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This Jamaica Bay trestle was the longest of its kind on Long Island, and the four mile trip across the water was a pleasing novelty to the passengers. The cars operated on the road were modeled after the Sixth Avenue elevated cars and reputed to be of the best.
The New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad Company operated trains from Long, Island City, Bushwick and Brooklyn to Rockaway Park and to Far Rockaway, the Long Island Railroad surrendering the entire Rockaway business to it. In 1887, the company got into financial difficulties and was sold under foreclosure to Austin Corbin, then president of the Long Island Railroad.
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Receivership Marks End of Poppenhusen Regime
--The Flushing, North Shore & Central Railroad was leased by Poppenhusen to the Long Island Railroad in 1876, as was the Southern Railroad Company of Long Island. The operation of the unified system under the Poppenhusens continued for eighteen months. But the railroad was embarrassed by heavy fixed charges, in the form of rentals to the subsidiary companies, and a rapidly accumulating floating debt, which it could not stand. Poppenhusen was forced to borrow large sums from Drexel, Morgan & Co., of New York.
In October, 1877, Colonel Thomas R. Sharp was elected president of the railroad and a few weeks later the Supreme Court appointed him its receiver. Poppenhusen's inexperience in railroad matters had cost him his fortune, for the business did not warrant the facilities offered. The disruption of the system proceeded at once.
The New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad Company was incorporated in 1877 to build from Long Island City to Rockaway Beach. Insurmountable difficulties, however, were encountered in building the line from Glendale to the East River. Accordingly, in March, 1880, the company contracted with Receiver Sharp whereby the Long Island R. R. was to haul its trains frorn Long Island City to Glendale, whence the line was to be built south to Rockaway Beach. Terminal facilities were to be extended to the company in Long Island City, Bushwick and Flatbush Avenues, Brooklyn. The line from Glendale junction to Rockaway Park was completed in 1880 and operation commenced in August of that year.
The New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad Company also agreed to furnish Receiver Sharp with sufficient funds to build a second track from Glendale junction to Long Island City, in exchange for the terminal facilities given, which was done in 1880. The line ran for four and a half miles across Jamaica Bay on a trestle of wooden piles.
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