Rego Park is a former

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

station. It was made of wood, unlike most other stations that were concrete. The station opened in May 1928 with two

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...

s outside the two Rockaway Beach Branch tracks that bracketed the four-track

Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...

, so only Rockaway trains stopped there. After the Rockaway Trestle fire in 1950, the line was closed station by station. The station closed on June 8, 1962, one day before the Rockaway Beach Branch was abandoned. Nothing remains at the site today.

Station layout

The station, located on the west side of 63rd Drive, had two high-level

s, located at the north and south ends of the six-track

right-of-way. The platforms only served the Rockaway Beach Branch, which used the outer two tracks. The platforms were constructed of wood with concrete bases, and featuring shelters along the platform. A single staircase from the east end of each platform went down to 63rd Drive, and an additional staircase was located at 63rd Avenue (formerly Marion Avenue) from the northbound platform. The 63rd Drive entrance also featured a ticket office and heated waiting room, with restrooms.

History

Prior to the construction of the Rego Park station, two former stations near Whitepot Junction were named Matawok, and were located on both the Main Line and Rockaway Beach Branch. Both stations were named for the Matawok Land Company, which built the neighborhood surrounding the junction known at the time as "Forest Hills West."

Matawok Rockaway Beach Line station

The first station to be given the name Matawok, near the junction at Rego Park, was located along the Rockaway Beach Branch at Fleet Street on the northeast corner of a bridge over the street. It was opened between 1910 and 1913, although LIRR records of the station show its existence dating back to 1908 and into 1915. Some maps show the station existing as recently as 1922.

Matawok Main Line station

The other Matawok Station was located along the main line east of Whitepot Junction at 66th Avenue. It was opened on June 25, 1922, and had two platforms along four tracks, and a pedestrian bridge not only over the main line, but also over the Rockaway Beach Branch leading from 64th Road east of Alderton Street. The station closed on May 21, 1925, but the remnants of the station remained for decades.

Parkside station

In 1927, calls came from the

Rego Park Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, to the east and south by Forest Hills, and to the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queens ...

community for a new LIRR station at 63rd Drive (originally Penelope Street). This was contrary to the desires of the railroad, who wished to cease further expansion of Queens operations. Construction on the new Rego Park station began on January 30, 1928. The station was a modernized version of the design used at the Parkside station. Initially planned to open on April 1, the station was completed in April, and opened on May 23, 1928. Two parades were held in Rego Park on May 26 to commemorate the opening of the station. The Rockaway Beach Branch closed on June 8, 1962.

References

External links

Former Rockaway Beach Branch, including Rego Park Station (Forgotten New York)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rego Park (Lirr Station) Former Long Island Rail Road stations in New York City Former elevated and subway stations in Queens, New York Railway stations in the United States opened in 1928 Railway stations closed in 1962 1928 establishments in New York City 1962 disestablishments in New York (state)