New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-19
At ARLINGTON AVE , GLMHURsv

whitestone and is known az the White
stone branch Of this route. Electric
trains have been running on the White
stone branch TO and from New York for
about year. From Flushing Creek the
main line continues to Flushing and
thence northeasterly TO Port Washington.
The main line is doube-tracked TO Great
Neck, a distance of fourteen miles, and
single tracked from Great Neck to Port
WASHINGTON, a distance Of six miles. In
the near future the strip OF road from
Great Neck to Port Washington will be
double-tracked.
No wooden cars will be run on this new
electric route. To provide sufficient stand
ard steel cars with which to open this
division to electric service the Long ISL
and Railroad. of which Ralph Peters Is
the president has had built forty-two
more all-stee cars Each car costs sls0V.
the total cost for steel car equipment
being s756.O00.
This improvement Of the Port Wash
iagton branch has taken about four years
Of active construction work ani abojt
eight years IT. which to get the necessary
property ard to do the construction task.
To obtain the needed property the Long
Island Railroad had to deal with 10 prop
erty owners.
This big undertaking Of Transforming
the road from steam to electric service
also includes the elimination OF about
nine grade crossings through Flushins.
About 10000 cubic yards Of earth had to
, be excavated, 81. 600 cubic yards of con-
! crete walls had to be built and about q
miles OF concrete fence had 10 be con-
structed. 1t was also necessary 10 lnstalI
lOe. 900 feet of conduit.
Besides, the entire road, from Flushin8
! Creek TO Great Neck. was made double
track. That stretch OF road is about seven
miles long. A third rail was laid from the
| creek TO Port Washington.
For this electric service three big sub
stations have been built and equipped
With dynamos, transformers and with di-
ferent electrical apparatus used In the
operation of such a roadway.
This is not all. One of the most impor-
! tant parts of this undertaking was the
| building of the new Main street station at
! Flushing and another new station al MUIR
ray Hill, Flushing. Part OF the roadway
| through Flushing is on viaduct ana
) part is an open cut.
The entire improvement costs about
| 81. JcO.0yO, outside of the equipment. Inc
| state and the city helped 10 deiray part
of the cost Of eliminating grade crossings.
contributing $4,000
The beautiful concrete Main street sta
| ton at Flushing represents an invest
nent of about $1,000
| Beginning next Tuesday. electric trains
will run from Long Island City 10 Wood
] side and there connect with trains on all
divisions. The change of motive power on
the Port Washington division will make
possible the handling of more freisht
trains at the Long Island City station in
a quicker manner. That station Will one
cav be entirely used for freight purposes.
and thus there will be along the water
front In the great manufacturing zone OF
! Queens Borough a few years hence one
of the greatest freight terminals in this
| country.
! Millions have been spent within the last
ten years by the Long Island Railroad In
electrifying miles of roadway.
On June 2S. 1905, the first electric train
between the Flatbush avenue station,
/ Brooklyn, and Rockaway was run. ON
August 30, 1906. electric service between
Flatbush avenue station. Brooklyn. and
Jamaica, Long Island, was opened. On
October 10 Of the same year the first cleo
/ trio train to Belmont Park was run, and
1 on the following day the first electric
train to Springfield Junction was oper-
ated. On December II of the same year
the electric service was extended to Val
lev Stream. on May &C. 1908. electric ser
( vice TO Hampstead went into effect, and
on June %. 1910. the first electric cars
between Long Island City and Far ROCK
away. via Jamaica. were run. on Sep
TENDER s, 1910. an electric train schedule
from the Pennsylvania Station to ia
maica and Long Beach went into effect.
The whitestone branch OF the Fort