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INDUSTRIAL & OFFLINE TERMINAL RAILROADS
OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

NEW YORK DOCK
Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill & Red Hook, Brooklyn

Railway Railroad Fulton Atlantic Baltic Terminal

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Visitors please take note ! The collection of images on this website, which continues to grow; is due to the unprecedented and selfless contributions of the current owners of photo archives. These people made their generous contributions to this website in good will, and allowed me to post their images online for the entire railroading community to view and appreciate, in admiration if these Fallen Flag Railroads. In return, I strongly request that you please respect the ownership copyrights on those said images. Other than that, please enjoy the history, thanks for taking the time to visit, and don't forget to sign the guestbook on the main page!  ~ Phil

INDEX

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Overview.

Fulton Terminal - unknown date
unknown photographer
authors collection

   The New York Dock Company was a rail marine terminal identical in operation to that of Bush Terminal, being that New York Dock and Bush Terminal had carfloating operations, carload and less than carload contract terminals, direct bulk offloading of ships to railcar, and would have large storage warehouses at their disposal (whereas the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal did not have direct ship to rail or large warehouses).

   Carfloats with railroad freight cars would come from the various railroads on the mainland in NJ and the Bronx, and bring in commodities to three different pier terminals located south of the Brooklyn Bridge: (in north to south order:) Fulton, Baltic & Atlantic. It also owned warehouses in Red Hook, that did not have rail access.   

   The New York Dock Company was the successor to the Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse Company. On July 18, 1901, it purchased the Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse property from under foreclosure and took possession of those properties on August 1, 1901.

Official Railway Guide, 1905

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   It would be formally incorporated as the New York Dock Railway in 1910.

   Some references infer that in around 1904, the New York Dock holdings extended as far north as to the Manhattan Bridge. These "DUMBO" properties would be sold to the Arbuckle Brothers and the Jay Street Terminal (to be renamed Jay Street Connecting) Railroad would operate here, and New York Dock operations would move south to the Atlantic, Baltic & Fulton Terminals.

   According to the following chapter in Ports & Terminals, 1916:

"The property of the Jay Street Terminal includes six piers. Three of the piers, with a ground area of 66,788 square feet and a shedded area 60,648 square feet, as well as several warehouses, with a total floor area of 440, 800 square feet, were acquired from the New York Dock in 1911. Two of the piers are open, while one has a shed with an area of about 7,000 square feet.".

   Following that sale, New York Dock would operated the Fulton and Atlantic Terminals, and eventually the Baltic Terminal as well..

   New York Dock would  take over Bush Terminal in 1972.

   It would merge with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in 1979, and would pool its motive power and resources.

   New York Dock ceased operations on August 17, 1983. Bush Terminal and Atlantic Terminal operations would continue under a new organization "New York Cross Harbor Railroad", but Fulton Terminal would not see a reprieve from it's closure.

building cornerstone on corner of Joralemon & Furman Streets

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Properties & Facilities

   New York Dock began railway operations with two properties: Atlantic & Fulton Terminals. The Fulton Terminal was located just south of the Brooklyn Bridge and occupied the East River waterfront from Fulton Street in the north to State Street in the south and from the East River bulkhead on the west to Furman Street on the east. Two floatbridges would be located at the foot of Montague Street, with a four track pier yard between them..

   The Atlantic Terminal which was located farther south, occupied the East River waterfront from Bowne Street in the north to Dikeman Street in the south, and ran from the waterfront on the west to Van Brunt Street on the east. In the middle was the Atlantic Basin, a protected man made harbor.

   Sometime in the early 1910's (believed to be 1915); a third terminal was constructed, to be named Baltic Terminal. This was also the smallest of the three. This terminal was located between Fulton and Atlantic Terminals and despite the close proximity to either, it would not see a trackage connection to the other properties.

   After the Bush Terminal Company went out of business in 1971, the City of New York purchased the Bush Terminal properties, but contracted with New York Dock Company to take control of the facility and operate it. The details of the Bush Terminal properties are listed in that chapter.

   From 1976 through 1979, the New York Dock was contracted to perform the carfloating work for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad out of the St. George Terminal in Staten Island and the Baltimore & Ohio 26th Street Terminal in Manhattan.

   In 1979, New York Dock merged with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and combined with their operations. By way of this merger, the New York Dock would again acquire even more property at Kent Avenue, as well as the lease to the land and carfloating operations out of the Greenville Yard in Jersey City, NJ.

    A comparison of the capacities of the three terminals of the New York Dock (Atlantic, Fulton and later, Baltic) 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:

¹ = This freight house used for Fulton & Atlantic Terminals, and also after 1905 when the freight houses of those terminals were discontinued.  

   Joe Roborecky 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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   Paul Strubeck located some information in the following documents. The following is a summary and pier dimensions as listed in "Ports of the United States, 1916":

   "One of the most important terminal companies is the New York Dock Co. This company owns practically the entire South Brooklyn water front from a point immediately south of Brooklyn Bridge to Erie Basin, a distance of about 2 ½ miles. The property of this company includes 35 piers with a total area of 1,741,925 square feet and a shedded area of 1,425,892 feet, more than 150 warehouses with a floor space of 5,746, 937 square feet, two factory buildings with a floor area of 441,600 square feet, and grain elevators with a storage capacity of 2,025,000 bushels, in addition to three railroad terminals, car-float bridges, car floats, tugs, and lighters.

