[?]

Industrial Offline Contract Switching Rail Marine Pocket Terminal Brooklyn Kings Queens Staten Island Richmond Bronx Manhattan New York City Long Island Freight Harbor Port Pier Station Shortline Wharf Railroad Trains Steam Diesel Gas Gasoline Oil Electric Mechanical

Locomotive Locomotives Sidetank Saddletank Dockside Tank Engine Street Running Steeplecab Boxcab Switcher Dinky Dummy All Over Cab Carfloat Interchange Platform Centerpipe Car Ferry Tugboat Barge Lighter Wood Howe Truss Pontoon Pony Plate Steel Girder Float Bridge  Transfer

www.freightrrofnyc.info

	clockwise from top left: Bush Terminal #4 Brooklyn Atlas Terminal no # Queens American Dock #1 Staten Island Erie RR #612 Manhattan Harlem Transfer #1 Bronx

ail marine pier station lighterage contract independent

MAIN INDEX

Hello & Welcome!

   This website is a compilation of the histories of the offline freight terminals, industrial concerns with railroad operations and pier stations that were operated by railroads and that were located throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Manhattan.

   Included in each chapter you will find the data (where known) for the locomotives that operated for the companies and facilities listed on this website. To date, almost all of the steam locomotives that operated for these concerns, were of sidetank or saddletank in some configuration or another. The electric "juice jacks" and internal combustion locomotives were as eclectic and varied as one can find: center cab, offset cab, box cab, steeple cab, and open cab; gas-mechanical, oil-mechanical and diesel-electric. These chapters also include, where known and where applicable; the marine equipment (tugboats, carfloats, lighters, etc) and the respective specifications for those vessels for the companies that operated them.

    For those of you who are just "finding" this page for the first time, this particular website grew out of my primary research topic, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. As I found it difficult if not impossible, to discuss the BEDT and not refer to the histories and rosters of the neighboring Rail - Marine / Offline Contract Terminals, Industrial Railroads and some of the businesses associated with them; this page was created to cover the histories of those companies and their locomotives.

   In searching through the records of various locomotive builders for data concerning the locomotives owned by the rail - marine companies on this website, in turn led me to "discover" small industrial concerns in the New York Metropolitan Area that operated locomotives as well. So these companies in turn were researched and listed on this website as well.

   While the content of this website was originally concerned only with those railroads operating in Brooklyn and Queens, it gradually expanded over time to include two very small but old terminal railroads in Staten Island, that operated some very unique locomotives. And then the website expanded to include the offline terminal operations in the Bronx. The final expansion of the website came about while I was researching railroad operated pier stations and offline terminals located in Manhattan, so those pages were created as well.

   It should also be noted that this website and the information contained on those webpages is constantly evolving, being updated and in some cases, corrected. Revisions are listed by individual page in the "update list" located at the very top of this page.

   It must be noted that I cannot take full credit for all the efforts on this website, as the information you see before you is due to the collaborative efforts of many people who have contributed to this website  and they should be recognized as well. These people and their contributions are listed in alphabetical order in the "special thanks" chapter at the bottom of this page, but I am especially indebted to and grateful for the continuous contributions and assistance from many people, most notably: Joseph Roborecky, Fred Breimann, (both of whom are retired Brooklyn Offline Terminal locomotive engineers) as well as Thomas Flagg, Benjamin W. Schaefer, Jay Held, Ed Bommer and Paul Strubeck; all fine historians in their own right.

   Photographs come from a variety of notable "old time" collections; Everett DeGoyler, F. Rodney Dirkes, Harold Fagerberg, Gerald Landau, Bradford Stiles, Frank Zahn and from the digital archives of the Brooklyn Public, New York Public and New York State Libraries. Images also come from "modern" collections such as Gene Collora, Tim Darnell, Mike DeLuca, Matt Herson and Dave Keller, among many others and from either photographs they themselves took or acquired over the years.

   Of course, all photographs pertaining to the locations covered are welcome!  If you have images you would like to have displayed, please feel free to contact me at the email link below.

   Be sure to visit my website on:

Military Railroads of the New York Metropolitan Area
www.militaryrrofnyc.info

   All photographic contributions (specific to the locations covered) are welcome!  Please free free to submit your images to BEDT14@aol.com. You will of course be given due credit!

  ~ VISITORS PLEASE READ ~

The collection of images contained within this website,
is due to the unprecedented and selfless contributions of the current owners of those photo archives.

These people have made their generous contributions to this website in good will and have allowed me to post those images online for the entire railroading community to view and appreciate in admiration of these fallen flag railroads.

In return, I strongly request that you please request the ownership copyrights on those said images.

.

   Other than that, please enjoy the history and thanks for taking the time to visit this website and don't forget to:

Sign the Guestbook !

Philip M. Goldstein
Margaretville, NY

Preface

.

   When one actually stops and compiles a list of all the railroads that once operated in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx or Manhattan, that list actually becomes quite impressive, and in fact will reflect more operating entities than some states in the U.S. and most countries in the world!

