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Suffolk Traction Company

  
The South Shore Traction Company set out to build a line connecting Suffolk county with New York City. They started laying track in Sayville. By 1909 they had a horse drawn line running from the Sayville depot to the shore. The Suffolk Traction Company had close ties to the South Shore traction company and absorbed there Sayville track for there Patchogue to Sayville line. They also operated a line that went north on Ocean Avenue all the way to the Holtsville LIRR depot. It was eventually hoped the trolley would run all the way up to Port Jefferson. In fact, track was laid from Port Jefferson to quite a distance south. The track never made it to Holtsville nor was it ever used for trolley service. The Suffolk Traction Company's cars were powered by batteries instead of overhead power lines. The service was slow and expensive, as a result the company went under in 1919 and service was ceased.
  
 
One of the battery cars on the Patchogue-Holtsville line.
               
 
 
The trolley and her proud crew. Most likely one was the motorman the other a fair collecting conductor.
   
Construction of a bridge over the Greenport branch of the LIRR. This costly bridge was supposed to be used by trolleys to and from Port Jefferson but that line was never completed and the bridge was eventually demolished.
      
         
The spot marked "1" is the battery charging barn for the trolley. The spur to the east of it "3" is the LIRR lace mill spur. The Suffolk Traction Company began eastward expansion, but stopped only a short distance east of Ocean Avenue. The northbound section was part of the line that ran to Holtsville.
Going to the location of the trolley barn by using the above map one will see this building. This is believed to be the original trolley barn building. Sure enough there are tracks in the alleyway to the west of it. How can this be though, the map shows the tracks leading directly into the barn. According to the Bob Emory map above the spur should have went into the trolley barn. The tracks in the alleyway also cannot be the lace mill spur because that's supposed to be east of the trolley barn. Yet, every local historian and rail fan I contacted claims this brick building is indeed the trolley barn. So I contacted rail historian and author Dave Keller, who wrote "The Long Island Rail Road" published by Arcadia Publishers in 2004. Here is what Dave had to say on this matter:
As for the trolley / track issue, all I can tell you is this:
1. There were 2 sidings into the Lace Mill, both crossing west Main Street.
2. The westernmost siding went across the street and over the coaling trestle.
3. The easternmost siding went across the street and butted up against the loading dock.
4. according to Emery's maps, the car barn was just west of the westernmost siding, with the traction company's tracks going into the building.

Now, if you see remnants of tracks to the WEST of the building that stands there today, and on the south side of Main Street, that could mean 1 of 4 things:
1. The building that still stands today IS NOT the car barn and may be just urban legend.
2. The building that still stands today WAS the car barn and was moved further east at some time (perhaps to get it off the ROW that may have been owned by someone else.)
3. An additional track was laid outside the barn at one time and Emery may have missed it.
4. Emery's map may be in error and instead of ALL tracks entering the building, one did not.

Now, Emery's maps are usually very accurate, as he studied LIRR valuation drawings for hours to get the proper track locations.

Therefore, of the 4 possibilities I've listed above, that would only leave two possibilities: #1 and #2 I kind of think that #2 may be your answer (just my guess). Lots of times, railroad structures have been sold to private parties and in every case, they were required to move the structure off the ROW. As the traction company was defunct, SOMEONE owned the land and may have been willing to sell off the building but not relinquish the land.
A small stretch of Ocean Avenue just north of Main Street is showing some of the trolley tracks though cracks in the pavement.
Close-up of above.
Here is the Suffolk Traction line that ran into Sayville. It was originally a horse drawn line serving only Sayville.
All the historic maps and photos here are from the Emory Collection at Stony Brook University's Special Collection Library. Used with permission.