The road was operated at a loss until September, 1874, when it was sold at auction to Herman and Alfred Poppenhusen, who conveyed it to The Southern Railroad Company of Long Island, which had been organized by them for the purpose of taking over the property of the old South Side Railroad. As the Poppenhusens also owned the North Side System, this put the North Side and South Side systems under the same management.
     The North Side System at this time was rather large, so that a new company was incorporated in 1874, which consolidated The Flushing and North Side Railroad Company, The Central Railroad Company of Long Island, The Central Railroad Extension Company, The Whitestone and Westchester Railroad Company, The North Shore Railroad Company, and two railroads known as The North Shore and Port Washington Railroad Company, and the Roslyn and Huntington Railroad Company, which were extensions that were never built.

The first line to Rockaway was, as has been mentioned, that constructed by parties interested in the South Side Railroad, and subsequently taken over by that railroad. The lucrative travel to these popular beaches attracted the eye of Oliver Charlick, the President of the Long Island Railroad, and he decided to build a branch to Rockaway as well. In 1870 the New York and Rockaway Railroad Company was organized. The line was constructed in 1873 and furnished additional competition for the South Side Railroad. It left the Long Island Railroad at a place about a mile east of Jamaica, which was called Rockaway junction (now Hillside). It ran southeast through St. Albans and crossed the South Side main line at a point south of Springfield, known as Springfield junction. From here it went straight across the meadows to Cedarhurst. From here to Far Rockaway it ran just north of the South Side Branch, until just north of Far Rockaway Village, where it crossed the South Side and proceeded to a more convenient point in the village. This property was leased by the Long Island Railroad. In 1903 it became the property of The Jamaica and South Shore Railroad Company, which is owned by the Long Island Railroad, and was merged by it in 1912.

Unified Control of Railroads on Long Island--The South Side Railroad had competition for the Babylon and Hempstead business with the North Side system, and with the Long Island Railroad for the Jamaica, Hempstead and Far Rockaway business. Competition at these vital points meant ruinously low rates for all of the companies. The South Side Railroad was at first considered as a flourishing suburban line, under President Charles Fox. But as the competition developed, the road got into difficulties. In September, 1873, the road was put under the management of President George Carman, of Patchogue, one of the original founders of the road. But even his efficient management could not stay the impending disaster. In November of that same year the road went into the hands of bondholders, when the interest was not paid.

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel enabled steam locomotives to bring LIRR trains right to South Ferry on the Brooklyn Shore. This is the only part of the original Brooklyn-Greenport run we can no longer ride, but Brooklyn's Bob Diamond has explored and curated the long ignored tunnel for modern-day visitors. When Railways Were New

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