Ronkonkoma 

Electrification Project Completed Archive 12/1987

Harold Protects at KO 11/04/2011

RONKONKOMA: PER "Babylon Signal" NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OF 03/25/1882, ORIGINAL LAKELAND AND HOLBROOK STATIONS WERE TO BE CONSOLIDATED
AND REPLACED WITH A NEW, RELOCATED STATION NAMED "RONKONKOMA." NEW STATION PLACED IN SERVICE AS OF "Babylon Signal" NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OF 08/04/1883 WITH ONE MRS. MORRIS APPOINTED AS AGENT, AND REPLACED BY C. G. GROOT PER "Babylon Signal" NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OF 10/20/1883. (Art Huneke data). LIVING QUARTERS FOR AGENT AND FAMILY ON 2ND FLOOR. BURNED: 1934
2ND TEMPORARY, RECTANGULAR ONE-STOREY BUILDING WITH GABLE ROOF IN SVC: 1934-1937.
3RD DEPOT OPENED: 9/37, CLOSED WITH ELECTRIFICATION OF LINE: 1987 AND USED FOR STORAGE. RAZED: 1994 WHEN PARKING LOT WAS REBUILT AND EXTENDED WEST.
4TH DEPOT RELOCATED 300’ EAST OF FORMER LOCATION WITH HI-LEVEL CENTER ISLAND PLATFORM AND TEMPORARY TICKET AGENCY IN SVC: 11/16/87. ADD’L OUTER PLATFORMS ADDED: 1993. MULTI-LEVEL PARKING GARAGE OPENED: 1996.  PERMANENT TICKET OFFICE IN SERVICE: 1998  Research: Dave Keller

Ronkonkoma Milepost 49-50
Emery map 10/1957


LIRR 1966 Ronkonkoma track map page 69

Ronkonkoma water tank, pump house and water plug
View N  7/05/1954 Archive: Dave Keller

Ronkonkoma water tank and pump house - View NW
4/03/1962  Archive: Dave Keller

Ronkonkoma Station view W 1905 Photo: Arthur W. Murray Archive: William Rugen Collection-Brooklyn Public Library Restored: Chris Klug

Ronkonkoma Station looking east from the recently constructed 
Ronkonkoma Ave. overpass in 1915. Note: Water tank at trackside south.
Archive: Dave Keller

Ronkonkoma Station view E. c.1915 Dietz lamps installed and handrail at scale platform.  Queens Public Library - colorized by Chris Klug

The nice landscaping on the depot grounds was a gift 
of the then-popular Broadway actress Maude Adams (1872-1953) who 
resided in Ronkonkoma.  Upon her death, her house 
and grounds were bequeathed to The Cenacle, a
religious convent on what later became Cenacle Road. 
(Thomas R. Bayles photo, Dave Keller archive)

Maude Adams House - Ronkonkoma

She donated her house and grounds in 1922 to the Cenacle Sisters, a Roman Catholic convent and retreat center on Cenacle Road in Ronkonkoma, which, over the years had grown in size to encompass 40 acres. Research : Dave Keller
 

Leased PRR E-6 #230 1/30/1938
Photo: Robert G. Lewis retired publisher of RAILWAY AGE magazine. Archive: Jim Gillin

 G5s LIRR #39 Tender taking on water Ronkonkoma 06/05/1955 Photographer unidentified, Dave Keller archive

G5s LIRR  #21 Tender taking on water Ronkonkoma 8/1947  Dave Keller archive

Temporary Ronkonkoma depot (1934-37) at right. Eastbound express house at left. View is looking south from the entrance to the depot grounds. Archive: Dave Keller

Temporary Ronkonkoma Station 5/1936 View SE
 (Mid-Island Mail-Pete Ritter)

The new Ronkonkoma station, temporary station/block office, eastbound express house, former "KO" cabin and G5s westbound 
leaving the yard - 1940

This is one of only three images that have surfaced showing the temporary station that was placed in service after the 2-story depot burned in 1934. (T. Sommer photo, Dave Keller archive)

