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Farewell to Coal
Daily News, October 9, 1955
The railroad ended its long dependence on coal in 1955. In October of that year, a ceremony at Hicksville commemorated the change. Although the reasons behind it were economic, towns like Hicksville received other tangible benefits. Travelers on the LIRR now could open windows on hot days without fear of being covered in ash and hot cinders (something which I learned in childhood was no fun at all). There was less smoke in the air, and coal dust stopped accumulating on buildings near the tracks. With no steam locomotives needing to take on water, the old railroad water tank that blighted Jerusalem Avenue was demolished.
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