Ever wondered about a station where the public isn’t allowed to exit? Boland’s Landing is just such a place. It serves Long Island Rail Road employees. Today we’re going to explore the fascinating history and unique aspects of Boland’s Landing.
Boland’s Landing is located near 125th Street and Atlantic Avenue. It’s part of the large Morris Park LIRR repair facility. Train buffs would find this place a dream if the public had access. Imagine older push and pull engines that have been retired.
The station itself is quite unusual. It is only two cars in length. The platform is still made of wooden planks. The public is not allowed to exit here. Trespassing would lead to detention by security.
The station actually has a printed schedule. You can find it at the LIRR Today Boland’s Landing page. This allows those interested to get photos out the window when the train stops.
Boland’s Landing got its name from Al Boland. Al Boland worked at Morris Park during the steam era. His legacy lives on in this small but significant station.
The Morris Park Facility has a rich history. It opened as a maintenance yard on November 1 1889. The facility maintains and refuels diesel and electro-diesel locomotives. This has been its primary function since the 1990s.
The Morris Park Facility covers about 21 acres. It includes a locomotive shed and sidings. These are for diesel locomotives and diesel-electric locomotives. Originally, there was a 23-stall brick locomotive roundhouse. An electric turntable, maintenance offices and locomotive watering facilities were also present.
The Morris Park Locomotive Shop is an integral part of the facility. It stores EMD DE30AC and DM30AC locomotives. The shop contains one of the four remaining turntables on the LIRR. The Morris Park turntable is the only one still functioning. The others in Oyster Bay, Riverhead and Greenport exist for historical purposes only.
The original Morris Park station was built in 1886. It replaced the 1878-built Morris Grove station. The station was torn down in 1939 during a grade elimination project.
Shops station was another station built around 1900. It was for LIRR employees of the Morris Park facility. It was a sheltered shed on the Lower Montauk Branch.
The Morris Park Locomotive Shop underwent reconstruction from 2018 to 2020. Many of the original structures dated back to 1889. The project cost nearly $102 million.
Ever since Morris Park Shops opened in the late 19th century, there has been an employee station stop at that location. The original station was a large wooden shelter shed. It was located on the Montauk branch. In later years a small metal platform was installed on the Atlantic branch.
Employees wanting to get off the train had to advise the conductor in advance. They would stand in the vestibule of the lead car. The conductor would then notify the motorman or engineer to make the stop.
The platforms at Boland’s Landing did not exist in the early to mid 1970s. Back then, there were short metal platforms. The longer two-car wooden platforms were constructed some years later in the 1990s.
Boland’s Landing offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the LIRR. It reminds us of the dedicated employees who keep the trains running. While you can’t step off here, remember Al Boland and the history beneath your feet as you pass by.