   Normally, when railroads of Brooklyn are mentioned, one tends to either think of the four Rail-Marine contract terminals, those being the: Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Bush Terminal, New York Dock and the Jay Street Terminal.

   Or, one may think of the many steam powered (and later electric streetcar) passenger railroads that once operated and that were eventually absorbed into the Transit System. If one thought of Staten Island, the Staten Island Railway (another predominant passenger railroad once operated by the Baltimore & Ohio RR) is forefront in the majority of railfans recollections.

   While Queens was home to the LIRR's Long Island City Freight Yards & Float Bridge, this facility wasn't "technically" off line, being it was connected to the Hell Gate Bridge after 1917 via Sunnyside Junction, but BEDT's Pidgeon Street Yard was indisputably offline. As far as I can tell, this was the only offline terminal located in Queens. 

   The Bronx and Manhattan also had several offline terminals as well, but these were all operated by trunk line / Class 1 railroads (B&O, LV, Erie & PRR). There was also the New York Central freight routes running through city streets, but I consider this operation to be "online" (and therefore not covered by this website) as it was in fact connected to mainline trackage via bridges in the Bronx.

   Yet despite all the knowledge of these operations, there were in fact other offline freight railroads located in Brooklyn, that have hardly been mentioned in contemporary accounts, if at all; as well as the hardly known industrial railroads that operated in the the five boroughs of New York City.

   As such, all of the terminal railroads covered on my websites, are known as "offline terminals". The accepted definition of an "offline terminal" is such that a railroad terminal with no physical rail connection to the mainland rail network of the United States. The only method of freight car transfer to and from the mainland rail network to these terminals was by carfloat.

   Until December 2008, this website did not cover the following "offline" terminals operated by the Class 1 railroads:

Trunk Line / Class 1 - Offline Freight Terminals
(previously not covered by this website)

.

   While the Harlem Transfer has been covered on my website for some time, this was largely due to the fact it was originally a joint venture (shared facility) until 1906, when at such time it was purchased outright by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. But even after this occurred, it had been operated as wholly owned subsidiary of its own accord and identity. The design of the Harlem Transfer Company, which it shares in most degrees with two other Bronx facilities; is unique in the fact that is has a circular freight house and concentric circular access trackage.

   Save for that one facility though, I had intentionally omitted all the other Class 1 offline terminals from my website. This decision was made for the most part, because I felt that with the plethora of information already published both in bound form and on the internet, and with so many leisurely and professional historians working on the histories of the Long Island Railroad and the Baltimore & Ohio / Staten Island Railway, as well as the other Class 1 railroads, I would be duplicating efforts already undertaken. I eventually realized this was an error on my part.

    In fact, there did not appear to be an overwhelming amount of published material on quite a few of these Class 1 terminals located outside of Manhattan. In my opinion, detailed histories of Pennsylvania Railroad's North 4 Street Terminal, and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's 25th Street and Wallabout Terminals (all of which were located in Brooklyn); were practically non-existent and desperately needed.

   I also found a severe lack of information on the web of the Lehigh Valley and Erie Railroad facilities in the Bronx. The Central Railroad of New Jersey's Bronx Terminal has received a bit more publicity (being the subject of Tim Warris' model building website); but an actual dedicated history on that Central Railroad of New Jersey Bronx Terminal was not to be found either. In the process of researching the Pennsylvania Railroads' North 4th Street Freight Station, it was discovered that a very early and short lived offline terminal had been located at North 1st Street! This facility was constructed by the Baltimore & Ohio RR in 1898 and subsequently sold to New York, New Haven & Hartford RR until it's demise around 1918; but until now, this location eluded discovery or mention in contemporary accounts or in research by present day historians.

   I also did not intend to create a page on the shared Wallabout Union Freight Station operation (Pennsylvania, New York Central, Lehigh Valley and Baltimore & Ohio Railroads) or the Wallabout Station of the Erie Railroad. Both of these facilities are kind of odd balls, as they were pier stations only; with no trackage or float bridge. Carfloats would simply be moored to the pier, and freight and commodities removed directly from the freight cars to the pier sheds. But their contribution to railroading history in Brooklyn was without fanfare until now.   

   Therefore, with the dedicated assistance of Joseph Roborecky, Tom Flagg, Paul Strubeck, Jay Held, John Teichmoeller and many other fine contributors, these Class 1 Offline Terminals located in Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan were researched, images located and now pages have been created and added to this website detailing the histories of these locations. Also added was the New York City's Float Bridge located at their 207th Street Yard in north Manhattan.  

   All told, there are now forty separate locations on which the histories and operations of Industrial & Terminal Railroads in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island & the Bronx & Manhattan are covered by this website, plus the "photo albums" of the Manhattan Pier Stations & Inland Freight Stations, the page of photos of street running freight trains of New York Central railroad in Manhattan and current modern day freight operations in Brooklyn & Staten Island, the Glossary page, the page on the Development of the Carfloat Transfer Bridge in New York Harbor, the Comprehensive List of Transfer Bridges in New York Harbor page and the List of Diesel Powered Railroad Tugboats of the East Coast!

