Far Rockaway is the terminus of the A train, quite close to the boarder (about 10 Blcoks) with Nassau County. The station is by far the closest out of any subway stations to Nassau County, and the only one within walking distance of the boarder. The Long Island Railroad's Far Rockaway a station is located at ground level, about three-blocks away. I believe that was where the original Far Rockaway train station was when the LIRR still served the rest of the peninsula, that station has a small yard and is at grade-level. In addition the Far Rockaway station opened There is an obvious gap in the street grid, where a large municipal parking lot is that is signed as close to a Park and Ride as exists at any subway station, this must have been where, when the line was continuous, the tracks raised up onto the elevated structure through the Rockaways.
The train station itself has a concrete station house at street level where three sets of doors lead into it, there is a small area with the token booth before fare control and four turnstiles. After there are a couple of closets dead ahead as well as a rarity on the subway, public bathrooms, each has a sign on it saying closed 12 midnight - 5 AM. Passengers must veer left a bit and leave the station house from the opposite side they came in on a decently wide and sized staircase that leads out to another set of doors at the extreme western end of the station's island platform. The platform itself has the typical island platform terminus layout, with a canopy over most of it except the extreme other end and the usual booths for the car cleaners and drivers and conductors on break along it. The station is called Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, most conductors say 'This is a Far Rockaway-bound A train' and stuff like that but all the platform pillar signs simply say Mott Avenue
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(far_rockaway_motta1) A Municipal Parking sign for subway parking near the Far Rockaway station. This is the only time I've ever scene a Subway Parking sign, since there maybe three stations, (Grant Avenue is another) that even have parking lots attached to them. This is because almost the entire subway system was built before World War II, and the US car culture. This has meant there was never a need for the Subway System to create a Park and Ride Logo.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta2) Just before the Far Rockaway Platform the Rockaway Freeway leaves its place beneath the Rockaway elevated structure, the terminal is on it's own private Right of Way.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta3) A side view of the station platform at Rockaway Park, a terminating R44 A train is visible, a portion of the platform to close to the bumper blocks for a train ever to run onto, and the top of the enclosed station house where a staircase goes down inside (the roof fallowing it) down to fare control.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta4) The outside of the station house at Far Rockaway and the entrance to the subway.
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(far_rockaway_motta5) The side of the concrete Far Rockaway Station house that dates back to the late fifties has text that says N.Y. City Transit System.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta6) Looking across the street from the entrance to Far Rockaway at one of the Municipal Park lots that serves the station.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta7) Passengers about to swipe their MetroCards and enter the subway system at Far Rockaway, at the turnstiles within the station house, notice how the Florescent Lights are built right into the ceiling, that's because they were there originally unlike at most other subway stations. The staircase up to the platform is in the distance.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta8) The six doors that lead from the top of the small landing at the top of the staircase from the station house out to the very end of the island platform at Far Rockaway.
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(far_rockaway_motta9) Looking down the decently wide island platform at Far Rockaway with two R44 A trains stopped in the station, they don't go all the way to the end of the platform because of the bumper blocks.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta10) The strip map of A and Shuttle service from Mott Av.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta11) The back of an R44 A train stopped at Mott Av, it will be the next train to make the long trip north to 207th Street.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta12) Looking back towards the platform's two bumper blocks and the doors down to the station's only exit, the sign above them lists the bus connections as well as the LIRR and it's location three blocks away.
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(far_rockaway_motta13) Another view down the canopied island platform at Mott Av, as all the platform pillars say.
29 December, 2008 (far_rockaway_motta14) One of the few signs that say Far Rockaway towards the western end of the island platform after the canopy has completely ended.
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