South Brooklyn Railway

I NDUSTRIAL, O FFLINE T ERMINAL R AILROADS & R AIL- M ARINE O PERATIONS

OF B ROOKLYN , Q UEENS , S TATEN I SLAND , B RONX & M ANHATTAN :

South Brooklyn Railway So Bk Rwy SoB SBRR Railroad SBK

SUNSET PARK, BOROUGH PARK, GREENWOOD, KENSINGTON, PARKVILLE, GRAVESEND, CONEY ISLAND, BEDFORD and BATH BEACH; BROOKLYN

South Brooklyn Railway New York Municipal Railroad Prospect Park Coney Island Long Island Nassau Street Rapid Transit Manhattan Heights

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Special Thanks to:

Dave Pirmann for allowing the applicable images on www.nycsubway.org to be reused,













Joseph Testagrose for extensive use of his images;

Electric Railroaders Association & Jeff Erlitz: for allowing use of February 1975 through October 1976 issues

of "Bulletin" containing the 10 part Linder / Eppler South Brooklyn Railway series

and the May/June 1993 Issue of "Headlights" containing the South Brooklyn Railway history and images;













Bill Wall for use of images in the collection of New York Transit Museum Digital Collection



Benjamin W. Schaeffer for sharing his wealth of knowledge on this railroad and his gifts;













Michael DeLuca for offering his collection of South Brooklyn Railway images for use, and most of all to

Paul F. Strubeck for allowing me to take over his South Brooklyn Railway page

( which was difficult to read, had hardly any images and went untouched or without an update for years! ☻ )

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As this particular webpage deals with an active railroad and company,

viewers should be aware that this webpage, the author(s) or its contributors are not affiliated with:

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the South Brooklyn Railway, New York City Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transit Authority,

the City of New York, New York City Economic Development Corporation; South Brooklyn Marine Terminal,

Axis Group, Davidson Pipe Supply Company, or Costco Wholesale Corporation; or any of their subsidiaries, holding companies or parent organizations, employees or otherwise;

and no affiliation or connection with those companies or municipalities is suggested or implied. This website and the information contained within has been compiled for the use of reference only, and any inaccuracies are purely accidental.

This webpage sees revision for the purpose of the addition of information, or correction of inaccurate data. Also, this website does not condone or authorize anyone not employed or affiliated with the above companies or agencies

to enter the properties thereof, or the taking of photographs (digital or otherwise) from other than public property and access points.

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INDEX

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South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Co. Freight House - September 7, 1938

William J. Rugen photo

Looking east: Automobile is on Second Avenue, between 37th Street (left) and 39th Street (right).

This structure would be razed unknown year, and the location subsequently occupied by a brick yard, Davidson Pipe and now CostCo Wholesale club.

original image courtesy of Queens Public Library Digital Archives

via P. Matus

added 13 July 2010

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Overview



Private Ownership

The South Brooklyn Railway or "SBK" (as it is known within New York area railfanning groups) as organized, was unique in the fact that it at one time; handled both freight and passenger service.



This webpage will focus itself upon the freight aspects of their operations, with intermittent mention of passenger operations where relevant. According to the New York Times article dated July 16th, 1892 (seen at right); the South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company was organized in 1887, but its history really predates this by one year. In September 29, 1886, the South Brooklyn and Flatbush Railroad Company was incorporated to operate a steam railroad. Historical recordings reflect that this company never started construction and on November 10, 1887, the name was changed to South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company. Even at this time, it was not an operating railroad in that it owned no locomotives or rolling stock, but had been merely organized as a property holder no longer than a few city blocks. It was organized with the intent for that property to be leased to another operating railroad that wished to the connect to the Ferry Terminal at the foot of 39th Street. Unfortunately, no other railroads showed interest, and the tracks and terminal remained unused. In 1892, the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company spent a great deal of money to purchase that land and extend the route to the new ferry terminus at the foot of 39th Street and the shoreline of New York Harbor. A Terminal Station and Freighthouse was built at Third Avenue & 37th through 39th Streets.



Freight business began in April 1896 when the South Brooklyn entered into contract with the National Express Company to carry freight in seven express trolley cars. One more express trolley entered service four months later. In 1897, the Long Island Railroad, (which had been operating passenger trains from their own ferry terminal at 65th Street via the Bay Ridge Branch and connecting with the Prospect Park & Coney Island RR at Parkville Junction), now leased the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company , (and LIRR eliminated their Bay Ridge Branch to Parkville Junction passenger train). Quick side bar here: i n 1893, Andrew Culver sold his Prospect Park & Coney Island RR (which ran along Gravesend Avenue) to the Long Island Rail Road . The Long Island Railroad operated the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company using steam powered locomotives (former elevated locomotives of 0-4-2T and 0-4-4T wheel arrangements) from June 1897 and until June 1903. Unfortunately, these locomotives were not adequate for freight operations, and the line was electrified in 1899. In spite of this, the LIRR continued to run irregular steam powered "Racetrack Specials" to the Brooklyn Jockey Club / Gravesend Racetrack located at Kings Highway and Ocean Parkway. On December 19, 1899, the South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company was foreclosed upon, and t he company was reorganized as the South Brooklyn Railway on January 13, 1900 by the new owners, Brooklyn Rapid Transit. Even under this new Brooklyn Rapid Transit ownership, the Long Island Rail Road would continue to operate the trains. In 1900, Irving T. Bush of the "Independent Stores" (soon to become Bush Terminal) advised the Brooklyn Heights Railroad (a BRT subsidiary) that their trolley cars should handle freight as well, and by installing private sidings for the service of such. Following this, the BHRR formed a freight department.



In June 1903 (some references cite 1905), the Long Island Rail Road ceased operating the trains on the South Brooklyn Railway and Brooklyn Rapid Transit would assume passenger service. It should be recognized that in the early days of operation, the South Brooklyn Railway, being a subsidiary of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit; operated over several other already established railroad / railway routes that by this time had been absorbed under the parentage of Brooklyn Rapid Transit. On 06 January 2009, I acquired a copy of the "Brooklyn Rapid Transit - Track Mileage Book" originally dated January 1, 1910; which reflects that the South Brooklyn Railway (freight) would have operated over the following passenger "routes". Reference to these several different "routes" led me to understand these routes were operated by several different "owners", which was quite confusing. While I hope the following is accurate there is a small possibility of error. Please note the locations given are passenger stops / stations. Corrections are welcome:











owner route from to distance from

39th Street

Ferry Terminal Property of the City of NY Ferry Terminal connection of South Brooklyn Railway 0.094 South Brooklyn Railway Co. (Private Right of Way) connection of South Brooklyn Railway Second Ave & 39th Street 0.264 Brooklyn City RR 39th St Ferry - Coney Island Second Avenue & 39th Street Third Avenue & 39th Street 0.302 Brooklyn City RR 39th St Ferry - Coney Island Third Avenue & 39th Street Fifth Avenue & 39th Street 0.746 Nassau City Electric RR Culver Fifth Avenue & 39th Street old city line 1.184 Sea Beach Railway Co. Culver old city line Ninth Ave connection to Culver Line 1.370 Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad Culver Ninth Avenue connection to Culver Line Fort Hamilton Parkway 1.640 " " " " " " " " " " " " Fort Hamilton Parkway Thirteenth Avenue 1.908 " " " " " " " " " " " " Thirteenth Avenue Kensington Junction 2.472 " " " " " " " " " " " " Kensington Junction Eighteenth Avenue 2.840 " " " " " " " " " " " " Eighteenth Avenue Parkville 3.085 " " " " " " " " " " " " Parkville Twenty-Second Ave 3.517 " " " " " " " " " " " " Twenty-Second Avenue Woodlawn (Avenue N) 4.005 " " " " " " " " " " " " Woodlawn (Avenue N) Avenue P 4.357 " " " " " " " " " " " " Avenue P Kings Highway 4.683 " " " " " " " " " " " " Kings Highway Gravesend Race Track* 4.965 " " " " " " " " " " " " Gravesend Race Track* Gravesend (Avenue U?) 5.308 " " " " " " " " " " " " Gravesend Avenue W 5.490 " " " " " " " " " " " " Avenue W Van Sicklen 6.295 " " " " " " " " " " " " Van Sicklen Culver Terminal 6.723

* = also known as the Brooklyn Jockey Club





In 1913, all freight and railway express handled by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit was again reorganized to simplify accounting and all freight handling motive power was transferred to South Brooklyn Railway ownership. The construction of new subway and elevated lines in Brooklyn, especially the Fourth Avenue Subway; was expedited by the presence of the South Brooklyn Railway, which provided an affordable and convenient service by hauling in the raw materials and hauling away the excavation tailings and debris. A temporary connection installed at 38th Street and Fourth Avenue allowed South Brooklyn Railway equipment to enter and keep pace with the progress of construction of that subway route. In June of 1922, the South Brooklyn Railway purchased the majority of the capital stock of the Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad (which was still owned by the LIRR). By 1923, the Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad and New York & Coney Island RR (which was operating the Norton Point trolley line) was merged into the South Brooklyn Railway, giving them access to Coney Island. Also in 1923, Brooklyn Rapid Transit filed bankruptcy and was reorganized into the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), which in effect became parent organization to the South Brooklyn Railway, and all ICC regulations remained as before. . . New York City Ownership In May 1940, the South Brooklyn Railway became part of the New York City Board of Transportation, which consolidated ("the Unification") all the individual transit companies and street car lines in the New York City proper under one municipal government organization: the Board of Transportation. The BoT entered into contract with the South Brooklyn Railway to provide labor, supplies and ultimately, equipment. Railroad freight traffic, which had been tapering off with the advent and proliferation of motor trucks, figuratively exploded with the entrance of the United States in World War II. Wartime restrictions and rationing of gasoline and other petroleum products curtailed motor truck usage and the South Brooklyn Railway (which was electric powered) found itself with plenty business. At some point during this time frame, the South Brooklyn Railway also operated a fleet of trucks for delivery of incoming freight direct to customers doors. In 1946, World War II was over and the South Brooklyn Railway would purchase two surplussed ex-U.S. Army Whitcomb 65 ton diesel locomotives, #8 & #9 (first). In 1953, the New York City Board of Transportation was renamed the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA). On October 31, 1958; passenger service by streetcar along McDonald Avenue was discontinued, leaving that route to the exclusive use of the South Brooklyn Railway for freight movements (although it would have to share that thoroughfare with automobiles).

. In 1960, two more diesel electric locomotives were purchased (#12 & 13) and a sad milestone in South Brooklyn Railway history occurred in December 27, 1961, when the overhead trolley wire was de-energized, effectively ending electric locomotive operations along the South Brooklyn Railway. It was deemed cost prohibitive to refurbish the aging overhead trolley wire along the right of way. The surviving electric locomotives (#4, 5, 6 & 7) were turned over to the NYCTA where they would continue to see life working on the various elevated and subway routes as they were equipped with third rail pick up shoes.. Fortunately, their historical value is recognized and were restored and kept as museum pieces.

