Merrick station

{{short description|Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Merrick

| style = Long Island Rail Road

| style2 = left aligned version

| image = Merrick LIRR Station from Sunrise Highway.JPG

| image_size =

| image_caption = Merrick station as seen from Sunrise Highway.

| address = Sunrise Highway between Hewlett & Merrick Avenues
Merrick, New York

| coordinates = {{coord|40.663769|-73.550709|type:railwaystation_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}

| line = Montauk Branch

| distance={{convert|24.1|mi|km|abbr=on}} from {{lirrs|Long Island City}}{{cite web | title=TIMETABLE No. 4 | author=Long Island Rail Road | date= May 14, 2012 | accessdate=August 4, 2022 | url=http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrhistoricaldata/LIRRTimeTable4_5-14-2012.pdf | page=IV}}

| other = {{bus icon|12px|Local Transit}} Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n19}} (at Merrick Road)

| platform = 1 island platform

| tracks = 2

| electrified = May 20, 1925
750 V (DC) third rail

| parking = Yes

| bicycle = Yes

| baggage_check =

| passengers = 7,235{{Cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/data/2012_LIRR_OD_Report_Volume_I_FINAL%2008232016.pdf#page=197|title=2012-2014 LIRR Origin and Destination Report : Volume I: Travel Behavior Among All LIRR Passengers|date=August 23, 2016|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717085537/http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/data/2012_LIRR_OD_Report_Volume_I_FINAL%2008232016.pdf#page=197|archive-date=July 17, 2019|access-date=March 29, 2020|at=PDF pp. 15, 197|quote=Data collection took place after the pretest determinations, starting in September 2012 and concluding in May 2014. .... 2012-2014 LIRR O[rigin and ]D[estination] COUNTS: WEEKDAY East/West Total By Station in Numerical Order}}

| pass_year = 2012—2014

| pass_rank = 14 of 125

| opened = {{start date and age|1867}} (SSRRLI)

| closed =

| rebuilt = 1885, 1902, 1969–1975

| accessible = yes

| code =

| owned = Long Island Rail Road

| zone = 7

| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=LIRR|line=Babylon|left=Freeport|right=Bellmore|line2=Montauk|nonstop2=yes}}

| other_services_header=Former services

| other_services_collapsible=yes

| other_services={{Adjacent stations|system=LIRR former|line=Montauk Division|left=Freeport|right=Bellmore}}

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-custom = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail |marker-color={{rcr|LIRR|Babylon}} |zoom=14 }}

}}

Merrick is a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially located on Sunrise Highway, between Hewlett Avenue and Merrick Avenue, in Merrick, New York. However, the parking areas for the station expand well beyond the given location.

History

Merrick station is typical of the elevated Babylon Branch stations that were rebuilt during the mid-to-late 20th century. The station was originally built on October 28, 1867, by the South Side Railroad of Long Island, but in 1869, it was expanded into a hotel built by SSRRLI President Charles Fox. This hotel was burned to the ground in 1908. A second depot was built in 1885, and a third in 1902.[http://arrts-arrchives.com/merrick.html Merrick Station History (Arrt's Arrchives)] The station was razed in June 1969 as part of the grade-crossing elimination project. A temporary station was installed on December 4, 1970, but the elevated fourth station was not opened until June 28, 1975.

Station layout

This station has one 12-car-long high-level island platform serving trains in both directions. A 10-car-long awning exists, with the easternmost part of the platform uncovered. The rail line has two tracks at this location. Each Fall, this railroad station along with Bellmore station plays host to a Street Festival/Fair courtesy of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce.

Merrick station is home to a memorial to Roxey (d. 1914), a dog who frequented the LIRR in the early 20th century and became a mascot for the commuters and staff.{{cite web |title=MTA news: The LIRR's Best Friend |url=https://www.mta.info/news/2010/05/28/lirrs-best-friend |website=www.mta.info |publisher=MTA |access-date=February 16, 2022 |date=May 28, 2010}}{{cite web |last=Morrison|first=David D.|title=Trains Newswire: Bessie and Roxey statue at Mineola (sic) station |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/history/bessie-and-roxey-statue-at-mineola-station/ |publisher=Kalmbach |access-date=April 25, 2023 |date=April 19, 2023}} The small gravestone is located on the south side of the station, along the guardrail separating the parking lot from the Sunrise Highway, in a patch of lawn about 20 feet east of Merrick Avenue.{{cite web |title=Google Street View |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6633195,-73.5516857,3a,15y,139.33h,77.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHbbqw_t-g8LHq0bcChZBow!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en |access-date=February 16, 2022}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185441/http://www.merrickchamber.org/uploadedimages/ot2.jpg Merrick Station Clock] (Merrick Chamber of Commerce)
[http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ny/ny_27/wmerrick.jpg Merrick Station as seen from Sunrise Highway (Steve Alpert's Roads.net)]
[https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.663436,-73.552068&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.663436,-73.552068&panoid=l_sZ0dsA2N0rWh_0SuApWg&cbp=12,264.45,,0,-0.44 Merrick Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View]
[https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.663078,-73.551171&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.663029,-73.551402&panoid=yZ-YXv38XdOie1BBGX6w4Q&cbp=12,344.39,,0,7.76 Station House from Google Maps Street View]
[https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.664022,-73.549637&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.6641,-73.549672&panoid=brboBTVT1URqbpQ7oG2Tww&cbp=12,223.59,,0,-2.07 Hewlett Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View]

Category:Long Island Rail Road stations in Nassau County, New York

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1867