(rshsdepot) Bellmore, NY

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Photo link:
http://arrts-arrchives.nstemp.com/images/acquired2.jpg  (original station)

From "Along the Track" employee newsletter of the Long Island Rail Road

Bellmore: Functional and Attractive

Our current Bellmore Station, built in 1969 during the grade separation
project that elevated the Babylon Branch through the area, was, up until
recently, a functional and efficient -- but modest -- facility.  Now, its
functionality and efficiency have been enhanced by an appealing makeover.
In a recently completed rehabilitation project, the station exterior was
improved with a new stucco-like finish, replacing the 1960s-era blue-glazed
brick, making it more aesthetically compatible with architecture of the
surround Village.  Wainscoting was added around the foundation, and green
trim around the top of the building provides an architectural cornice.  New
doors and windows grace the entranceway, with enhanced exterior lighting
around the building provided by decorative, antique-style fixtures.  A
classic Long Island Rail Road keystone herald over the doors complete the
look.

The plaza area around the station also received a sprucing up, with the
installation of brick pavers, new benches, new trash receptacles, upgraded
lighting under the viaduct throughout the plaza, new landscaping, improved
sidewalks, new vintage-style payphone kiosks, a new roll-up door for the
vendor kiosk, and new Customer Information Center bulletin boards.  In
addition, a handsome wooden carved sign, with goldleaf-style lettering was
installed over Bedford Avenue.  In keeping with the town's recent focus on
its history -- including new historical markers throughout the village --
the sign proclaims "Bellmore Village: A Stroll Down Memory Lane."

Site work was completed a full six months ahead of schedule, with beneficial
use achieved in February -- giving our customers an attractive "new"
facility even before they expected it.  Support for this $600,000 project
was provided by Capital Program Review Board funding, with nearly all of the
work carried out by various LIRR personnel in Engineering, including B&B and
Electric Light & Power.

The current station is the second to serve Bellmore.  The first was built in
1869 by the South Side Railroad; it became an LIRR station in 1876 when the
South Side was merged into our system.  Modernized several times over the
years -- including the addition of a stucco exterior and Spanish tile
roof -- it remained in use until January 1969, when it was removed during
the grade separation project.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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