The switches at Kensington Junction were locked into the 37th Street position (some references state they were removed altogether) thereby isolating the branch up to the Ninth Avenue & 20th Street Depot, which was no longer needed with the cessation of passenger streetcar operations.

Freight would continue to be transported along the South Brooklyn Railway to several merchants, but like the rest of the terminal railroads located in Brooklyn; freight traffic was dwindling due to the ever increasing use of the motor truck.

In 1978 the street trackage east of Fort Hamilton Parkway, as well as that upon McDonald Avenue trackage was abandoned. Portions of the line were paved over around 1991.

In 1994, the last non-NYCTA customer, Davidson Pipe closed their yard bound by Second and Third Avenues and 39th and 37th Streets. The South Brooklyn Railway would continue to partake somewhat of the Bush Terminal Interchange to intermittently utilize the Long Island Rail Road's Bay Ridge Division.

The SBK has not hauled new or rebuilt inbound subway cars since 1992 with the delivery of rebuilt R44's; or outbound obsolete subway cars for scrapping or rebuilding since circa 2004.

It did however place obsolete subway cars in the Second Avenue and 39th Street Yard for asbestos removal as late as 2007. But these cars were not interchanged with New York Cross Harbor / New York New Jersey Rail or shuttled to & from the float bridge at Bush Terminal or LIRR Bay Ridge Branch.

Beginning in May and throughout June 2012, the South Brooklyn Railway saw haulage of new equipment for the NYCTA: the delivery of twenty-eight R156 diesel-electric work locomotives. Delivery took place upon the completion of the reconstruction of street trackage along First Avenue to the new South Brooklyn Marine Terminal at 39th Street.

In June 2019, new R252 contract flatcars began arriving via tractor trailer, and offloaded at the SBK / NYNJ Rail interchange.

The South Brooklyn Railway remains in operation as a freight subsidiary to the New York City Transit Authority,

Any updates regarding this will appear in the Current & Future Operations chapter below.

The schematic seen above shows the original route of the South Brooklyn Railway (in blue) and the connections and interchanges to the BMT Subway (light gray), Bush Terminal (red); Fleet Supply Base of the US Navy (dark gray), Brooklyn Army Terminal (in green) and the NYNH&H / LIRR Bay Ridge Division (shown in brown).

Please keep in mind, is it not to scale and is a composite of the various railroads and industries that operated throughout the Twentieth Century, even though some of the businesses may not have existed all at the same time.



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RETURN TO INDEX

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An In Depth Look into SBK Delivery Network



#9444 - "freight box motor" - 1928 #9137 - "trolley derrick gondola" - 1959

Freight business under the auspices of the South Brooklyn Railway began in April 1896 when the South Brooklyn entered into contract with the National Express Company to carry freight in seven express trolley cars. In May, National Express Co. leased a store at the corner of Jamaica Union Hall Street (approximately near the present 160th Street) and utilized it as a baggage office. Actual service commenced on June 10, with four round trips daily.

One more express trolley would enter service four months later. Sidings were installed at six location s:

8 - 10 Fulton Street (Main Depot)

Jamaica Avenue & Union Hall Street (160th Street)

Third Avenue and 23rd Street

Bay 19th Street and Bath Avenue

Gravesend Avenue and 16th Avenue

Stillwell Avenue and Railroad Avenue (1/2 block north of Surf Avenue)

This service would continue for almost three decades, ending December 31, 1928.

Because of the complexity of passenger service and the proposed freight service, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit decided to form a freight department. Wisely, the company proceeded along these lines methodically and slowly. Furthermore, the haulage of the construction material for both their own lines and the new ones being constructed saw a rapid increase in freight traffic. At the beginning, the BRT forces performed their own work, but as the scope of the construction and reconstruction became obvious, the BRT hired private contractors to assist.

Meanwhile word got out and the demand for freight service kept increasing. Elaborate plans for handling freight cars were set on paper by ex-Governor Flower, Richard Croker and John F. Carroll who conceived the idea of hauling the ashes on the surface lines.

Prominent realtors McNulty & Fitzgerald were expecting to reclaim much of the marsh land in Coney Island Creek area and sell for suitable residential building lots

In 1897, the Long Island Railroad, (which had been operating passenger trains from their own ferry terminal at 65th Street via the Bay Ridge Branch and connecting with the Prospect Park & Coney Island RR at Parkville Junction), now leased the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company , (and LIRR eliminated their Bay Ridge Branch to Parkville Junction passenger train).

Quick side bar here: i n 1893, Andrew Culver sold his Prospect Park & Coney Island RR (which ran along Gravesend Avenue) to the Long Island Rail Road .

The Long Island Railroad operated the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company using steam powered locomotives (former elevated locomotives of 0-4-2T and 0-4-4T wheel arrangements) from June 1897 and until June 1903.

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Trolley / Streetcar Delivery System

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It is most important to remember that the South Brooklyn Railway, unlike any other of the freight terminal railroads throughout Brooklyn, that its delivery system was based upon the vast network of passenger streetcar trackage laced throughout the borough. It did not haul freight along a fixed route from Point A to Point B until much later in its existence.



When the South Brooklyn Railway was first created it handled the freight delivery for most of, if not all the passenger carrying streetcar lines throughout Brooklyn. There were untold customers and countless sidings and spurs off the streetcar routes that snaked their way through Brooklyn. This early history must not be forgotten despite it being slowly erased from our collective memories.



When presently discussed all that seems to be remembered about the South Brooklyn Railway is that it hauled subway cars for the NYCTA from Bush Interchange to the Coney Island Shops. It has become too easy to think in simplistic terms of the fixed route service discussed at length below and I, more than anyone; am guilty of this. The South Brooklyn Railway was so much more than that. Hence the creation of this chapter. It also must be understood, that there were two varieties of freight being handled by the South Brooklyn: carload and less-than-carload. Carload freight is comprised of an entire railway car for a single customer. It could be a box car of metal castings for an assembly firm, sacks of hops or barley for a brewery, flatcars of granite to be cut for curbstones or to be carved into headstones, gondolas of steel pipe or hoppers of coal for a coal dealer to resell or to heat or power a electrical generating station for a large industry. Originating at locations throughout Brooklyn would be the trolley gondolas carrying ash from coal stoves used in home and business heating as well as the manufactured good originating in Brooklyn. . Carload and Less-Than-Carload For carload delivery, Brooklyn had no connection to the mainland US rail network until 1916, and even then it was a limited affair. So once a freight car arrived at the freight terminal dock via carfloat for the South Brooklyn Railway (and almost certainly the Bush Terminal Railroad), the carloads were pretty much handled by the electric locomotives and delivered to the designated consignee / customer. ...

The other kind of freight haulage is less-than-carload. In most cases, this would be a boxcar loaded with many different items or materials from different consignors for different customers.

By itself, that partial load would have been a waste of space in assigning an entire boxcar to deliver just a single customers few crates and would have been cost prohibitive. When many small loads shared one boxcar and thereby sharing the expense of shipping, it cut the cost of shipping. But, these less than carload shipments were the most labor intensive. It is with these types of deliveries, that the final delivery agent (in this case the South Brooklyn Railway) needed a large roster of freight cars for it network of customers.

It was the less-than-carloads that usually were transferred to the "freight box motor" or similar equipment. This was really nothing more than a powered boxcar with a platform on both ends (sometimes one) for the motorman to operate from. Basically it was the next step in the evolution from horse-drawn wagon delivery in urban environments.

As such, the South Brooklyn Railway had dozens of these trolley box motors and trolley gondolas to serve the needs of its customers. They would pretty much fan out throughout Brooklyn on a daily basis to hundreds of different customers and return to the freight stations for more deliveries arriving throughout the day. The best I can compare it to in modern times, is think of it as a primitive UPS distribution system, but instead of brown trucks, it was brown (or dark red or olive green) trolleys!

Another factor to be considered was that the standard size freight cars in use by the transcontinental railroads at that time were too large in dimension for easy transport through narrow city streets (yet tiny in comparison to the freight cars of today!) So the less-than-carloads were transferred to smaller trolley sized equipment such as those shown below.

And of course, the South Brooklyn Railway worked for the growing rapid transit system - the subways and elevateds; by hauling tunnel excavation debris and delivering the various materials needed for the building of tunnels, stations and the elevateds.

It should be remembered that the subways and elevateds were considered "rapid transit" because the train could go blocks without stopping, covering more distance in less time than opposed to the "surface transit" of which the trolleys and streetcars pretty much stopped on every street corner much like the present bus routes. The rapid transit and surface transit systems thought of as separate operations in those days.

On July 30, 1903, the American Railway Traffic Company was incorporated in Jersey City, NJ. This company was created with the purpose of hauling the ash, rubbish and street sweepings (read: horse droppings) collected in the Borough of Brooklyn. This operation was small in scale due to the fact that ARTCo was not incorporated in the state of New York and had not yet acquired the rail cars for widespread service. This would be remedied in 1904, and twenty-eight gondolas were ordered.

On August 31, 1902, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company acquired full control of the South Brooklyn Railway for $500,000 by buying in all stock except for directors shares; and the South Brooklyn became another subsidiary of the Brooklyn Heights Railroad.

Things really got going with when contracts were let for the construction of 52 freight car bodies as the cost of $31,886. This shall include:

13 common box cars,

8 insulated box for handling ice,

7 express box,

12 gondolas with 18" hinged sides,

6 gondolas with 30" hinged sides, and

6 gondolas with 36" hinged sides

12 additional flat cars for freight service were built in the company shops at approximately $6,000, and a portion of this equipment we reuse motors and trucks and electrical systems from obsolete passenger equipment.



Also taking place in 1903, was the construction of a railyard (equipped with overhead trolley wire), which was located adjacent to the 39th Street Ferry Terminal.

This yard was so situated that it allowed the transfer of freight from the Bush Terminal Railroad. In 1905, the South Brooklyn Railway purchased three locomotives along with 40 additional freight cars to handle the increase in freight traffic.

This freight traffic arriving at Bush Terminal for interchange with South Brooklyn, was divided into two groups: "trolley freight" and "steam freight". While not specifically stated in the Linder / Eppler article, it can be assumed that steam freight referred to carload and trolley freight was less than carload. This assumption is reached as trolley freight would have had to have been transferred from a standard "steam" railroad car to the SBK / BHRR trolley car for final delivery, and as it would not make any sense to transfer freight from one steam railroad car to yet another when that first steam railroad car could simply be interchanged and hauled to destination in the first place.

Steam freight was interchanged at the yard west of Second Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets operated by Bush Terminal which accessed the yard from the west under a large coal trestle. At that time there were no tracks on 41st Street. These cars would be hauled along Second Avenue to the 38th Street Yard west of Second Avenue where they would be coupled to South Brooklyn Railway locomotives. The Bush Terminal Railroad performed this service under contract from the Brooklyn Heights Railroad as well as maintained the yard and provided office space for the BHRR representative.

Trolley freight was interchanged from Second Avenue. Freight was transferred from steam railroad cars and less than carload freight was transferred from the freight house to South Brooklyn Railway cars.