.

Trunk Line / Class 1 - Online Freight Terminals Not Covered

   For the time being, the following locations in New York will remain to be omitted from this website for the following two reasons:

      a. These rail marine / carfloating terminals were technically connected to the mainland United States rail network; and / or
      b. They have been extensively covered in printed and internet publications.

   Those locations being the:

      ¹  via the Hell Gate Bridge
      ²  via Sunnyside Yard and the East River Tunnels or over the Hell Gate Bridge
      ³  via the Arthur Kill vertical lift bridge to New Jersey
      ⁴  via several bridges crossing the Harlem River

.   

   Again, even though I had no intention to cover online terminals in the New York Metropolitan Area, I came across several interesting photographs of New York Central Freight Service (street running albeit "pre-High Line") in New York City. As I feel the photos are historically important, so I have included those images on their own page strictly as a photo album. You may view those images here. 

   If you should desire information on those first three locations above, I highly recommend these three resources:

      1.   Steve Lynch's & Dave Keller's "LIRR website", and the books:
      2.  "The New York Connecting Railroad" by  Robert C. Sturm and William G. Thom, as well as
      3.  "New York Harbor Railroads in Color, Volumes 1 and 2", by Thomas Flagg.

.

"What you see here" or:
Accuracy & Contradictions in Data & Opinion

.

   I also think is bears mentioning that every so often, a contradiction in data surfaces. Research from one publication or author contradicts information from another. Naturally, on occasion; it becomes very difficult to determine the truth. I know this personally after many exchanges of dialog and research with other historians, and it can become confusing.

   But I assure you, the contributors to this website and myself have taken the utmost care and great pains to uncover, discover, research, reiterate and elaborate on this data accurately. Matter of fact, I and other contributors to this website take our research to extreme levels, and verify information through several sources and where possible, through former employees and documents, including but not limited to official documentation: Interstate Commerce Commission / Surface Transportation Board Reports, Sanborn Maps, Department of Docks & Ferries Annual Reports, Moody's Investment Reports, Real Estate, Property & Tax Maps, Vessel / Locomotive Builders Records, and where possible Company Documents; etc.

   While this does not always guarantee 100% accuracy, you can be assured the information contained in this work is of the highest quality possible and not merely copied from sources such as popular railfan publications and accounts, etc; and assumed to be correct.

   There is the reason for this. I have said so many times; once errors (whether accidental or intentional due to obstinance or ignorance) have been published in printed & bound format, they cannot be repaired. Hence one reason why I have chosen NOT to publish this website in bound & printed format. Which is also why you see an update list at the top of this website.

   Therefore in cases of contradictory data from independent sources, both (or all) versions are usually listed with my/our notes. Only where and when I state that text or information is of personal opinion or hypothesis, is information not conclusive.

   After discussing the finer points of this website with many established authors, recognized historians, former employees, et al; you will find the majority of the information on this website correct and extremely well researched.

   Despite our best efforts and every so often, a genuine error rears its ugly head. Please do not hesitate to contact us with correction submissions at: bedt14@aol.com.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Facility Definitions

.

   As for the definition of facility, some readers might find themselves asking what is the difference between an "industrial railroad" and an "offline terminal railroad". There are now actually five distinct categories of freight railroads discussed within this website:
.

Offline Terminal Railroads.
.

• Companies operating locomotives and an offline freight terminal, with marine - rail interchange (carfloating) capacity:
  Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal;   Brooklyn Dock & Terminal;   Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse;   Bush Terminal;   Jay Street Connecting;   New York Cross Harbor;   New York New Jersey Rail;   New York Dock;   Harlem Transfer;   Pennsylvania Railroad North 4th Street Freight Station;   New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad North 1st Street Freight Station;   Central Railroad of New Jersey Bronx Terminal;   Erie Railroad Harlem Station;   Lehigh Valley Bronx Terminal;   Baltimore & Ohio Railroad West 26th Street Freight Station;   Lehigh Valley Railroad West 27th Street Freight Station;   Erie Railroad West 23rd and West 28th Street Freight Stations;  Pennsylvania Railroad West 37th Street Freight Station
  .

• Companies operating locomotives and an offline freight terminal, without marine - rail interchange (carfloating) capacity themselves, but were provided with freight service via carfloating service from an above railroad and/or by mainline railroad (service connection in parenthesis):
  Atlas Terminal (Long Island Railroad),   American Dock & Trust (Baltimore & Ohio);   Degnon Terminal (Long Island Railroad);   Pouch Terminal (Baltimore & Ohio);   South Brooklyn (Bush Terminal / New York Dock / New York New Jersey Rail);   Port Jersey (New York New Jersey Rail / Conrail Shared Assets Operations)

.
Industrial or Private Railroads.
.

• Companies operating locomotives in a dedicated industrial, construction or other private capacity with private operation of a float bridge:
  Procter & Gamble;  Independent Subway Lines / New York City Transit Authority 207th Street Yard
  .

