LIRR Rockaway Trains (circa 1950)

This archival film footage displaying scenes of LIRR trains crossing the Beach Channel Drawbridge, riding on the elevated train trestle, and pulling into the Rockaway Park Station, was provided courtesy of the noted LIRR historian and Rockaway native, Mike Boland.

[@tommcconville4270]

This is an amazing film of the LIRR train in the Rockaways. I lived in Arverne Rockaways with my two sisters and parents from 1951 to 1957. I mostly remember the elevated A train tracks over Peninsula Blvd. Most of Al, the great beach and water, the fine refreshme t stands and snack bars on the boardwalk, and Rockaways Playland, loved all the rides and attractions there.

[@monica012077]

this is amazing! Over 60 yrs ago and LIRR still had EMU's with 3rd rail power! these look like predecessors to the Metropolitans! nice little horn too

[@cats0182]

The MP54 cars you see here were in use until the 1970's when they were replaced by the "Metropolitan" cars.

[@ernestpassaro9663]

Manually throwing the switch lol

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

LIRR had electric cars since 1910 when the Penn station tunnels opened

[@ernestpassaro9663]

@@jaymorgenthal9479 I believe in1956 had a bad fire there

[@monica012077]

@@jaymorgenthal9479 I don't even remember leaving this comment. There should be a rule against replying to 10 year old comments lol. I obviously know that now, I did a bit of research after Cat's comment. This was back when I started this channel, wow this brings back memories.

[@jamescarlin4244]

As a Long Island native this amazing

[@ForeLeafTravel]

amazing footage..I always wondered what the trains of this era sounded like, and too get this clear video and audio from that era is amazing

[@aydenamaya7951]

The Audio was added in. The MP54s had more of a whistle chime

[@luislaplume8261]

@@aydenamaya7951 It was an air whistle that had the hoot sound. I should know. I lived 3 blocks away from the Long Island Railroad main line to Penn Station in Richmond Hill, Queens during the Mad Men era.

[@jaminova_1969]

Thank You so much for posting this footage! And special thanks to whomever took the time to film it! My Grandpa took us to Rockaway Playland many times when I was young and he owned a boat in Broad Channel in the 1950's.

[@DTD110865]

I like that Pennsey -era LIRR sign at Beach 116th Street Station. That thing has to be worth some serious cash if it's still being preserved.

[@da9618]

It looked so peaceful back then

[@Noveltooner]

And because the Federal Railroad Administration still recognizes the branch as a railroad (as no application for abandonment was ever submitted regarding the inactive portion between Ozone Park and Rego Parkon the LIRR Main Line), the subway equipment still runs over the active portion through a special waiver from the FRA. It's different from the waiver on the Staten Island Railway, as the Rockaway Beach Branch is operating with rapid transit signaling and switches; SIR is a Class B railroad.

[@captainhines]

It's not a club. Nobody's "part of it". It's a federal agency that enforces rail safety regulations. And this is the first I've heard of an FRA waiver for the A line in the Rockaways. There's no reason why the FRA would have any "jurisdiction" (for lack of a better word) over it. It's completely grade separate. There's no connection to the national rail system. The LIRR gave it up before the FRA or the MTA even existed. NYCTA train operators are not required to have engineer certification.

[@qolspony]

Wow. Thank you. Living in the Rockaways from 79 to 96, I heard about LIRR. It is why this two track elevated section in all of my city subway transit.

[@MasterKhem]

I have a book called "Change at Ozone Park" that shows pics of how the line used to look. I always used to see the LIRR like trestle in Ozone Park and wondered if the Long Island Rail Road once went through there when riding the A train. Which there was more footage!!!!

[@cats0182]

i had that book at one time. Really a wonderful essay and pictorial history of the Rockaway Beach Branch.

[@1575murray]

I am fortunate to have it as it has long been out of print.

[@spideraxis]

Really enjoyed this bit of nostalgia. Love seeing the old trains!

[@fgjfdgjf]

1950 wow this was my uncles senior year at forest hills high school in queens :)

[@brooklynbrothersnyc2536]

Really did he tell you he saw this train in service hack in the 1950s

[@QNative2012]

This June 9th will make 51 years out of service for the old Rockaway Branch. I wonder if Mike has any footage of the right of way from Howard Beach back up to the Woodhaven Junction to the Glendale Cut-off to the Whitepot Junction/Main Line with Rego Park Station. That would be awesome to see!

[@orangie84]

Yup I want to see that as well

[@StrangeRealityVlog]

Thank you so much, just now learning about Rockaway Beach Playland

[@robertdyerofficial]

Great railroad, great footage!

[@patrickgallagher1161]

Love your channel Bob!!!

[@robertdyerofficial]

Patrick MacCreoghan Thanks, Patrick!

[@ConfuzedMind]

Holy crap, is this before the A-train started running there. That looked like Hamels wye.