This transfer and interchange service all changed around 1906, when Bush Terminal began a massive expansion and construction of its lofts and warehouses. The 40th Street freight yard was demolished and a new South Brooklyn Railway / Bush Terminal Railroad interchange yard and freight house was built at 48th Street and Second Avenue.

The South Brooklyn Railway and Long Island Rail Road were unable to to agree on rent for the LIRR Coney Island Freight House. SBK needed the use of the freight house for less than carload traffic but the profit would have been less than the $1000 annual rent LIRR was demanding. This led to the BHRR constructing it's own freight house located on West 8th Street, near the Police Station.

SBK began hauling the freight with several small locomotives no longer needed after the electrification of the elevated lines. These locomotives soon proved not to be powerful enough, and BRT designed locomotive #4 and built it.

Also during this period freight traffic steadily increased. Throughout the next few years, the SBK entered into many agreements to haul the freight for the occupying passenger hauling company lines throughout Brooklyn, i.e.: Transit Development, Brooklyn, Queens County & Suburban, Nassau Electric, Brooklyn Union Elevated, Prospect Park & Coney Island, Sea Beach Railway, New York & Coney Island Railway, Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad, among others.

Public Service Commission Report - 1909







In 1910, Locomotive #5 was built by General Electric and delivered to South Brooklyn Railway. It was designed to ascend the steep grade near the waterfront as well as operate at high speeds on lengthy runs.

In 1915, with the beginning of construction of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit's Culver Line which was being constructed either directly next to or over South Brooklyn Railways right of way adjacent to 37th Street, required a a tunnel east of Ninth Street Station. This effectively blocked the South Brooklyn Railway's main line. So, the South Brooklyn Railway commenced in purchasing land on the north side of ongoing construction and rerouted their right of way.

In 1916, the Transit Development Company (another BRT subsidiary) built four rail cars: 9978-9979 and 9987-9988 for the South Brooklyn Railway. At about the same time, a motor was installed on ash car 9980, which allowed the ash bins to be dumped mechanically. Other improvements to rolling stock this year were a Whiting crane was installed on Derrick Car 9004 and a new under frame built for 9133. In compliance with Public Service Commission orders, geared handbrakes were installed on 37 other cars on the roster.

While not related to freight operation, it is worth noting that in 1918, all elevated cars were fitted with trolley poles in addition to third rail contact shoes when the United States Army announced their intention to use the dock at Nortons Point, located at the west end of SBK's Norton Point Line. The BRT substituted Brooklyn Heights Railroad "El" cars for trolley cars on May 25, 1918. The dock was never used, and the US Army altered their plans, and passenger traffic did not increase. Therefore, trolley cars returned October 1919. In fact, passenger traffic became so light, that South Brooklyn Railway purchased six single truck "Birney" cars from Cincinnati Car Company, numbered 7200 through 7205.

Freight traffic started falling off following the conclusion of World War I, but the routes were still busy. In the internal BRT monthly magazine published September / October 1919; the South Brooklyn Railway was averaging 60 to 75 carloads daily.

In 1918, with the near completion of most of the subway construction projects, the South Brooklyn Railway was becoming burdened with a surplus of equipment. Locomotives #6 (first) and #7 (first) were sold to New York Consolidated Railroad, yet another(!) subsidiary of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit, this one being their rapid transit subsidiary. Numbers 6 and 7 were sold for $34,000 and twenty-six air dump cars: #9940-9959 and 9964-9973 were sold for $22,000; netting a profit of $1,000.

In 1920, plow motors 9802, 9803 and 9805 were sold to the Brooklyn Development Company for $19,319.76 and Locomotive #3 sold to New York Consolidated for $6065.85. Fifteen dump cars were scrapped. Also in 1920, Kensington Tower and the Parkville Passenger Station (built 1885) were removed.

Freight was also allowed to be transported through the new subway tunnels of Fourth Avenue Line, between the hours of 1:00 am and 5:00 am; and also from the Culver Line to the Sea Beach Line. On January 18, 1921, and agreement was made with the New York Consolidated RR permitting operation of of freight cars on portions of the Fourth Avenue, Sea Beach & West End Lines. A reciprocal agreement was made concerning their use of the electric cars and freight locomotives. All this freight was usually carried at night, and without interference to the commuter.

Despite being a Sunday, that day of the week saw significant freight traffic. Ten cars were required for the Sunday issues of the areas newspapers, three alone for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Transit Commission Annual Report - 1921

In 1926, the New York Rapid Transit Corporation, the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit subsidiary requested that South Brooklyn Railway cease operating freight trains in the Fourth Avenue Subway and on the Sea Beach Line. Even though the South Brooklyn Railway only had four customers remaining on the Sea Beach Line (J. M. Huber, Rubel Coal & Ice, Granitface and Brooklyn Borough Gas); the NYRT was not successful in their action and freight service along that route continued for several more years.

Commencing in 1929, and following the merger of the various BMT trolley subsidiaries into the formation of the Brooklyn & Queens Transit Corporation; the South Brooklyn agreed to pay the B&QT ten cents per mile for freight cars operated on its streetcar lines.

By 1930, South Brooklyn Railway instituted their motor truck store-door delivery service. In 1931 two miles of yard tracks were removed from the 36th Street Yard and repurposed for bus parking and storage.

In 1935, South Brooklyn Railway agreed to pay New York Rapid Transit Corporation 30 cent per mile for freight cars operating on their tracks.

On June 1, 1940, the City of New York assumed operation of all surface and rapid transit lines throughout the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The previous day, the South Brooklyn Railway entered into contract with the newly formed Board of Transportation of the City of New York, whereas the BoT agreed to control and operate the South Brooklyn Railway and furnish the labor, employees, material, and supplies required for maintenance and operation. This contract allowed the South Brooklyn Railway to share the use of the various BoT clerical and operating departments and provided that employees required by the South Brooklyn operation be assigned by the BoT.

A survey held in 1953 revealed the Granitface siding at 17th Avenue was no longer used and the Huber siding was unused since June 1949. Following this, the trackage rights as agreed to in 1934 of the South Brooklyn Railway on the Sea Beach Line were amended. It was now amended to only include the portion between the north end of the 86th Street Station and the old junction junction of the Sea Beach Line at Avenue Y.

On August 26, 1954 the overhead wire on the property of the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company siding was removed.

RETURN TO INDEX

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Customers, Sidings & Freight Station Locations



South Brooklyn Railway Main Freight House - Second Avenue & 38th Street - ca. 1899





Up until 1904, the Long Island Rail Road, Brooklyn Heights Railroad and several other subsidiaries (the South Brooklyn Railway being one of many) of Brooklyn Rapid Transit (the main holding company) handled the freight traffic throughout Brooklyn.

On April 16, 1905, South Brooklyn Railway took over freight handling from Long Island Rail Road.

Also, this year is doubly significant for it is the year the South Brooklyn Railway entered into direct agreement with Bush Terminal Railroad to forward freight from the Class 1 mainland railroads yards in New Jersey through Bush Terminal via carfloats. Without this agreement, the South Brooklyn Railway most certainly would not have enjoyed the cost savings and convenience of someone else doing the carfloating, and doubtfully would have been so successful.

In 1907, newly enacted legislation by the Interstate Commerce Commission resulted in the South Brooklyn Railway being split off from the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, and of which would now operate the South Brooklyn Railway under its own name as a completely separate company. This required a slew of trackage rights and terminal agreements being canceled by the original subsidiaries and new contracts issued by the South Brooklyn Railway. Had this not been done, the entire Brooklyn Rapid Transit system (almost entirely a passenger hauling company) would been made subject to Interstate Commerce Commission regulations.

Upon the formation of the South Brooklyn Railway (as will be discussed in The Old Era chapter above), there were dozens if not hundreds of small customers that received freight via the streetcar delivery network. Unfortunately, quite a few of those names have been lost to history until a receipt or a document makes itself available, at which time it will be added to the list below.



Official Railway Guide - June 1911

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What we do know is that the South Brooklyn Railway had freight stations at the following locations (some of which have been discussed at length, others very little is known). The August 27, 1915 - Volume 9, No. 9 issue of Railway Age Gazette (a railroad trade journal) lists the following locations as freight stations for the South Brooklyn Railway:

39th Street and Third Avenue - Main Freight Station - South Brooklyn

20th Street and Ninth Avenue - Greenwood (Prospect Park & Coney Island Railway car barn)

Avenue C and Gravesend Avenue - Kensington

Eighteenth Avenue and Bath Avenue - Bath Beach / Bay Ridge

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While researching various other documents (i.e.: Documents of the Senate of the State of New York - 1917, the Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations, Volume 1, Part 4 -1920 as well as numerous others), we have come to learn that the following locations also came to be freight or delivery stations for the South Brooklyn Railway.

37th Street and Ninth Avenue - Sunset Park

37th Street and Thirteenth Avenue - Borough Park

Culver Yard (Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad / Long Island Rail Road) - Coney Island

West 8 and West 12th Streets - (Sea Beach Railway Yard) - Coney Island





Some of the information for actual customers comes from the ten part Bernard Linder / Paul Eppler series of articles on the South Brooklyn Railway as published in the Electric Railroaders Association bi-monthly magazine: "Bulletin". Benjamin W. Schaeffer fortunately has the complete set in his personal library. Furthermore, with the kind generosity and courtesy of Jeff Erlitz, present editor in chief of the ERA Bulletin, we have secured permission to republish the articles on this website.

From this series and from official filings, lawsuits, announcements, magazine articles, property map notations as well as recollections and information from the various transit buffs of the South Brooklyn Railway for both old and new era of operations, we have been able to compile the list below. As we learn more, they too will be added to the list below.





Pier Stations



The above list is not all the South Brooklyn Railway hauled. Surprisingly, it was learned that the South Brooklyn Railway also operated from two piers located at:



foot of 63rd Street in Bay Ridge in Lower New York Bay,

foot of Meserole and Stagg Streets on Newtown Creek in Greenpoint.



These piers were used for the receipt of various types of bulk aggregate, sand, stone and other construction materials via scow and barge. They were unloaded directly from barge or scow at these locations and distributed to customers via trolley gondola on the streetcar network.

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Ash & Cinder Collection





The South Brooklyn Railway collected cinders and ash from factories as well as its own power generating station at Kent Avenue & Division Street. It also hauled ash from residential homes. This ash along with rubbish collection and street sweepings was hauled to landfills and used for filling in of marsh and tidal wetlands in the development of Brooklyn.



In 1904, the American Railway Traffic Company (another subsidiary of Brooklyn Rapid Transit ) ordered twenty-eight rail gondolas at $350 each from the South Baltimore Steel & Foundry. The method of handling was unusual to say the least. Because the public and the City of Brooklyn objected to the open hauling of this ash and refuse; the South Brooklyn Railway ordered 250 steel bins or "tanks" at $129 per unit from the Ritter Conley Manufacturing Co. The bins were 8 feet by 8 feet by 10 foot tall. They had extensions or handles on two of the sides so that they can be lifted by crane and emptied by turning upside down. (As no images have yet to surface, the authors are left to wonder if these bins are similar to todays trash dumpsters picked up and dumped by the trucks with forks.)



