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Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue (IND Rockaway Line)
Encyclopedia
Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue is the eastern terminal station
on the New York City Subway
's IND Rockaway Line
. Originally a Long Island Rail Road
station, it is the full-time southern terminal for the A
train and the easternmost station on the New York City Subway. This station is the busiest of all the subway stations on the Rockaway peninsula
.
The station is built on a concrete viaduct. There are two tracks and an island platform
. The tracks end at bumper blocks just beyond the northeast (railroad south
) end of the platform. The doors at that end of the platform lead to the stairs down to the street level fare control area. A tower and crew offices are at the southwest end. The former track connection to the current LIRR
's Far Rockaway
station has been removed, and transferring now requires a short walk.
and heading on a trestle across Jamaica Bay
through Queens where it reconnected with the Rockaway Beach Branch
. Far Rockaway station itself was originally built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on July 29, 1869, then converted into a freight house, when a 2nd station was moved from Ocean Point Station (a.k.a. Cedarhurst Station
), remodeled, and opened on October 1, 1881. The 3rd depot opened on July 15, 1890, while the 2nd depot was sold and moved to a private location in October 1890. The Ocean Electric Railway
terminated at the station between 1897 and September 2, 1926, and the station served as the headquarters for the Ocean Electric Railway. It also served as the terminus of a Long Island Electric Railway
trolley line leading to Jamaica, at New York Avenue (now Guy R. Brewer Boulevard). High-level platforms were added to the station as with much of the Far Rockaway Branch on April 10, 1942.
Frequent fires and maintenance problems, the most notorious of which was in May 1950 between The Raunt
and Broad Channel Stations, led the LIRR to abandon the Queens portion of the route, which was acquired by the city on October 3, 1955 when trackage to Rockaway Park became part of the IND Rockaway Line
, with service provided by the train beginning in 1956. The line was divided with the portions west of Mott Avenue becoming part of the subway system. The station was converted into a subway station on January 16, 1958, while the Far Rockaway LIRR station was moved to Nameoke Street on February 21, 1958, and became the terminus of the Far Rockaway branch.
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 New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
's IND Rockaway Line
IND Rockaway Line
The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway. It branches from the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways.-History:...
. Originally a 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...
station, it is the full-time southern terminal for the A
A (New York City Subway service)
The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train and the easternmost station on the New York City Subway. This station is the busiest of all the subway stations on the Rockaway peninsula
Rockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
.
The station is built on a concrete viaduct. There are two tracks and an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
. The tracks end at bumper blocks just beyond the northeast (railroad south
Railroad directions
Railroad directions are used to describe train directions on railroad systems. The terms used may be derived from such sources as compass directions, altitude directions, or other directions...
) end of the platform. The doors at that end of the platform lead to the stairs down to the street level fare control area. A tower and crew offices are at the southwest end. The former track connection to the current LIRR
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...
's Far Rockaway
Far Rockaway (LIRR station)
Far Rockaway is the terminus of the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway Branch in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens in New York City...
station has been removed, and transferring now requires a short walk.
History
The Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road had originally been part of a loop that traveled along the existing route, continuing through the Rockaway PeninsulaRockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
and heading on a trestle across Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay is located on the southwestern tip of Long Island in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, and the town of Hempstead, New York/hamlet of Inwood...
through Queens where it reconnected with the Rockaway Beach Branch
Rockaway Beach Branch
The Rockaway Beach Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, United States. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction in Rego Park heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways turning west there to a...
. Far Rockaway station itself was originally built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on July 29, 1869, then converted into a freight house, when a 2nd station was moved from Ocean Point Station (a.k.a. Cedarhurst Station
Cedarhurst (LIRR station)
Cedarhurst is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway Branch in Cedarhurst, in Nassau County, New York, United States. The station is located at Cedarhurst Avenue and Chestnut Street, one block west of Central Avenue, and is 20.9 miles from Penn Station in Midtown...
), remodeled, and opened on October 1, 1881. The 3rd depot opened on July 15, 1890, while the 2nd depot was sold and moved to a private location in October 1890. The Ocean Electric Railway
Ocean Electric Railway
The Ocean Electric Railway was a street car line that operated on The Rockaways. It ran parallel to parts of the Rockaway Beach Branch and Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road...
terminated at the station between 1897 and September 2, 1926, and the station served as the headquarters for the Ocean Electric Railway. It also served as the terminus of a Long Island Electric Railway
Long Island Electric Railway
The Long Island Electric Railway was a streetcar company operating in Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau County, New York, United States. It connected the east end of the Fulton Street El at Crescent Street station in City Line, Brooklyn with Jamaica, Queens, and ran from there to the Nassau County line...
trolley line leading to Jamaica, at New York Avenue (now Guy R. Brewer Boulevard). High-level platforms were added to the station as with much of the Far Rockaway Branch on April 10, 1942.
Frequent fires and maintenance problems, the most notorious of which was in May 1950 between The Raunt
The Raunt (LIRR station)
The Raunt was a former Long Island Rail Road station on the Rockaway Beach Branch. It had no address and no station house, because it was meant strictly as a dropping-off point for fishermen using a small island in Jamaica Bay. The station was located 1300 feet west of signal station "ER" , and...
and Broad Channel Stations, led the LIRR to abandon the Queens portion of the route, which was acquired by the city on October 3, 1955 when trackage to Rockaway Park became part of the IND Rockaway Line
IND Rockaway Line
The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway. It branches from the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways.-History:...
, with service provided by the train beginning in 1956. The line was divided with the portions west of Mott Avenue becoming part of the subway system. The station was converted into a subway station on January 16, 1958, while the Far Rockaway LIRR station was moved to Nameoke Street on February 21, 1958, and became the terminus of the Far Rockaway branch.
External links
- Station Reporter — A Rockaway
- The Subway Nut — Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue Pictures
- Trains Are Fun — Former Far Rockaway LIRR Station
- Mott Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View