Gary Owen’s S.I.R.T. South Beach Line Page

Ok. So you are wondering what this page is about? I’ve always been a bit of a rail fan. One of my favorite pastimes is to follow defunct railroad beds. Strange? Probably, but I find it fascinating, so that’s that. Whenever our family would drive through the Verrazano Bridge toll plaza, my older brother, Mike, would point out an old railroad bed that lay abandoned alongside the highway. One time during the 1980s, he and I actually followed the entire right of way (ROW). We didn’t take any photos, which we regret. In 2003, I began collecting photos of what was once known as the Staten Island Rapid Transit (S.I.R.T.). Anyway, as my collection began to take fruition, I noticed there aren’t many available photos of the South Beach branch. I’ve exhausted everything online. I’ve tried the library but found very little. This has been rather frustrating. So with that in mind, I have decided to create -- from my own meager collection -- a sort of tribute to that little railroad spur that was just a bit more than 4 miles long

So let’s see what we have.

At one time, there were three lines:

1. South Shore: St. George to Tottenville

2. North Shore: St. George to Arlington/Port Ivory

3. East Shore (South Beach): St. George to Wentworth Avenue

For the last year or two of their service, the North Shore and South Beach lines usually ran single-car trains. This was due to the severe drop in passengers. We can blame the smelly bus companies and their reduced fares for that. In fact, buses ruined everything for the trolleys and trains of Staten Island. At midnight on Tuesday, March 31, 1953, the last passenger trains on the North Shore and South Beach branches ended their runs. This left only the Tottenville line in service. It still serves Staten Island residents today and at certain times is quite the cozy ride.

The above article from the Staten Island Advance reads:

Staten Island Advance Tuesday, March 31, 1953
 
 
The Old Order Passeth - Rails Surrender To Roads
 
 
Once there were many cars on the trains- but that was years ago- 
and now there are many cars in the ferry terminal parking lot.
Buses and autos will kill off the SIRT's North Shore and South Beach lines 
in a cloud of monoxide tonight at midnight, 
when the railroad ends service on those runs in the face 
of a steadily mounting loss in passenger traffic.
 
 
Passenger Runs On Two Lines Of SIRT Will End At Midnight – 
Buses are added on North, East shores:
 
 
Sixty seven years of rapid transit on the island's 
north and east shores will come to an end at midnight tonight.
 
 
The SIRT, in conformity with a ruling from the 
Public Service Commission, will suspend it's passenger service to 
South Beach and Arlington, retaining only it's south shore branch to Tottenville. 
 
City buses are in readiness to fill the gap. 
Thirteen extra vehicles have been added to the 
Richmond terrace and Bay street routes during rush hours 
to carry an estimated 1,200 commuters who no longer can use the railroad. 
 
The last train to Arlington will leave St. George 
at 11:30 PM arriving at the railroad yard 16 minutes later. 
At 11:36, the final passenger train to travel over north shore track 
will leave the Arlington terminal for St. George pulling in at 11:53. 
 
On the east shore, the last train will get underway from St. George at 11:15,
rolling into the Wentworth avenue station, South Beach at 11:30. 
Nine minutes later it will start the final trip to St. George, 
arriving five minutes before midnight. 
 
The curtailment of passenger service will mean a loss of jobs 
to more than 40 SIRT employees. Stations on the two lines 
will be closed down and probably razed eventually. 
 
The inauguration of extra North Shore and South Beach 
bus service will bring Sidney H. Bingham, chairman of 
the Board Of Transportation, to St. George early tomorrow morning.
He will check incoming rush-hour buses at the ferry terminal 
to determine if service is adequate.

Trains on the South Beach line carried passengers from the St. George ferry to the amusement parks that once flourished on the east shore. One such place was known as Happy Land. It was Staten Island’s answer to Steeplechase Park, Luna Park and Dreamland in Coney Island, Brooklyn. It must have been breathtaking to see the lights gleaming from these parks while sailing into New York harbor on a clear summer night in the early 1900’s.

Want to see an actual S.I.R.T. employee Time Table from 1921 and 1922? Click on this link and then click on the image for enlargement:

1921 & 1922 Time Table

Here’s a north and east shore time table from December 13, 1942. Notice that a few changes have occurred.