Each gondola car could accommodate 4 bins. The company expected to build 13 two story collection buildings throughout Brooklyn. Horse drawn refuse collection would enter the building, the cart hoisted up and dumped into the gondola bin. This operation would be scheduled primarily at night during minimum trolley traffic times and the powerhouses would have reserve capacity.



Ashes would also be dumped in the vicinity of the old Brighton Beach Race Track, (Neptune Avenue & Brighton Line) with the Brighton Beach Racing Association paying for the fill. After this was completed, ashes & rubbish were brought to Harway Meadows (between Ulmer Park and Coney Island Creek). Additionally, other dumping grounds was located at off a siding of the West End Line at 25th Avenue. and

a landfills was located at 13th Avenue and 78th and 79th Streets and received 130,000 cubic yards for the Harway Improvement Company in 1907.



The contract expired in 1908, and this ARTC venture was leased to South Brooklyn Railway in May 25, 1909, and dissolved altogether some time shortly in February 3, 1910.







It should be stated that this ash / rubbish hauling service throughout Brooklyn was now undertaken by another company, "Borough Development" which made arrangements with the Long Island Rail Road to build ash receiving stations at various locations along the LIRR routes throughout Brooklyn & Queens. This company would be known as the Brooklyn Ash Removal Company, of which its detailed history can be read on another page of the website: Brooklyn Ash Removal Company.





The South Brooklyn received the equipment of the American Railway Traffic Company, specifically:



ash box cars 9405, 9506;

dump car 9980;

ash gondolas 9156 through 9183, and:

tow cars 9960 through 9963 .





Liquid Tar / Asphaltum







The gondolas would continue to see service but the steel bins were stored on the 63rd Street Pier and eventually repurposed for hauling liquid tar / asphaltum for the paving of city streets. This liquid tar was pumped from boats at the 63rd Street dock, into the tanks now placed upon on flat cars and brought to location to be siphoned off into horse drawn sprinkler wagons which wet down the the dirt roads of the time.

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Newspaper Delivery



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US Mail Delivery



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Subway Tunnel Excavations



Yet another contract had the South Brooklyn hauling excavation material from subway tunnels under construction. Spoils were hoisted from the tunnels via vertical shafts located at:

Flatbush Avenue & Atlantic Avenue,

Atlantic Avenue & Fourth Avenue,

Joralemon Street and Borough Hall

Fulton Street & DeKalb Avenue

The South Brooklyn Railway then hauled these spoils to dumps near:

Brighton Beach,

Coney Island,

Dyker Heights and

Elmhurst.

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"Paramount Station"

One of the most unusual arrangements the South Brooklyn Railway engaged in, long before any other common carrier did offer such service, was their "Store to Door" delivery trucking.

The South Brooklyn Railway entered into contract with Horstmann Trucking to furnish the trucks and drivers. If a consignee specified "Paramount Station" on their waybill, that freight was delivered to the main freighthouse at Third Avenue & 39th Street. Here the South Brooklyn Railway unloaded the freight from the Class 1 railroad freight car (brought in by Bush Terminal via carfloat) and placed it upon a motor truck for haulage to the final delivery location. The reverse held true for outgoing shipments.

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Customer List

years served column

customer commodity location years served Direct Freight Car Service (via steam and/or electric locomotive) S. Abato Shell Road & Cobek Court 1928 Ansonia Clock clock manufacturer 20th Street & Ninth Avenue Armour Packaging distribution plant 38th Street & Third Avenue Bay Ridge Coal coal 37th Street & Fifteenth Avenue Berkshire Structural Steel steel beams 37th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway

38th Street & Tenth Avenue ca. 1917 to ? Brooklyn Borough Gas contruction materials, valves, pipe

manufactured illuminating gas and gas storage West 17th Street & Mermaid Avenue

Coney Island Creek c1913-1960 Cirillo Brothers Ice ice 37th Street & Thirteenth Avenue 1932 Cobco Flooring & Lumber 38th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1927 Cohn Cut Stone cut stone 38th Street & Fourteenth Avenue 1909 Cullen Fuel Coney Island 1926 Culver Lumber dimensional wood & building supplies 37th Street & Fifteenth Avenue c1930 Davidson Pipe steel pipe 38th Street & Third Avenue c1955 - 1994 Desbrock Coal & Company coal & ice 14th Avenue & 60th Street; relocated to

16th Avenue & 63rd Street (Sea Beach Line) ca. 1913 Five P Holding 38th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1927 Flatbush Coal coal Gravesend Avenue (McDonald Avenue) & Avenue S

(listed as Gravesend Avenue& Kings Highway) 1928-1978 Flatbush Industrial Building machinery (H. W. Cotton), manufacturing lofts 37th Street & Fourteenth Avenue 1920-1978? Granitface (?) cut granite Seventeenth Avenue 1926-1953 Gravesend Racetrack & Brooklyn Jockey Club? hay & feed? Gravesend Avenue (McDonald Avenue) & Avenue U 1920's Greenwood Cemetery cut stone for mausoleums, headstones 38th Street & Ninth Avenue Philip Gruber 37th Street & Fourteen Avenue 1926 Harstan Chemical 38th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1919 J. M. Huber printing inks 63rd Street & Sixth Avenue (Sea Beach Line) 1912-1949 C & S Jacobs Plumbing Supply plumbing heating & steam fitting 37th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1927 Kingsway Lumber dimensional wood & building supplies Gravesend Avenue & Cortelyou Road (Kensington Junction) ca. 1930 Knickerbocker Fuel Oil fuel oil 38th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1927 Samuel Klein / Klein's Lumber dimensional wood & building supplies 37th Street & Thirteenth Avenue 1919 - c1930 Luzerne Coal coal 38th Street & Sixteenth Avenue 1930 Maltine Co. medical preparations 20th Street & Ninth Avenue Massoit Corp 36th Street & Fourteenth Avenue 1920 New York City Transit Authority and predecessors

(Brooklyn Rapid Transit) subway cars and parts thereof; track components 36th / 38th Street Yard, Coney Island Shops 1899 - present Nygaard Flooring 37th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1928 Peter Olson 37th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway 1911 Phoenix Hermetic sheet metal, canning / packaging supplies, lithographic plates 37th Street & Fourteenth Avenue ca. 1916 S. Pizzutiello & Co 37th Street & Twelfth Avenue 1925 Prospect Coal coal 37th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway

38th Street & Tenth Avenue ca. 1917 to ? Daniel M. Rader 37th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway 1924 Roberts Holdings (Roberts Foods) pickles, mayonnaise, condiments 37th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway

38th Street & Tenth Avenue 1919-1978 Rubel Ice & Coal ice Dahill Road & Cortelyou Road (Kensington Junction) 1922 Serlinsky & Kalish Neptune Avenue & Coney Island Creek 1926 Shell Road Coal coal Avenue Y & Shell Road 1921 Somers & Anderson coal, tin plate & stamping? Fort Hamilton Parkway & Culver Line ca. 1913 W. A. Case & Son plumbers supplies 49th Street & Twentieth Avenue (Parkville Junction) ca. 1907

Trolley Motor Freight Service Advex adhesives, chemicals Montgomery Street & Franklin Avenue 1922 to American Ice ice 331 Park Avenue near Grand Avenue American News newsprint, printing supplies Park Row (Manhattan end of Brooklyn Bridge American Steel Barrel (Brooklyn Meurer Steel Barrel) steel containers, kegs & barrels Flushing Avenue & Nostrand Avenue ca. 1913 Amid Duron tallow, stiffening gums, rosin soaps,

soluble oils for textiles Nostrand Avenue & Park Avenue 1912 Arabol Manufacturing adhesives, synthetic gum arabic Nostrand Avenue & Park Avenue 1904 - 1917 Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific shipyard Kemble Avenue, Mill Basin, Brooklyn 1916, 1921 Barber Asphalt sand, liquid tar, asphaltum Varick Avenue & Metropolitan Avenue; Newtown Creek ca. 1913 Benisch Brothers Monumental Works cut stone, marble, granite from Maine 840 Jamaica Avenue & Lincoln Avenue 1911 Berglass Manufacturing 10 Fulton Street Borough Asphalt sand, liquid tar, asphaltum Varick Avenue & Metropolitan Avenue ca. 1913 Borough of Brooklyn Highway Department liquid tar, asphaltum 63rd Street Dock Brooklyn Daily Eagle newsprint & materials for same Adams Street & Johnson Street ca. 1913 Burton Dixie mattresses Franklin Avenue & Montgomery Street 1921 Cheek-Neal Coffee coffee roaster 39th Street & Third Avenue < 1921 Consumers Park Brewery malt, cereal for beer brewing Montgomery Street & Franklin Avenue (Brighton Line) E. H. Cook Coal coal West 8th Street 1600' north of Sheepshead Bay Road 1905 Central Foundry Fulton Street & Tompkins Avenue ca. 1913 Continental Baking flour, yeast, grain public team track at power station 3rd Street & Third Avenue Cranford Asphalt sand, liquid tar, asphaltum Avenue R and Brighton Line (East 16th Street) Cranford Company tunnel excavation material

sand to Trolley Depots 9th Street & Gowanus Canal

temporary tunnel shafts at: Joralemon Street & Court Street

Fulton Street & Dekalb Avenue

Fourth Avenue & Atlantic Avenue Crimmins Contracting broken stone, cement for new streets 63rd Street Dock Cropsey & Mitchell lumber Cropsey Avenue & Bay 35th Street 1910 Cullen Fuel coal West 8th Street & Surf Avenue Damast, Abraham & Murray 39th Street & Second Avenue 1921 Degnon Contracting street construction of Atlantic Avenue

between Fifth & Flatbush Aves temporary siding on Atlantic Avenue DeHass Simonson Realty land fill Broadway & Elmhurst Avenue Frank Brewery malt, cereal for beer brewing Flatbush Avenue & Vernon Avenue (now Tilden Avenue) Charles Froeb wine & liquor wholesaler Tompkins Avenue & Flushing Avenue 1912 Robert Gair Front Street & Adams Street ca. 1913 Granitface (?) cut granite Seventeenth Avenue 1926-1953 H. J. Heinz 1 canned goods Franklin Avenue & Bergen Street (former Nassau Brewery) < 1921 Hildebrandt Baking (predecessor to Continental Baking) flour, yeast, grain Third Avenue & 3rd Street (former ARTCo ash station) Joshua Horricks wire fencing Herkimer Street near Reid Avenue - materials delivered to trolley loop Otto Huber beer depot West 8th Street - beer trucked from brewery to Ridgewood Depot, then South Brooklyn to Coney Island Igoe Brothers iron & steel Flushing Avenue & Marcy Avenue - public yard Iron Clad Manufacturing steel containers, kegs & barrels Flushing Avenue & Varet Street 1905 Knickerbocker Ice ice Flatbush Avenue & East 32nd Street

