Such a in depth exploration, drone friendly video of parts of the LIRR's neglected infrastructure. It's been 60 some years since the abandonment of the Rockaway beach line and it could use subway transportation from Queens Bvld's 63rd drive, as the original pre war plan kinda implied. Service from 63rd drive to join the A train towards the Rockaways could be needed. Queens can use a subway in the middle of its core, for less straining and overcrowding. We need some action on this structure as it is still useful for planning.

It's incredible that after about 60 years the line is still there and nothing has been done to it.

You should do a part 2. The junction station tunnel portal connecting to Atlantic Ave lirr line and south of ozone pk station leading to the “A” train

@urbannyc935

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, maybe....

I remember the days of walking along this line, which was 30 years ago. I used to enter it through the stairs of the Woodhaven Junction station before they were sealed.

Curious seeing familiar streets I have been on for decades from a different point of view. This line really needs to be reactivated. It would alleviate so many transportation problems in southern Queens.

The boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn are getting overcrowded and useful public transportation without going through Manhattan is extremely high in demand.

This is the part of the Branch I’ve always wondered about based on looks! Amazing Job!!!

The MTA should make use of this. Another Crosstown line would greatly benefit Queens commuters.

@lamarjlp914

3 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU!!! This line would connect the Rockaways to Long Island City.

@TheRailLeaguer

3 жыл бұрын

@@lamarjlp914 And in a faster way as well.

@nelsonphilip4520

2 жыл бұрын

Revitalizing this line and others could potentially help the city & state lower it's carbon footprint and thus aid in sustainability.

@matthewadonis3020

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheRailLeaguer so you think this line should be reactivated?

@TheRailLeaguer

2 жыл бұрын

@@matthewadonis3020 Yes, as a subway line. I have mapped out the reactivation of the line to be used by 6th Avenue Local trains. Eventually in the longer run, I do want to see this subway route and the 63rd Street Tunnel operate independently from the Queens Blvd Line.

Walked this line from Whitepot to Woodhaven Jct and back. That was twenty nine years ago. Really overgrown since then.

Yay he’s alive

I used to walk that same section thirty years ago and little has changed; that thick brush between Jamaica Ave and Atlantic was a pain, even then. I wish I still had that third rail insulator I managed to find, though.

Thanks for this - Grew up 2 blocks from here off Atlantic Ave in the 70s as a kid. We would take this route from Atlantic Ave to Forest Park and back home. Lots of shady activity back then. We would also go down to the underground LIRR decommissioned station on Atlantic Ave. A bunch of kids died down there playing on the tracks with the LIRR trains speeding by.

That last part is perfect for a walking/biking trail. I could see rail service being useful here too. Amazing stuff.

most in depth video ive seen! Great job!

Enjoyed very much, great job

I wish you had walked a little further! Otherwise, well done! Your drone footage helped me to understand how it connected.

I'm a recent subscriber and glad I did. You have fascinating content. As a former New Yorker who moved away in 89, this information is like a dope history lesson 👏🏾👏🏾

Thank you for this!!

Absolutely awesome!

Fine video. I remember seeing the turnoff from the main line in the early 60s, and the tracks looked usable. It all became overgrown very fast.

I'm loving your videos. Keep up the fine work.

@urbannyc935

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the support!!

Biked and hiked here many times. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.

@urbannyc935

3 жыл бұрын

Always glad to!

Very well done!!!

This is sick bro!

Great job!

For many years I've heard that the branch could not be reactivated because homeowners had built on the right of way. Based on the video I can't see where any homeowners built on the right-of-way. Can anyone help me understand where homeowners have actually built on the Rockaway Beach Branch right of way?

@Railoffroader2

3 жыл бұрын

If homeowners built on the right of way that wouldn’t stop reactivation from happening. The railroad still owns the property and has every right to reclaim it just like with the recent LIRR third mainline track addition.

@jayeichler8891

2 жыл бұрын

There is a large apartment building that was constructed on Union Turnpike that greatly encroached on the right of way. The building is close, and back in the day a basketball court and parking lot covered the track area. Also in the area of Woodhaven Junction, a school bus company built a lot over the former connection with the Flatbush Avenue Line connection.