• Companies operating locomotives in a dedicated industrial, construction or other private capacity without private operation of a float bridge:
  Astoria Light, Heat & Power;  Brooklyn Ash Removal Company;  Degnon Contracting / Degnon Realty Improvement;  G & R Packing;  
  Goodwin - Gallagher Sand & Gravel;  Queens Subway Apartment & Loft Building Corp.

.
Pier Stations

• Railroad companies operating freight houses on piers for the removal of freight directly from a carfloat or lighter (no float bridges, team tracks or locomotives):
  Erie Railroad Wallabout Station; Wallabout Union Terminal (combined operation Pennsylvania, New York Central, Lehigh Valley, Baltimore & Ohio and Central Railroad of New Jersey), various pier stations on the Hudson & East Rivers;

.
   For an in-depth list of terms and definitions with illustrations; please visit the Glossary.

   With that being stated; any readers who might have questions, comments, suggestions, information or contributions are more than welcome to contact me:

Philip M. Goldstein
(845) 586-4672
bedt14@aol.com

   Now, without further delay; I present to you Industrial & Offline Terminal Railroads of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Manhattan...

A Glimpse of the Way Things Were

.

   It is the year 1870. Ulysses S. Grant is in the White House after being elected president following a successful victory in the Civil War. Walrus mustaches are popular among men, and top hats are in. The Department of Justice is created as a government agency. The Army Weather Bureau is created, and this would become the National Weather Service. The current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is placed in service, the transcontinental railroad celebrates its 1 year anniversary. There are no electric lights and either the mail or the telegraph is the means of communicating long distance, (even though a gentleman inventor by the name of Alexander Graham Bell is tinkering with acoustic telegraphy, which in a a few years yields a device that will eventually become known as the telephone).

   In New York City; the Statue of Liberty does not exist and just north, Ellis Island, known then as Castle Garden, is beginning to bustle with freshly arrived immigrants looking to become Americans. North Manhattan is wild forests. Staten Island is similar with a smattering of farms. Brooklyn and Queens are highly developed the closer you get to New York Harbor, but the eastern edges of Brooklyn & Queens are what would be considered "rural", and farmland dominated the view. Long distance travel, primarily via horse drawn wagon; is beginning to give way to the railroads. But, horse drawn carriages and small steam locomotive drawn street cars were the way to travel anywhere out of walking distance within the city.

   Long Island (which is comprised of Kings [Brooklyn], Queens, Nassau & Suffolk Counties, and Staten Island [Richmond County] were truly isolated from the mainland US. There are no bridges or tunnels spanning the East or Hudson Rivers. The Brooklyn Bridge would not be opened until 1883 and the Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensboro or George Washington Bridges would not be built until many years after that. There are no Holland, Lincoln or Queens Midtown Tunnels.

   The only way to transport anything to these locations was by water: either by ship, boat, lighter or barge. If you found it necessary to go from Brooklyn or Queens to Manhattan, or from Staten Island or New Jersey to Manhattan, you would have to take a ferry. The waterborne vessels of this period are powered either by wind and sail or primitive steam power and coal is starting to increase as the fuel of choice for furnaces and boilers, which are used for heat or propulsion power.

   The "second" industrial revolution is underway in earnest, and the mass production of consumer goods is taking hold. To get the raw materials, commodities and items from the mainland to Long Island, everything was shipped by water from New Jersey to Manhattan and Long Island. Today, it is difficult to envision this isolation with the myriad of bridges, highways, and tunnels (and gridlock!) linking Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island with the mainland.

   As a result of this waterborne traffic, many dockside terminals and warehouses were built around the New York City proper for storage. The large mainland trunk line (or known later on as Class 1) railroads had their own equipment and properties; namely: tugboats, lighters, barges and ferries to bring these commodities to and from various mainland railroad points around the NY Harbor. To get the commodities to the New Jersey shoreline; many railroads, their locomotives themselves powered by steam, have built a vast network of tracks radiating towards the New York area.

   In the pre-float bridge days, freight had to be manually transferred at the docks and wharves from newly arrived trains to barges and lighters (a lighter is essentially a barge with a enclosed structure on it, similar in design to a one room warehouse). Of the lighters that carried products that need to be kept chilled, (i.e.: milk, meat, fruits and vegetables), these lighters were insulated (usually with double walls filled with sawdust) and were equipped with roof hatches for the loading of ice to be carried on board.

   This was a time consuming and back breaking method, of having to unload a freight car on the dock, load it onto a lighter or barge, transport the lighter cross-harbor out of New Jersey, then unload it. Then repeat the process again for the trip back. It also required vast labor pools.

   There had to be a better way...

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Development of Carfloat Transfer Bridges in New York Harbor

.

   The following link will take you to the comprehensive history of the development of the carfloat transfer bridge in New York Harbor. This page includes all illustrations and information of float bridges previous located here, as well the addition of separate apron history as published in the 1905 Railway Age, the Mallery and French patent filings, and scans of James B. French's 1917 book "Development of the Car Float Transfer Bridges in New York Harbor"

   Naturally, an undertaking of this scope may have encountered unintentional omissions or erroneous data. Please direct all questions, corrections, and suggestions to bedt14@aol.com.