37th Street between Fourteenth & Fifteenth Avenues 1912, 1921 League Storage & Warehouse warehousing Third Avenue & (proposed) 2nd Street (exact location unknown) 1919 Lower Gambrinus Brewery malt, cereal for beer brewing trucked from brewery on West 42 Manhattan to Williamsburg Bridge Plaza

then via South Brooklyn to Coney Island W. F. Mangels Coney Island 1921 Metropolitan Engineering electrical cabinets & cutout boxes Nostrand Avenue & Atlantic Avenue 1918 Michael Brewing beer & ice Bergen Street & Third Avenue Benjamin Myers Coney Island Yard 1921 Nassau Brewing malt, cereal for beer brewing Dean Street & Franklin Avenue / Dean Street & Bergen Street (under Brighton el) ca. 1913 National Lead lead Strickland Avenue & Mill Avenue National Express Company parcels & freight 8-10 Fulton Street

Broadway & Myrtle Avenue

Bay 19th Street & Bath Avenue

16th Avenue & Ditmas Avenue

Railroad Avenue between Sea Beach Palace and West End Depot

25th Street & Third Avenue

East New York at Howard House

Jamaica Avenue & Union Hall Street (160th St) North American Brewing malt, cereal for beer brewing used dead track in Ridgewood Car Barn J. W. Oeleriches food packaging Sanford Street & Park Avenue 1912 Pathe Freres Phonograph Co. materials, goods for manufacturing and coal Grand Avenue & Park Avenue 1921 Piel Brothers malt, cereal for beer brewing Liberty Avenue & Georgia Avenue pre-1929 Robison Clay Products vitrified pipe Seventeenth Avenue & Sea Beach Line Joshua Rogers & Son Pacific Street near Franklin Avenue ca. 1913 Thomas Roulston 1 grocer & dry goods 9th Street & Second Avenue Saltser & Weinsier (formerly Iron Clad Mfg) plumbing supplies Flushing Avenue & Varet Street

Flushing Avenue & Bushwick Avenue < 1921 Sholtz & Atkinson Realty land fill Thirteenth Avenue between 78th and 79th Streets South Brooklyn News Sunday newspaper distribution Park Row Sure Seal Pearl Street & Prospect Street 1912 Charles Tisch stove parts Rockwell Place between DeKalb Avenue & Fulton Street Trommer's Evergreen Brewery malt, cereal for beer brewing Bushwick Avenue & Conway Street pre-1929 Uvalde Asphalt Paving sand, liquid tar, asphaltum

for paving Rockaway Boulevard Metropolitan Avenue & Grand Street (Newtown Creek) ca. 1913 unknown paving stone Kent Avenue & Division Street US Government - Department of the Navy - Brooklyn Navy Yard material and supplies for US Government Flushing Avenue & Claremont Avenue 1919 US Government - Post Office Department mail sorted and transported to outlying stations Adams Street & Johnson Street W. W. Vandewater scrap iron & metal (mostly from BRT shops) Park Avenue & Classon Avenue

Park Avenue & Grand Avenue 1927 J. H. Williams heavy machinery & parts 150 Hamilton Avenue (Richards Street & Bowne Street) ca. 1913

Public Delivery Yards as of 6/25/1913 unless otherwise noted

lumber yard

coal yard located at Unionville a/k/a Ulmer Park

(former Brooklyn Bath & Coney Island Railroad siding)



Bath Avenue & Bay 19th Street (former American Express Co Bath Beach Depot) ca. 1910 Flushing Avenue between Marcy & Nostrand Avenues

St Nicholas Avenue & Gates Avenue Third Street and Third Avenue Bergen Street & Troy Avenue 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue 19th Street and Seventh Avenue Reid Avenue & Marion Street Gillen Place and Jamaica Avenue Franklin Avenue & Atlantic Avenue Flatbush Avenue & Vernon Avenue Avenue J and Rockaway Parkway Adams Street and Concord Street

Halsey Street & Broadway



Public Delivery Sidings Commercial & Box Street Fulton Street & Sands Street Flatbush Avenue & Avenue N Broadway & Fulton Street

1 - South Brooklyn Railway permitted trained & qualified employees of H. J. Heinz and Thomas Raulston companies to operate and move trolley motors on the sidings.

2 - Saltser & Weinier's employees permited to shift cars within their premises

3 - permission given to William's employees to shift cars on their siding.

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The following tables are a list of sidings as published in the Linder / Eppler articles and are reproduced here for convenience.





List of Sidings in Service as 1912 Brighton Beach Hotel Herkimer Street Ash Station Flatbush Avenue near Plaza Liberty Avenue & Snediker Avenue Post Office (Adams Street) West End & Beach Crossing Neptune Avenue and Brighton Line end of Cypress Avenue Ridgewood Yard Willow Street near Wyckoff Avenue East 32nd Street



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We know that there were 49 sidings in 1913 growing to 72 sidings by 1917, that were being served by the South Brooklyn Railway.



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List of Sidings in Service as of July 3, 1917 List of Sidings in Service as of July 11, 1921 Station Siding Station Siding Bath Beach Ulmer Park Bath Beach Cropsey Avenue & 25 Avenue Bath Beach Bay 19th & Bath Avenue Bath Beach Bay 19th & Bath Avenue Bath Junction 63rd Street & Seventeenth Avenue Bath Beach 63rd Street & Nineteen Avenue Bath Junction 63rd Street & Sixteenth Avenue Bath Beach 63rd Street & Seventeenth Avenue Bedford 56 Nostrand Avenue near Park Avenue Bedford 56 Nostrand Avenue near Park Avenue Bedford Park Avenue & Grand Avenue Bedford Park Avenue & Grand Avenue Bedford Flatbush Avenue & Nostrand Avenue Bedford Kent Avenue & Division Avenue Bedford Williamsburg Power Station Bedford 575 Flushing Avenue Bergen Beach Bergen Beach Terminal Bedford Atlantic Avenue & Nostrand Avenue Bergen Beach Kemble Ave Bedford Flushing Avenue & Cook Street Brighton Beach Ocean Avenue between Avenue X and Avenue Y Bedford Avenue J & Rockaway Parkway Bushwick Flushing Avenue & Cook Street Bedford Flatbush Depot Bushwick St Nicholas Avenue & Gates Avenue Bedford Ralph Avenue & Atlantic Avenue Bushwick DeKalb Depot Bedford Fulton Street & Furman Street Bushwick Covert Avenue & Cornelia Street Bedford 40 State Street Canarsie Canarsie Terminal Bedford Varick Avenue & Stagg Street Canarsie Avenue J & Rockaway Parkway Bedford Halsey Street & Broadway Coney Island Brooklyn Borough Gas Company (Coney Island Creek) Bedford 150 Hamilton Avenue Coney Island Culver Yard Bedford 3rd Street & Third Avenue Coney Island Sea Beach Yard Bedford 9th Street & Second Avenue Coney Island West 36th Street & Surf Avenue Bedford Jamaica Avenue & Railroad Avenue Coney Island West 17th Street & Surf Avenue Bedford Bergen Street & Franklin Avenue Corona Union Avenue Bedford Nostrand Avenue & President Street Corona Grand Avenue Bedford Tompkins Avenue & Fulton Street Cypress Hills Woodhaven Sand Pit - Jamaica Avenue Bedford Franklin Avenue & Montgomery Street Cypress Hills Liberty Avenue, end of line Bergen Beach Bergen Beach Terminal Cypress Hills Jamaica Avenue & Crescent Street Coney Island 4 sidings Cypress Hills New Lots Avenue & Berriman Street East New York Gillen Place & Jamaica Avenue Dean Street & Franklin Avenue Bergen Street & Franklin Avenue Gravesend Gravesend Avenue & Kings Highway Dean Street & Franklin Avenue Pacific Street (Transit Development Co) Gravesend Gravesend Avenue & Avenue U Dean Street & Franklin Avenue Nostrand Avenue & President Street Greenwood 3 sidings Dean Street & Franklin Avenue Tompkins Avenue & President Street Kensington 10 sidings Dean Street & Franklin Avenue Franklin Avenue Car Barn 39th Street & Third Avenue 38th Street & Second Avenue East New York East New York Loop Flatbush Vernon Avenue Yard 39th Street & Third Avenue 40th Street & Second Avenue Flatbush Cortelyou Road & Coney Island Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 23rd Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues Flatbush Holy Cross Cemetery Flatbush Flatbush Avenue & Nostrand Avenue Flatlands Flatbush Depot Flatlands Flatbush Avenue & Avenue U Flatlands Coney Island Avenue & Kings Highway Flushing Terminal Loop Fort Hamilton Terminal Fort Hamilton 86th Street & Fifth Avenue Fulton Street & Furman Street 8-10 Fulton Street Fulton Street & Furman Street end of Brooklyn Bridge Gravesend Gravesend Race Track / Brooklyn Jockey Club Gravesend Kings Highway & Gravesend Avenue Greenwood Fort Hamilton Avenue & Culver Line Greenpoint Commercial & Box Street Greenpoint Meeker Avenue & Newtown Creek Jamaica Terminal Kensington 3 customers Middle Village Dry Harbor Road & Metropolitan Avenue Middle Village Fresh Pond Road & Lutheran Line Middle Village Maspeth Depot Newtown Dock 4 customers North Beach Terminal Richmond Hill Schwetzen Park Richmond Hill Myrtle Avenue & Jamaica Avenue Reid Avenue & Fulton Street Halsey Street & Broadway Reid Avenue & Fulton Street Ralph Avenue & Atlantic Avenue Reid Avenue & Fulton Street Reid Avenue & Fulton Street Reid Avenue & Fulton Street Troy Avenue & Bergen Street Sheepshead Bay Sheepshead Bay Yard Sheepshead Bay Sheepshead Bay Racetrack 63rd Street Dock 58th Street & Second Avenue 63rd Street Dock 63rd Street & Second Avenue 63rd Street Dock 63rd Street & Sixth Avenue 3rd Street & Third Avenue 19th Street & Seventh Avenue 3rd Street & Third Avenue 20th Street & Ninth Avenue (Depot & two private sidings) 3rd Street & Third Avenue 9th Street & Second Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 52nd Street Dock (Transit Development) 39th Street & Third Avenue 52nd Street Storeroom (Transit Development) 39th Street & Third Avenue 39th Street Yard 39th Street & Third Avenue 23rd Street & Fifth Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 36th Street & Fifth Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 38th Street & Second Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 39th Street & Third Avenue 29th Street & Third Avenue

Please note that some station names changed, but the siding location remained the same between the two lists.

