Long Island City is a rush hour peak direction station only. The station is located in Long Island City Queens, kind of in the middle of nowhere, the 7 train is 4 blocks away, The station is near the East River and a connection could be made with New York Water Taxi to Manhattan at East 34 Street. LIRR even includes the ferry symbol on its schedules. But the fare of this would be expensive,
for example from Jamaica: LIRR to LIC=$7.00+Water Taxi Fare=$4.00=$11.00 total, who would pay this much? when for just $7.00 you can take the train all the way into Penn Station. There are also only 5 trains a day each direction, 4 stop at Hunterspoint Avenue and then continue express via the Main Line to Jamaica. Then there is one in each direction that run via the two tracked Lower Montauk Right Of Way, which is more direct and much more interesting, the line cuts through Central Queens at a grade with lots of level crossings, freight is the main user of the line. There used to be stations along the line,
but ridership at a most was less then one a day at the end. So they were abandoned in the early 1990s.
The station itself is simple, and un-electrified so all service is from the bi-level C-3 cars. The station is an island platform that can only accommodate the first 2 cars. The station platform located in a small yard where trains that serve the station spend there midday's.
The platform used to be low-level and accommodate ~5 cars until the Early 1990s when, because of the purchase of the C-3 bi-level cars a high platform had to be built, in order to save costs at this low-use station, a high level platform for the front two cars only was built. The Low level platform continues beyond the high level,
complete with its lamp posts after the high level platform ends. The station has one Daly Ticket Vending Machine located at the entrance to the station, alongside the ramp up to the platform.
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| (lic1) Bi-level C-3 #4032 sits in the yard just beyond the platform at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic2) The Long Island City platform used to be ~5 cars when it was completely low-level, when the 1950s diesel cars that had steps were still used. When the Bi-level cars (C-3s) came the two car high level patform was built over the beginning of the low level platform. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic3) A C-3 enters the yard next Long Island City after presumably terminating at Hunterspoint Avenue. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic4) Looking down the short platform with a dusting of snow, towards the stairs/ramp to track level and the exit. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 |
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| (lic5) One of the two platform signs at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic6) C-3 #5006 at the buffer after terminating in Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic7) The Daily Tickets Machine at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic8) C-3 #5006 at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 |
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| (lic9) A sign for the $4.00 ferry to Manhattan,. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic10) Looking C-3 #4104 at the platform at Long Island City, looking in trough the fence for the street. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic11) C-3 #4057 in Long Island City, next to a small employees only platform I designed to get employees off the trains to track level. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic12) Diesel Locomotive DM-30 #520 in the station at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 |
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| (lic13) A pealing sign left over from the threatened Amtrak strikes in the 1990's when Penn Station would have been shut down, saying "Notice: in the event of an Amtrak strike only L.I.C. Personnel with a valid parking permit will be allowed to park on the Premises-L.I.R.R Management", Long Island City was a big part of the contingency plans. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic14) Two DM-30 Locomotives at Long Island City: #520 is in the station, #419 is in the yard. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic15) DM-30 Locomotive #520 at the platform at Long Island City. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 | (lic16) Three DM-30 Locomotives in Long Island City, #520 is in the station, #419 and #410 are in the yard. Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 17 January, 2005 |
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