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INDUSTRIAL & TERMINAL RAILROADS & RAIL-MARINE OPERATIONS OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

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Index

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Early History

Lunchtime on Bush Terminal Pile Driver #1 - July 1, 1903
W. L. S. photo
authors collection

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   Bush Terminal was another of the independent Rail-Marine contract terminals that were located in Brooklyn. It received carfloats from carfloat terminals on the Hudson River shoreline of New Jersey, as well as from offline rail-marine terminals located in Manhattan, but also lighterage - direct transfer - from ocean going vessels moored at piers in the Hudson as well as East Rivers.  

   Bush Terminal was also a major shipment point for the receiving as well as shipping (originating) point (forgoing the need for carfloating) for a great variety of freight as well - bound for domestic and overseas ports.

   Bush Terminal would be organized around the 1890's by Irving T. Bush (born July 12, 1869 - died 1948), on the site of his father's former oil business in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. 

   Many sources state that Bush Terminal was created in 1902; but it actually predates that. Irving Bush's book "Working With The World" states, and I quote directly:

"It was a family corporation called "The Bush Company, Limited," and the only stock holders were my mother, my brother, and myself. We began the construction of six warehouses, and in front of them a small section of the first pier shed. It was a great day for me when we gathered to lay the first brick for the first warehouse. I remember it well, because I had expected to be an onlooker. I was twenty-five years old, very shy, but full of hopes.

The workmen were older and bold and full of an ambition to be full of hops. I was at once admitted to their union, and with pride and care laid the first brick at the corner of what is still known as Warehouse No. 3."

p. 17 "Working With The World"

   Ergo, Irving Bush having been born in 1869, + 25 years old = 1894. 

   And so, Bush Terminal began humbly.

Official Railway Guide, 1905

It all started with a pier, a warehouse, a towboat, a leaky carfloat, two tramp steamers and a lot of bananas.

   As so wonderfully told in his book, Irving Bush details the start of his terminal venture. It started with a pier, a warehouse under construction, one leaky old carfloat, a towboat and a grand vision. 

   He did not have an easy time of it - getting to be the largest terminal in Brooklyn. He explains;

"When the warehouse walls that I started began to rise, I purchased for twelve hundred dollars a second-hand switch locomotive from the Erie Railroad. Those were not years of prosperity for the Erie, and any locomotive which the Erie was ready to discard had seen it's best days. He describes it as "short, fat and squat, with a water tank like a camels hump on its back. It was not a big engine, even as locomotives went in those days, and probably the reason the Erie parted with it was that it had ceased being powerful enough for railroad work."

"I next purchased a decrepit, second hand carfloat from the Lehigh Valley Railroad. It, too, had outgrown its usefulness, and was in constant need of a good pump."

p. 21 & 22; "Working With The World"

   The towboat was purchased from Standard Oil; ironically that had been sold to them from his father's oil refinery some years before.

   Irving now had the equipment, but no business. He solicited the other established railroads in New York Harbor, but they not were willing to consider Bush Terminal to be a freight destination and refused to direct any freight his way. 

   So, Irv decided to buy something, anything; on the cheap and have it shipped to himself with Bush Terminal being the destination. He hired a young man as freight agent, and sent him out to Michigan (Irving's birth state) to farms Irving knew and purchased hay; thinking at worst that if he could find no buyer in Brooklyn, his own teams of work horses on the property would be fed for a while. 

   Since railroad cars at the turn of the century were small and only had a capacity of twenty tons, the shipment required twenty-five cars at the cost of $160 per car. Total investment on his part - purchased of hay, baling, carriage to the railroad station, plus the cost of railroad cars and their transportation was to be $16,000.  He instructed his agent to go to the nearest local railhead to the farms, that being Britton, Michigan (on the Wabash Line); as well as smaller unnamed railroad (that "terminated in Toledo.") 

   The agent was to contract with the station agents the shipment of twenty five carloads of hay, but on the condition that the destination was to be Bush Docks, Brooklyn. One must keep in mind, that small intermediate railroad stations maybe saw one carload originate from their stop, if they were not near a industry. To have 25 cars shipped from their station was a great feather in the cap for the local station agent. So, those station agents telegraphed their general freight agent, and inquired of the rates to ship 25 cars of hay to Bush Terminal. The general freight agents replied, "Where? And what's Bush Terminal? 

   Regardless the cars were consigned and the first twenty cars of hay traveled through West Virginia on the B&O. 

   Irving was able to sell all twenty-five car loads of hay to local Brooklyn stables and hay suppliers; and then immediately retired from the hay business. 

   However, even with Bush Terminal know as a "recognized" destination; the railroads receiving the cars on the New Jersey shoreline; gave priority to other shippers and railroads with full carfloats to be loaded, even if they arrived way after Bush's tug and carfloat had arrived.So the Bush Terminal tugboat and crew would sit, sometimes for hours, and even for a half day or more, getting paid to do nothing except keep steam up in the boiler.

"It was a regular thing for us to have our float captains report that they were kept waiting long hours while other floats, which had arrived after our own, were bridged and pulled."

p. 34; Working With The World"

   This continued to be the status quo for a while, until freight traffic for Bush Terminal slowly increased; and eventually, the Bush Terminal tug captain would make their way to the yardmaster office, and respectfully (but firmly) demanding prompt service. Soon, the captain was getting treated with a little more respect and getting his carfloat loaded in reasonable times. 

   By 1904, freight traffic had increased to the point that Irving had to purchase a few more second hand carfloats. These were far from being in the best condition, and more towards the "it's time to scrap it" end of their lifespan, but they were the best Irving could afford. Additional tugboats and captains he could hire on a hourly or per diem basis. 

   He also found the freight traffic to have increased to the point, in having to require a second locomotive for switching in the fledgling railyard. So, Irving acquired a 0-4-4T "Forney" type, now being sold off by the dozens as the Elevated Railroads in New York City began to electrify.

   Even with those issues having ironed themselves out; another issue arose. With the spring thaw, and the ice breaking up on the Hudson River; it floated down to fill Upper New York Bay. There was little water traffic in front of Bush Terminal in those early days - only the 39th Street Ferry a few block to the north, and when ice locked, the ferry service was canceled. So the ice would settle more thickly at Bush's location than in parts of the harbor, where it was kept moving somewhat by passing vessels.

   With carfloats unable to move and at freight traffic at a standstill; the few freight customers that Bush had acquired were keeping the telephone line to the main office warm with very hot words. So Irving had to hire other towboats at prices several times the cost of regular service; just to clear out the dock spaces.

   Development grew steadily. Irving Bush's vision of an integrated industrial park containing piers / warehouses / railroad was coming to fruition. 

   Now Irving desired to advertising the pier sheds and dock facilities and announce to the world that Bush Terminal was open to ocean going commerce; but he encountered the same resistance with Steam Ship lines electing to use Bush as a marine terminal as the railroad did in regard to freight car destination.

   So Irving chartered two Norwegian tramp steamships: the "Banan" and the "Bergen" and Irving printed some stationery under the "Independent Steamship Line." He chartered the vessels under the time agreement - agreeing to a six month term. But he still had to secure a cargo to haul.

