Abandoned Trackways near Sunnyside Yard

[Bracamonte]

Throughtout the years, I've noticed some old abandoned trackways located in a parking lot in front of the shopping center that has stores such as the Stop & Shop and the Guitar Center on 48th street in Long Island City in Queens.

 

These pictures are from Google Maps. The first one shows the parking lot in front of the shopping center on 48th Street, with the abandoned tracks seen on the lower right.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751336,-73.915168,3a,22y,254.83h,76.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6_51sHHSi5vE76mroeNE_A!2e0

 

Passing by warehouses on 37th Avenue and onto 43th Street, there is an unused grade crossing. The tracks here has been paved, but west of here, there is an unpaved track that leads into Sunnyside Yards.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751363,-73.920077,3a,75y,338.01h,85.77t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1saX117GgeCBhFXafhUQnuDA!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751627,-73.920493,3a,75y,2.11h,77.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqw9sw_dfwOj6a2sHpzkXQA!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751722,-73.920645,3a,15y,262.94h,85.16t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sioM6kC_J6amaa3mt4_BWBA!2e0

 

My question is, what trains used to run on those tracks?

[Kamen Rider]

Deliveries..?

[GojiMet86]

According to this Sunnyside Yard track map based from 1956, the tracks along 37th Avenue and into 48th Street (Laurel Hill Avenue on the map) went to an LIRR team yard and into the U.S. Army Postal Concentration Center.

 

[Bracamonte]

Interesting history that I read about was that the site where the Home Depot and the shopping center currently sits on was the site of the Madison Square Garden Bowl, an outdoor boxing arena built in 1932. It was where Jim Braddock fought Max Baer in 1935. The fight was the basis of the 2005 film Cinderella Man. The bowl was torn down in 1942 and replaced by a U.S. Army mail depot as shown on the map. It too was torned down and was replaced by a car dealership and then the current shopping center.

 

I wonder if theres any photos of the tracks when they were still in operation.

[Union Tpke]

Throughtout the years, I've noticed some old abandoned trackways located in a parking lot in front of the shopping center that has stores such as the Stop & Shop and the Guitar Center on 48th street in Long Island City in Queens.

 

These pictures are from Google Maps. The first one shows the parking lot in front of the shopping center on 48th Street, with the abandoned tracks seen on the lower right.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751336,-73.915168,3a,22y,254.83h,76.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6_51sHHSi5vE76mroeNE_A!2e0

 

Passing by warehouses on 37th Avenue and onto 43th Street, there is an unused grade crossing. The tracks here has been paved, but west of here, there is an unpaved track that leads into Sunnyside Yards.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751363,-73.920077,3a,75y,338.01h,85.77t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1saX117GgeCBhFXafhUQnuDA!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751627,-73.920493,3a,75y,2.11h,77.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqw9sw_dfwOj6a2sHpzkXQA!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.751722,-73.920645,3a,15y,262.94h,85.16t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sioM6kC_J6amaa3mt4_BWBA!2e0

 

My question is, what trains used to run on those tracks?

Nice and interesting question;

now time to get some shut eye!

[traingoat]

I grew up in that area during the 50's and the tracks belonged to a number of companies in that area.  Ronzoni  pasta company was there, a steel company, , General Electric and SC Johnson (Johnson's Wax).  60 years ago that area was heavy industry as most of Long Island City was.  Today that area is now offices and retail with the original buildings being removed and new ones built. Sunnyside yards had a large freight classification yards in that area with tracks outside the great loop which turned around passenger trains, leading to where you inquired about.  Every building which bordered the yard had a siding for freight.  The Army postoffice was inside the great loop and the tracks didn't come from there but from tracks outside the loop.  Long Island yard switchers ran the freight up the ramp to street level and serviced these companies.