Quick Facts about LIRR
LIRR is an initialism for Long Island Rail Road.- Years of Note:
- 1834: The Long Island Rail Road Company was incorporated, with its first line opening in 1844.
- 1900: Pennsylvania Railroad Company acquired the majority of the Long Island Rail Road Company's stocks, making the LIRR part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system.
- 1966: Pennsylvania Railroad Company sold the operations to New York State.
- 1968: Has since been operated by the MTA.
Image Source: Long Island Rail Road Station - Crowd outside station. NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 1677179
A Selection of LIRR Maps at NYPL's Map Division
- Map of the Lakeland farms, near the villages of Lakeland and Hermanville, on the Long Island Rail Road. [1850?]
- Map Div. 01-5113
- Note: Visual of where LIRR is in relation to these villages.
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections: Click here to access.
- Travellers map of Long Island. 1866
- Map Div. 16-5961
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections: Click here to access.
- Atlas of Long Island, New York. From recent and actual surveys and records. 1873
- Map Div.+++ (Long Island) (Beers, F. W. Atlas of Long Island, New York)
- Note: Includes a table that lists the railroad stations in Long Island, and the various plates also indicate the railroad tracks and stations.
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections: Click here to access.
- Colton's new map of Long Island. 1876
- Map Div. 16-5824
- Note: Long Island Rail Road shown as inset on bottom left.
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections: Click here to access.
- Map of Long Island [cartographic material] : showing the Long Island Railroad system and Montauk Steam boat Co.'s lines. [190-?]
- NYGB Map Div. 10-1256
- Note: Shows railroads on Long Island and southern Connecticut, and steamboat routes.
- Hagstom's map of Long Island New York. [1931]
- Map Div. 19-150
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections: Click here to access.
- Long Island and its railroads [cartographic material]. [1951?]
- Map Div. 11-535
- Accompanying text: Historical notes / Felix E. Reifschneider.
- Long Island Rail Road map : branches, Babylon, city terminal zone, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, West Hempstead / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 1992
- Map Div. 93-154
- Note: Creator is "New York (State). Metropolitan Transportation Authority."
Image Source: Railroad suburbs between Hollis and Mineola. 1907. NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 5082570
How to Search the Catalog for LIRR Maps
Online Research Catalog
When using the Online Research Catalog:
- When using the Advanced Search function, checkmark "Cartographic" under Format.
- If you are interested in finding maps created by the LIRR, we recommend the following searches into the Author field:
- Long Island Rail Road
- For maps created by the LIRR while it is operated by the MTA: (Author) New York (State). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. + (Keyword) Long Island
- Not all maps that include LIRR routes were created by the rapid transit company itself. Commercial, government, and other rapid transit companies would also showcase these local transit lines on their maps. As such, to include these maps in your search results, we recommend the following searches in the Keyword field:
Dictionary Catalog
- For holdings of other items related to the LIRR that are not in the Online Research Catalog, please search in the printed Dictionary Catalog of the Map Division (available online via HathiTrust), under
- Long Island Railroad: Volume 5 page 879
Current LIRR Maps
To find the most updated LIRR Map, we highly recommend reviewing the MTA Website, specifically their Maps Page. Under "MTA Railroads," you can find a map that shows the routes for the LIRR.
Additional Recommended Books and Documents at NYPL
To find supplementary books and documents related to the LIRR, please conduct the searches listed on this page's "Catalog Tips" with "Cartographic" NOT checkmarked in either our Online Research Catalog or Digital Collections Portal. See below for a list of recommended materials:
- Charters, special acts and contracts of the Long Island Railroad Co., Flushing, North Shore & Central Railroad Co., and the Southern Railroad Company of Long Island. 1876
- TPS (Long Island) (Long Island Railroad Company. Charters, special acts and contracts of the Long Island Railroad Co. )
- Rules for the government and information of the employes of the Long Island Railroad Co. ... 1897
- TPC (Long Island Railroad Company. Rules for the government)
- Note: Employee handbook that covers the rules and regulations for employees of the LIRR and operation of trains.
- Available digitally via HathiTrust: Click here to access.
- Long Island and real life, Long Island Railroad. [1915]
- IRM p.v. 24 no. 1-19
- Note: Creator is "Long Island Rail Road."
- Long Island railroad information bulletin. 1920-1931
- TLNA (Long Island Railroad Company. Information bulletin)
- Library has: Vol. 1 (Sept. 1920)-v. 2, no. 7 (Dec. 1923), v. 3 (Feb. 1924)-v. 6 (Sept. 1930), v. 7 (1931).
- Note: Creator is "Long Island Rail Road."
- New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated records
- MssCol 2233
- Located in Manuscripts and Archives Division
- Available digitally via NYPL Digital Collections. In the collection site, click "Filters" and type:
- "Long Island Rail Road Station" as your search term: Click here to access.
- Early history of the Long Island Railroad, 1834-1900 / by Mildred H. Smith. 1958
- E-10 7318