   A chance meeting with another young man that had been a clerk with another steamship line, informed Irving that he knew of firms in Jamaica, where he was sure he could get freight consigned. He hired this gent to the position of general manager of the Independent Steamship Line, and this gent was good to his word. Since empty ships make no money, the fledgling general manager secured a cargo flour, groceries and general supplies for the island. At first it appeared the first trip was going to be only one third capacity; but at the last minute and large heavy consignment was obtained. Not having much experience in loading (stevedoring), when the ship set sail, it had a considerable list to port side. Irving remembers worrying that the ship would capsize in rough weather off Cape Hatteras; but the experiences Norwegian captain had already begun transferring coal from bunkers upon reaching "the Narrows" to even out the ship.

   Once the ship arrived in Jamaica, no freight was found to be wanting to go to Brooklyn or anywhere else in New York Harbor. The general manager wired Irving:

"No cargo obtainable. Suggest buying bananas on your own account."

p. 34; Working With The World"

   Irving knew as much about bananas as he did about hay. If the cargo was to be bananas, bananas it was going to be. After a flurry of cables back and forth, Irving authorized the purchase of 8,000 bunches of bananas. There seemed to be no other commerce leaving Jamaica other than bananas. But as Irving so freely admits, he had no prior experience with bananas, and despite being shipped green from Jamaica, the ships had no refrigeration and transit time was slow; so by time of arrival at his pier in South Brooklyn; the bananas were over ripe.

   Not one to slip on a banana peel (his words); he knew that people ate bananas, and he was now out to convince them, that they needed to eat more of them. The first cargo arrived and the bananas were sold at auction over the side of the ship; delivered directly to the waiting horse drawn carts and trucks of the winning bidders, and immediately transported to the cool cellars of fruit dealers in Manhattan. 

   Apparently bananas, had been a "delicacy" for dining room tables of the wealthy. Now, with this shipment being so cheaply sold; they became affordable to the everyman and they became popular in lunch bags and boxes; and subsequently the demand for bananas rose. But like his hay venture, Irving gave up hauling bananas - he achieved what he wanted: to make a name for himself in steamship transportation.

   The Bush Terminal complex was eventually completed around 1920. By 1928 (the year Working With The World" was published, Bush Terminal was handling two million tons of rail freight per year. 

   The vast size of Bush Terminal allowed it to accommodate just about any industry interested in leasing space, and Bush Terminal eventually became the largest of the Brooklyn terminals with seven full sized piers (the largest in New York Harbor when constructed). Pier 8 was added  after the main construction phase had been completed.

   Bush Terminal constructed extremely large warehouses and piers (some with indoor rail sidings), and commercial buildings; and all this were served by its own rail network and marine fleets. While New York Dock to the north had three rail terminals and additional warehouses spread amongst four locations; Bush combined everything into one location, and all of interconnected.

• Bush Terminal would be the first integrated terminal - combining rail transport, waterborne transport (long distance and local lighterage) with multi-tenant manufacturing facilities, under a unified management.
  and, 
• acting as a self sustaining industrial city; Bush Terminal employed over 25,000 workers.
• so vast it was the Bush properties, it enjoyed it very own trolley line.
  

   The terminal also provided utilities to service the entire complex: two power plants for steam, heat and light, an electrical distribution system, and all other necessary utilities. There was also space for a bank, restaurants and cafeterias, a medical center for the workers, a center for longshoremen and, in earlier years, even a trolley running on the freight tracks to provide transportation for workers. Bush was dedicated to the welfare of the workers at Bush Terminal, only because (as he frankly stated) their welfare and morale were critical to the prosperity of his business tenants."

p. 6; Bush Terminal Company (Bush Terminal) HAER No. NY-201

  The majority of Bush Terminal Railroad trackage would be located between 39th Street and 51st Street, including the main yard and industrial sidings along First Avenue. 

   But, there was also a pair of running tracks within Second Avenue to a rail yard located as far north as 29th Street; as well to running tracks laid along the centerline of First Avenue to connect with the Long Island Railroad Bay Ridge Branch. Keep in mind these early years, this was before the New York, New Haven & Hartford in partnership with the Pennsylvania Railroad opened the 65th Street Yard and carfloating terminal, and 65th Street was the end of the line for their passenger service.

Bush Terminal: Economy From Dividends - 1910

ca. 1916

   
   In November 1947, the remains of 5200 fallen servicemen from the European Theater of Operations were repatriated to the United Stated. The ship carrying the caskets docked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and the caskets transferred to US Army Transportation Corps Mortuary Cars. Following the completion of loading, the cars were brought from the Army Terminal to Bush Terminal float brdiges by a Bush Terminal locomotive and crew. Then, they were placed on board Bush Terminal Carfloats #44 and 41 and were floated west to Greenville, NJ.

   Clicking on the following image will bring you to a collection of images once carried by Life Magazine. A link at the bottom of that page or the back arrow on your browser will return you here:

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   Bush Terminal would serve the New York area for the better part of eighty years, with only the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal preceding it in operation. 

   It would become the second of the four independent contract terminals to cease operations in 1971, (with Jay Street Terminal closing first in 1959), due to the downturn of waterborne freight traffic, the increasing use of inter-modal shipping containers and the completion of the interstate highway system that gave rise to long distance trucking.

   In 1971, the Bush Terminal Company would file for bankruptcy and ultimately go out of business and cease operations on March 11, 1972. At this time, the City of New York purchased the Bush Terminal properties and would subsequently lease the railroad operations to New York Dock. Those customers located around and serviced at the Bush Terminal location by the New York Dock Railway, were levied a surcharge for their deliveries to help financially support the railroad operation.

   New York Dock would also eventually merge with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in 1978 and would operate until August 21, 1983; at which time that entity ceased operations. Two weeks later, the "New York Cross Harbor Railroad" would assume operations of the Bush Terminal area for a new era rail operations.

   Bush Terminal operations still survive today, albeit the railroad is known as "New York New Jersey Rail, LLC", and carfloats still arrive from Greenville, NJ; but since 2012, no longer to Bush Terminal.

   The properties and surrounding neighborhood continue to undergo a gentrification process to upscale residential and light commercial; with just a tad of light industrial holding on for good measure.

RETURN TO INDEX

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Irving T. Bush

The vision of Bush Terminal, belonged to one man - none other than Irving T. Bush.    Irving T. Bush was born on July 12, 1869 in Ridgeway, Michigan; to Rufus T. and Sarah M. Bush (née Hall).    Irving relocated to Brooklyn, NY from Michigan with his family at a young age, and in time his father Rufus assembled a large plot of land bordering on Upper New York Harbor where he constructed an oil refinery known as Bush & Denslow Manufacturing Co. Around the middle of the 1880's, Irving's father sold this Brooklyn waterfront oil refinery to Standard Oil and retired.    Upon his father Rufus' accidental death in 1890, the Bush estate was valued at an estimated $2,000,000 (approximately $48,822,000 in 2008 dollars). At the age of twenty-one, Irving (and at that time a clerk for Standard Oil) could have immediately retired from business and lived off his inheritance, but the family heirs quickly incorporated the estate under the name "The Bush Company".    Irving became impressed with the growing congestion of business and traffic in the Port of New York, and applied himself to an urgent solution. In 1895, using this inheritance, he established several warehouses. This in turn led to his subsequent conception and construction of "Bush Terminal", a consolidated shipping and freight terminal, which integrated large covered piers (each accommodating several large ships at once), warehousing, storage, a freight railroad and eventually motor freight (trucking).     It took 25 years, but upon completion, this consolidated freight terminal was a resounding success. So much so, that Bush Terminal has been recognized by many architectural and engineering studies as the "model" freight terminal for many years to come. Also as a result of his success, Irving Bush wrote many articles which were published in many well recognized business periodicals; as well as published his business acumen in an autobiography, before it became popular to do so.. Personal Life    Irving's first marriage was to Ms. Belle Barlow on February 2, 1891; with whom he had two daughters: Beatrice born on October 10, 1895 and Eleanor, born September 20, 1898 (and of whom the two tugboats were named after).    Upon divorcing Belle some years later, Irving subsequently married Maud (sometimes spelled Maude) Beard on April 20, 1907. A son was borne of this marriage and of whom was named Rufus, and of whom was born on April 24, 1908.    For currently unknown reasons (but after reading the next few sentences one could easily jump to a logical conclusion), Irving secured a divorce from his second wife Maud in Reno, Nevada in 1930.

