Beach 98th Street station explained

Beach 98 Street
Other Name:Steeplechase (1903 - May 15, 1933)
Playland
Beach 98th Street–Playland
Address:Beach 98th Street & Rockaway Freeway
Queens, New York
Borough:Queens
Locale:Rockaway Beach
Coordinates:40.5854°N -73.8202°W
Division:IND Rockaway Beach
Line:IND Rockaway Line
Service:Rockaway Park
Connection: MTA Bus:
Platforms:2 side platforms
Tracks:2
Structure:Elevated
Open Date: (LIRR station)
Rebuilt: (as a Subway station)

The Beach 98th Street station (signed as Beach 98th Street–Playland station) is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. It is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times and ten daily rush-hour only A trains.__TOC__

History

The station was originally built by the Long Island Rail Road in April 1903 as Steeplechase on the Rockaway Beach Branch, and was also a trolley stop of the Ocean Electric Railway. It was renamed Playland on May 15, 1933,[1] for the former Rockaways' Playland, which was closed in 1985. No trace of the park remains other than the station name. The station was rebuilt as an elevated station, which opened on April 10, 1942.[2] The station was purchased by New York City on October 3, 1955, along with the rest of the Rockaway Beach Branch and Far Rockaway Branch west of Far Rockaway, after a fire on the line's crossing over Jamaica Bay in 1950. Now operated by the New York City Transit Authority, it reopened as a subway station along the IND Rockaway Line on June 28, 1956.[3] [4]

Station layout

The station is built on a concrete viaduct. There are two tracks and two side platforms. The station is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times and limited A trains during rush hours in the peak direction (toward Manhattan in the morning and toward the Rockaways in the afternoon). It is between Beach 90th Street to the east (railroad north) and Beach 105th Street to the west (railroad south). New lights have been installed. Canopies, mezzanine, and side walls are similar to Beach 90th Street.

Exits

There is a crossunder to the tiled mezzanine. The southbound platform is longer than the northbound one, and had an exit at the north end of the Rockaway Park bound platform which has been removed. Outside of fare control, there are stairs to either eastern corner of Rockaway Freeway and Beach 99th Street.[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baer. Christopher T.. A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context: 1933. April 2015. Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. December 7, 2015. 36.
  2. Web site: Last Grade Crossing In Rockaways Ends. The New York Times. 30 June 2015. April 11, 1942.
  3. News: Freeman. Ira Henry. June 28, 1956. Rockaway Trains to Operate Today. The New York Times. June 29, 2015. 0362-4331. May 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220520043759/https://www.nytimes.com/1956/06/28/archives/rockaway-trains-to-operate-today-manmade-islands-in-jamaica-bay.html?searchResultPosition=1. live.
  4. News: June 28, 1956. First Train On Rockaway Line Runs This Afternoon. 1. Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. August 16, 2016. October 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211013152411/https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252021%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201956%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201956%2520-%25200350.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F43c772ea5053ba7a2fe1850240ed52cd#page=1. live.
    • News: June 28, 1956. First Train On Rockaway Line Runs This Afternoon. 6. Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. August 16, 2016. October 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211013152419/https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%2021%2FRockaway%20Beach%20NY%20%20Wave%20Of%20Long%20Island%2FRockaway%20Beach%20NY%20%20Wave%20Of%20Long%20Island%20%201956%2FRockaway%20Beach%20NY%20%20Wave%20Of%20Long%20Island%20%201956%20-%200355.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F6b6ee609a1895c1f89ff0c622e5b3813#page=1. live.
    • News: June 28, 1956. TA's New Line To Rockaways Begins Today: Fifty Piece Band To Play as Special Train Makes First Run. 1. The Leader-Observer. Fultonhistory.com. August 16, 2016. October 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211013152443/https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252023%2FForest%2520Parkway%2520NY%2520Leader%2520Observer%2FForest%2520Parkway%2520NY%2520Leader%2520Observer%25201955-1957%2FForest%2520Parkway%2520NY%2520Leader%2520Observer%25201955-1957%2520-%25200650.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F8150b004ade0565d32aa4d88b21d2892#page=1. live.
    • News: June 29, 1956. To Rockaways: Beach Trains In Operation. 2. Greenpoint Weekly Star. Fultonhistory.com. August 16, 2016. October 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211013152443/https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%2023%2FBrooklyn%20NY%20Greenpoint%20Daily%20Star%2FBrooklyn%20NY%20Greenpoint%20Daily%20Star%201956-1957%2FBrooklyn%20NY%20Greenpoint%20Daily%20Star%201956-1957%20-%200241.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F147cd4c4e78bb11637387bbb8e8e3a06#page=1. live.
  5. Web site: MTA Neighborhood Maps: The Rockaways. mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 6, 2015. 2015.