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Oyster Bay Branch

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Oyster Bay Branch
Double-decker Train #6506 to Oyster Bay at Mineola
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerLong Island Rail Road
LocaleNassau County, New York, USA
Termini
  • Jamaica
  • Oyster Bay
Stations10 (2 others closed)
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemLong Island Rail Road
Services
  Oyster Bay Branch
Operator(s)Metropolitan Transportation Authority
History
Opened1865-1889
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
Template:Infobox rdt

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.[2]

History

The first phase of what is now known as the Oyster Bay Branch opened in January 23, 1865 as a branch of the Long Island Rail Road to Glen Head known as the Glen Cove Branch Rail Road.[3] Two years later the railway was extended to Glen Cove[4] and on April 19, 1869 the line was extended further to Locust Valley.[5] The line ended at Locust Valley for two decades until a final extension added four miles to Oyster Bay. One of the reasons for building to Oyster Bay was to create a connection to New England. A large pier, now owned by the Flowers Oyster Company, was built to facilitate the loading of passenger cars onto a ferry, specifically to the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad station and ferry pier in Wilson's Point section of Norwalk, Connecticut. Service lasted only a few years as overland service from New York to Boston, once thought impossible, commenced.

Until 1928, a direct connection to the West Hempstead Branch existed just east of Mineola station. This spur crossed the Main Line, then terminated at the end of a wye at what was often called the Garden City Branch. Until passenger service was abandoned along this branch passengers would transfer between the two lines at Mineola Station itself.[6][7]

Except for the section between East Williston and Mineola, this branch is not electrified and thus can only be served by diesel powered-locomotive trains (except for one AM peak train that originates at East Williston and ends at Penn Station using Electric-Multiple Units). There were plans to electrify the entire branch in 1934, but that never occurred.

In 2009, the LIRR replaced the bridge over West Shore Road between Locust Valley and Oyster Bay Stations.[8]

Stations

Zone Station Miles (km)
from NYP[9] 		Date
opened 		Date
closed 		Connections / notes
3 For continuing service to Jamaica and points west, see Main Line
4 Mineola Disabled access 20.3 (32.3) 1837 LIRR: Montauk, Port Jefferson, and Ronkonkoma Branches
Bus transport NICE Bus: N22, N22X, N23, N24, N40, N41, N78, N79
Originally Hempstead, then Branch or Hempstead Branch
Main Line diverges
East Williston Disabled access 21.6 (34.8) 1880[10] Bus transport NICE Bus: N22A, N27
Terminus of electrification
7 Albertson Disabled access 22.6 (36.4) 1875 Bus transport NICE Bus: N27
Roslyn Disabled access 24.0 (38.6) 1865 Bus transport NICE Bus: N23, N27
North Roslyn 1924 Originally Wheatley Hills
Greenvale Disabled access 26.0 (41.8) 1866 Bus transport NICE Bus: N27
Originally Week's
Glen Head Disabled access 27.2 (43.8) 1865 Bus transport NICE Bus: N27
Sea Cliff Disabled access 28.5 (45.9) 1867 Bus transport NICE Bus: N27
Glen Street Disabled access 29.1 (45.2) 1867 Bus transport NICE Bus: N21, N27
Glen Cove Disabled access 29.7 (47.8) 1895 Originally Nassau
Locust Valley Disabled access 30.8 (49.6) 1869
Mill Neck 1889 1998 Originally Bayville
Oyster Bay Disabled access 34.7 (55.8) 1889

References

  1. ^ Ain, Stewart (2004-08-08). "M.T.A.'s Threat Drops Some Jaws". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  2. ^ LIRR map MTA Retrieved 2009-07-12
  3. ^ PRR chronology: 1865 Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society Retrieved 2009-07-12
  4. ^ PRR chronology: 1867 Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society Retrieved 2009-07-12
  5. ^ PRR chronology: 1869 Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society Retrieved 2009-07-12
  6. ^ Former Mineola to West Hempstead Branch (Unofficial LIRR History Web Site)
  7. ^ Mineola Station History (Steve Lynch's LIRR Maps, Photos, Charts, etc.) (TrainsAreFun.com)
  8. ^ Vans Replace Oyster Bay Trains Weekend of November 21-22 (MTA-LIRR News; November 2009)
  9. ^ Station pages linked from LIRR Stations
  10. ^ Morrison, David D.; Pakaluk, Valerie (2003). Long Island Rail Road Stations. Chicago: Arcadia. p. 57. ISBN 0-7385-1180-3. Retrieved 2011-11-20.

Media related to Oyster Bay Branch (category) at Wikimedia Commons

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