Irving T. Bush 1869 - 1948 Library of Congress photo

.    Within an hour of this divorce, Irving married Ms. Marian Spore, who was recognized as artist, socialite, philanthropist and surprisingly, a dentist!  Ms. Spore was also the sister of Commander James S. Spore, onetime Governor of Guam.    Irving had met Ms. Spore in the 1920's, while working on a breadline on the Bowery in New York City. Ms. Spore coincidentally, was also born in Michigan. Not surprisingly, due to Irving's prominence in New York business circles, this divorce and rapid marriage made the front page of the New York Times among other periodicals.    Marian would pass away on February 24, 1946; and upon Irving's death on October 21, 1948; Ms. Spores' niece Helen Tunison, dedicated the statue of Irving T. Bush (seen below) which is located on the facade of the Bush Terminal Building.     Fortunately, the Bush Terminal office building stands to this day and in July of 2008.    Bush residences include: Irving T. Bush's 1905 townhouse at 28 East 64th Street, Manhattan; a residence in Irvington-On-Hudson (sold in 1921), Mountain Lake Estates in Florida; and 280 Park Avenue, Manhattan.      Other than his position of President of the Bush Terminal Company and Bush Terminal Railroad, Irving was Director of The Merchants Association of New York; Congregationalist; Member American Economic Association, Holland Society, Pan-American Society of United States, Chamber of Commerce of State of New York; and member of: Press Club, Union League, New York Yacht Club, American Yacht Club, Hamilton Club, Down Town Association, Economic of New York, Automobile Club of America, Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Knollwood Country Club, National Arts, and the Country Club of Lakewood, New Jersey.    With the exception of Henry O. Havemeyer of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal; the other leaders of the other two rail-marine terminals in Brooklyn; New York Dock and Jay Street Terminal were not public men.    Irving Bush on the other hand, was well known. He traveled, he wrote a book; composed and authored several articles and publications in the business world; as well as served down-and-outs at a soup kitchen. His business acumen was to make sure his employees were cared for.      He may have built one of the most modern, largest and best all-in-one freight terminals in Brooklyn, perhaps in all of New York City; but it appears he was humble, affable and an approachable man.

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both photos: July 2008 taken by author RETURN TO INDEX .

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Property & Facilities

   Bush Terminal would become without a doubt; the most modern (for 1906-1920) and largest "all-in-one" freight terminals in the Port of New York. Seven modern piers handled multiple ships. The warehouses were equipped with electric elevators, and conveyors. 

   Bush Terminal was spacious, modern, well laid out.  It was for lack of the better word, photogenic. Neat rows of buildings. Neat rows of piers. A neat and mostly symmetrical railroad yard. Note the amount of covered barges transploading directly from the ocean going vessels.

Airmap Corporation of America - 1936
Looking southeast.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 028 20 14 1674
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added25 July 2026

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   A comparison of the capacities of Bush Terminal between 1903 and 1912 were located in the "Report of the Committee on Terminals and Transportation of the New York State Food Investigating Commission" published 1913; are as follows:

   The following is an excerpt from the "Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Convention of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, March 15, 16 and 17, 1904":

Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Convention of the
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, 1904
(corresponding map may be viewed in trackage chapter below)
added 17 July 2010

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   The following images are a record of construction taking place in early to mid 1903.

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Looking south from 43rd Street - April 2, 1903
Second Avenue and Bush Terminal Railyards to left, bulkhead to right.
taken from roof of Warehouse 6

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Looking east from railyard at Second Avenue and Herbert Lockwood Steel - 1903

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Looking west at Pier 3 under construction, April 1, 1903

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Looking west from Second Avenue at Pier 4 under construction. Pier 5 in complete and Bush Terminal offices at 43rd Street are being finished out - February 10, 1903

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Looking west from Second Avenue at railyard at Pier 4 under construction. Three master at left is moors to Pier 3 fill
Pier 5 is complete and Bush Terminal offices at 43rd Street are nearing completion on right - April 1, 1903

Looking south along bulkhead from 42nd Street. Pier 5 to right, with Piers 4 and 3 behind. Warehouses 39-44 on left.
Boxcar on track in foreground leads to outside track of Piers 5.

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Looking southwest at front facade of Pier 5. Battery electric powered "mule" towing carts.

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Bush Docks locomotive #2 on backside of Warehouses 7, 8, 9 and 10. - March 6, 1903

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interior of Pier #5(?) - ca. 1903

interior of pier #4(?) - ca. 1903

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ca. 1903
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID REC 0131 01 0912
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026

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Looking north-northeast at at Stores 39-44 along bulkhead and pier line - ca. 1912
The electrical age: electric whip hoists and elevators.
Administration Building on left edge of image.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID REC 0131 01 0846
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026
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Looking north-northeast at foot of 50th Street along bulkhead and pier line - ca. 1912
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID REC 0131 01 0787
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026

   The Brooklyn Public Library holds a nice cache of photographs of Bush Terminal. Most are from the camera of E. E. Rutter, the official photographer for the Borough of Brooklyn; and those are from 1910-1925 time frame; however you will there others from later years.

   I organized them by topic, and present them here.

General Property Views
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Proposed general offices
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	Second Avenue and 37th Street looking east.
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	Marginal Street along the bulkhead. Terminal Offices under construction.
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Piers, Pier Interiors, Ships and Watercraft
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Presumed to be first floor of Pier 6 (the only double deck pier)
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Between Pier 6 and 7
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Employees & Workers
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Railroad Yard
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Irving T. Bush Statue Unveiling

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Brooklyn "Red Survey" Waterfront Survey Maps

   Within the New York Municipal Archives, are sets of survey maps commissioned by the Department of Docks and Ferries; which in later years would be renamed Department of Marine and Aviation.

   These maps were drawn beginning 1898, some a little earlier or depending on the location; but pretty much all around the turn of the 19th and 20th Century. These maps record structures,railroad tracks, and geography all along the shorelines of the Five Boroughs as well as list the revisions with dates.  

   They are called "Red Survey" maps because the revisions were usually in red ink (or pencil), with other colors used for subsequent revisions.

   While some of the maps are great in showing detail, others are so-so. Some appear to have been updated more frequently, others not so much. Strangely, some maps show all railroad tracks, while others very little; despite our knowing there was yard trackage present. I haven't quite figured out why this is, it may very well have been the preference of each surveyor; as there were dozens throughout the employment of the city.

   While I have stitched other maps together for New York Dock, I found the Bush Terminal maps at differing scales and arrangements - some foreshortened the blocks and street grid up to Second Avenue, others were not. It was proving to be very frustrating to try and stitch together. Sometimes, one just needs to leave well enough alone; so, here are unadulterated plates, save for lightening.

Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 20 Second Avenue and 29th to 27th Streets - Bush Terminal 29th Street Yard New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1954 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026

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Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 21 Second Avenue and 34th to 30th Streets - Bush Terminal Power Plant New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1955 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026

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Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 22 (Please note: no Bush Terminal trackage or property appears on this map, however this is the next plate in the series, so it is included for continuity) 39th Street Ferry, US Navy Fleet Supply Base (some trackage to become South Brooklyn Railway) New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1956 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026 . Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 22A First, Second and Third Avenue and 39th to 35th Streets - Bush Junction with South Brooklyn Railway, US Navy Fleet Supply Base, trolley line New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1957 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026 . Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 23 Bush Terminal Piers, First and Second Avenues (blocks foreshortened), Building 25 Ramps, Engine House, North Yard (not all yard tracks shown) New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1958 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026

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Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 24 Bush Terminal Piers, First and Second Avenues (blocks foreshortened), Pier leads, Central Yard (not all yard tracks shown) New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1959 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026

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Brooklyn "Red Survey" - Map 25 Bush Terminal Piers, First and Second Avenues (blocks foreshortened), Pier leads, Float Bridges, South Yard New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0133 1 1960 Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) added 25 July 2026

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   Joe Roborecky also came across the following multi-page article in the Bulletin of the Merchants Association of New York "Greater New York" dated April 6, 1914, where it states the various terminals located in Brooklyn on that date:

Greater New York - Bulletin of the Merchants Association of New York - April 6, 1914

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   The following is a summary and pier dimensions as listed in "Ports of the United States, 1916":

   "The Property of the Bush Terminal Co. covers 200 acres and includes seven modern piers with an area of 1, 470, 138 square feet, 130 warehouses, 10 loft buildings for manufacturing purposes, and a terminal railroad with 25 miles of track and yard space for 2,000 cars.

   The piers owned by this company are among the longest in the port. One is 1,549 feet long, four are 1,337 feet in length, one is 1,315, and one is 1,241 feet. The last named pier is 270 feet wide, while each of the others is 150 feet in width.

   Four of the factory buildings of this company are 600 feet long and 75 feet wide, while 14 are 700 feet long and 75 feet wide. All are six stories in height and of reinforced concrete construction." 

Ports of the United States, 1916
Department of Commerce - Bureau of Foreign & Domestic Commerce
Miscellaneous Series - No. 33
Report on Terminal Facilities, Commerce, Port Charges,
and Administration as Sixty-Eight Selected Ports
by Grosvenor M. Jones

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   Following is an excerpt from the Bush Terminal section of the New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations released in 1920:

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  .As reported by the July 7, 1910 article in the New York Times (seen at right), a plot of land in Manhattan was purchased for the use as a truck transfer terminal. Please keep in mind this is 1910, and there are not that many "trucks" per se on the roads, with those that did exist on this date being: chain driven, on solid tires and of limited capacity. But this "truck terminal" and the intent of construction of others as stated in the article, is a another example of the foresight exhibited by Irving Bush.  

   If there is anything I have taken note of in my research and compilation of data for the various independent freight terminals of the New York Area, Bush Terminal was the most well thought out and constructed freight terminal in the New York area (one book claims in all of the United States!) and it took advantage of the most modern technology in use at the time of it construction.

   Time and time again, in various journals, books and references to Port Terminal construction, Public Service Commission Reports, and City Construction & Planning; Bush Terminal is held out above the rest.

   In the book "City Planning - a Series of Papers Presenting the Essential Elements of a City Plan" by John Nolen, 1916; chapter XII:  "Railroads and Industrial Districts", pages 264 through 278 are dedicated almost in it's entirety to the construction techniques and layout utilized by Bush Terminal.

   Likewise in the book "Freight Terminals and Trains" by John Droege, 1912; in the "Waterfront Terminals" chapter; pages 235 through 238, contains photographs of Bush Terminal construction, building / track / elevator / loading dock layouts, pier diagrams among many other nuances of a terminal facility being constructed with efficiency in mind.

   The Bush Terminal Company had vast property holdings, in addition to the railroad. It also owned many warehouses including cold storage and cotton storage, manufacturing facilities, its own hospital as well as its own powerplant.

   As mentioned previously, there were seven piers along the waterfront to work in conjunction with the terminal. Thus from the smallest "less than car load" lighters from across the harbor, to large cargo ships from around the globe, Bush Terminal Company could handle them all and when all tallied up, Bush Terminal properties totalled well over 200 acres.

   Bush Terminal was virtually its own city, and that can to be reflected in its nickname: "Industry City". Matter of fact, so total was Bush Terminal's recognition as Industry City, this name was painted in huge letters on the facade of the loft warehouses facing Third Avenue.

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   On 24 June 2010, Joe DeMay forwarded the following image to me for location identification. This took all of five seconds!

   
Bush Terminal - April 20, 1920
Pier 6 (left), Pier 5 (burning), Pier 4 (right)
Underwood & Underwood photo
J. DeMay collection
added 25 June 2010

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(On back of photo above)
Underwood & Underwood photo
J. DeMay collection
added 25 June 2010
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   This oblique aerial taken by Airmap Corporation of America in 1936, give us a very detailed image of the pier area and yard. Razor sharp even when zoomed in; an unannotated large scale high resolution image is viewable if you click on the image below.

Airmap Corporation of America - 1936
Looking southeast. Note the amount of covered barges being unloaded & loaded "offside."
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 028 20 14 1674
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 03 February 2010

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   A zoom and crop on the above image reveals the following details in the images below:

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   I located in the Library of Congress Digital Collection an aerial image of the Bush Terminal Properties dated 1958 and taken by Fairchild Aerial Survey. This image provides a good comprehensive view of the facilities just before the downtown of railroad freight traffic. Click on the image below to open the full size high resolution version. It is a huge file, so please be patient in opening. Use the back arrow on your browser to return you here.

Fairchild Aerial Survey Photo - 1958
Library of Congress - American Memory Digital Collection
Historic American Engineering Record
added 03 February 2010

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50th Street - 1965
Looking north. Tracks lead to "Bush 2" float bridge can be seen in the foreground.
unknown photographer
J. Held archives
added 05 May 2009

Taken from a window in Unit G, looking northeast at Pier 3 - ca. 1955
Funch - Edye & Co.
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 29 July 2026

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Looking north-northeast along Marginal Way in front of Piers  - ca. 1955
Pier 4, 5, 6 (with awnings) and 7; Bush Terminal Office Building partially obscured by whip hoists at center right
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 29 July 2026
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Looking southwest along Marginal Way in front of Piers from window of Office Building - ca. 1955
Store 39 and 40 on left, Pier 4, 3, 2 and 1 on right.
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 29 July 2026
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Looking northeast from in front of Pier 4 looking at Units 39 and 40, and Office Building - ca. 1955
Stacks of Power House 1 in background.
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 29 July 2026

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Looking northwest at Bush Terminal water tower between Store 39 and 45 from railroad yard - ca. 1955

unknown photographer
authors collection
added 29 July 2026

   Taking occupancy in the early 1950's and continuing through the 1960's, the Topps Company (of chewing gum and baseball card fame), produced baseball cards at Bush Terminal. Unfortunately, Topps relocated within a short time to Pennsylvania in 1965.

   A real estate group led by Harry Helmsley purchased the Bush Terminal Company building properties in 1963. The railroad and piers remained with Bush Terminal.