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1921



location installed 40 State Street 1921

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1922



location installed location installed Avenue C & Coney Island Avenue 1917 North Beach Terminal 1912 Bay 19th Street & Bath Avenue 1912 Nostrand Avenue & Atlantic Avenue 1922 Canarsie Terminal 1912 Pacific Street (TD Co) 1912 Covert Street & Cornelia Street 1917 Reid Avenue & Fulton Street 1912 Coney Island Avenue & Kings Highway 1917 Rockaway Avenue & Hegeman Avenue 1917 Commercial & Box Street 1912 Smith Street - 9th Street 1922 DeKalb Depot 1917 Troy Avenue & Bergen Street 1912 Dry Harbor Road & Metropolitan Avenue 1912 Ulmer Park 1912 Liberty Avenue - end of line 1912 Union Avenue & Grand Avenue (Corona) 1912 end of Brooklyn Bridge 1912 West 17th Street & Surf Avenue 1917 Flatbush Avenue & Avenue V 1917 West 36th Street & Surf Avenue 1917 Fresh Pond Road and Lutheran Line 1912 19th Street & Seventh Avenue 1912 Flushing Avenue Yard (near Nostrand Loop) 1912 20th Street & Ninth Avenue 1917 Flushing Terminal Loop 1912 29th Street & Third Avenue 1917 8-10 Furman Street 1912 38th Street & Second Avenue 1912 Gravesend Race Track 1912 39th Street Yard 1912 Holy Cross Cemetery 1917 52nd Street Dock 1912 Jamaica Terminal 1912 52nd Street Storeroom 1912 Maspeth Depot 1917 58th Street & Second Avenue 1917 Meeker Avenue & Newtown Creek 1917 63rd Street & Sixth Avenue 1917 New Lots Avenue & Berriman Street 1917

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported: 1926 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1928 location installed 86th Street & Gravesend Avenue 1926 25th Avenue & Cropsey Avenue 1921 63rd Street & Seventeenth Avenue 1912 63rd Street & Sixteenth Avenue 1917 Varick Avenue & Stagg Street 1912 Myrtle Avenue & Jamaica Avenue 1912 Emmons Avenue 1921 150 Hamilton Avenue 1921 Richards Street & Verona Street 1922 location installed Richards (Rodman) Street & Coney Island Creek 1926 Coney Island Shop 1927

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1929 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1930 location installed Tompkins Avenue & Fulton Street 1917 56 Nostrand Avenue 1917 location installed Jamaica Avenue & Railroad (Autumn) Avenue 1921 23rd Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues 1912 Franklin Street & Montgomery Street 1917 Halsey Street & Broadway 1917

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1931 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1932 location installed Ralph Avenue, Mill Basin 1917 Wythe Avenue & Keap Street 1927 location installed Gillen Place & Jamaica Avenue 1912 3rd Street & Third Avenue 1921 Bergen Beach Terminal 1912 Avenue N Depot 1912

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1934 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1936 location installed Avenue J & Rockaway Parkway 1912 Nostrand Avenue & President Street 1912 Park Avenue & Grand Avenue 1917 Kent Avenue & Division Avenue 1912 location installed Bergen Street near Franklin Avenue 1917 Flushing Avenue near Bushwick Avenue 1917

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1937 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1939 location installed 36th Street & Fifth Avenue 1912 location installed 9th Street & Second Avenue 1917 West 6th Street near Sheepshead Bay Road 1921 Culver Line near Coney Island Creek 1926

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copyright © 2018 - freightrrofnyc.info - Philip M. Goldstein

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Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1942 Siding List: Last Year Reported - 1945 location installed McDonald Avenue & Avenue U 1921 location installed Avenue X & Culver Line 1930 West 8th Street 1921 38th Street & Fifth Avenue 1912

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The Decline

There was a marked decline in customers following the conclusion of World War I. But this also coincided with the advent of the internal combustion engine and motor trucks. And as a result, the streetcar delivery system (and like railroads elsewhere) traffic began to diminish. It was the second step in the progression from horse drawn wagons. Little by little, as more trucks were built and entered service there was less need for trolley motors to ply the routes. Now a truck could be sent and returned within hours and without having to shoehorn its way into a trolley schedule or wait until off peak hours (usually late at night), and thereby be sent out again quickly.

Another factor hastened the end of the streetcar system (both freight and passenger) in New York City as well as other cities in the U.S. Namely, the well documented General Motors Streetcar Conspiracy. So much has been written and said on this subject that it is not justifiable to expend the time or effort in reiterating it here. In short, it slowly devastated the streetcar systems in major cities throughout the United States.

By 1940, there were only seven freight stations:

Sunset Park - 39th Street & Third Avenue

Greenwood - Fort Hamilton Parkway and 37th Street

Kensington - 14th Avenue and 37th Street

Gravesend - Kings Highway and McDonald Avenue

Coney Island - Shell Road and Avenue Z

Bath Beach, and:

Sea Beach Line at 62nd Street near 7th Avenue

Some of this decline was ameliorated by World War II due to gasoline and rubber rationing, and the South Brooklyn Railway held on. After World War II the "chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" way of life really took off, spelling doom for passenger carrying streetcars everywhere because the privately owned automobile was now in reach of just about everyone.

The South Brooklyn Railway's vast borough-wide delivery network was whittled down, and by 1956 only a solitary route through Brooklyn survived. It is this route that is best remembered in the collective memories of todays transit buffs and railfans that lived in Brooklyn in the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

On October 31, 1956, passenger trolley service was abolished along McDonald Avenue, and South Brooklyn Railway electric locomotives were the only recipients of current.

Following a study, it was decided on January 7, 1958 that the South Brooklyn Railway would cease operating its remaining electrically powered locomotives and motor cars after it was estimated it would cost upwards of $32,000 to rehabilitate the overhead trolley wire. This translates to $280,011 in 2018 dollars adjusted for inflation.

This discontinuance of overhead electric power would not have any effect on service as the South Brooklyn Railway already had in service two ex-US Army diesel electric switch locomotives, and would acquire two others in November 1960.

station # of customers

4/25/1946 # of customers

12/30/1955 Bath Beach 1 0 Coney Island 2 2 Gravesend 1 1 Kensington 3 2 39th Street & Third Avenue 26 20

As of May 28, 1959, passenger service on the Culver Line was cut back to Ninth Avenue. This allowed the track to be rearranged on June 15th, so that the northbound Culver track "C-2" was connected to middle of track just south of Ninth Avenue. As a result, the middle track in the Ninth Avenue Station was no longer needed for passenger service allowing it to be realigned to provide through service to 37th Street right of way for the South Brooklyn Railway.

As a result of this new alignment and installation, the South Brooklyn no longer had to switch operating ends at Ninth Avenue, operate through the 36th Street Yard, then switch ends on the South Brooklyn's main line to Second Avenue. Also, the installation of third rail in 36th Street Yard and the Tenth Avenue Yard on March 25, 1958, made the trolley wire redundant, so it was removed between Fifth Avenue and the coal trestle at the east end of the 36th Street Yard. It was taken out of service at 10 am April 15, 1960.

A letter dated December 27, 1961 ordered the NYCTA electrical department to de-energize the overhead trolley wire.



On November 19, 1965 a contract was entered with Sarnelli Brothers to remove the poles, overhead wire and other appurtenances between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Coney Island Freight Yard. The Branford Electric Railway Association signed an agreement to remove of the overhead wire between Fourth Avenue and New York Bay.

For 1961, the following freight statistics were recorded: there were 63 loaded cars inbound and 18 cars outbound monthly. The 39th Street Agency, which concerns itself with customers west of the BMT Fourth Avenue Tunnel; the principal commodities were: pipe, brick, and canned goods for two regular and fifteen sporadic customers.

The Greenwood Agency handles everything else from that Tunnel to Coney Island Yard and averaged 70 loaded inbound cars and 2 outbound loaded cars per month for that same year. Here, the principal commodities were rail, ties, track appliances and signal equipment and other related materials for the Transit Authority. Most of the rail and ties are delivered to the 38th Street Yard for the preassembly of track panels for the subway.

During October and November 1961, approximately 60 carloads of grapes was hauled. This amounted to one quarter of the tonnage of the same commodity as hauled during the 1920's.

In 1961, interchange with Long Island Rail Road Bay Ridge Division amounted to approximately 10% of annual freight traffic. The remaining 90% was interchanged via Bush Terminal Railroad.

Also at this time, the south terminal of the South Brooklyn Railway is located in a team yard at Shell Road and Avenue Z, adjacent to the NYCTA Coney Island Shops. There is a small freight house, used by a forwarding firm, as well a track connection to the Coney Island Shops for the movement of subway cars.

Unfortunately, as stated in the Transit article below, and like the other contract terminals in the New York City, the South Brooklyn's freight customers were vanishing even along the fixed route. With the closing of Davidson Pipe in 1994 on Third Avenue and 38th Street (and where the South Brooklyn Railway would store their locomotives), the New York City Transit Authority was the only "business" for the South Brooklyn Railway.

And that is the way it remains today.

RETURN TO INDEX

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Crew & Train Operation

As described in the Linder / Eppler article, the following procedure for operating a train is as follows:

The Crew

A freight crew consisting of a Conductor in Charge, a Motorman, two brakemen and a flagman. All members of the crew except the motorman are qualified Conductor / Handswitchmen. The motorman is qualified on diesel and electric locomotives and all miscellaneous equipment, and of whom received eight days of training as a South Brooklyn Railway motorman. Conductors must have at least one years experience as a Conductor / Handswitchman, who then must qualify as a Conductor of in Charge of Freight after ten days training.

The Conductor in Charge is responsible to the South Brooklyn Railway Freight Dispatcher and receives a list of cars and their destinations from him. Before the cars can move, the Conductor must record the following information:





Keep an accurate account of final disposition of cars, Record all car numbers, Record whether cars are empty or not, Line up moves to facilitate drilling out cars.

The Conductor must also make sure that the crew complies with the following rules:

The crew works on the Motorman's side of the train where practical.

Angle cocks are closed on the open end of cars.

Angle cocks are open on the leaving end of cars that are cut off from train.

Cars which are stored must be secured with hand brakes and chocks.

Flagging signals for engine movements are given carefully after personnel are clear of the cars

Motorman is cautioned to observe position of switches, if possible, before moving.

Car Clearances





RED

YELLOW

WHITE

Movements





When the train arrives at the Ninth Avenue Station, it must wait until the conductor detrains and walks on track C-2 to the Tenth Avenue Yard, making sure the track is both unoccupied and that the hand throw switch is properly aligned. If Track C-2 is occupied, the train may reverse direction to operate onto Yard Lead Y-2 to the 38th Street Yard, where the train reverses direction again.

Upon arriving at the 10th Avenue Yard, the locomotive(s) (which were coupled to the rear or west end of the train at Fourth Avenue on eastbound movements) are run around, coupled to the east end of the train, where it resumes movement.

Upon leaving the 10th Avenue Yard, the South Brooklyn Railway is now operating on its own right of way under the Culver "El", paralleling 37th Street where most of its customers are located. The train crew must drop the derails north of Fort Hamilton Parkway, as well as raise them after the train has passed. Before crossing avenues, crews must be sure that the traffic light is green. Vehicular traffic must be flagged with red flags. As the train proceeds, it will most likely interrupt an Italian bowling game, bocce; played on a cinder court between the rails. Images can be seen in the Memoirs chapter below.

Trains operate infrequently between Kensington Junction where South Brooklyn right of way and the elevated Culver Line turn south onto McDonald Avenue.

RETURN TO INDEX

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Trackage, Right of Way & Facilities



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Rapid expansion of the South Brooklyn Railway soon followed the turn of the century and about this time as the BHRR / SBK began installing freight sidings from established trolley routes into various factories. The first siding is recorded as being build for the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company, which made steel kegs and drums; and was located at Flushing Avenue & Cook Street.