Front Cover

Time Table

The original South Beach right of way stood in place well into the 1990’s. Today, houses stand on most of the line, and a chunk of which was demolished in the early 1960’s to make way for the Verrazano Bridge toll plaza. While that was being built, someone supposedly came up with the idea to create what is now the Lily Pond Avenue overpass, which lines up perfectly with the old railroad right of way. This was done just in case the S.I.R.T. decided to reactivate the line, which, of course, never came to be.

Nowadays, Staten Island is suffering from severe overpopulation, and traffic on the streets and highways has become a nightmare. There is talk of re-opening the North Shore line (which is still basically intact), but there is no chance of rekindling service to South Beach. It really is a shame as the island could use more public trains/light rail.

To make what could easily become a ridiculously long and self-indulgent story short, I wanted to create this page to showcase some photographs of the South Beach line during and after service ended. I have also added the distance in miles to each station from the St. George ferry terminal.

Let’s step onboard and check it out!

Clifton Junction

Clifton Junction (1.7 miles) is located just off

Bay Street near Willow avenue.

Here is Clifton junction sometime during the 1930’s or ‘40’s.

Notice the spur turning off to the left.

This is where the South Beach branch veered away from the main Tottenville line.

A single car SIRT train at

Clifton Junction around 1949/50.

Just beyond Clifton Junction and a view of the

overhead walk at Lynhurst avenue in October, 1937.

Notice Bailey Seton Hospital on the horizon.

Photo taken from Chestnut avenue bridge.

The same scene sixteen years later. It shows a single car approaching Clifton junction and the main line (which can be seen in the background). The Willow avenue trestle is beyond the telephone pole at right. Notice the surrounding buildings in the previous photo have been razed. I wonder what the two kids on the left were up to. Perhaps they were taking one last look at a passenger train on the South Beach ROW as the picture was

taken on the last day of service: Tuesday, March 31, 1953

Here we have a 1991 aerial view of Clifton junction. If you look closely to the left of the white-roofed rectangular building toward the middle, you will notice the Willow avenue trestle was still in place. A few of the other bridges on the line were still there as well.

Here’s the same aerial view around 2003.

The Willow avenue trestle is no longer there.

I took these next few photos at Willow avenue in early 2005. This stanchion and the rest of the spur that connected with the main line were razed in mid-2007.

We are now pulling into to the

first station on the South Beach line….

Bachmann’s Brewery

The Bachmann’s (or “Bachman’s”) station was located between Lynhurst And Chestnut Avenues (2.0 miles).

Not much information on this one but we do know that the Bachmann station was built for the convenience of the employees of Bachmann’s Brewery. I have read that when Prohibition was passed and the SIRT lines were electrified, the station closed and was torn down. I don’t think so. Either it remained in service or perhaps upon repeal of the eighteenth amendment in 1933, the station was reactivated.

Whichever it was, the wooden platforms remained in place

until the station was eliminated in late 1937.

This photo was taken from the South Beach bound side of the Bachmann station in September, 1935.

We see the Lynhurst Avenue overhead walk

which was still being built.

This overpass was used until the line closed at midnight on Tuesday, March 31, 1953.

(Also see “Clifton Junction” photos).

A view of the old wooden Bachmann station from atop the Ansbacher - Siegle Plant in January, 1937.

The Chestnut avenue overpass is under construction.

SIRT workers constructing a barricade wall at Chestnut avenue. The soon - to - be - razed Bachmann station looms large in the background. Photo taken in June, 1937.

Just a tenth of mile distant and we pull into….

Rosebank

The Rosebank station was located along Tilson place

between Virginia and St. Mary’s avenue (2.1 miles).

A view to the south from the Chestnut avenue bridge.

We are now approaching the Rosebank station.

Here is a1913 view from the original Rosebank station facing toward South Beach. We can see the Virginia avenue trestle. This bridge stood in place many years after the line closed and was razed around 1999.

The House on the left is still standing today.

The wooden station platform is at the right.

The steeple atop the old school building

at the left will be showing up again, a few photos from now.

This photo was either taken in 1913 or 1916. We are standing beyond the Virginia avenue trestle facing towards Clifton Junction. The Rosebank station is just past the trestle and the tall chimney to the left still stands today.

A view of the “new and improved”

Rosebank station in November,1937.