   In July 1968, Bush Terminal Company acquired Universal Consolidated Industries; a holding company comprised of seven subsidiaries in varied fields of industry from marine, stevedoring, farming and even insurance underwriting. The Bush Terminal Company would be renamed Bush Universal.

   It proceeded to shutter seven piers in 1969 and sold them back to the City of new york the following year. The City in turn, leased them back to Bush Universal  with the intended goal of reconstructing them into a container port.

   By October 1969, the railroad was now only serving fourteen customers, and of those; six were averaging two cars per week. So, Bush Universal filed their notice to abandon the Bush Terminal Railroad with the Interstate Commerce Commission. 

   As with most railroads that file for abandonment, customers of said railroad may petition the Interstate Commerce Commission for a review in hopes to retain railroad service. These customers formed a group Bush Terminal Railroad Users Association "BTRUA."  Unfortunately, they were told by the ICC the abandonment had already been approved.

   The last day of railroad operation was December 13, 1971.

   On December 17, The BTRUA, the principals of Bush Terminal Railroad the New York Dock Company, and their attorneys (under the supervision of the New York City Economic Development Corporation) reached an agreement that New York Dock would take over railroad operations at Bush Terminal on a temporary basis; and to keep service continued to those rail customers.

   This took a little time, and after six weeks; New York Dock applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission to formerly begin rail service at Bush Terminal on January 31, 1972, and New York Dock acquired a ninety day lease for the operation. The ICC granted the application on February 3rd. 

   New York Dock would continue to operate the Bush Terminal Railroad through successive 90 day extensions for at least the next year. Growing frustrated with the City Government bureaucracy, New York Dock began making overtures to pull out of the operation entirely.

    The City of New York, no stranger to complicating thing more than they should be; filed a lawsuit against Bush Universal to force their hand at restarting Bush Terminal Railroad. In the mean time, New York City Department of Ports and Terminals were working with New York Dock to have the City of New York purchase the entire property and have New York Dock take over railroad operations in a permanent role. 

   The matter made it to a courtroom in April 1973, where His Honor Jack B. Weinstein settled the issue: The City of New York would purchase almost the entire Bush Terminal Railroad property $1,850,000 (adjusted for inflation for 2026, equals 13,915,000 dollars.) In return, New York Dock would receive a lease to operate the property. Also, New York Dock would purchase all of Bush Terminal locomotives, marine equipment (tugboat and carfloats) and merge these with their own equipment holdings . 

   At this juncture, Bush Universal sold off the last remnants of the terminal properties in 1974, and faded into obscurity.

   The Bush Terminal complex maintained 95 percent occupancy through the middle of the 1970s.

   Additional information during these later eras of operation can be read on the sister pages of this website at:

New York Dock,    New York Cross Harbor    and    New York New Jersey Rail

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Customer List

   There were hundreds if not thousands of business and firms that leased from Bush Terminal, whether a few offices, a whole floor or an entire building. 

   The following names of businesses utilized services of the Bush Terminal, whether that be receiving, shipping or leasing space; and come from several sources and publications.

   In 1929, the Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Bush Terminal published a Directory. Only those businesses marked BT (occupying Bush Terminal are listed.)

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name	commodity	dates
Kirkman & Sons	soap	< 1943 >
Phoenix Industrial Supply	galvanized range boilers	< 1947 >
H. A. Thorndike		< 1944 >
J. S. Woodhouse	sledge handles	< 1947 >

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RETURN TO INDEX

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Trackage & Railroad

   The trackage of the Bush Terminal Railroad was extensive to say the least and would eventually come to an aggregate of 33 miles track at its peak.

   For those just finding this page for the first time, and because it was so vast, we can refer to two separate geographical areas: trackage on and along First Avenue, and trackage on and along Second Avenue. These two areas would be connected by the street trackage on 41st Street.

   Tracks on or along First Avenue would encompass most (but not all) of the trackage access to the stores and Piers 1 through 7; the Bush 1 and Bush 2 float bridges, "A" Yard and "B" Yard as well as the First Avenue running track to Brooklyn Army Terminal.

   Trackage of Second Avenue will comprise of the well photographed "curve under the corner of the building" at 41st Street and Second Avenue, Bush Junction (interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway) the 39th Street Yards, US Navy stores, Buildings 1 through 9; Power Plant 2 and the 28th Street Yard between Second and Third Avenues.

   Joe Roborecky forwarded the following on 17 July 2010. It is an excerpt from the "Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Convention of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, which took place March 15, 16 and 17, 1904 in the Auditiorium Hotel, in Chicago, IL.:

Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Convention of the
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, 1904
(corresponding summary may be viewed in property chapter above)
added 17 July 2010

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   Note that the Report of the Railroad Commissioners below, states that Bush Terminal began laying track in July 1905. This is odd as other documents show trackage was already laid by this time. Nevertheless, the report date below, states that by July 1906 Bush Terminal had laid 2.8 miles of track, almost all of which was street trackage and with overhead electric wire and was operating one electric locomotive.

   The rail laid is listed as 137 pound which is extremely heavy for that time (most was 70 pound). It is the author's understanding by reading the second report below, that this rail weight corresponds to girder or street rail (and not the typical rail so commonly found on railroads) as documented in the second report.

   The following is an excerpt from the Twenty-Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, State of New York State, Volume II, 1907, and provides greater detail:

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   Just one year later, Bush Terminal would be operating on 3.79 miles of track with two electric locomotives, and 15 flat cars (for construction duty).

   
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   Ten years later in 1917, trackage was becoming extensive to say the least; running down no less than two main city thoroughfares with spurs running up many side streets and alleys. By this year, Bush Terminal was up to 5.72 miles of track (all inclusive) and three electric locomotives. The following is an excerpt from the Public Service Commission, First District Report of 1917:

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   By 1950, cumulative trackage reached an astonishing 33 miles. By comparison, the aggregate amount of trackage for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was 11 miles.

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First Avenue Trackage

   Trackage would extend northward from the 65th Street Yard, through the Brooklyn Army Terminal and run down the middle of First Avenue until 51st Street.. 

   At 51st Street, tracks would reach a turnout where the west track would veer slightly west and enter the northeast corner of the "A Yard" or the running track remained on First Avenue to bypass the yard. Entering the yard, you would come to a trailing point switch and by reversing direction would take you west and to the float bridges. 

   If you were stay northbound on the east most track of the yard; this would give you access to the various spurs across First Avenue to the east. These spurs crossed the First Avenue running track at diamonds - there was no access to these spurs from the First Avenue running track only the A Yard east running track.

   In the yard, you of course, the track would split off into many stub tracks on both sides of two diagonal yard leads, which divided the yard neatly into thirds which can be seen in the next photo below. The westernmost leg would split off into several stub tracks that turned west to run out onto the piers and into pier sheds, and other tracks would lead into buildings.

   The Bush Terminal Yard was well designed - it allowed for the use of multiple locomotives working different jobs in subsections of the yard and without causing interference to another. 

   Another advantage was the Bush Terminal Railroad could benefit from a physical interchange with a Class 1 railroad: the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad at the 65th Street Yard.

   The following image is an aerial image taken by balloon; of the Bush Terminal Railyard looking northeast. In the left rear corner of the yard, one can see the four dark squares of the enginehouse bays, as well as the multiple track spurs that curve off to the right of the right most yard trackage that lead into various alleys and buildings along Second Avenue, and the large white buildings of "Industry City" in the right background of the photo, which were the original manufacturing lofts served by Bush Terminal. The piers are out of picture of the left foreground.

