LIRR Fresh Pond (original) (raw)

Emery Map 1917 DF Tower Archive: Dave Keller	DF Tower 1925 - View NE Collection : Dave Keller	Fresh Pond c.1908 Map: Stephen Rothaug 1906 Fresh Pond Station * (see below) rebuilt in 1917 and the tracks went under the street. It was said to be the worst intersection in NY City for train accidents.
Old Timer�s Notes: Ridgewood was the terminal (end of the line) for many of the street car lines in Brooklyn. Initially they were horse drawn, then steam dummies which were small steam engines pulling from one to three passenger cars and then in the 1890s electric trolley cars. In the 1880s and early 1890s steam dummies operated from Ridgewood Depot at Wyckoff and Myrtle avenues, to Lutheran/All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, to Cypress Hills Cemetery in Cypress Hills and to what is now Richmond Hill along Myrtle Avenue. Steam locomotives operated from city to city, whereas the small steam dummy engines primarily operated within cities. Steam dummies and locomotives operated on the Manhattan Beach Division of the LIRR from the Terminal at 68th Street in Bay Ridge to Bushwick Junction in Ridgewood. As Robert Nelson noted, some of the freight cars passing through Bay Ridge Terminal came by float barge across Upper New York Bay from Greenville, New Jersey. A railroad station at Fresh Pond's dates back to 1868/1869 when the South Side Railroad established a branch line from Jamaica to the ferry docks on the East River in Williamsburg with stations at what is now Richmond Hill, Glendale, Fresh Ponds, etc. Fresh Ponds was named from the two fresh water ponds which were on the east side of Fresh Pond Road and several hundred yards north of Metropolitan Avenue. These ponds were filled in the early 1900�s. In 1878, the Long Island Rail Road acquired the South Side Railroad. By the early 1900�s the intersection at Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue was a busy one as the trains passed through there at street level. In 1913 the tracks were depressed on the southeast section of the intersection and then on the northwest side, raised to street level. Note: Ticket is 8/19/1896 Archive: Brad Phillips * In 1906 the Myrtle Avenue elevated line was extended at street level from Wyckoff Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village. This was known as the Lutheran/All Faiths Cemetery Extension. In preparation for this a car barn and a power plant were constructed, with the car barn on the east side of Fresh Pond Road and north of the tracks. The extension went into service on October 1, 1906. In May, 1925, when the Philadelphia System of street numbers was placed in effect in Queens County, a number of the street names were discontinued and numbers substituted. However, some of the street names for important streets were continued and the designation �Avenue� used.
1929 brakeman at Fresh Pond West Yard view East	Fresh Pond Jct. - LIRR and NYCRR Hagstrom map 1934 Archive: Dave Keller
**West Yard Info:**The forerunner of the west yard was built in 1910. The one track adjacent to the #2 track of the Montauk branch had signals and was the connection of the Bushwick branch. The yard consisted of three (3) storage tacks and one (1) track that extended to Fresh Pond Road to access the freight house and team track. The 2nd team track was accessed off the Bushwick branch track. The "new" West Yard as it became known, is listed on Bob Emery's maps as being placed in service on 1/25/21, but that can't be a true date as the yard appears on LIRR valuation plans in 1916, probably built in anticipation of the NYCRR, which began regular service on 1/17/1918. The tracks of the West Yard connected by a ladder track to the Bushwick branch lead track, which was newly constructed in 1915. There were crossovers west of Metropolitan Blvd. connecting the Bushwick branch with the secondary main, then another connecting the secondary main with the first main, both in a westerly trailing direction. So . . . there was access to the yard from the west end via the Montauk branch for trains heading eastbound. According to the map notes, the East Yard was placed in service on 1/25/1921. Once again, I don't know if this is a true date, because it matches the incorrect date on Bob Emery's West Yard map. But then again . . . the East Yard could have been added later as more storage space was needed. Info: Dave Keller
Back 50 years ago, Fresh Pond Junction was an important place with freights of the New Haven and LIRR serving the 11 mile long Bay Ridge Branch. 