to cross the South Side Railroad at Valley Stream and end at the 65th Street Ferry in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
, but only built east of Valley Stream. There were also plans to extend the line eastward into what is today North Massapequa
North Massapequa, New York
North Massapequa is a hamlet located on Long Island within the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 17,886 at the 2010 census...
. Reliant on the South Side, the two companies often shared equipment. A railroad supplier named Pusey became president in 1871, but failed to do what he had promised and was soon discharged. Without notifying the company, the bondholders illegally appointed receiver Seaman Snediker, a friend of Pusey's, under foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
, and they took the railroad on January 8, 1872. The owners discovered this the next morning and took control of the railroad's only locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
. The South Side leased the NY&HP in June 1873.
List of stations
| Station/ location |
Station link |
Miles (kilometers) to Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (New York City) Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also... |
Notes | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begin at 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... . |
||||
| Valley Stream Valley Stream (LIRR station) Valley Stream is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch serving the residents of Valley Stream, and is the first station in Nassau County. The station is located at Franklin Avenue and Sunrise Highway, west of Rockaway Avenue, and is 17.7 miles from Penn Station in Midtown... |
Built October 28, 1867 by the SRRLI. Still exists today as an LIRR hub. | |||
| Bridgeport | At Franklin Avenue, Malverne. No station building here. | 1870-1879 | ||
| Norwood | Hempstead Avenue at Cornwell Avenue. No station building here. | 1870-1879 | ||
| Hempstead | On west side of Greenwich Street midway between Front Street and Peninsula Boulevard. | 1870-1879. Converted into a skating rink, but was burned to the ground in early July 1888. | ||
| The entire line was abandoned in May 1879. | ||||
