Komsomolskaya Posted March 2, 2011 Share #1 Posted March 2, 2011 Based in this timetable, evidently SIR service in the 1860s was very infrequent, with only a few trains per day. Looking at old Brooklyn Almanacs and Official Rail guides from the 1910-1920 era suggests that service ran every 20 minutes off peak on the North Shore and South Beach branches at that time, but only every 40 minutes off peak on the main line. In the 1960s apparently trains ran every 15 minutes off-peak north of Great Kills, but today service is only every 30 minutes off-peak. Does anybody have any other old timetables, or know anything about when each of these changes happened? (I want to expand this timeline to include SIR, but only want to show services that run every 20 minutes or better.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Fe via Willow Posted March 5, 2011 Share #2 Posted March 5, 2011 Very interesting information. The history & evolution of mass transit on SI is an interesting, still occurring thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadcruiser1 Posted March 5, 2011 Share #3 Posted March 5, 2011 The only thing I can help you with is a map of the SIR at it's peak. During this time the SIR had branches going to NJ via the North Shore Branch, the South Shore Branch, and the main SIR branch that is still active today. If you also notice there are several stubs on the West Shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadcruiser1 Posted March 5, 2011 Share #4 Posted March 5, 2011 Deleted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted March 6, 2011 Share #5 Posted March 6, 2011 Those are freight lines. Right now, I believe the northern branch goes to Howland Hook and the southern branch ends at a Con Edison plant in Travis (I can hear the trains every now and then, even though the tracks are over a mile from my home). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EE Broadway Local Posted March 11, 2011 Share #6 Posted March 11, 2011 Very Nice Map, Roadcruiser1! The only thing I can help you with is a map of the SIR at it's peak. During this time the SIR had branches going to NJ via the North Shore Branch, the South Shore Branch, and the main SIR branch that is still active today. If you also notice there are several stubs on the West Shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted March 14, 2011 Share #7 Posted March 14, 2011 Based in this timetable, evidently SIR service in the 1860s was very infrequent, with only a few trains per day. Looking at old Brooklyn Almanacs and Official Rail guides from the 1910-1920 era suggests that service ran every 20 minutes off peak on the North Shore and South Beach branches at that time, but only every 40 minutes off peak on the main line. In the 1960s apparently trains ran every 15 minutes off-peak north of Great Kills, but today service is only every 30 minutes off-peak. Does anybody have any other old timetables, or know anything about when each of these changes happened? (I want to expand this timeline to include SIR, but only want to show services that run every 20 minutes or better.) I think train service from SI to NJ needs to be restored. Then have NJT 81 make 2 stops in SI one to the new northshore train then another to feed off of many SI rtes then go to perth amboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadcruiser1 Posted March 14, 2011 Share #8 Posted March 14, 2011 The West Shore Light Rail should solve some of the problems. I also suggest extending the SIR to Newark Airport where it can link to NJT trains, and the Airport as soon as the North Shore Line is reactivated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Night Train Posted May 19, 2011 Share #9 Posted May 19, 2011 I have two old timetables. The one dated October 1940 had trains leaving Tottenville for Saint George every 15 minutes from 7:57 am until 8:47 pm when service ran every 20 minutes until 11:47 pm. The morning rush hour service had trains running local to Saint George leaving Tottenville at 5:07 - 5:27 - 5:47 - 6:03 - 6:17 - 6:30 - 6:54 - 7:00 - 7:07 - 7:24 - 7:33 & 7:47. Locals left Great Kills at 6:58 - 7:31 & 7:41. Weekend Service was every 20 minutes which matched the ferry schedule for both the Perth Amboy and New York Ferrys. The timetable dated May 1960 had Tottenville to Saint George local service leaving Tottenville on the 15 and 45 of every hour. Trains left Great Kills on the 16 and 46 of each hour so there was 15 minute service between Great Kills and the Ferry all day. The morning rush hour had trains leaving Tottenville at 5:45 - 6:00 - 6:15 - 6:30 - 6:45 - 6:55 - 7:05 - 7:15 - 7:21 - 7:35 & 7:45. An extra train left Great Kills at 7:41. Weekend service was only every 30 minutes all day between Saint George and Tottenville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIR North Shore Posted May 20, 2011 Share #10 Posted May 20, 2011 I heard that service on the SIR was actually more frequent years ago than it is now. It ran every 15 minutes all day for the most part and service during rush hours was very generous. I still don't understand why they don't just have 2-car R44 trainsets that run during off-peak but at 15 minute headways. They have 63 cars but about 3/4ths of the SIR fleet aren't being used except for rush hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Night Train Posted May 24, 2011 Share #11 Posted May 24, 2011 It took five crews/trainsets to provide service every 15 minutes to Great Kills with alternating 30 minute service to Tottenville. For a while there was a time where trains ran on a 20 minute headway to Tottenville. This used the same five crews/trainsets so it was an attempt to get more service out to the growing South Shore. What I don't remember if the ferry service to New York ran every 20 minutes off peak to match the train. I don't believe it did so you had to be careful what train you took to Saint George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGerald Posted June 3, 2011 Share #12 Posted June 3, 2011 From a previous message: SI Railway service: It took five crews/trainsets to provide service every 15 minutes to Great Kills with alternating 30 minute service to Tottenville. For a while there was a time where trains ran on a 20 minute headway to Tottenville. This used the same five crews/trainsets so it was an attempt to get more service out to the growing South Shore. What I don't remember if the ferry service to New York ran every 20 minutes off peak to match the train. I don't believe it did so you had to be careful what train you took to Saint George. ---------------------- Some time ago, I did some research on the Staten Island Ferry schedule, and how it came to be. I ran across a very interesting article in a 1974 or 1975 edition of the newspaper. I have to find the exact date. Until the 1970's fiscal crisis under Mayor Koch, according to a New York Times article (either 1974 or 1975) - ferry service during the days was every 20 minutes, and during the midnight hours every 30 minutes. The article reported that Mayor Koch suspended Staten Island Ferry service completely during the midnight hours from 12midnight to 6am in the mornings, every day for a period of six months. After that the same article reported that due to the fiscal crisis, ferry service during the daytime hours would be cut by one-third, and during the night time hours by one-half. Thus the day-time schedule of every 30 minutes was born, and the midnight hour schedule of once an hour was born. Finding old copies of SI Ferry schedules is not easy, since sometimes even the Staten Island Advance gets it wrong (yes, I have seen instances of that). There's not a lot written about the older boats, schedules, etc - unless something tragic happens. Most folks (even some of the workers) think that the current schedule was the way "it has always been". Which is not helpful when one wants to argue for increased service. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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