Beach Channel (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
Beach Channel was a Long Island Rail Road
station on the Rockaway Beach Branch
in Broad Channel, Queens
. It was located on the north end of the Beach Channel Drawbridge across from the north leg of the Hammels Wye, and served both Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway Branch
trains.
, named Thomas A. Smith. Originally serving as dropping off point for fishermen, it was expanded into a restaurant, with a bait & tackle shop, a boat rental dealership, and two hotels on both side of the tracks.
On June 13, 1903, the hotel on the east side of the tracks was destroyed by a 3:00 A.M. fire, taking the northnound platforms and part of the trestle with it. The hotel on the southbound platforms and an adjacent club house were unaffected by the fire, but both structures were moved to the mainland in response to the disaster in 1904, the same year NY&RB ceased as an independent railroad and became part of the LIRR. This would be the first of three major fires that would disrupt service on both the Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway Branches. The next major fire took place at Howard's Landing Station in 1907, and the third major fire would occur at The Raunt Station
in 1950. The LIRR sought permission from the New York Public Service Commission
to abandon Beach Channel Station, and finally received that permission on May 31, 1905.
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 on 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...
in Broad Channel, Queens
Broad Channel, Queens
Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock , which is the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The neighborhood stands on Big Egg Marsh, an area of fill approximately 20 blocks long and 4 blocks wide...
. It was located on the north end of the Beach Channel Drawbridge across from the north leg of the Hammels Wye, and served both Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway Branch
Far Rockaway Branch
The Far Rockaway 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 Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station; the Long Beach Branch also begins there, heading east and south to Long Beach,...
trains.
History
Beach Channel station was originally built in the Spring of 1888 by the New York and Rockaway Beach Railway, a year after the bankruptcy of the New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad. Originating at the vicinity of Signal Station #101 (later the "HJ" Tower), the site was leased by a former congressman from Freeport, New YorkFreeport, New York
Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...
, named Thomas A. Smith. Originally serving as dropping off point for fishermen, it was expanded into a restaurant, with a bait & tackle shop, a boat rental dealership, and two hotels on both side of the tracks.
On June 13, 1903, the hotel on the east side of the tracks was destroyed by a 3:00 A.M. fire, taking the northnound platforms and part of the trestle with it. The hotel on the southbound platforms and an adjacent club house were unaffected by the fire, but both structures were moved to the mainland in response to the disaster in 1904, the same year NY&RB ceased as an independent railroad and became part of the LIRR. This would be the first of three major fires that would disrupt service on both the Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway Branches. The next major fire took place at Howard's Landing Station in 1907, and the third major fire would occur at The Raunt Station
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...
in 1950. The LIRR sought permission from the New York Public Service Commission
New York Public Service Commission
The New York Public Service Commission is a government agency that regulates the various utilities of the state of New York. The commission also oversees the cable industry.The commission consists of up to five members, led by a commissioner...
to abandon Beach Channel Station, and finally received that permission on May 31, 1905.