   Compare this photo with a similar one taken in September 1968.

Aerial Photo of Bush Terminal Railyard - "A" Yard  (looking north)
This image was taken by a tethered hot air balloon!
City Planning - A Series of Papers, 1916
by John Nolen
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Bush Terminal Railyard "A Yard"
Looking south.
"Many railroad freight cars on tracks in Bush Terminal Company's Union Freight Depot at
48th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue."
(This description is in error as this is the main yard looking south from 43rd Street with First Avenue on the left)
E. E. Rutter photo
Brooklyn Public Library archives

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..

"A" Yard looking south from midyard - Spring 1959
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 09 January 2010

Heatmaster fuel oil truck and employee fueling an American Refrigerator Transit mechanical reefer in the Bush Terminal "A Yard" along First Avenue - 1968
Looking southwest.
Stanley Goldstein photo
P. M. Goldstein collection
added 28 July 2026

   This next image appears to be of unremarkable yard trackage at first; however, if one casts a second look; you will take notice of trolley wire poles with overhead trolley wire over the tracks in front of the stores. 

   This contradicts information that states the electric locomotives worked the street trackage, while steam locomotives operated solely in the yard. This image disproves that as it is quite obvious electric trolley motors worked the inside tracks of the yards as well. I would even expect trolley wire on the eastern tracks fronting along First Avenue  for interchange between steam power and electric power; but these tracks in the image are all the way west.

"A" Yard Looking northeast. - undated, ca.1915
New York Municipal Archives
Image ID: REC 0131 01 0658
added 01 August 2026

   Joe Roborecky also located the following property and operations pictures in the Brooklyn Public Library archives. These pictures below, should give the viewer a pretty decent perspective of the vastness of these piersheds and warehouses, when you look at the length of the train inside:

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Bush Terminal Building 25 inclines tracks  - October 19, 1959
Looking north east.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 21812
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026

   At 41st Street, the First Avenue running tracks turn sharply to the east to run one block up to Second Avenue where the tracks take another sharp turn back north. 

   It is at this location that the tracks actually run under the corner of an industrial building, Building 20 to be precise; and this is a very photographed location in later days of New York Dock and Cross Harbor operation; however I have yet to secure one image of Bush Terminal locomotive under that corner!

Where the tracks duck under the corner of the Building 20 at Second Avenue and 41st Street

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   Turning back north along Second Avenue, and in one block; you encounter the interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway at 39th Street and Second Avenue, known as "Bush Junction". 

Looking west from Third Avenue and 31st Street
New York Municipal Archive - Image ID: REC 0131 02 09103
added 01 August 2026

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Looking southeast
New York Municipal Archive - Image ID: REC 0131 02 09100
added 01 August 2026

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BT #2 and SBK  #13 - September 28, 1965
Second Avenue & 39th Street - "Bush Junction"
Bush Terminal about to interchange a string of new subway cars with South Brooklyn Railway.
Note the police "escort".
G. Landau photo
authors collection
added 16 Jan 2009

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   Continuing north through the interchange of Bush Junction and along the Second Avenue running track, several spurs split off east and turn into the central alleys / courtyards of a series of 'C' shaped industrial loft buildings between Third and Second Avenues. These are the "Industry City" Buildings 1 through 9 (increasing in numeral northwards), Power Plant 2, US Navy Storehouses 1 & 2, with trackage ending at 28th Street Yard.

   Splitting off the Second Avenue running track to the west; into the piers of Luckenbach Steamship and the US Navy Piers; HOWEVER it should be noted, these pier tracks were trailing point and if switched heading north, and cars for those piers were dropped off and picked up in reverse moves. 

   The Bush Terminal "Industry City" Buildings 1 through 9 had platforms running the length of the alley / courtyards and once the cars were spotted in the alleys, these platforms would allow the loading of cars anywhere along the alley. The following is a diagram of the building and track layout as well as photographs:

City Planning - A Series of Papers, 1916
by John Nolen

Bush Terminal locomotive #3 working between the warehouses along Second Avenue - undated (post 1931)
Looking east up service alley.
New York Municipal Archives
added 28 July 2026

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   As previously mentioned, along Second Avenue, you will encounter trackage with spurs to the west, serving the pier of Luckenbach Steamship, a US Navy Pier, as well as a few US Navy Storehouses and City of New York buildings as highlighted below. These tracks are little discussed or even mentioned until now.

   These tracks ran west of the curbline (on the sidewalk - and private right of way) off the Second Avenue thoroughfare. These tracks were originally installed by the US Navy upon construction of the Fleet Supply Base - South Brooklyn Section back in 1918 and were switched by their own fleet of steam locomotives (two of which became BEDT 12 & 13). 

   After the World War I, US Navy decided to give up most of the facility (save for a couple of structures and the pier), and the remaining property ceded back to the City of New York. The trackage was then administered to by the Bush Terminal Railroad; but as far as I have been able to ascertain, the trackage itself was never "owned" by Bush Terminal. 

   The trackage running in the centerline of Second Avenue however, was owned by Bush Terminal and operated via a certificate of convenience with the City of New York (as all railroad's so operating in or across of city streets have to to.)

   This image shows life rafts being loaded? unloaded? to / from boxcars spotted on 33rd Street west of Second Avenue, between US Navy stores (left) and City of New York building (right). Looking southeast, we can see the Bush Terminal Warehouse Buildings (from left to right) the edge of 9, 8, 7, 6 and part of 5.

   Continuing northwards along Second Avenue at 32nd Street, one will encounter Bush Terminal Power House #2 and a small stub yard behind it to serve both the Power House and Building 10.

   The two US Navy storehouses #2 and #1 are encountered next; until you will eventually reach 28th Street where the Second Avenue running track turned east one last time and terminated into a small yard, which was designated a train to truck / truck to train facility. Coal was also stored here for the Power House. This yard was the northernmost point of Bush Terminal trackage.

   In July of 2026; I came across a series of oblique aerial images in the New York Municipal Archives of Sunset Park / Bush Terminal / Industry City area. Obliques are without a doubt the best, as they offer an astounding amount of detail of the property, not usually discernible in vertical aerials.

   Not only was I rewarded with great images of the float bridges, piers and main yard; but also of the very seldom seen yard at 29th Street! Until this image, I had no clue Bush Terminal Co. was using the property as a coal yard to supply their powerhouse four blocks to the left (southwest). Also seen are boxcars and a driveway for team track unloading, as well as along 29th Street curb line.

Bush Terminal 29th Street Yard - April 17, 1961
Looking northwest. Gowanus Expressway / Third Avenue at bottom; City of New York Department of Marine & Aviation at top
(coincidentally the very city agency that contracted for these images!).
Notice the spur track into the industry (Gus A. Johnson Scrap Metal & Iron) at right. 
Note the empty station carfloat in the slip at the very top.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 028 20 14 1674
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026

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   By this next image date April 8, 1970; the coal piles are gone and sheet metal building erected in the middle of the property, and it's still being used as a team yard judging by the tractor trailers present. Gus Johnson's scrap yard is gone and the property cleaned up.

