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Suffolk's Cross Island Line |
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Background |
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The line was started as a horse
drawn line in 1890. Known as the Huntington RR it served as a way
to get from the Huntington train station to the village and onto Halesite.
In 1898 the LIRR bought it and immediately electrified it. They eventually
extended the line south in order to connect the 3 lines of the LIRR.
Once the Cross Island line was completed it was 18.5 miles long. It
started in Halesite in the North and went through Huntington Village,
then onto the Huntington RR depot. From there it continued south along
the side of what is now Route 110, then made a right on Conklin into
Farmingdale and on south to the Amityville depot then finally ending
at a Great South Bay dock. The bus, and W.W.I took its toll and by
1919 the Cross Island service was ceased. The trolley was sold and
renamed the Huntington Traction Company and served the Huntington
only. That went under in 1927. |
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In
this old post card notice the trolley tacks and a trolley in the
back far right. |
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| Seen here is the trolley at
the Farmingdale LIRR station. The trolleys offered an awesome way
to get into town from the train and after leaving the station the
southbound trolleys would run south on Main Street. This station also
served another purpose for the trolley. Notice the large cube section
attached to the station. This was in fact a power substation for the
Huntington RR trolleys. These trolleys were category and needed such
substations to power there overhead lines. The Cross Island trolley
ceased in 1927 but last ran through Farmingdale in 1919. |
Here is
the station as seen today. The tracks for the trolley are all gone
now, but that sub station is still standing. |
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| The
section highlighted is the trolley substation. The trolley tracks
is the wye south of the station |
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