.

DEVELOPMENT OF CAR FLOAT TRANSFER BRIDGES IN NEW YORK HARBOR

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Comprehensive List of Float Bridges throughout New York Harbor
including New Jersey

.

   The following link will take you to a comprehensive list of all known float bridges that existed from 1866 to present, and that were located throughout New York Harbor and all adjoining estuaries, basins and rivers including but not limited to: Hudson / North River, Harlem River, East River, Upper New York Bay, Morris Canal, Wallabout Basin, Gowanus Bay and the Arthur Kill.

   This table was compiled by both Paul Strubeck & myself; with the cooperation of Tom Flagg and Ben Schaefer and others. This comprehensive table of all float bridges was born out of the previous list located here of surviving float bridges in the New York Harbor. Therefore it is only fitting that those surviving float bridges (whether they be derelict, in service or not yet placed in service) are listed in the comprehensive list and all data (where known) for all float bridges is now listed.

   Naturally, an undertaking of this scope may have encountered unintentional omissions or erroneous data. Please direct all questions, corrections, and suggestions to bedt14@aol.com.

.

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF FLOAT BRIDGES LOCATED THROUGHOUT NEW YORK HARBOR
INCLUDING NEW JERSEY

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Float Bridge Appliances

   The illustration below shows the appliances found on almost all pontoon type float bridges used throughout New York Harbor. Clicking on the illustration below will bring you to close up off the appliances. Use the back arrow on your web browser to return you here.

   Please take note that the only appliance not shown is the float bridge jack and a-frame. The reason for this is that this component has not been used in day to day float bridge operations for the last 20 years. Matter of fact, by referencing current images of New York New Jersey Rail float bridge operations in Brooklyn, the float bridge jack is not even mounted on the Bush Terminal float bridge in service.

   This appliance, if  it were to have been included in the diagram below, would have been located between the center two toggles with the hydraulic piston overhanging from the edge of the float bridge.

DIAGRAM NOT TO SCALE

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Carfloat Mooring & Float Bridge Pinning Procedures

..This chapter, once the reader has familiarized themselves with the components of a floatbridge; is to give the reader an understanding of the procedures involved in mooring and pinning a carfloat to a float bridge.

Pontoon Float Bridges

  To moor carfloats at pontoon type float bridges; the following procedure applies:

1.  Tugboat approaches float bridge with carfloat, and holds it in position for mooring;

2.  Four hawser lines attached to front mooring cleats (two on each side) of carfloat and are tightened up via winch wheels to bring carfloat into initial
        alignment. The winch wheels turns the winch drum (which holds the hawser line) via a gear reduction / torque multiplier system;  

3.  Locomotive slowly proceeds onto right track (facing water) of float bridge to weigh it down into the water; and to match height of float bridge with deck of carfloat;

4.  The right toggle bars are slid into carfloat receptacles and fastened with the toggle block;

5.  Hawser lines would be tightened again via winch wheels, and mooring lines from carfloat side cleats are attached to finger pier (if applicable);

6.  Locomotive reverses and backs off float bridge, switches to left track, and proceeds forward on float bridge left track until left side toggle bars
        are aligned with carfloat toggle receptacles;

7.  The left toggles (pins) are slid into carfloat receptacles and fastened with the chock;

8.  Hawser lines are tightened again;

9.  Hand jacks on the rails on the float bridge would be turned to adjust the horizontal alignment of the rails on the float bridge to match with rails on carfloat;

10.  Locomotive now "drills" (unloads cars from carfloat). For the procedure on this operation, please proceed to the next chapter below:
     "Carfloat Unloading Procedures"
    

Overhead Suspension Electrically Operated Transfer Bridges

   Carfloat mooring and pinning procedures were a little different at electrically operated (separate apron & contained apron) type float bridges; as those float bridges has electric winches for drawing in the carfloat tight against the float bridge:

1.  Tugboat brings carfloat in, and the float bridge is raised or lowered by bridgeman in control cabin to bring it into correct height alignment with
         carfloat.

2.  Hawser lines from power winch attached to front mooring cleats on each side of carfloat.

3.  Carfloat would be drawn in tight to float bridge.

4.  All toggles (pins) would be slid into carfloat receptacles and chocked in.

5.  Secondary hawser lines from manually powered winch wheels added and tightened.

6.  Hawser lines from carfloat side cleats attached to "finger piers" on both sides of carfloats.

7.  Hand jacks on the rails on the float bridge would be turned to adjust the horizontal alignment of the rails on the float bridge to match with rails on
        carfloat;

8. Locomotive now "drills" (unloads cars from carfloat). For the procedure on this operation, please proceed to the next chapter below:
    "Carfloat Unloading Procedures"

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Carfloat Unloading a/k/a "Drilling" Procedures

1. Locomotive is inched forward onto float bridge to bring it into same height as carfloat. Carfloat is secured to float bridge using method and appliances outlined in above
      chapter. Locomotive then couples up to cut of cars on starboard side track.