Bush Terminal 29th Street Yard - April 8, 1970
Looking due west.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 21812
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 25 July 2026

   So, to recap: Bush Terminal trackage ran from 65th Street and First Avenue in the south to 29th Street and Second Avenue at the north end, a total length of 1.75 miles. And when Irving Bush sold the souther part of his land for the Brooklyn Army Terminal, it only shorted the over all length by 1/4 of mile. 

   The only other terminal railroad in New York City with connecting trackage that can compare to this, are the New York Central West Side Yards and Freight Line between St. John's Terminal and West 60th Street.

   Images of or from this location are perhaps the rarest as it was mostly removed from the daily bustle of the main yard and the float bridges.

   The following is US Army Corp of Engineers Port Facilities Map, 1932 edition, stitched together from two separate maps (53 and 54). 

Port Facilities at Port of New York, 1932 edition
Upper Bay - Brooklyn
US Army Corp of Engineers 
University of Missouri-St. Louis Digital Archives
added 25 April 2019

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   The following is the same map from the 1942 edition. This map was generously supplied by Tom Flagg. Comparison between these two maps will show changes in several areas.

Port Facilities at Port of New York, 1942 edition
Bay Ridge Channel - Brooklyn
US Army Corp of Engineers 
courtesy of T. Flagg
collection of author
added 25 April 2019

..

   This following map shows only the Bush Terminal trackage highlighted, with building numbers (where known) overlaid.

   The following map is dated January 1, 1968. Unfortunately, its provenance is not known. Comparison between this map and the two above will show minor changes, notably:

• the addition of industry spurs on 41st Street as well as 40th Street and Second Avenue in the upper left corner
• as well as an industry lead on 47th Street and Second Avenue, and
• labeling of the essential buildings of Bush Terminal facilities.

   Please note, this map is oriented with north to the bottom left, while the Port Facilities Maps above are oriented with north to the top right.

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January 1, 1968
collection of P. F. Strubeck
added 25 April 2019

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   Bush Terminal had unique advantages when compared to the other three Brooklyn based independent or contract terminals (Jay Street Connecting, New York Dock & Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal). 

   One advantage, albeit minor; was that it was the recipient for almost all incoming freight traffic for the South Brooklyn Railway. This included both consignment freight for the South Brooklyn Railway's own customers along its route (up to 1978) as well as freight and equipment for the SBK itself and its parent organization; the New York City Transit Authority.

   Bush Terminal had a distinct advantage over the other Brooklyn independent contract terminals, and that was their being able to interchange with Class 1 railroads by means of a freight line jointly owned by the New York, New Haven & Hartford and Long Island Railroads, namely the Bay Ridge Branch. 

   This freight line ran through the heart of Brooklyn and Queens and was known as the Bay Ridge Branch or Bay Ridge Division of the NYNH&H / LIRR and terminates at the Bay Ridge Yard at 65th Street and First Avenue in the south (adjacent to Bush Terminal) .

   Northwards however, this route interconnects the Bay Ridge Yard with Sunnyside and Fresh Pond Yards in Queens (and still does to this day). At Fresh Pond Yard, an interchange existed with the New York Connecting Railroad, which utilized the Hell Gate Bridge to access the NYNH&H Oak Point Terminal in the Bronx as well as the rest of the mainland United States. 

   So, in all actuality and technically, the Bush Terminal Railroad was physically connected to the mainland US after 1916 (the year the Hell Gate bridge was completed).

   In addition to this interchange, the Bush Terminal RR could also interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway at the South Brooklyn Railway Yard located at 39th Street on Second Avenue. The following schematic shows the connections and interchanges of the Bush Terminal RR to the other railroads in Brooklyn at the time. 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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   Bush Terminal was capable of handling oversize loads as well. The following image, while underexposed, shows a tall movable crane. In the image below, to the left and at the bottom of the steel legs, the Bush Terminal rail-crane can be seen in black (in a 1966 photo in non-revenue chapter below, it is beige).

   The Pennsylvania Railroad gondola is carrying large blowers of the forced air / ventilation type.

Spring 1959 - "B Yard" crane Looking east. unknown photographer authors collection added 01 June 2009

Now, after about an hour or so of deliberation and discussing where the crane could be located, and upon reviewing 1954 and 1966 as well as modern day aerials (to try and match buildings), Joe Roborecky and myself could not successfully determine the location. So Joe contacted Fred Breimann and within a minute, Fred informed us matter-of-factly that the tall crane was located in the "B Yard".    So, Joe & I pan over to the location, and upon looking at a 1954 aerial image on historicaerials.com, the shanty and the shadow of the crane can be discerned. But the image is so grainy, I did not feel it worth of posting here. The "B Yard" was bound by 46 and 47th Streets and First and Second Avenues with the crane located at the east (Second Avenue) end of the yard. This crane was mounted on a set of rails and movable:

   This movable crane would be removed by 1966 and a structure the length of 47th Street built upon the block.

   The "A" Yard (main yard) would also receive oversized loads. My father, was present at Bush Terminal one day when this oversize load was being unloaded.

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both photos: September 1968 S. Goldstein authors collection

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   He was told these girders were to be used in the construction of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and that is the story he related to me. But the date on the restriction card is 1968, four years after the bridge actually opened. So, I thought they might have been used for a new arterial highway approach for the Verrazano, but not actually for the bridge itself. As it turns out they were in fact for the lower deck of the bridge, which opened for traffic in June 1969 and built after the bridge initially opened.

   After the load was removed, the riggers gave my father one of the excessive dimension cards, which I found going through his collection after my father passed in October 2009. The restriction cards were affixed to the three 50' flat cars, and can be seen in the left photo above just below the end of the girder:

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September 1968
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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   The following images is of a yard office located under the main pedestrian bridge (not at the foot of the float bridges as originally stated):
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Bush Terminal Railyard (from pedestrian bridge) - 1958
S. Meyers photo
D. Keller archives
added 04 Sept 2009

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   Here is a photo of the Bush Terminal Yard taken in September 1968 from almost the exact same place on the pedestrian bridge, by my father Stan Goldstein. This photo like the one above, shows one of the two twin diagonal yard leads from a lower perspective than the 1916 balloon aerial above. Notice the yard is quite full. How unfortunate that Bush Terminal would file for bankruptcy only two years later.

Bush Terminal Railyard (from pedestrian bridge) - 1968
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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Employees

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Fred Breimann

   If you have not already reached your own conclusion, a good deal of information on this page pertaining to everyday operations at Bush Terminal (both before and after New York Dock), comes from Fred Breimann, who began his tenure at Bush Terminal in March 1947 working in the warehouses.

   On December 17, 1972, Fred was hired by New York Dock to protect locomotives placed on a carfloat in the Erie Basin and moored to Revere Sugar pier. The locomotives were being transferred to Bush Terminal but severe weather intervened, and they were tied up here until the weather passed. Fred was assigned to look after the locomotives until they could be offloaded at Bush Terminal. This was his first "days pay" from New York Dock.

   Fred's father was also a railroad man: he was a passenger conductor out of Grand Central Terminal North (Putnam Division?) on the New York Central RR, before coming to work at Bush Terminal in 1941 as a trainman and later, a yardmaster.

  It is obvious that Fred was quite instrumental to us for recalling Bush Terminal history as well as locomotive usage. Unfortunately, Fred passed away on June 20, 2017 after a long illness and took with him his experiences. Rest easy Fred.

