Mount Loretto Spur
The Mount Loretto Spur is an abandoned branch of the Staten Island Railway whose purpose was to serve the Mount Loretto Children's Home.
| Mount Loretto Spur | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Abandoned |
| Owner | Staten Island Railway |
| Locale | 40°31′14″N 74°13′18″W / 40.520507°N 74.221585°W Staten Island, New York, USA |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 1 |
| Service | |
| System | Staten Island Railway |
| Services | Mount Loretto Excursion Trains/Freight Trains |
| Operator(s) | Staten Island Railway |
| History | |
| Opened | c. 1891 |
| Closed | 1960s |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Description
editThe spur diverged from the Main Line south of Pleasant Plains station.[1] The branch was a little over a mile long and had a 2% grade. The right-of-way from the Amboy Road grade crossing to Mount Loretto was owned by the Archdiocese of New York, and was not open to the public. Mount Loretto paid for any necessary track maintenance, which was provided by the SIRT. The stop was called the Mission station and was located near Cunningham Road.[2]
History
editThe spur was built in 1891 to serve the Mount Loretto Children's Home, and was used to transport excursionists and to provide freight.[3] The line was originally built to bring construction materials for large buildings at Mount Loretto and its powerhouse in the 1890s. Every third Sunday, the SIRT operated a special train from St. George Terminal to Mount Loretto and back, for relatives and visitors. The Archdiocese paid for the trips. This direct service ended in 1939 and chartered buses were used afterwards.[4] The trains consisted of three steel cars and a steam locomotive, as the spur was never electrified.[2][5]
Abandonment
editThe spur received regular freight shipments until the late 1950s, and was abandoned in the early 1960s, with the tracks removed soon after. Some ties were still visible until the 1980s. While the spur's junction was removed, the pilings that carried the tracks still exist.[6] Parts of the right-of-way are now a hiking trail.[7] At Mount Loretto, which closed in the 1960s and later experienced several fires, all that remains is a coal dump trestle.[4][5][8][9]
References
edit- ^ Walsh, Kevin (July 22, 1999). "Staten Island Railway". forgotten-ny.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Bommer, Ed (September 18, 2013). "Mount Loretto Spur on Staten Island". O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum.
- ^ "Thousands Were There; Cornerstone Laid of the New Church at Mount Loretto. Many Notable Persons Present – Sketch of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin and of Its Useful Work – a Great Charity" (PDF). The New York Times. September 14, 1891. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Pitanza, Marc (June 22, 2015). Staten Island Rapid Transit. Arcadia Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 9781439652039.
- ^ a b Leigh, Irvin; Matus, Paul (December 29, 2001). "Staten Island Rapid Transit: The Essential History". thethirdrail.net. p. 15. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Pitanza, Marc (August 14, 2004). "SIRT Mount Loretto spur-- The remaining relics of the branch which switched off at Pleasant Plains". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Kensinger, Nathan (June 23, 2016). "Exploring Staten Island's changing Mill Creek". Curbed NY. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Bommer, Ed (November 2011). "The Mystery Train" (PDF). tulsanmra.org. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Darlington, Peggy; Eisenstein, Hank. "SIRT Staten Island Rapid Transit". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