And the South Brooklyn Railway delivery network was vast. By referencing that 1914 article, we can see by the list of delivery stations in Brooklyn as far north as Greenpoint, as far south as Coney Island, as far west as Bay Ridge, and surpisingly, as far east as Jamiaca, Queens. If there was a set of trolley tracks in the street, you can be pretty sure the South Brooklyn Railway had an agreement with the owning railway operator to deliver freight along that route. And there were dozens of streetcar line operators throughout Brooklyn. And since the streetcar operators kept getting consolidated into the larger Brooklyn Rapid Transit and then Brooklyn Manhattan Transit conglomerate, it only made sense to keep the freight traffic "in the family".

The following map, circa 1930, shows the surface streetcar routes (solid red lines) of Brooklyn of that date. It has been annotated by the author as such but as one can plainly see, the streetcar network was vast and with it, the early delivery network of the South Brooklyn Railway. It should be noted that not all freight stations and not all customers existed at the same time.



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In 1938, the tracks along McDonald Avenue (formally Gravesend Avenue and so renamed in 1931) was reconstructed. As originally constructed, the horse and automotive lanes to the outside of the trackage were paved but the railroad right of way was unpaved. Then the overhead elevated line was built in 1920 with the girder supports between the auto lanes / rail right of way. This sort of kept the two types of traffic segregated, but with increasing automobile and truck traffic, more space was needed. So, the 70 pound (per yard) "T" Rail was replaced with 128 pound grooved girder rail and the space between the girder supports graded and paved south of Avenue P.

With the construction of the Belt Parkway in 1940, the private South Brooklyn Railway right of way south of Avenue X and to the east of the Culver Elevated was realigned to the public Shell Road, and the freight yard in the Culver Terminal was relocated to the Coney Island Yard. The southbound track opened for service April 29, 1940 and the northbound track on May 6.

Following the end of passenger streetcar service in Brooklyn on October 31, 1956, (and probably predating that by a bit) the South Brooklyn Railway had a solitary route through Brooklyn when it hauled general freight for customers. And only customers situated along this route could get freight service from the South Brooklyn Railway.

The line began (or ended - depending on your point of departure) at 38th Street and First Avenue Yard where incoming freight arrived via interchange with the Bush Terminal Railroad was received. From here, the South Brooklyn Railway route took it though the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Greenwood / Borough Park, Kensington, Parkville, Midwood, Gravesend and Coney Island.



Joe Korman was gracious enough to allow me to use the following two images from his website www.thejoekorner.com. These two images, which are from a New York City Transit Employees internal magazine, called (what else?) "Transit".

The article was published in the March 1955 issue, and contains some interesting information on the South Brooklyn Railway:. Most importantly, that by this date; the South Brooklyn Railway is illustrated is that solitary dedicated route.



both images above:

March 1955 issue of "Transit Magazine"

collection of Joseph D. Korman

added 07 Sept 2009

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As of July 2018, we now have two maps at our disposal showing South Brooklyn Railway trackage. Recently discovered in an October 1976 issue of the ERA Bulletin is a map which is dated 1960. I took a little time and effort and cleaned it up for legibility. While there are not too many differences between this map and the Raudenbush map of 1961 below (they are dated within one year of each other), this 1960 ERA map shows the locations of derail and bumping posts (end of tracks) and quite as importantly, the names of a few of the customers served! It is not to scale.



original map courtesy of October 1976 issue Electric Railroaders Association Bulletin

map cleaned and modified by author

added 05 July 2018

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(click on map above for large scale image)

(numbers correspond to map locations above)

While we are discussing the routing of the South Brooklyn Railway, it should be also be noted that it shared a portion of its route with four different subway lines over its history. Adding confusion for a lot of non-Brooklyn railfans as well as modern era NYC Transit buffs, was that these four different subway lines used various or the same parts of the Culver Elevated over its the history. While this technically has nothing to do with the actual operation of the South Brooklyn Railway, it does reflect why subway cars on the elevated lines in those photos taken throughout the decades have different route letters displayed. Further confusing matters on Transit Maps was that the line "bullets" (the colored circles) changed colors throughout the years.

Culver Line Culver Line Culver Line Culver Line Culver Shuttle Culver Shuttle Culver Shuttle 1925 - 1954 1954-1967 1967-1979 1979-present 1954-1960 1960?-1967 1968-1975

Beginning in 1925, with the delivery of the BMT D Type or "Triplex" cars and the IND R1 cars in 1931, head end destination signs were incorporated into the design. The line that followed the South Brooklyn Railway routing was known as the BMT 5 or Culver Line.

Commencing from the lower level of the Ninth Avenue Station at 37th Street, the BMT took to an elevated structure directly over the South Brooklyn Railway right of way. This elevated line turned south at Kensington Junction and continued over Gravesend Avenue. This elevated was completed in several stages throughout 1919 until gradually reaching Coney Island in 1920.



In 1932, Gravesend Avenue would be renamed McDonald Avenue (in honor of John. R. McDonald, chief clerk of the Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court , who died suddenly).

In 1954, with the construction of the IND Culver Ramp between Church Avenue and Ditmas Avenue completed, the BMT Culver Elevated was transfered to the IND Division, becoming the IND Culver Elevated, but the BMT train began running upon the Culver Elevated over McDonald Avenue from Ditmas Avenue to Coney Island. Also on this date, the BMT route was truncated. T his now shortened route operated between Ninth Avenue (lower level) and Ditmas Avenue and was designated the Culver Shuttle .

In 1960, the Culver Shuttle was given the new graphics route bullet: which in turn became the in 1968. These new bullets appeared only on the maps because in fact the older equipment relegated to the actual shuttle service was not equipped with the new graphics.

On November 26, 1967 with the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection in Manhattan, the operating over the Culver Elevated was replaced with the Culver Line / Sixth Avenue Local.

On May 11, 1975, the Culver Shuttle service was abolished.

In 1979, the color of the subway line bullets were changed to reflect and color coordinate their primary Manhattan routing. Therefore the became the (with the orange color denoting Sixth Avenue routing regardless of being express or local)



The Culver Shuttle elevated structure would not be demolished until the mid 1980's, well after the South Brooklyn Railway right of way under the el had been abandoned in 1978. The still operates on the elevated over McDonald (formerly Gravesend) Avenue.

And if this didn't help you figure it out, nothing will.. My head still spins trying to figure it out too. So let us get back to the SBK, shall we? ☻

Location List Corresponding with the numbers in the 1961 Raudenbush Map

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1 - 39th Street Yard & Terminal - Sunset Park

The northwestern-most point of the trackage was the ferry terminal and storage yard located between 39th and 38th Streets between Second Avenue and the Upper New York Harbor bulkhead. Also at this location, the South Brooklyn Railway connected with ferries and a loop track was in place for turning trolley cars.

On 02 January 2010, Joe Roborecky located two maps in the Library of Congress' Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Records; U.S. Navy Fleet Supply Base, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY.

Referencing these two maps, it appears that the Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway sold a portion of its property to the US Navy, which went on to build its own yard and railroad upon this land.

The first map is undated but appears to be circa 1913, as the proposed (but not constructed) "South Brooklyn Marginal Railroad" is shown. It appears that the Brooklyn Rapid Transit trackage extended to and occupied a pier north of the Ferry Terminal. Notice how 38th Street is still a through street. You may click on the map below to bring you to a larger version. Use your back arrow to return you here:



Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY - circa 1913

Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey

Historic American Engineering Records

added 02 January 2010

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The second map is dated August 20, 1919 and shows a great deal more trackage and a significant yard belonging to the US Navy abutting the north property line of Brooklyn Rapid Transit Yard (which is the South Brooklyn Railway and unfortunately this trackage is not shown in detail).

However, if you take note; the pier north of the ferry terminal is now flanked by a pair of float bridges ("terminal bridges"), and according to the legend the trackage is now marked for the US Navy (solid lines = Navy RR, broken lines = other RR).

Also take notice that the 38th Street thoroughfare is no longer shown and the "Property of the South Brooklyn RR" is now a two block parcel. It is this parcel which would become Davidson Pipe Yard in later years.

Again, you may click on the map below to bring you to a larger version. Use your back arrow to return you here.



Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway (U.S. Navy Fleet Supply Base), Brooklyn, Kings County, NY - August 20, 1919

Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey

Historic American Engineering Records

added 02 January 2010

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So at the least, it appears that Brooklyn Rapid Transit sold part of its property to the US Navy for the construction of their supply base. The Navy would continue to occupy that piece of property abutting the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Yard through at least the 1950's. Whether this property was sold voluntarily or involuntarily by Brooklyn Rapid Transit to the US Government remains to be discovered.

(If by chance you are interested in the Navy operation, I have authored a webpage on that history and of which may be read here: US Navy Fleet Supply Base - South Brooklyn Section)

In 1930, in an effort to compete with trucking companies, the South Brooklyn Railway entered into contract with the Horstmann Trucking Corporation to handle interchange freight at this location. In the tariff filings, this location was called "Paramount Station, Brooklyn, NY". This venture was short lived unfortunately, due to the extra expense in having to offload the freight into trucks to deliver the freight off the South Brooklyn Railways' route.

The closest item that has surfaced to date that reflects the track structure of the South Brooklyn Railway at this location in the 1940's, is a Port Facilities & Terminals Map dated 1942. As the property between Second & Third Avenues that would become Davidson Pipe Yard was still in fact owned and part of the South Brooklyn Railway during the time of this map, it is shown here for continuity.



Port Facilities & Terminals Map - 1942

US Army Corp of Engineers

authors collection

added 02 January 2010

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When passenger service ended on the South Brooklyn Railway in 1958, this yard became strictly freight. At some point in time (exact date unknown) after 1958 and 1966, the trolley loop would be removed and the yard would be rebuilt. The following configuration closely (but not exactly) represents that trackage:



39th Street Yard & "Bush Junction" - ca. 1905 - 1994

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In 1994, the interchange trackage was rebuilt and in 2000, the yard itself would be reconstructed. The diagram below is representative of both of those changes and show the current track configuration.

A gate on the west border of the 39th Street Yard allows two tracks to exit the yard and enter the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (no affiliation with the South Brooklyn Railway). These two tracks merge and form a single track which services a set of loading docks located along the north wall of the pier shed. This pier shed was the location of American Stevedoring. This location is situated upon the site of the old 39th Street Ferry Terminal.

Oddly, the South Brooklyn Railway did not service this customer, but in fact the New York Cross Harbor Railroad did. This Marine Terminal is currently vacant and sees no rail service; but as of 2010, it is under extensive reconstruction and rail operations are part of the plan.



39th Street Yard & "Bush Junction" - 1994 - 2003?

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Readers Please Take Note:

It is now understood from documents located on the web, that the 39th Street Yard is now part of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal property which is owned by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and operated by Axis Group; and the 39th Street Yard is no longer owned or operated by the South Brooklyn Railway / New York City Transit Authority / Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

As current data reflects that the South Brooklyn Railway / New York City Transit Authority / Metropolitan Transportation Authority no longer has interest in the 39th Street Yard ; all updates pertaining to this location, will be posted in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal chapter of the New York New Jersey Rail page of this website.

