LIRR M-7 EMU train on the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct between Nostrand and East NY. Photo by David-Paul Gerber, February 2009.

Overview

The terminal at Brooklyn is called Flatbush Avenue. It is underneath the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues and adjacent to the subway 2-3-4-5 lines station which is called Atlantic Avenue. It is over the D-Q stop also called Atlantic Avenue and connected by underground walkway to the B-M-N-R stop at Pacific Street.

The terminal comprises 6 tracks and 3 platforms. Tracks 1 and 2 can platform 10 cars, but the first 2 cars are never opened because the gap is too large between train and platform. Tracks 3 and 4 platform 8 cars with BROOK Tower at the east end of the platform. Track 5 platforms 6 cars and Track 6 platforms 4 cars but can accomodate a 6 car train. The west end of this platform is directly adjacent to the uptown 2-3 subway platform.

Some relatives depths of stations in the Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street complex are as follows:

LIRR Station, 20 feet below street
IRT Station, 20 feet below street
BMT (D/Q) Station, 50 feet below street
BMT (M/N/R) Station, 40 feet below street

Leaving the terminal the line merges into two tracks which run beneath Atlantic Avenue. A storage yard is in an open cut south of the right-of-way. It is visible in two places, the switch out from the line and from an opening due west of that point. The line emerges from the tunnel just west of Nostrand Avenue and ascends to a viaduct in the middle of Atlantic Avenue.

The Nostrand Avenue station consists of two outside six car platforms with a ticket office at the west end of the eastbound platform. The line continues east in the middle of Atlantic Avenue on a steel subway-like viaduct. The outsides of the trains hang over the edges which creates an interesting sight from street level.

The line descends under Atlantic Avenue and then re-emerges in an open-cut in the middle of the lower level of the street at East New York station. This station has 2 side platforms handling 10 car trains, with a cross-under and ticket office beneath the tracks. The Atlantic Avenue "L" subway station is directly above the East New York Station.

Leaving East New York the line re-enters the tunnel under Atlantic Avenue and continues east in practically a straight shot to Jamaica. The Fulton Street subway passes underneath. Trains attain speeds of 70 MPH along this stretch which is quite impressive for an underground railway. The line passes the abandoned station at Woodhaven Blvd. and the cutouts to the old LIRR Rockaway branch are visible. This section of track has been used to store equipment in severe snowstorms in an attempt to keep the M1-M3's free of blowing and drifting snow.

The line emerges from the tunnel just east of Lefferts Blvd. The Morris Park shops are visible on the north side of the right-of-way. There is an employee stop called Boldin's Landing (?). This station can platform 2 cars each direction with a crossover at the west end. Eastbound trains platform the first 2 cars and westbound trains the last 2 cars. DUNTON Tower is on the north side of the line and the Long Island City branch runs on an embankment above it. A one track siding goes off to the south leading to the Johnson Avenue yard. The line passes under the tracks leading to Penn Station and over the Van Wyck Expressway as it approaches Jamaica Station. JAY Tower is on the north side.

Photo Gallery

Five Random Images
Image 10576 (195k, 1024x670) Photo by: Joe Testagrose Location: Nostrand Avenue	Image 101124 (183k, 1024x768) Photo by: Andre Samuel Location: Atlantic Terminal (Flatbush Avenue)	Image 102734 (252k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: Atlantic Terminal (Flatbush Avenue)	Image 112291 (284k, 1044x788) Photo by: David-Paul Gerber Location: East New York	Image 159355 (473k, 1220x695) Photo by: Andrew Johnson Location: Nostrand Avenue