[@cats0182]

Yes, it was before the "A" Train and Yes, that WAS the Hammels Wye. See my description, above, of what I see on this video. It is a short melange of LIRR history to Rockaway Beach.

[@chaz18541]

Thank you for posting this

[@eles214]

These are the MP54 units that were a mainstay of the LIRR/PRR commuter services for 60 years or so replacing the earlier MP41s of 1905

[@patrickgallagher4898]

Do you appreciate the ol' MP54s like I do?

[@eles214]

+Patrick Gallagher well if there was actually something like time travel, I probably would appreciate them

[@patrickgallagher4898]

+eles214 I'm only 14 and I doubt at least any mainstream teenager would even heard about or cared about these cars, and even though they were loud and rough, they were just as important to the LIRR as the M1s, M3s, M7s and DE30ACs.

[@eles214]

+Patrick Gallagher yes they were vital to the Long Island being a more solvent railroad. Without the PRR electrification scheme, there wouldn't be a Penn Station either.

[@patrickgallagher4898]

+eles214 exactly

[@cats0182]

The first part had to be taken before the 1950 trestle fire that stopped all service across Jamaica Bay..The last part appears to have been taken sometime shortly before all service to Rockaway Park was abandoned. Most of the station tracks and platforms were gone or in the process of being dismantled.

[@josephdowney6816]

I didn't know about service to Rockaway Park having been abandoned, thanks! At some poing (was it the late 1960s or even earlier?) the service was restored by NYC subway, of course.

[@cats0182]

@@josephdowney6816 I forgot what year subway service started. i can tell you that my father and I rode the first train from Howard Beach. He got tickets to the opening day ceremony. It was an interesting event.

[@amazing50000]

@@cats0182 Subway service started running in The Rockways in 1956.

[@musicom67]

1:58 - Note the paper trash strewn about the tracks - Just like today!

[@kenjiharima23nep91]

Even though the MTA Subway took over the Rockaway Beach branch. They still kept the elevated fresh like it was brand new.

[@theestallion818]

Wow so awesome!

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

Some footage shows the new subway ramps from the elevated to the new bridge and trestle. No track has been laid yet. That had to be filmed after Oct 3,1955 when the city to over the lines.

[@blakemcnamara9105]

Wow! And a mail car too!

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

Last LIRR TRAIN to rock park Oct 3, 1955. First IND subway train June 28,1956.

[@LongIslandCityLayout]

this is really excellent

[@williammoxon4104]

Incredible. Do you happen to know if there is any video of LIRR DD1's or BB1's

[@travelingman484]

Thanx

[@ericcourt2898]

The Old Fashioned LIRR Trains Sounded Like The Low Vs/R1-9s/BMT Elevated Gate Cars/BMT AB Standards Back In The Old Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

Eric Court That sound was from the pre war gearing that traction motors used.

[@BrooklynBound4]

Wow that is classic footage thank you for posting. Those trains were really ugly

[@cats0182]

The MP54's (those cars) dated back to the 19-teens. They were the LIRR "fleet" for decades. I doubt that today's M7's and M9's will be as long lasting.

[@arifakyuz7673]

Those cars look like they are smiling

[@pbatommy]

Yes--the line to the Rockaways is ex-LIRR.

[@iandale3674]

Awesome!!

[@tarinacrowe5752]

This is cool!

[@mattw8809]

No, that line went through to Valley Stream station, the line was terminated at MOTT st when NYC subway bought it from the LIRR in the 50's

[@kenjiharima23nep91]

You mean Mott ave not Mott st

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

The terminal was at 25/wavecrest when the TA took it over 6/56. The original Far Rock station was part of the LIRR section . the line was severed. at Mott ave. The TA built a brand new station with a center platform, fare control and Bumpers. It opened in 1958.

[@pmarshall06511]

What a great video! But is the sound original, or is it dubbed? For the record, the LIRR had 3rd rail power going as far back as 1905.

[@pbatommy]

In fact, the Rockaway Beach line was the first line to be electrified in 1905.

[@aydenamaya7951]

In case you haven't figured out yet, its dubbed

[@robertkunigonis79]

i was 1 yr old 😁

[@buddmetroliner200gaming3]

2:39 bro these old growling traction motors

[@mattw8809]

That was cool ! Thanks

[@ix.cryo1]

It's funny how the subway runs on it now

[@humansavages832]

Do you have a video of the dyer ave line when the railroad was running before the mta took over the line?

[@pbatommy]

Look up the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railroad. You'll see the only existing film of the line when it was a railroad.

[@brianmohammed1790]

I like this video

[@thoseonetrains]

Before the A.

[@LatinSith]

That shed at 1:10. I don't think it's there anymore.

[@florpena2184]

AND THE BEACH CHANNEL TOO!!!!!!

[@QueensNativeNYC]

I wonder if that was one of the old Elmhurst gas tanks at 2:54

[@thomasconaboy1441]

No that that was on the Lilco property in Rockaway between Rockaway Freeway and Beach Channel drive and Beach 108 and about Beach 111th street.

