Passenger Trains > SIR Railfanning in 2016 and 2018

A few times in 2016 and 2018, I was able to railfan the Staten Island Railway. Still operating with the dilapidated R44s.

In Feb of 2016, we go to Grant City for these first three shots. Grant City is an interesting station because it is truly in a cut but you can see the right of way going up a grade east of that station.

 

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1. A westbound SIR train heading away from Grant City

In March of 2018, I was able to cover more stations along the route and let these pictures begin.

2 and 3. SIR R44s sit at St. George Terminal

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1. SIR train at Tottenville Station, the last stop and the southernmost tip of NYC.

2. A SIR train passing the old Atlantic Station.

3. At last, the new Arthur Kill Station, which replaced both Atlantic and Nassau Stations due to low ridership. The Arthur Kill Station is a park 'n' ride lot station, within easy reach of the Outerbridge Crossing. We have a Tottenville bound train arriving into the station.

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1. This train departs Arthur Kill Station. To the left of the train is a former B&O signal.

2. The next and last stop for this train is Tottenville

3. A SIR train arriving into Dongan Hills Station

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SIR at Dongan Hills Station

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1 and 2. Some more SIR trains at Dongan Hills before heading back

3. Bonus shot taken from the ferry from SI to Manhattan. In the middle of the shot is the former CNJ Terminal in Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

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As small as Staten Island is having a railway does not seem like a good use of resources. My father was born on Staten Island and I grew up on Long Island and to this day I cannot understand why SI is not part of New Jersey.
Bill Pyper
Lacey, WA
 

wjpyper Wrote:
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> As small as Staten Island is having a railway does
> not seem like a good use of resources. My father
> was born on Staten Island and I grew up on Long
> Island and to this day I cannot understand why SI
> is not part of New Jersey.
> Bill Pyper
> Lacey, WA
>  

As a longtime resident of Montclair, NJ, I have wondered why Staten Island isn't part of NJ. The borough doesn't feel like NYC, especially the further south you go in it. When you are in St. George and Stapleton, the amount of tall buildings there feel a lot like Manhattan. I wish that the SIR would have multiple routes. The old North Shore ROW would make for a potential future rail or even bus route from the North Shore of SI like Pt. Richmond to St. George Ferry Terminal. Today, I came across an article about having some proposed MTA Bus Rapid Transit Routes linking Staten Island with NJ-one from Arthur Kill SIR Station to a HBLRT station in Bayonne and then another one from Tottenville to EWR. When it comes time for connecting Staten Island to NJ, there is virtually little or no public transportation. The only mode is the MTA S89 bus which runs during the week and rush hours between Eltingville and 34th Street Bayonne. Other than that, if you aren't driving, you must use a car service.