The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History, Part Two: The Flushing, North Shore & Central Railroad/Roster of Rolling Stock
Roster of Rolling Stock
ENGINES
New York & Flushing R. R.
#1 Flushing—Rogers, December, 1853. 4-4-0. Arrived at Hunter's Point week of May 6–13, 1854. Cylinders: 13" × 20"; Wheels: 60"; Weight: 18 tons; Tender: 2 tons.
#2 New York—Builder uncertain, December, 1853. 4-4-0. Arrived at Hunter's Point week of May 6–13, 1854. Cylinders: 13" × 20" Wheels: 60"; Weight: 18 tons; Tender: 2 tons. Either the New York or the Flushing plunged through an open draw into Jack's Creek on November 29, 1864. It was fished out in January, 1865, repaired and restored to service.
#3 Manhasset—Possibly Danforth, Cooke & Co., 1864. Arrived in Flushing on March 25, 1864. Later sold to the Long Island R.R. about 1871, where it became the Corona #46.
#4 Uncle Tom—Built by the Boston & Providence R.R. in 1851 as the Dedham. Sold to the Fitchburg & Worcester, where it became the Uncle Tom. Came to the Flushing R.R. in April, 1866, by which time it had been modified to a 4-4-2 tank. Fell into Flushing Creek from a dock on May 16, 1868, sustaining damages of $300. Recovered June 3.
Flushing & North Side R. R.
#1 College Point—Rogers 1868, delivered second week of August, 1868; placed in construction service September 15, 1868. Cylinders: 13" × 22". Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became the Long Island R.R. Newtown #4. Rebuilt to 4-4-0 tank engine in 1885. Transferred to the Atlantic Avenue Division in November, 1880.
#2 Whitestone—Rogers 1868, delivered second week of August, 1868; cylinders: 13" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0; Weight: 28 tons. Plunged into Flushing Creek through an open drawbridge on December 13, 1870. Fished out on March 18, 1871, and sent to Rogers for overhauling. Re-entered service July 4, 1871. Later became the Long Island R.R. Whitestone #5. Rebuilt as a tank engine in 1885. In the renumbering of 1898 it became #296; gone by 1906.
#3 Flushing—Rogers, March 1869. Cylinders: 13" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became Long Island R.R. Flushing #2.
#4 Woodside—Rogers 1869, arrived week of August 15, 1869. Cylinders: 13" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. On September 10, 1869, at 6:45 A.M., the boiler blew up at Main Street depot. Later became the Long Island R.R. Woodside #3.
#5 Bayside—Builder uncertain, November, 1869. Placed in service January, 1870. Cylinders: 13" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became the Long Island R.R. New York #1. Rebuilt at some unknown date as 4-4-0 tank engine.
Central Railroad of Long Island
#6 Newtown—Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 1871. Ordered April 29, 1871; placed in service May 29–June 3, 1871. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Boiler blew up at the Whitestone station on September 25, 1872. Later became the Long Island R.R. Bayside #6.
#7 Winfield—Rhode Island Locomotive Works. Factory claims delivery May, 1871, but newspapers say September, 1871. Placed in service October 4, 1871. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Boiler blew up at College Point on June 11, 1879. Later became the Long Island R.R. Winfield #7. Retained same number in renumbering of 1898.
#8 Farmingdale—Rhode Island Locomotive Works. Factory claims shipment as of April, 1871, but newspaper report arrival of engine on April 30, 1872. Put in service July, 1872. Cylinders: 15" x 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Later retained same name and number on the Long Island R.R. In the renumbering of 1898, it became #9. Gone by 1906.
#9 Babylon—Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 1872. Received April 30, 1872. Put in service July 16, 1872. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 60"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became the Long Island R.R. Hinsdale #10.
#10 Garden City—Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 1872; delivered May, 1872. Placed in service June, 1872. Cylinders: 16" × 22"; Drivers: 66"; Type: 4-4-0. Smokestack ripped off the engine on June 28, 1872. Later became Long Island R.R. Garden City #11. Retained this number in renumbering of 1898.
#11 New York—Rhode Island Locomotive Works, August, 1872. Cylinders: 16" × 22"; Drivers: 66"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became Long Island R.R. Hyde Park. Gone by 1898.
#12 Hempstead—Brooks, August, 1873. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 61½"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became the Long Island R.R. Babylon #12. In renumbering of 1898, it became #3.
#13 Hyde Park—Brooks, 1873. Received November 21, 1873. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 61½"; Type: 4-4-0. Later became Long Island R.R. Hempstead #13. In renumbering of 1898, it became #4.
#14 Fire Island—Brooks. Ordered December, 1873. Date of delivery unknown. Cylinders: 15" × 22"; Drivers: 61½" Type: 4-4-0.
PASSENGER CARS
Flushing R.R. and New York & Flushing R.R.
Eaton, Gilbert & Co. of Troy, N. Y. Six passenger cars, built 1853, two seating forty to sixty passengers and four seating sixty or more.
Cummings Car Co. of Jersey City, N.J. (?) In July, 1866, the newspapers record the arrival of "several splendid passenger cars", added to the New York & Flushing R.R. "within the last week."
Flushing, North Shore & Central R.R.
Although the cars of the Flushing, North Shore & Central R.R. are hardly more numerous than the engines—only about thirty-two in all—our records of them are far more fragmentary. The cars are seldom if ever mentioned by number in contemporary newspapers, and only occasionally did the editors of the Seventies record the arrival or the maker of any particular new shipment. A notice of September, 1872, expressly states that the passenger cars were manufactured as follows:
Taunton Car Co., Taunton, Mass.—10
Wason Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass.—4
Osgood-Bradley Co., Worcester, Mass.—2
Company shops, College Point, L. I.—?
From a careful analysis of all the scattered newspapers notices on car deliveries, the following tentative roster is derived:
Taunton Car Co.—2 cars, ordered April, 1871, placed in service December 7, 1871; 2 cars, delivered December, 1871; 2 cars, delivered March, 1872; 1 car, delivered April, 1872; 2 cars, delivered May 4–11, 1872.
Wason Mfg. Co.—2 cars, delivered September 6, 1872, cost $6,000 each; 2 cars, delivered September 1872.
Osgood-Bradley—2 baggage cars, delivered September, 1872.
College Point Shops—1 Palace car, made January, 1871; 1 baggage car, made July, 1871.
In January, 1874, eight passenger cars were purchased from the United States Rolling Stock Co.
Car #32 burned up at Hempstead depot on December 1, 1873, the fire in the stove accidentally igniting the woodwork.
Car #20 mentioned June 29, 1874.
Descriptions
"A stove, which is in one corner of the car and enclosed for safety by an ornamental iron closet, furnishes hot air to iron pipes, which coil under the seats throughout the cars and serve to keep passengers' feet warm in any location and any weather. The stove closet is kept locked and is in charge of the brakeman. The seats are Buntin's patent, being chiefly composed of ornamental cast iron with silver plated iron rests; the backs and bottoms are of wire so worked and painted as to resemble cane."
FREIGHT CARS
Taunton Car Co.—3 long flat cars, delivered July, 1871.
Wason Mfg. Co.—10 long flat cars, delivered on April 27, 1872.