36 year old Fremont Tower in Ridgewood, Queens, literally on the Brooklyn border, handled authorities for both railroads on the branch. Here a passenger extra approaches Fremont northbound, ready to make the right turn to the Montauk Branch. Commentary/Photo: Richard F. Makse
LIRR #411 Baldwin DS4-4-660 southbound on the interchange with the NYCRR photographed from Fremont Tower. LIRR bridge #35 crossing Montauk Branch distant in photo. Winter 1963-64. Info: Steve Lynch
NH (ex-Virginian Railway) EF4 Electrics #310, #309 on NYCRR trackage photographed from Fremont Tower view N Winter 1963-64 Photo: Art Huneke
Alco S1 #421 Fremont Tower 1960's Photo: Joe Testagrose Archive: Paul Pesante
NH EF-3 crossing Bridge #35 Fresh Pond Junction Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

Flushing Ave to Fresh Pond Rd. - Emery map 10/1958 Archive: Dave Keller At the site of old OLIVET Tower, L2 #223, running lite Morris Park to LI City, passes Welbilt on September 18, 1969. My photo captures the Flushing Avenue grade crossing elimination project that removed all traces of OLIVET and the manual gates at this busy crossing. Note the box cars on the Welbilt Stove sidetrack. Photo/Archive: Richard F. Makse	West Yard map - Fresh Pond Rd. MP4 east to POND Tower Emery map 10/1958 - Archive: Dave Keller Fresh Pond - POND Tower blueprint 1946-56 Archive: Art Huneke	East Yard map - POND Tower to MP5 Emery map 10/1958 - Archive: Dave Keller
H10s on Montauk Track 1 working the west yard at Fresh Pond Station near MP 4 -1944 Collection : Dave Keller LIRR train 1831 Eng 1557 9/12/1969 Photo: Richard F. Makse	NRHS trip Fresh Pond Station - View E 10/26/1952 Photo: George Votava Archive: Mike Boland Pond Tower - View W 1968	After 1968 remodeling; POND and yard office between the BMT and NYCRR bridge. Archive: Dave Keller POND Tower 5/23/1975 Archive: Henry Wagner
The eastbound RF-15, with the 222 & 224, gets a friendly wave from the operator at POND Tower. NYCTA R-42's passes overhead on the former BMT M Line. 12/1982 Photo/Archive: Jay Bendersky	41 years ago, Conrail B-23-7 1903 leads its train over the LIRR's Lower Montauk branch back to Oak Point Yard in the Bronx. Its train consists of (mostly) empties from the LIRR. The LIRR's Pond Tower is still very much in service, and the 104 can be seen in the distance in Fresh Pond East Yard waiting for its next assignment. July, 1982 Photo/Archive: Jay Bendersky	POND Tower after the fire 11/10/2022 Photo/Archive: Joe Vila
POND Tower - View NW Photo: Steve Lynch 6/2000	Mechanical interlocking and model board at Pond Tower Fresh Pond, Queens, NY on 3/05/1978	Interlocking switch levers at Pond Tower 3/05/1978
LIRR #229 coming off the Bay Ridge Branch, west into Fresh Pond. Notice the doll head in the top grab! It is the last time I saw a C420 L-2 on the LIRR. 6/05/1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly LIRR #229 westbound under Bridge #35 July, 1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly LIRR 1966 Fresh Pond Map	1958 Maspeth Ave. to Fresh Pond Schematic Map: Steve Rothaug Fresh Pond Junction - NYA map c.2015	LIRR C420 #229 Conrail GE B23-7 #2805 Fresh Pond Interchange c.1985 Archive: Frank Fiore South of Fresh Pond Junction where the NYCRR used to run near the abandoned Fremont Tower: 12/1970 Junction of Montauk Branch and Conrail. Previously "FN" Tower. CR makes the set outs for the LIRR to pick up. View N. The crews are discussing the upcoming freight moves.
