Higbie Avenue station


Higbie Avenue was a railroad station along the Atlantic Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, in Queens, New York City. The station was located on 140th Avenue and Edgewood Avenue in the Springfield section of Queens, New York City between Locust Manor and Laurelton stations.

History

Higbie Avenue station was built in 1908 as one of two replacements for a former South Side Railroad of Long Island station on Springfield Road known as Springfield station, a name also given to a former station on the Montauk Branch which itself was renamed Springfield Gardens Station. SSRLI's Springfield station existed from October 28, 1867 to 1906. The newer station itself was named Springfield station until September 1927.
Higbie Avenue station has always been a small shack on an embankment. Though it ran on the Atlantic Branch, it only served Far Rockaway Branch trains, however between 1950 and 1955 it also served Rockaway Beach Branch trains due to the 1950 fire on the bridge over Jamaica Bay. It finally closed on February 2, 1960, when the Atlantic Branch grade elimination project was complete.

Springfield station on the Atlantic Branch

The South Side Railroad of Long Island established service on Springfield Boulevard on the Atlantic Branch on October 28, 1867 but didn't install a station house until August or September 1871. The station was moved to Laurelton in August 1876, but kept the name "Springfield." In 1905, the Atlantic Branch was electrified, but following development of the area by the Laurelton Land Company, the station was torn down in 1906, and split between Laurelton and Higbie Avenue stations.