Administration

ª  = spelling may be incorrect

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Float bridges

Bush Terminal as originally constructed, was equipped with a single float bridge. This float bridge was of wooden Howe Truss design, common to that era.    Thanks to research by Tom Flagg, previously published in Transfer Issue #37; this float bridge was located at the end of Bush Terminal Pier 6 and this float bridge was at this location from circa 1900 through 1912.      This is an unusual location, as to current knowledge every other float bridge in use around New York Harbor was mounted along the bulkhead.    An aerial photo (taken tethered hot air balloon and seen at right). Pier 6 - ca. 1900 - 1912 American Railway Engineers Association, 1904, Vol. 5 courtesy of T. Flagg added 12 Nov 2009

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Pier 6 - 1911 - looking east "Oestricher" courtesy of T. Flagg with notations by author added 12 Nov 2009

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Pier 6 with Howe Truss float bridge and gallows - circa 1910 - with BT Carfloat #8
A. Moore / E. E. Rutter photographer
Culver Service collection
authors collection
added 13 August 2016 

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   Around 1912, when the present location of the current float bridges was selected at the foot of 50th Street, and those float bridges constructed, Pier 6 would be reconstructed into a closed piershed with internal trackage, but without a float bridge:

1912 - 1971
Pier 6 as reconstructed without float bridge
U.S. Engineers Office, NY District - 1942
authors collection
added 12 Nov 2009

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   The "new" location for the two float bridges which were constructed at the foot of 50th Street. They were positioned side by side with approximately 50 feet of space between them:

1912 - present
U.S. Engineers Office, NY District - 1942
authors collection
added 12 Nov 2009

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   According to Tom's research, these two float bridges were originally wooden Howe Truss type as well. By referencing the photograph below in the Marine chapter (showing the sunken carfloat and of which is dated April 21, 1961); we can see that the "dockworker" is standing next to the winch mechanism, which is mounted to some tall reinforced timbers. This is undoubtably a Howe Truss float bridge.

   On February 9, 2026; Dave Keller sent the following image. Not dated, but circa 1920.

   While it is clear that the Howe Truss float bridges were in service in 1920 (by referencing the Fairchild Aerial Survey photo), it is remarkable that they were still in service as late as 1961.

   This is a rather significant fact (at least to the author), as New York Dock, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and even the Jay Street Terminal had already been utilizing steel float bridges of pony truss and pony plate girder design.

   According to Fred Breimann, he recalls that when it was required to "tighten" the Howe Truss float bridges, a crane would be situated at the bulkhead with the boom out and over the pontoon end of the float bridge. Cables would be affixed to the outer end of float bridge, and the crane would raise the float bridge slightly. Workers would then tighten the nuts on the vertical rods going through the tops of the wood trusses.

   According to Tom Flagg, the Howe Truss design worked with compression, tension and torsion. By tightening the nuts, this would both compress and apply tension on the trusses as well as reduce any torsional stresses incurred upon the float bridge during rail operations and thereby keep the float bridge weight capacity up to specification.

   By 1963 however (as shown in a few photos below), the Howe Truss float bridges at Bush Terminal had already been replaced with steel pony plate girder float bridges and of which can be viewed in quite a few of the photos. Tom Flagg submits this info which was previous published in the RMIG Transfer #37. At least one of these float bridges was recycled from elsewhere according to Tom Costello a Bush Terminal / New York Dock employee Tom Flagg interviewed in 1975.

   The float bridges, by the way, are referred to as "Bush 1" (the southern bridge) and "Bush 2" (the northern bridge).

   Upon New York Dock's takeover of Bush Terminal properties in 1972, there would be significant changes to the float bridges, so I ask you refer to that page on this website for the histories and current images of the float bridges during that era of operations: New York Dock.

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Bush Terminal Railroad - Locomotive, Non Revenue & Marine Equipment: Rosters & Photos 

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   Every so oftten, I come across a Bush Terminal Annual Report - one in a library, another on eBay, another forwarded to me by the descendant of an employee. 

   I thought, wouldn't it be nice to be able to reference them in a single location?

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1958 Annual Report

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	intentionally left blank
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1963 Annual Report

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Memorabilia

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Adlake Kero 3-50 Lantern - Bush T. R.R.  Co. (Bush Terminal Railroad Company) authors collection added 20 Mar 2009

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Bush Terminal Railroad Company - Pass 1906 Issued to W. B. Pollack (special agent / auditor of freight accounts for the New York, West Shore & Buffalo RR) Signed by H. H. Gardiner (acting president & vice president of BTRR in 1906) authors collection added 14 November 2012

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Bush Docks Railway - unknown date Presumably for the very early passenger service before trolley. facsimile signature of Irving T. Bush authors collection 1 3/16" x 2 1/8" added 07 May 2023

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"Working With The World" by Irving T. Bush Doubleday Doran, 1928 authors collection (Paul Strubeck paid a $1 for his copy, and it has the dust jacket.) added 18 June 2012

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letterhead - letter of condolence (signed by Irving T. Bush) authors collection added 13 Nov 2009

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Time Return & Delay Report (face & reverse) - unknown date a gift to the author from Benjamin W. Schaeffer  authors collection added 10 March 2011

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Form 371A - September 19, 1929 8 1/2" x 11" authors collection added 02 March 2022

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Bush Terminal Directory - 1928 5" x 8" authors collection added 02 March 2022

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Advertising Postcard - unknown date Chilton Company, Phila., Pa., U.S.A. 3335 authors collection added 01 December 2012

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Brown & Bigelow desk calender - ca. 1960's authors collection added 26 Mar 2009

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Brown & Bigelow telephone index - ca. 1960's authors collection added 09 January 2023

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Lessee / Lessor Agreement - 1906 authors collection

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Delivery Receipt - 1947 authors collection

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Matchbook cover - unknown date authors collection

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Rosen Nesor lighter - unknown date authors collection

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5% Consolidated Mortgage Gold Bonds Due 1955, with right for redemption at par + interest at every day a coupon becomes payable after January 1st 1905. Recepis for USD 1000 par value Undersigned persons declare that by issue of the original bonds, the bearer of this recepis in exchange of this recepis will receive without further cost: 5% Consolidated Gold Bonds (par value USD 1000) of the Bush Terminal Company, including coupons starting July 1st 1905 sealed with Dutch stamp. Amsterdam, 10 March 1905 added 12 Nov 2009

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Of the following stock certificates, two varieties are known. It was originally thought that both were for investors in the United States, but issue dates were determined to be around the same dates. Therefore, it is now believed that the stock issues with the allegorical figure "variety 1", are domestic issues for investors in the United States. Issues with the shipping vignette (ship & locomotive) "variety 2"are believed to be for investors located overseas, as almost all issues with this vignette are seen for sale overseas. Stock Certificate, common shares, less than 100 shares, variety 1, issued  1928, cancelled - 1928 authors collection added 22 Jan 2009

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Stock Certificate, common shares, 100 shares, variety 1, unissued -  undated authors collection added 22 Jan 2009

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Stock Certificate, preferred shares, less than 100 shares, domestic issue?, unissued - undated. authors collection added 22 Jan 2009

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Stock Certificate, preferred shares, 100 shares, variety 1, unissued - undated. authors collection added 20 Mar 2009

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Stock Certificate, debenture shares, less than 100 shares, variety 1, issued 1929, cancelled 1929 authors collection added 22 Jan 2009

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Stock Certificate, debenture shares, less than 100 shares, variety 2, issued 1936, cancelled1938 authors collection added 25 July 2009.

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Railway Age Magazine - June 8, 1953 authors collection added 31 Oct 2009

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