2. Locomotive pulls cut of cars on starboard side track half way off the carfloat and onto the float bridge lead; leaving part of the cut of cars still on
      float bridge and carfloat;

3. The locomotive uncouples from starboard side cut of cars, and locomotive continues past float bridge lead turnout. Turnout is thrown and aligned for port side track.

4. Locomotive heads forward onto port side carfloat track, and couples up to cut of cars on port side track.

5. Locomotive reverses direction, and pulls entire cut of cars off of port side track of carfloat and past float bridge lead turnout; and float bridge lead turnout is thrown and aligned for starboard side track.

6. Locomotive proceeds forward pushing port side cut of cars and couples up to starboard side cut of cars.

7. Locomotive reverses direction and pulls combined port and starboard side cuts of cars off carfloat to clear the turnout on float bridge for carfloat center track, and points of center track turnout are thrown and aligned for center track;

8. Locomotive pushes combined port and starboard of cars onto carfloat, coupling up to string of cars on the center track of carfloat.

9. Locomotive reverses direction, and pulls entire cut of cars (combined port starboard and center track cuts of cars) into the yard.
   
   Carfloat is now unloaded. To load carfloat, reverse procedure.

Would you like to see this operation in real time? Visit my videos on YouTube at:
.

• NYNJ Rail - carfloat mooring & car unloading (first carfloat): Bush Terminal 50th Street "Bush 2" Float Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

• NYNJ Rail - carfloat mooring & car unloading (second carfloat): Part 1 - Bush Terminal 50th Street "Bush 2" Float Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

• NYNJ Rail - carfloat unloading (second carfloat): Part 2 - Bush Terminal 50th Street "Bush 2" Float Bridge, Brooklyn, NY
  
  .

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Kaufman Act / Anti-Smoke Legislation of New York State - 1925
(Enter the diesel-electric locomotive...)

.

   The Kaufman Electrification Act of 1923, ratified by the New York State Assembly, mandated that all railroads located in the City of New York City be electrified by January 1, 1926. The bill was sponsored by recently elected Assemblyman Victor R. Kaufman (R) (hence it being called the Kaufman Act) and signed by Governor Alfred Emanuel Smith (D) on June 2, 1923. News of this act was published in the June 5, 1923 issue of the New York Times. As a result of this act, all railroads (freight as well as passenger railroads) operating in New York City would face a significant change pertaining to their operations with the passing of the State of New York's "Kaufman Act".

   Actually, the State of New York had already enacted legislation as early as 1903 prohibiting the operation of steam locomotives on Manhattan Island south of the Harlem River after June 30, 1908. This legislation was in response to the January 8, 1902 wreck in the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad's Park Avenue Tunnel, leading to and from Grand Central Station. In this incident, smoke had obscured the view of an engineer and he collided with another train. As a result, fifteen passengers were killed and two score (forty) of people were injured.

   Even though this legislation was enacted, clearly exemptions had been made as there are several photographs within this website showing several of the trunkline railroads operating steam locomotives in Manhattan right up through the mid 1920's (i.e.: Erie RR at West 28th Street, New York Central RR along Tenth and Eleventh Avenues).
.

   This amendment allowed a second "power" option for the railroads to use in order to comply with the law, and obviously of which some railroads took this route.

   Others did not: the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad would electrify their Staten Island Railway, Degnon Terminal would simply sell out their operation to the Long Island Rail Road in September 1928, with the Long Island Rail Road both electrifying and dieselizing their routes within Brooklyn and Queens, and Bush Terminal would "dieselize" in 1931 with their purchase of seven H3 high hood models from Ingersoll-Rand.

   Also, if I understand correctly; the Kaufman Act was further amended to consider those railroads that were too small to consider electrification, but I cannot locate either a newspaper article or legal document to reflect this amendment. Apparently some form of allowances or exemptions were proposed and adopted, as both the New York Dock Railway and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operated steam locomotives through 1951 and 1963 respectively.

   What has not been learned as yet, is under what specific allowances / exemptions the New York Dock and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operated their steam locomotives. One possible hypothesis which is unconfirmed at this time; is that about the early to mid 1930's the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal converted their locomotives from coal fired to oil fired, using Bunker-C oil. As evidenced by many of the photographs of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal steam locomotives, they burned rather "clean" with little evidence of heavy smoke typical of a coal fired locomotive. I believe this is how the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal complied (circumvented?) with the Kaufman Act.

   Referencing several photos of New York Dock steam locomotives show tall enclosed style oil bunkers on the rear of the locomotives post-1931, while others show short open coal style bunkers, and even piles of coal and coal bins on the docks (which may have been for indoor stove use, but cannot be discounted for powering the locomotives as yet). New York Dock would continue to operate their steam locomotives as well, but eventually "dieselized" in 1951 with their purchase of five General Electric 44 ton centercab switchers, leaving only the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal to continue to operate steam powered locomotives until 1963; when they too would dieselize with their initial purchase of four (eventually to add two more, making a total of six) used American Locomotive Company model S1 switchers.