East Yard, Fresh Pond - 2/05/1972 Photo/Archive: Richard F. Makse	LIRR #159 "Baby Huey" Engineer Photo: A. Joseph Daly
LIRR #103, #274 Fresh Pond Junction view E 10/1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly	Three GP-38s Fresh Pond Jct. view E 5/1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly	LIRR #273 Fresh Pond Jct. westbound 5/1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly	LIRR #614 Fresh Pond Jct. 7/1989 Photo: A. Joseph Daly
LIRR #272 Eastbound 1984 Photo: Mike Koehler CR now CSX working the bridge lead 1999 Photo: Bernard Ente More action over at Fresh Pond April 24, 2000 Photo: Bernard Ente With a train of cars just delivered to the LIRR by Conrail, the RF-15 leaves Fresh Pond on its way east. Judging by the plume of smoke, the freshly-repainted L-2's are throttled out in the 8th notch! July, 1982. Photo/Archive: Jay Bendersky	East at Fresh Pond. CSX outbound upstairs and RS-70 switching Photo: Joe Tischner 7/2006 BMT Overpass view west 05/16/2003 Photo/Archive: Bernie Ente Bridge #35 NYCRR/Conrail/CSX overpass built by the Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton, PA for $84,000 in 1916 Photo: Steve Lynch 6/2000 An eastbound LIRR fre ight, with the #222 and #228, has no work at Fresh Pond today. It passes Conrail GE B23-7 #2810 laying up in the East Yard at Fresh Pond on an overcast day in July of 1983. Photo/Archive: Jay Bendersky	Fresh Pond - Glendale Topographic map Source: topozone.com Fresh Pond Yard - Bridge 35 aerial view NW 2020 NYA and westbound LIRR 2/2001 Photo: Bernard Ente LIRR #161 view E c.12/1988 Photo: A. Joseph Daly
NYA Fresh Pond Bridge #35 - View E (NY Times-Joe Carrotta)	NYA GP38-2 #268 east leg of the wye interchange at Fresh Pond Photo: Steve Lynch 6/2000	NYA Fresh Pond west leg of wye - BMT overpass (NY Times-Joe Carrotta)
CR B23-7's on YAOP-17 at Fresh Pond Yard in Glendale after delivering the interchange traffic to the LIRR, prior to the NYA taking over the freight ops. Note the former New Haven catenary. Info/Photo/Archive: John Krattinger The catenary tower is commonly referred to as �the old signal bridge�, a common place for CSX to wait for Fremont interlocking to be cleared of NYA trains before dropping their inbound interchange for NYA. Doug Hanell	CR EMD B23-7 #2808, CR GE U23B #2797, LIRR EMD MP15ACs #152 Fresh Pond Junction View N c. 1985	POND Tower after the fire 11/10/2022 Photo/Archive: Joe Vila
	Fresh Pond Yard aerial view W - 2/03/2024 Photo/Archive: Alex Piechowski
FREMONT TOWER
Abandoned Fremont Tower: 12/1970 Junction of Montauk Branch and NYCRR. Previously "FN" Tower Out of service: 4/15/70 Interlocking and tracks between Fremont and tracks between Fremont and Bay Ridge under jurisdiction of PC Transportation Co.: 01/20/71 Closed: 1971 and abandoned, burned, and razed prior to 1995. (per Jim Minor, LIRR block opr.) Collection : Dave Keller	Fremont Tower view S 12/30/88 Photo: A. Joseph Daly LIRR MP-15AC #156 Fresh Pond Jct. 12/30/88 Photo: A. Joseph Daly MORE FREMONT Tower	LIRR MP-15AC #156 Conductor on steps as the job is done Fresh Pond Jct. Wye 12/30/88 Photo: A. Joseph Daly LIRR MP-15AC #155 Crew having trouble with the freight coupler 12/30/1988 view N This was the RF-7. On the porch of the #155 is Engineer Bob Gianuzzi. George Bedell is the Conductor with the cap visor on. The Brakemen working the coupler might be Bob Gheringer. Info:Ben Jankowski Photo: A. Joseph Daly
Fresh Pond Jct., Fremont - LIRR Bicentennial C420s #228-226 Conrail SW1500 #9540 - 4/08/1981 Photo/Archive: Fred Wilczewski	New Haven EF-3a electric #158 pulls a freight geographically southbound on the Bay Ridge branch/NY Connecting RR, passing the LIRR's "FREMONT" tower at Fresh Pond Jct. - Fresh Pond, NY - c. 1950. View East (Dave Keller archive)
SELI was the road freight from Selkirk, NY to Fremont tower and LIRR Fresh Pond yard. They would drop a cut of cars at Croton North Yard for the GM plant in Tarrytown, NY then run on the wye track at MO Tower, crossing over the Harlem line 4 track main to the Port Morris Branch, to the ex-NH yard at Oak Point Yard, drop another cut of cars for the Oak Point based locals, run around train and head to Fremont Tower over the Hellgate Bridge to bring interchange to the LIRR at Fresh Pond yard. Fremont Tower was a bit south of Pond, but "upstairs" from Pond Tower back then as it was the interchange track �upgrade� to the NY Connecting RR ROW (ex-NH) from Fresh Pond Yard (downstairs), not sure if this was during LIRR's turn to work the Fremont-Bay Ridge section of track to interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway (NYCTA)and Cross Harbor shortline operation. All freights were part of the NE region, with their T&E crews. The return trip to Selkirk was known asLISE, following the route in reverse back to north. Conrail changed the Symbol to SEOP/OPSE in the mid '70's, and the run to Fremont was WNOP- 4, a local freight based at Oak Point Yard. After the May 8, 1974 Poughkeepsie Bridge Fire, 90-95% of the freight bound inbound is routed thru Selkirk, the other 5-10% of Long Island bound freight is car floated over from Greenville, NJ.