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VOLUME 4:
LONG ISLAND RAILRALD SERVICE TO LONG ISLAND CITY'S EAGLE ELECTRIC #7
By Nicholas Kalis
Fourth in a series of glimpses into industries or warehouses that
made for interesting freight operations on the Long Island. This information
is provided in the hopes that others will follow the lead of local HO
scale modeler Tony Fabrizi who has so ably modeled several of the buildings
covered in this series.
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Eagle Electric Plant # 7, siding overgrown by
the time this photo was taken Bill Myers Photo Bill Myers Collection
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Eagle Electric, founded in 1920 by Louis Ludwig, moved to Long Island
City in 1941 and was acquired by Cooper Industries, Inc. in 2000. Eagle's
creed is "Perfection is not an Accident". Maps of Freight Stations
and Private Sidings published in June 1966 provides no spot number to
Eagle Electric Plant #7, located in Long Island City as by this date the
LIRR did not serve this facility. This building faced Yard A and may have
extended as far as Northern Boulevard. It seems to be located between
the Westbound Queensboro Bridge Upper Roadway and a one-story white building
that may be associated with Spot 12, American Steel Wool. This plant is
the Anchor Cap Corp. identified in the Hyde Atlas, Queens Vol. 1, updated
through 1955 as having a siding. This building may have had a 62- 33 Queens
Street, Long Island City 1 address as a research volunteer found this
address connected with Lewyt. Lewyt also was identified as 43-22 Queens
Boulevard, LIC with telephone number EM 1-9040. On an 1938 map by E. Belcher
Hyde Co., Inc., Queens Street is west of Orchard Street and east of Dutch
Kills Street and runs into Jackson Avenue.
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Yard A side of building showing leasing sign.
Credit:
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What is now occupied by Eagle Electric Plant #7, not to be confused
with Eagle Plant # 8 at 45-31 Court Square, was once occupied by Lewyt
Vacuum Cleaner Co., which appears on early track plans of the vicinity
drawn by Robert Emery. Alexander M. Lewyt was recognized by the Horatio
Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. Lewyt gained notoriety for
his then prediction made in the 1950s that in ten years we would have
nuclear powered vacuum cleaners. This building can be identified by a
sign that reads "Floors For Rent, 50,000 SQ FT Each Brown Harris
Stevens Inc. OX 7-8800". The building appeared to be dark green in
color.
By the early 1960s, the era I model, no commodities shipped into this
facility by rail
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Early advertisement for the Lewyt Vacuum Cleaner
Co. Credit:
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Envelope, Lewyt Vacuum Cleaners. Credit: Charlie
Lester www.137.com
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Eagle Electric is the former Anchor Cap Co. shown
in left foreground.
Credit: The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, LaGuardia
Community College/ The City University of New York
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MODELING
Eagle Electric Plant #7 is housed in a six-story structure apparently
of poured concrete construction marked by a siding that ran along side
the building. This building was painted grey or green.
I have built a foam core mock-up of this building. Readers seeking to
model Eagle Electric Plant #7 would be well advised to consult a photograph
before attempting to model this structure.
CREDITS
Thanks to the Queens Borough Public Library, Long Island Department,
Thomas Flagg, Carl Fabrizi, and Bill Myers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Author Unknown Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings (Reprint)
June 1966
www.queenstribune.com
Please direct any comments on or corrections to this
manuscript to:
Nicholas Kalis
Suite 600, 1420 Spring Hill Road
McLean, Virginia 22102
Any illustrations or maps contributed will be gratefully acknowledged.
1966 Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings showing
the adjacent Spot 12, Eagle Electric Plant #7 not indicated
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