   As a footnote, I have to add that researching the Kaufman Act was no quick and simple task. When steam locomotives faded into obscurity and diesel-electric locomotives became the standard throughout the 1940s and 1950's, details about the Kaufman Act also faded into obscurity. I still have not been able to locate the original legislation. It also appears to date at the time of this writing, that no railroad historian had yet assembled a definitive history of the Kaufman Act (with the exception of a quick blurb or paragraph), and both the negative and positive repercussions of the Kaufman Act upon the railroad industry. That is until now.

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Firsts, Lasts & Onlys

   The various terminals (online & offline) in the New York Area would become the location for many "firsts" of railroading that would occur, not to mention "lasts" and "onlys".

   The following table is a compilation of those occurrences or events. Please feel free to submit others or corrections. Criteria is that the event or occurrence pertain to an offline terminal or industrial railroad in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx or Manhattan.

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Railroad Operated Pier Stations & Inland Freight Stations

.

   In all honesty, I never intended to create pages on the Pier Stations or Inland Freight Stations. My sole page on these facilities regarded those Pier Stations located in Wallabout Basin in Brooklyn. However, after expanding my research into the Class 1 offline terminals in Manhattan, images began to creep into my collection.

   Therefore as of April 2009, you will now find a page on pier station facilities located in Manhattan. After all, it was only fitting I refer to those pier stations in Manhattan since I squirrelled away several images of those pier stations that I locating in the various archives.

   It must also be remembered, that almost any pier could receive freight via carfloat. As such, a great majority of piers on West side of Manhattan handled freight in some way or another, so I had to differentiate between the railroad operated piers and those of the many shipping lines in Manhattan as well.

   Also, most of the fruit and produce wholesalers had one or more piers on the Hudson and / or East Rivers, therefore station carfloats could be found next to a pier that was not a railroad operated pier station and have not been included. In any event, pier stations on the Hudson and East Rivers, were very ubiquitous to say the least and were not often photographed. Therefore even the small amount of photos I have acquired, should provide some enjoyment to the interested reader.

   It was then in doing some quick research on those pier stations (for pier dimensions), that I learned the railroads had "inland" freight stations as well. These were nothing more than multi-story warehouses located some blocks from either the pier stations or offline terminals. Photos of these are what I consider "rarest of the rare". There were not many of these inland freight stations and both data and images are scarce, so I have included these as well on the page.

   In regards to this topic, one person stands out above the rest a unique contributor: Mr. Joseph DeMay. Joe is a historian of piers and wharves in the New York Harbor area and is constantly acquiring images of those piers and wharves to which some are over 100 years old. Special thanks goes to Joe for sharing his collection of images of pier stations with us.

   The following link will take you to the page showcasing the collection of images taken throughout New York Harbor of Railroad Operated Pier Stations and Inland Freight Stations that were located in Manhattan:
.

RAILROAD OPERATED PIER STATIONS & INLAND FREIGHT STATIONS OF MANHATTAN

   The following link pertains to the only documented railroad operated pier stations in Brooklyn. This was the wallabout Union Freight / Pier Station in Brooklyn, NY and of which a bit of research I have compiled a bit of research on:

WALLABOUT UNION FREIGHT STATION OF BROOKLYN
(PRR, NYC / WS / NYO&W, LV, B&O, CRRNJ)

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Miscellaneous Freight Railroad Images of New York City
(historical & present day)

.

   This page is dedicated to images of Freight Railroad Operations in the City of New York, that do not specifically apply to my areas of interest, but are of significant importance to be archived.

   While most are images of the New York Central Railroad street operations in Manhattan prior to the construction of the "High Line", there are also present day images of the freight operations at the New York Container Terminal in Port Ivory, Staten Island. This is significant due to the fact that it incorporates use of a historical railroad landmark, the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge.

   Also included are a few images of the current operator of Bush Terminal in Brooklyn and Greenville, NJ; that being New York New Jersey Rail.

MISCELLANEOUS FREIGHT RAILROAD IMAGES OF NEW YORK CITY
(HISTORICAL & MODERN ERA)

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

List of Miscellaneous Locomotives, Owners & Operators
in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island & the Bronx

.
.

   The following is a compilation of firms listed in the various builders records I have acquired, that were located in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx, and which are shown to have received, owned or operated locomotives.

   In several circumstances, I have come across firms shown on property tax maps (Bromley, E. Belcher Hyde) that show trackage, but I could not find an entry for a locomotive for this firm. A link to an image of that property map is listed under those entries.

   It should be noted, that with the industrial railroads that I have listed above, they had some significant data or history records in one form or another that I have been able to compile, and this information made it feasible to create a separate page on that company. The owners listed below however, have no such recorded history of operations, and so until such a history is found, they are relegated to a simple list.

   Frankly, there are dozens if not hundreds of locomotives listed in the builders records for firms in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, NY; and I have only located one entry for the Bronx. When I first started this venture, it was brought to my attention that some of those locomotives may have indeed operated in Brooklyn and / or Queens, while others may have simply been registered to an owner or company that was located in Brooklyn or Queens, but the locomotive may have actually been used at another location not in the City of New York.