Ronkonkoma Station post card shows the temporary depot no longer in place, the two platform lamp posts removed, and the platform appears in better condition as probably been replaced. Summer view indicates 1941+ as summer of 1940 still had the temporary depot and older platform in place. Research: Dave Keller
 

"KO" semaphore block signals controlled at this time by the block office in the station ticket office- 1940 (T. Sommer photo, Dave Keller archive)

"KO" call letters in PRR keystone on Ronkonkoma station ticket office bay window.
Block office at that time was relocated from a cabin at the east end of the
platform to the ticket office - View c. 1940s Archive: Art Huneke
 

A close-up view of the temporary
Ronkonkoma depot and former "KO"
Block office.  New depot is at the left.
(T. Sommer photo, Dave Keller Archive)

Photos of the newly opened electric yard at Ronkonkoma – filled with diesel-hauled equipment!  A sight you’ll never see again.

Views are looking west in December, 1987. I don’t have an actual date indicated, however the 3rd rail was activated on, I believe, Dec. 17th and I probably shot these the same day as I shot the electrified activation warning sign.  (Photos shot through the chain-link fence.)
Photos/Archive/Info: Dave Keller

Ronkonkoma Station view W c. 1940 
Photo: Fred Weber Archive: Dave Morrison

1970 Dave Keller photo

Gould Feeds that was located on the west side of Hawkins Avenue and north of Moriches Road in Lake Grove in an undated image c.1950/

Harold Gould established this business in the 1930's and it supplied feed for many of the Long Island duck farms. Gould Feed became a major employer in Suffolk County with over 100 people on its payroll. Unfortunately, many of the buildings were lost due to a major fire. It was never rebuilt, and the property went put up for sale.   Photo: Images of America; Centereach, Selden, and Lake Grove - The Middle Country Public Library

George Ayling, the agent at CI, worked a rotation schedule in the late 1940s and part of that rotation was a day or two a week at Ronkonkoma .  He said he was warned by the regular agent to beware of Gould, because Gould was a deadbeat who never paid his bills and was constantly threatened by the LIRR.  He saw a relief agent on duty and would bluster into the depot, figuring the new guy didn’t know of him and DEMAND that his loads of feed be released to him.  Ayling told him he’d be more than happy to release his loads to him ONCE HE PAID HIS MONEY OWED TO THE RAILROAD . . . whereupon he’d bluster some more and storm out.  He’d come back later with money to pay the bill, blustering some more, and his feed would be released to him.      Story told to Dave Keller, no claim as to accuracy of this story.

His feed business was way up Hawkins Road north of the village of Ronkonkoma , almost on the borderline of Ronkonkoma and Lake Grove.  Info: Dave Keller

LIRR turbine car truck detail c.12/1966
Photo/Archive: Tom Harmon

P-GT1_Turbine  
Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1966

FA1 #611 C420 #208 - Push-pull train at Ronkonkoma Station
 View east from the trestle 10/1972 Photo/Archive: Dave Keller

View Wye South c.1985
Photo: Steve Lynch

ALCO S2 #458 Ronkonkoma wye - View NE c.1968
Photo/Archive: Richard Glueck

L203 Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1960's

View Wye NE BAR  #60, #72  1998
Photo: Paul Kennedy

View Wye NE Precision  #1702
1998 Photo: Paul Kennedy

LIRR #1556 Ronkonkoma Shed 12/22/1973 Archive: Art Huneke

 
L1555  Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1960's

The newly expanded Mid-Suffolk yard will provide additional space to store, maintain, inspect, service and clean electric train cars. The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) last week announced it has completed major construction on the Mid-Suffolk Train Storage Yard in Ronkonkoma, NY. York.

Formerly known as the Ronkonkoma Yard, the newly expanded yard will provide additional space to store, maintain, inspect, service and clean electric train cars, LIRR officials said in a press release.

The $76.6 million project included the addition of 11 tracks. The yard now features a total of 22 tracks, each with the capacity for a 12-car trainset.

The Mid-Suffolk yard will enable LIRR to increase in service on the Ronkonkoma Branch during the morning rush by nearly 50% when East Side Access opens under Grand Central Terminal in New York City at the end of 2022. A new 15,900-square-foot employee facility is now in use at the yard.  Source: MTA