[@QueensNativeNYC]

@@thomasconaboy1441 I know there is old abandoned LIRR tracks that used to be the Rockaway line.. It passes by Glendale and then up towards Rego park and Elmhurst area but I don't think it came to close to the old Elmhurst gas tanks.. If you say those tanks were in Rockaway, I'll take your word for it, I'm not at all familiar with any infrastructure down that way.. Thanks for responding..

[@thomasconaboy1441]

@@QueensNativeNYC You’re welcome. Look for some photographs of the Beach 116th station up until about 1972 and you’ll see that tank.

[@horny99845]

This is before the fire that destroyed one of the bridges

[@cats0182]

As I recall, the fire didn't destroy the bridge. The fire destroyed part of the wooden trestle just beyond Hamilton Beach. There was enough track left undamaged to allow trains to run to Hamilton Beach and then reverse direction for the return trip.

[@tryithere]

Added in audio.

[@ianmurphy2535]

i wana go there

[@cats0182]

I lived in Rockaway Beach when I was a child and up to going away to college. That was from 1950-1958. People have told me that today's Rockaway Beach ain't the same. I guess you really can't go home again.

[@josephdowney6816]

It's quite affordable as part of the New York Subway. Take a swim suit and go to the beach on a summer day, very easy! "Take the A train, as the tune goes!"

[@andrewprado993]

Is the sound digitally restored?

[@patrickgallagher4898]

It sounds like synced and recorded sound

[@popiscoolnow]

Any footage of those trains coming onto Atlantic branch at wood haven.?

[@cats0182]

I haven't seen any. However, there is video on KZbin of trips in both directions between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal. Going westbound, you can see the abandoned Woodhaven Station. and the open walls between the tracks where the trains going to Atlantic Terminal would have joined the Atlantic Branch. Going eastbound, you can see what's left of the trackway where the Rockaway trains would have left the Atlantic Branch. You can also see the eastbound platform of the abandoned Woodhaven Station. Both videos are wonderful.

[@florpena3165]

That's really cool but the trains don't have the rockaway park line Now

[@ss04to06]

Currently, the IND subway runs to Rockaway Park on these same tracks.

[@trainluvr]

Oh my god

[@ecuaflakos]

MTA were thinking about to extend R train to howard beach , they should do that

[@captainhines]

They should extend 7 train to Howard Beach.

[@Daniel_L_Bain]

@@captainhines number line cars are not wide there too narrow letter line cars are wider

[@GABRIELADAWSON]

@@captainhines That’s Stupid The A Train already goes there lol🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️.

[@scaccolare]

@@captainhines That suggestion is possible, but the abandoned Rockaway Beach tracks between Ozone Park and the Whitepot Junction would need to be rebuilt and upgraded to the NYC Transit standards. Also, a tunnel would need be constructed to connect the Rockaway Beach line to the 63rd Drive train station at where the E and F trains stop. Anyway, I like this idea. Thank you a great deal for sharing.

[@MrWoodhaven11421]

Any footage of the train running in Richmond Hill Queens?

[@ss04to06]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3PPgYFmpN5-rtE

[@PRR5406]

Much of this is copped from the film "Long Island Rail Road Memories".

[@re-coverynoel3750]

Bridge baby

[@jerrygiarratana9462]

Why did the railroad "sell off" to the NYCT ?

[@ss04to06]

Financial setbacks and difficulties as well as low ridership. The footage was likely shot before a fire that occurred in 1950 which destroyed much of the line. After the fire, trains were cut back to Ozone Park (near the Rockaway Ave subway station on the A train today) and ridership declined sharply.

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

After the fire in 1950 Hamilton Beach became the end of the line. it was gradually cut back to Ozone Park with Aqueduct specials running in racing season.

[@scada4321]

Wrong sounding whistle at 1:13.....just saying.

[@TMCCCab2]

What is that causeway in 1:34?

[@cats0182]

I'm very familiar with the area. I have no idea. From what I see, it looks like the new drawbridge to carry the subway trains. The old bridge was just above water level. Beyond that, I don't know.

[@MegaZsolti]

1:54 litterbugs...

[@patrickgallagher4898]

The last station looks like the old Long Beach station.

[@eles214]

It's actually Rockaway Park. Long Beach has more longer canopies over the platforms

[@patrickgallagher4898]

+eles214 thanks

[@patrickcronin3264]

Everything is basically the same

[@florpena2184]

Rockaway Park is NOT a lirr line

[@ROTE]

It used to be

[@Railoffroader2]

It originally was an LIRR line and terminal.

[@charlesgreene9467]

Indeed it was from 1880 to 1955.

[@paktype]

That line really was decrepit

[@metrasnakieasaurus1066]

How fun! What a great video! Thanks for sharing! My son would love some more subscribers..MetraSnakieAsaurus..we are trying to get 50 so he can do his Special Special train run! Thanks and have a great day! Peace2all!