The view of the White Pot Underjump stunned me. 😀

This is the first time that I've seen this. I especially liked the westbound abandoned tunnel, and the abandoned station. Please do another video about this branch. Aarre Peltomaa

I grew in the Rockaways since I was 15 years old moving from Brooklyn. I use to take the A train to Far Rockaway and sometimes the C train to Rockaway Park. You could take back then that the stations after Rockaway Blvd going to the Rockaways was part of the Long Island Rail Road before the MTA take it over. It would be nice if they would reuse the stations north of Rockaway Blvd again maybe extending the R train and M train.

Nice vid as usual

The drone view of the diverge is amazing. The White Pot Underjump and the rest of the abandoned branch is sad beyond words. The whole mess with the end of LIRR service and the start of subway service is a smelly memory. But thanks anyway.

I enjoyed, I "liked", I subscribed!

The last time I went there that area was covered by a fence a few years back. If the fence is gone now I may visit there again

BTW Dope background music 👍🏽👍🏽

It will be great to see 3 crosstown lines. The G line (existing), The Interborough Express (Bay Ridge Branch) (Proposed, will start construction after environmental review is complete an East Side Access is complete), and this branch.

So this comes off main at Rego park then down to Forest Hills ( Metropolitan Ave.) Then toMyrtle Ave (Forest Park ).? If so I grew up right there at Metro Ave. We used to sled down off the embankment behind Heinz Co. Build. When I was real young I remember trains running on it. Then the big accident in Jamaica Bay. My uncle quit the Railroad that day . He said he pulled an arm out of the wreckage and get sick. In the late 50's it ran again for about a year. We were sleding in 1955/56 and the third rail was still hot. What is the line under this line right after (So. Of) Metropolitan ave. Before Union Twp.? It went to Richmond Hill and Myrtle Ave. And Jamaica ave.. Don't know where it went in other direction toward Brooklyn.

Cool but sad at the same time!

WOW!!

Bring this back

Love it. This is by me..

Hopefully this line will be the future M line

Nvm very excellent we love this CHATTT

The way I got on here was from Park Lane South it was hard to travel through because of the wooded area the Fallen branches and a gated up fence but I still took pictures. I could not travel far but I still got photos.

Would be worth restoring the branch line and extending it northwards to La Guardia airport and have a direct Kennedy/La Guardia train link, in addition to local services

I used to cut school here with friends and snacks in the early 90s while going to JHS210.. We spent weeks here 😂 idk how we graduated. We make our way here early in the am..then walk n talk our way to forest park adventures, mid day make our way down to Woodhaven just in time for school out and go home..I left NYC years ago, don't think I'll ever return to that shithole but thank's for sharing the reminiscent time

I LOVE the music at the beginning of the video, where did you get it from?

Damn I seen a Piña Colada Arizona I had 10 years ago on those tracks

You should explore the Bergen street lower level, I wanna explore it myself but I don’t wanna go alone

@chillyourself5208

3 жыл бұрын

Lets go for it

@Ana-qr7iu

20 сағат бұрын

how do you get in?

It’s kinda sad that this is gonna turn into a park instead of reviving the line that could actually help people

Like lirr

Look at all that wasted infrastructure that could be an active train line.

We want commentary !!

O nice

@AlvisWuNewYorkCity

3 жыл бұрын

Yes it is

What a terrible shame - a perfectly good mass transit line lying wasted

How do you get to the myr]rtle avenue overpass?

ohhh and my tag!

In the beginning of the video, where is that at?

like lirr

I've been here before, back in 2015 I found a different way in.

Why were these stations closed initially?

bro how'd you get into the woodhaven spot??

I wish someone had old footage when this line was active 🤔

looks like the lot of school busses stopped you @ Atlantic

Unfortunate how you couldn't access them stairwells but I dunno, did that lead to outside??

It may never happen, but it's high time they revived this branch. If they can spend all that money on the LIRR Grand Central Access and also eventually plan on bringing Metro-North to Penn Station, why can't they do the same for people who live in these transit deserts?

Is there not talk they want to convert to the high line like .Walking and biking path ?

yo anyone know how to get to that first tunnel?

