The Mile Markers of the Long Island Railroad

In the colonial era, mile markers were often placed along the main road to inform the traveler of how many miles there were to go to the nearest big town, or how far away you were from it. In NYC, the now-defunct Post Road in Manhattan, Kingsbridge Road in upper Manhattan (now a part of Broadway), Kings Highway in the town of New Utrecht (now Bensonhurst, Brooklyn), Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, and Ocean Parkway, built in the 1850s, all had such mile markers. Ocean Parkway, in fact, had half-mile markers, only one of which, the 3rd mile marker, is still in place.

Railroads, too, have mile markers. I have been riding the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road regularly since 1992 and have noticed the occasional mile marker along the route. Recently, though, I nailed down where most of them were, though most are in spots to inaccessible to photograph without getting killed by a train or risking arrest.

This one is the 6th mile marker and can be found facing 44th Avenue along the tracks, which are on a raised embankment, just west of 111th Street. Along the route, I have now identified the locations of the 4th through 12th mile markers, which are along the line from Woodside east to Douglaston.

Recently, by keen observation out the train window, I found mile markers 2 and 3.

I do not know if these markers measure distance from Penn Station or from the East River waterfront, though since the 4th mile marker is just east of Woodside, I imagine the latter.

If there are any LIRR historians who know a) when these markers were placed — the 4th and 5th mile markers have been replaced with new ones recently; and b) if other LIRR branches have them, let me know in the comments.

Readers have come through:

Distance is measured from the LIC station in Hunters Point

Photos of mile markers elsewhere in the LIRR

Video featuring mile marker 1

The Port Washington Branch separates from the main branch past the 3 mile mark and just before Woodside. The Port Washington mile markers can be found on the south side of the tracks. While riding past, heading east, you can spot them as you ride facing forward on the left side of the car. Hey, it’s a break from Candy Crush, no? It may be easier to spot them in reverse, while riding west.

Mile markers are concrete pencil-shaped posts like the one shown above. However the 4th and 5th milestones are new and are metal stanchions with the numbers 4 and 5 mounted on them in white and black signs.

4 mile marker — past the 48th Avenue overpass, just before Connecting Railroad overpass

5 mile marker– at 91st Place overpass, east of where the RR bridges over Broadway

6 mile marker — shown above, 45th avenue near 111th Street

7 mile marker –past Arthur Ashe and Citifield stadiums, but before the Van Wyck Expressway overpass

8 mile marker — I must confess I haven’t seen it but it would be along the open cut in Muray Hill.

9 mile marker — just before the train is bridged over Northern Blvd. at 162nd Street.

10 mile marker — east of the Auburndale station

11 mile marker — west of the Bayside station

12 mile marker — you can actually touch this one, it’s at the east end of the eastbound platform at Douglaston

The others — if they exist — are in Nassau County. Happy hunting!