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2 - Bush Terminal / South Brooklyn Railway Interchange a/k/a "Bush Junction"

On Second Avenue, there was interchange with the Bush Terminal Railroad until 1972, when New York Dock assumed operation of the Bush Terminal properties. In August 1983 the New York Cross Harbor Railroad was organized (absorbing the New York Dock operation) and this company operated until 2006. At this time, the operation was renamed New York New Jersey Rail, and taken over by Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and became a government subsidiary.

It is this location that is referred to as Bush Junction and is shown below.



"Bush Junction" 1905 - 1994

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Before we go any further, it is imperative to understand that the Bush Terminal Railroad (and likewise its successors) had a significant involvement in South Brooklyn Railway history. For it w as at Bush Terminal where freight cars destined for and from the South Brooklyn Railway customers had arrived and departed from Brooklyn via the Bush Terminal float bridges.

Without the float bridges at Bush Terminal, the South Brooklyn Railway would not have been able to received or ship freight cars nor would it have lasted long as it has.

Throughout the decades, countless new subway cars arrived at, and many obsolete subway departed via carfloats at the 50th Street float bridges of the Bush Terminal Railroad:



Bush Terminal 50th Street Floatbridge - April 24, 1950

"Seagoing subway cars - Somewhat out of their natural element, cars being transferred

from Queens IRT line to Bronx shops make detour through Brooklyn by way of Bush Terminal dock."

Brooklyn Eagle Newspaper archives

Brooklyn Public Library

added 22 Dec 2009

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Bush Terminal 50th Street Float Bridge "Bush 1" (southern float bridge) - ca. 1985 - 1987

R68's on left and right tracks with an R32 loaded on flat car on center track.

unknown photographer

added 22 Dec 09

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Once new cars arrived at Bush Terminal, they would then be moved by Bush Terminal locomotives to the South Brooklyn Railway Yard at 39th Street and Second Avenue. From here, South Brooklyn Railway locomotives would bring them to the NYCTA Yard at either 36th Street or Coney Island.

Freight cars however, would be distributed to the various customers (when they existed) along the South Brooklyn Railway route by South Brooklyn locomotives.



Bush Terminal RR #2 and South Brooklyn Railway #13 - September 28, 1965 - Second Avenue & 38th Street

Brand new R32's arriving at the BTRR/ SBK Interchange.

BT #2 on northbound track, SBK #13 on southbound track.

G. Landau photo

authors collection

added 22 Dec 09

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New York Cross Harbor RR #25 - 1983 - Second Avenue & 38th Street

Brand new R62's arriving at the BTRR/ SBK Interchange.

NYCH #25 is ex-BEDT #25 ALCo S1 coming off northbound track and

is about to enter the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Yard.

unknown photographer

P. F. Strubeck collection

added 22 Dec 09

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Reportedly, when delivery of the first R68's was made on February 4th, 1986, they failed to negotiate a sharp curve on South Brooklyn Railway trackage on 38th Street in Brooklyn. Supposedly, this curve had to be rebuilt and the radius eased somewhat; with delivery finally occurring on February 26th, 1986.

An inquiry made to Fred Briemann, locomotive engineer on the New York Cross Harbor Railroad at that time; relates that no trackage or curve was realigned for the delivery of these subway cars nor were any delays incurred on a delivery of subway cars to the South Brooklyn Railway.

However, he does recall that the turnout (highlighted in red in diagram to right) on the northbound track of Bush Terminal RR trackage on Second Avenue into the South Brooklyn Railway 39th Street Yard was temperamental, with many cars over the years "picking the points".

It should be kept in mind, trackage at this location was aged, located in a street and abused by heavy commercial vehicular traffic as well as NYC Department of Sanitation snowplows during snow removal. Also contributing to the factor, was that the turnout was a "single point" or "tongue & nape" switch (designed primarily for streetcar / trolley use), see Glossary.

Joe Roborecky adds: this switch point was held in position by a wedge; and the roadbed was "soft", with the rail flexing in a vertical direction under load which contributed to the point moving. Fortunately, speeds were slow and either the "minor derailment" or "unintentional reroute" was remedied immediately.

Therefore, this "point picking" problem could have been misinterpreted by the novice as a radius problem. .

The diagram below reflects several changes taking place in 1994 and afterwards:

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The disconnection and removal (unknown date) of the west / southbound track between 40th Street and the interchange turnout (this is Bush Terminal RR trackage), The removal of the west / southbound interchange turnout (unknown date), ¹ The elimination of the street diamonds (unknown date) ¹ Installation of a heavy duty turnout, eliminating the single point switch , The new alignment through the Costco property. The rebuilding of the 39th Street Yard (which took place in 2000).



¹ It is presumed (but not confirmed) that the removal of the street trackage on Second Avenue (#2 and 3 above) took place upon rebuilding of the interchange in response to the new trackage alignment for Costco property.



"Bush Junction" 1994 - 2012 (with new 39th Street yard constructed in 2000)

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According to research conducted by Paul Strubeck, the contracting firm of T. Glennon of Piscataway, NJ rebuilt the street trackage portion of Bush Junction.

The South Brooklyn Railway Thirty-Ninth Street yard was last used in 2007 as a location for asbestos removal from obsolete subways cars that were outbound and prior to reefing.

Commencing in 2011, the construction and new alignment of trackage of New York New Jersey Rail along First Avenue from 41st Street to 39th Street, as well as the reconstruction of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal; required the original "Bush Junction" interchange being abandoned. The existing property of the South Brooklyn Railway 39th Street Yard was relinquished to the Marine Terminal property and demolished.

The new interchange for New York New Jersey Rail and South Brooklyn Railway was located to First Avenue and 39th Street, and is reflected by the lime green & orange line segments in the map below. The purple line segments reflect the old yard. This new trackage eliminated the dilapidated street trackage and two 90 degree curves at First Avenue and Forty-first Street and Second Avenue & Forty-first Streetas well as the temperamental Bush Junction turnout (the junction of the red & black striped / orange and yellow line segments).

This new construction also allowed for the installation of conventional two point turnouts as normally used for freight railroad service (as opposed to the lightweight single point tongue & nape switch for streetcars).



2012 - present - South Brooklyn Railway / New York New Jersey Rail Interchange

and South Brooklyn Marine Terminal track layout.

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3 - Davidson Pipe Yard - SBK Offices

Traveling east from Second Avenue, the tracks run on through a two block parcel bordered by 39th and 37th Streets, Second and Third Avenues.

In the years prior to circa 1959; this was another modestly sized railyard of the South Brooklyn Railway. As seen in a historicaerial.com aerial photo dated 1954, there were many team tracks in this location. This image is quite blurry, so the exact track layout is indeterminable. According to Peter Davidson, this was the site of a brickyard prior to Davidson Pipe moving here. Eventually, Davidson Pipe purchased the property from the City of New York.

Paul Strubeck sent the following scan on 25 December 2009. While it states the location of the South Brooklyn Railway to be at 370 Jay Street, (which is the Headquarters of the New York City Transit Authority) the other address shown is 990 Third Avenue. Research shows this location to be the Davidson Pipe Yard.

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Davidson Pipe would occupy this location, which was known simply as the "Davidson Pipe Yard". Tall stacks of pipe of many types and varieties were stored in this yard for commercial resale. Davidson Pipe was a large and very significant customer for the South Brooklyn Railway and countless gondolas were brought in by the South Brooklyn Railway for unloading here. Davidson Pipe would also be South Brooklyn Railway's last "non-Transit Authority" customer.

It appears (but is unconfirmed) that the pipe was simply stacked on the trackage rendering it out of service. However three tracks would remain unblocked for use: the northern track, effectively made a dead end siding by a pile of pipe (the track continued under this pile to a 90 degree street crossing on Second Avenue); a middle "through track" that ran straight through the yard; and the southern "runaround track", but also a through track.



Davidson Pipe Yard: ca. 1960 - 1994

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Davidson Pipe unloading Erie Lackawanna gondola #43599

W. Schneider photo

J. McCluskey collection

added 07 November 2016

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On 28 December 2009, I contacted Mr. Peter Davidson, of Davidson Pipe; which is still located in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn. Mr. Davidson was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions regarding their occupancy of the property at 39th Street & Third Avenue:

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Prior to Davidson Pipe's occupancy, there was a brickyard located at this location. It was not in business long, and Davidson Pipe took over the property circa 1959.

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During their presence, Davidson Pipe would receive between 5 and 10 carloads of pipe per week (which was brought in from New Jersey by the Bush Terminal Railroad and subsequently New York Dock Railway and then New York Cross Harbor Railroad). These cars would be placed in the South Brooklyn Railway Yard at 39th & Second Avenue, and the South Brooklyn Railway would spot the carloads of pipe within the Davidson Pipe property.

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At this yard was a main building; which housed the Davidson Pipe yard office, the freight offices of the South Brooklyn Railway (which explains why the locomotives were stored in the yard) and another city agency.

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As far as Mr. Davidson recalls in the later years, other than Davidson Pipe themselves; there was only one other "non-NYCTA" customer (a cocoa warehouse), but they did not receive freight traffic often.

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Mr. Davidson might have some images of the Davidson Pipe Yard operation, but needs some time to locate them, so stay tuned for further updates.

In 1994, Davidson Pipe closed this yard.

They were the last non-NYCTA customer for the South Brooklyn Railway. The property was subsequently sold to Costco (the wholesale membership club), and due to their construction plans, the South Brooklyn Railway right of way would have to be relocated from the middle of the property to the extreme southern edge.



Costco: 1994 - 2012

Exiting east out of the Davidson Pipe Yard (and now Costco), the tracks would cross Third Avenue. Prior to the construction of the Gowanus Expressway, the tracks crossed Third Avenue, which was a "simple" two way street. When the Gowanus Expressway (elevated) was constructed in the 1940's, Third Avenue would be widened to accommodate the elevated superhighway, and this became a "major" crossing, with tracks now having to cross 3 lanes of southbound traffic, a wide island in the middle, (in which the supports for the Gowanus Expressway are located) and then three lanes of northbound traffic.

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4 - 38th Street between Third & Fourth Avenue Yard - "Unloading Yard"





38th Street Yard - 1935

With the Bay Ridge - Fifth Avenue Shuttle elevated.

Note the subway train through the overpass and about to turn north up the Fourth Avenue Line.

William J. Rugen photo

image courtesy of Queens Public Library Digital Archives

color corrected by author

added 21 May 2019

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East of the Third Avenue crossing would be another small yard. Upon the demolition of the Bay Ridge / Fifth Avenue elevated commencing September 15, 1941 and the construction of the Gowanus Expressway an off ramp was needed. The yard would be reconfigured to accommodate this. The above image shows the yard before said reconfiguration.

In later years, at this location was the ramp built of railroad ties with rectangular structural tubing laid upon it and kept in gauge by welded cross bra