   There were also many machinery equipment suppliers and brokers located in Brooklyn (and Queens, Manhattan, etc), so some of those locomotives were actually purchased by one of these brokers and resold, i.e: to a plantation railroad in South America, a quarry railroad in Manitoba, etc. Those locomotives cleared marked for export or lease in the builders records have been excluded altogether.

   However, one factor to consider in regards to several contracting and construction firms listed below, these firms are also found to be named or seen in photographic records of some of the various New York City subway system construction contracts. Therefore it is a possibility that the locomotives were used in some capacity or another to excavate new tunnel construction and / or existing tunnel expansion projects throughout the early half of the Twentieth Century.

   One of the things I took note of when reviewing the expanded this list below (which now includes the locomotive models and dates of acquisition), is that the majority of dates of acquisition are in the 1920's, prior to the Great Depression, with extremely few entries dated afterwards. Whether there is any real correlation between the fall off of locomotive purchases and the stock market crash of 1929, remains unknown.

   For now, here is a list of firms that are listed in the builders records as being in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and show as to having received locomotives, or in some cases a property tax (Belcher - Hyde, Bromley), or fire insurance (Sanborn) map shows trackage for that firm. I have listed the pertinent data for each locomotive where known.

   Please note, this list does not include the recipients of steam or other locomotives for passenger use.

Locomotive Footnotes

[a]	Sales records show this locomotive being shipped through the Brookyn Eastern District Terminal, Brooklyn, NY
[b]	Sales records show this locomotive being shipped: Pidgeon St Station, Brooklyn, N Y (the BEDT Pidgeon Street Station / Terminal was located in Queens, but the BEDT main offices was Kent Avenue, Brooklyn) equipped with 20" wheels and Westinghouse V53 motor
[c]	Mason - Hanger won the contract to bore and construct the Fulton Street subway tunnel under the East River for the 14th Street line. These five 6 Ton ESB locomotives were shipped to the Fulton Terminal (of the New York Dock Railway), Brooklyn, NY. Another five identical Whitcomb 6 Ton ESB locomotives were purchased as part of this contract (for a total of 10 locomotives) and delivered to Pier 16 & 17, East River, New York, N Y; presumably so that boring could commence from both sides of the river and meet under the center of the riverbed. equipped with 20" wheels and Westinghouse V53 motor
[d]	trade in - $400 for Oakdale locomotive equipped with 20" wheels and Westinghouse V53 motor
[e]	equipped with 20" wheels and Westinghouse V53 motor
[f]	this unit believed to have been brought in by BEDT and used in Jack Frost Sugar Refinery @ Pidgeon Street, Long Island City. equipped with 18" wheels and Westinghouse V54 motor
[pm]	trackage shown on property maps, no locomotive data found in builders records.

   ESB  = Electric Storage Battery

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Reference Number Chart

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Like what you see? Suggestions? Comments?

Click here to sign the:

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Bibliography, Resources & Suggested Reading:

Please note, I am not responsible for inaccuracies published by other sources.

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Special Thanks To:

   It has to be stated for the record, I cannot take sole credit for this website and contents.

   The associated pages within, would not be possible without the generous assistance and contributions from many avid railfans of the Offline Terminals, railroad and locomotive historians, descendants of owners or principals of the industrial railroads, as well as those representatives at repositories where information and photographs are stored.

   I have listed, in alphabetical order, those who have given their time and assistance in searching catalogs and locating and contributing images from their vast files:

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

Interested in Rail - Marine / Offline Terminal Operations?

.

   Then consider joining the Rail Marine Information Group!

.

Rail Marine Information Group Website

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

.

For those of you who wish to visit my other railroad websites, please click here:

RETURN TO INDEX

.

Website Dedication

This website is fondly dedicated to the memory of my father Stan.
Quite simply, he is solely responsible for my interest in railroading, and for that I shall forever be indebted.

See you at the next stop dad.

   It is with great honor that I also dedicate portions of this website to the memory of Francis "Frank" George Zahn. I never had the pleasure of actually meeting Frank, but I knew of him and his extensive railroad archives. The railfan community suffered a significant loss with his passing.

   His wife Lillian was gracious enough to allow me access to Frank's archives and to procure his vast collection of New York Industrial & Terminal Railroad photos (Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, New York Dock, Bush Terminal, American Dock and Atlas Terminal), so that he and his photographs may be remembered and kept in the public eye. This was my first collection purchase and I am proud that it was formerly Frank's.

   So in recognition for her graciousness, I found it necessary to see to it that we all remember Frank for his selfless contributions to the railfan community. Henceforth, those pages of which his images are on (Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Bush Terminal, New York Dock and Atlas Terminal) are now dedicated in his memory...

Francis "Frank" George Zahn February Twenty-Third, Nineteen Hundred Twenty Five June Eighth, Two Thousand Eight

RETURN TO INDEX

.

About the author:

Please click here to learn about the
AUTHOR.

RETURN TO INDEX

.

[?]

Create your own free Rail Blog or Website! Advertise | About Us | Contact Us | Sign up for our Newsletter | TrainWeb.com