Here is a suggestion for your next video, can you do Hoyt Street Outer Tracks (A) (C) (G)

@MrRailfan

3 жыл бұрын

I've been there, there's nothing interesting that you already can't see from the other platforms.

@sexytransitman6193

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrRailfan whoa never knew tou would explore something like that

@MrRailfan

2 жыл бұрын

@@sexytransitman6193 there's been tours there from the Transit museum. It's the way most museum excursions leave and enter the museum, via the outer tracks.

@sexytransitman6193

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrRailfan oh never knew

Is it possible to get in troublw with the law for trespassing? I don't want a summons that will get me in trouble u know? Would it be possible to do a tour? I live right there

Can someone please please please tell me where the beginning of this line is?

Like

Why is it called Whitepot Junction??

Great video ,your music is rough......

How did toy get inside to explore this place?

I wonder what is the music

There is an abandoned train and substation underneath Atlantic Ave...

@patrickculhane1269

3 жыл бұрын

Yes the old woodhaven station

@coreturkoane5570

3 жыл бұрын

@@patrickculhane1269 how do we get into the abandoned woodhaven blvd station?

@GTFOJAVA

2 жыл бұрын

@@coreturkoane5570 you don’t

High Line 3.0 ?

I got a plan improve the (G) train lets sent it to Howard JFK airport or maybe even Rockway park how we can do this first extend the G train back to queens blvd and instead of it going to forest hills let’s rebuild and reactive the Rockway branch line and have it run don to ozone park meeting up with the A train and both run down to Howard JFK airport. I mean sure it will be expensive but I think we can all agree that it a FAR SMARTER plan than building a stupid ass queens way park. Seriously come on people we need transportation

@TheRailLeaguer

3 жыл бұрын

I wouldn’t recommend using the G train for this, since it doesn’t go to Manhattan. In addition, even if we use a different line that goes to Manhattan (the M or R), the Queens Blvd Line is already at capacity. If you want a Rockaway Beach Line, you have to accept deinterlining on Queens Blvd. There are plans to make all 8th Avenue trains express and all 6th Avenue trains local (or the other way) with no Broadway and Crosstown service. With this, we can get an RBB line running reliably. My preferred idea would be to route all 63rd Street Line trains via a new LIRR bypass line that was planned in 1968 (with a few modifications). The F and M would instead be routed via the 63rd Street Tunnel and onto the new line. At Rego Park, the M heads southbound on the Rockaway Beach Line to Far Rockaway, while the A train takes over Rockaway Park. Meanwhile the F would continue onto the bypass to Forest Hills. The alignment has been modified from the 1968 plan and now entails a new tunnel along Austin Street with two stops en route to Hillside Avenue, where it would link up with the Archer Avenue Line.

@Amiri_Francis

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheRailLeaguer Well I gotta agree with you there, seeing how the majority of Rockway branch riders are trying to get to Manhattan. It would better reroute M or R train to the Rockway branch line. Maybe that could free up the G train to be extended back to forest hills. The deintering plan seems pretty cool. Thank for the feedback

@TheRailLeaguer

3 жыл бұрын

@@Amiri_Francis The Queenslink plan sees the M train going there, but any one of them can work. This is a conservative service change since I'm not considering deinterlining. Track capacity is another issue, so I don't know if the G, M, and R can all be handled on QBL at once. Either way, this line is DEFINITELY NEEDED.

