THE FAR ROCKAWAY TRAIN STATION THEN AND NOW
by: Stevie S. Stevens
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The Far Rockaway Train
Station in a crystal-clear photograph taken facing northeast on
the sunny afternoon of September 15th, 1937. The station is a one-story
affair. Although the photo shows only one track - the eastbound
track - there were at least two working tracks at this time. Some
of the buildings shown directly behind the station are still standing
today. Notice the John Winkler 's & Sons Storage and Carpet
Cleaning building in the background. Had you taken the Long Island
Rail Road back some 72 years ago, this is the station you would
have seen. We have Ron Ziel to thank for having taken this magnificent
photograph. You will probably never again see this station in as
vivid a reproduction. It is as close as you "can get"
to actually being there! |
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A view from the Far Rockaway
Train Station on the afternoon of September 15th, 1937. In this
snapshot, we are facing southwest -- notice where the trolley car
tracks turn eastward onto Mott Avenue. This Long Island Railroad
train sitting on the west-side tracks at the station will soon deliver
passengers to the western parts of the Rockaway peninsula. The coffee
shop (partially hidden) on the east (or left side) of the photo
is part of a small office/store front building which for over forty
years stood on the railroad property at the northwest corner of
Mott and Central Avenues. The two-story English-Tudor style building
was torn down in the mid 1960s to increase traffic lanes - flowing
from Central Avenue west onto Mott at the major intersection. The
large five-story building shown at the southwest or right side of
the print is the O 'Kane Building and it is still standing even
today. Ron Ziel took this picture at approximately the same time
he took the opposite-facing shot. Looking at this photograph of
such excellent quality is as close as we will ever get to having
actually been at the station some seventy-two years ago. Thanks
to Ron for his excellent work! |