@Amiri_Francis

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheRailLeaguer Month late reply but here I reply I came up with this instead Rebuilt the branch. Then remade the Shuttle the H train and extend it to WTC via Queens Blvd Local 8th Avenue Local. The M train would be move over to 63rd street tunnel and then add new switches at 50th street and 42 street the C train would become Express. The H train would run to Rockway Park allowing all Rockway A trains to be diverted to Far Rockway 3 locals sound overkill at first but both the M and R run under capacity causing crowding so this leaves plenty of space for the H train. The H Train announcements should be Kathleen Campion. I don’t really see what deinterlining has to do with this. It would work either way but de interlining will make it even better. One sensible idea I came up with is this B 168 street CPW Local Coney Island via sea beach 4th Avenue express C 205 street CPW express D Bedford Park Blvd CPW Local Bay ridge 95th street 4th Avenue express bay ridge local N Coney Island Brighton local Q Brighton Beach Brighton express R Coney Island 4th Avenue local. The Q train becomes a weekday only route The A train runs local from 207th street 145th street on weekends and Late nights while the B train will likely have to be only runs up to Atlantic Avenue during those times. Since 6th Avenue and Central Park west ridership isn’t high enough to justify having 4 services on weekends and late nights Both the C and D operate on the Bronx all day every day to encourage ridership the D replaces the C to 205th street during late nights. N/Q 96th street Broadway Express R/W Astoria Broadway local M via 63rd Street. And now we can create the proposed H train. The H train would then run from Rockway Park 116th Queens Blvd Local 8th Avenue Local to World Trade Center. Woodhaven Blvd is now an express stop. New switches should be added that way on weekends the E train can switch to the local tracks to stop at 67th Avenue to replace the M train that doesn’t operate on weekends and late nights. The M train should be extended to Jamaica 179th street allowing for F trains to run Express all the way in queens weekends and Late Nights F train run local from Jamaica 179th street - Forest Hills 71th Avenue. The H train on late nights will be cut back to Rego Park. The E train is fully local during those times.

I know I'm late to this, but what's that first track playing? It fucking slaps!

Waiting for a train that’ll never come

People may consider making that a rail trail for hiking and biking!

White pot access from Austin street??

@urbannyc935

3 жыл бұрын

Nearby Austin Street and 63 Drive

Nice video except for the abrasive music.

Any one wanna meet up n walk the tracks n smoke weedp😊😊

All that abandoned brush area could be used as a nice Greenway for the community with paths, trails, with trees and flowers etc 🤔 I'm thinking they didn't wanna spend the money but it would have been nice 🤷🏾‍♂️

This abandoned railroad line it's going to be transforming that a beautiful volume eight equal system of a park or you can call it Highline Queen's Park I mean this is a great idea that a or a brand-new Park is for everyone going to enjoy it love it and including that for joggers relaxation playing for kids and including that electrical scooters and even bicycle lovers if this was very successful right there it could be bringing up something that a of well is different but however this connections that are of the MTA that they got this later here but they never fix it for over like 240 years or even 50 years they never opening the never service and they shut it down anyway that they just abandon but you know one who ever got a great idea that I transform into a real life transform into a a beautiful park it is everyone going to be well writing relaxation listen to music and even that to have something is like a a theater it could be a possible anyway because yesterday was so fascinated how's it going to be look like it before and after it could be very possible but everyone had to be visualized dad to see if that wears go to put away is going to be the two people relaxation where is going to be deported the bathroom and specially that well for many but bicycle electrical scooter they're going to well where they going to put every charge and where they're going to fix it that tire and even that someday it could be like a storage. Of where people could put in like there is just in case emergency

I doubt a majority of Queens residents would welcome reactivating this branch. At the very least, the MTA/city should demolish and remove the tracks and maybe, just maybe trim back the trees so that the vegetation doesn't undermine the old trackway embankment. It should ultimately be converted into a pathway.

@geektutor7229

2 жыл бұрын

Reactivating, I feel like, would benefit the community much more then converting the pathway. Residents will have easier access to Manhattan/LIC in areas where they can only take the train through Brooklyn: A,J/Z. It will also make business better as more people will be around the areas. I feel like it is a wasted opportunity to not do this since all the tracks are still. For instance, it would be much quicker to take a train to QCM from woodhaven than the bus.

Used to go there as a kid…got to take _my_ kids there. Side note-I'm _old!_ lol

@adama8927

3 жыл бұрын

Where did you take them like the entrance? I wanna go lol

@ralphmiranda2077

3 жыл бұрын

@@adama8927 there's a few but through Myrtle is easiest

@adama8927

3 жыл бұрын

@@ralphmiranda2077 where the stairs are? Or across?

@ralphmiranda2077

3 жыл бұрын

@@adama8927 stairs? No, that leads to the closed road/overpass. It's adjacent to that, you'll see the tracks below, between those stairs and the running track

@adama8927

3 жыл бұрын

@@ralphmiranda2077 oh because I saw it on Google maps. Just to be clear the tracks are below or above?