  Some of the warehouses are six stories in height, while many have five stories. This company is said to have the largest bonded and free warehouse system in the Western Hemisphere. Seven of the warehouses, with a floor area of 322,874 square feet, are used for cold storage.

   In recent years, the New York Dock Co. has followed the example of the Bush Terminal Co. in constructing loft buildings for manufacturing purposes. Two buildings 460 feet long, 80 feet wide, and six stories in height and of reinforced concrete construction, have been erected.

   The New York Dock Co. controls by stock ownership the New York Dock Railway, which operates three freight terminals known as the Fulton, Baltic and Atlantic, in connection with the piers and warehouses of the New York Dock Co. These terminals are provided with float bridges for transferring cars from floats to freight yards and with tracks leading to the warehouses and piers of the dock company.

   Details as to the dimensions and occupants of the piers of the New York Dock Co. are shown in the table on page 109." (seen here):
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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

   The following is an image from the New York Dock section of the New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations issued 1920:

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   In 1921, the New York Dock Company was still expanding and now had 159 bonded warehouses with a storage capacity of some 65,000,000 cubic feet; and 34 piers, the longest measuring 1,193 feet and containing more than 175,000 square feet. These piers had a total deck space of sixty-one and a half acres. .

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Trackage Overview
(by individual terminal)

   It should be noted, that the Atlantic, Baltic & Fulton Terminals were never physically connected to one another, and locomotives were usually left at each location, as carfloating to and from these terminals usually occurred around the clock. This carfloating operation was in addition to "break bulk" and complete carload shipments of cargo being unloaded directly from ships into/onto railroad cars at the waterfront piers and being moved to the warehouses for storage.

   Supposedly, installed in one of the New York Dock buildings was a freight car elevator. This was an elevator with a weight capacity for standard gauge freight cars. Apparently a freight car would be placed in the elevator, and that in turn would raise the boxcar to the appropriate floor in the warehouse to be loaded / unloaded.

   It is believed that this elevator was installed the building most recently occupied by Watchtower Publications, located in the Fulton Terminal, but this unconfirmed.

   Tom Flagg furnished the following map (along with many others) during a research meeting on 10 June 2009 with Joe Roborecky and myself. The map is taken from an original 1912 J. W. Galbreath (Consulting Engineer), that was regenerated by Charles Parrott in 2002 who performed raster clean up and repair. This map is important as it contains all three terminal (Fulton, Baltic & Atlantic) of New York Dock on one map, all to the same scale, in their original configurations (as far as can be ascertained), and showing all street connections prior to the razing of the warehouses in the Fulton Terminal due to the construction of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

   This map shows the very close proximity from one terminal to another, yet  were never connected, and it shows with great detail the structures located in those terminals and the trackage configurations.

   We are without any doubt, deeply indebted to Tom and Mr. Parrott for this beauty

   This map is huge, so please allow some time for it to open. Click on the image below to view a high resolution large scale version. Also, use your back arrow on your web browser to return you here.

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Fulton Terminal; Brooklyn, NY   

   Fulton Terminal was the first New York Dock terminal. Most of its track was located on and along the bulkhead. When this terminal opened in 1910,  this location sported a large wood pier holding four tracks, which served as the main storage yard for the railroad cars, and on either side of this "pier yard", the float bridges were located. The first float bridges installed at this location were pontoon supported pony trusses with overhead cable supports. In later years, the pony trusses were replaced with pony plate girder float bridges, and the overhead supports were removed as well. On the north side of the northern float bridge was a long narrow "finger pier" with one track on it.

   The following photo shows this arrangement very clearly:

Fulton Terminal - 1911
"Old Brooklyn In Early Photographs 1865-1929" by William Lee Younger, Dover Publications
Brooklyn Historical Society archives

   Now, there is a great photo if I ever saw one!  Not only do we have a photo of the Fulton Terminal from the water, but this photo shows (from right to left):
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• the Wall Street Ferry Terminal, and the ferry "Baltic";

• the New York Dock tug "Brooklyn";

• both float bridges, (both Pony Trusses with early overhead support gantries - I would have expected wooden Howe Trusses);

• the four track pier yard between the float bridges;

• the tunnel and ramp for the Montague Street trolley (background, and above the left float bridge gantry)

• the single track finger pier, and if you look close enough:

• there is a locomotive pulling a cut of two New York, New Haven & Hartford boxcars to the left of the left float bridge.
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   Following, is another shot of the Fulton Terminal, taken from Montague Street (according to the description with the photograph). The photo was taken in 1913, but I have a few doubts about the location.

1. There is a ferry terminal just south of the float bridges in the 1911 photo above. The Wall Street Ferry Terminal which was located at the foot of Montague Street would be here, yet it is not. You can see the gantry of a float bridge just over the two box cars on the right edge of the photo.
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2. Historical accounts reflect that the Wall Street Ferry ceased operation in 1912. So, was the Wall Street Ferry Terminal demolished between 1912 and 1913, the time this photo was taken?
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3. The overhead trolley wire with street tracks would indicate a trolley line. The Montague Street trolley line ran to the Wall Street Ferry Terminal, but as you plainly see, there is no terminal. Just a fence, a few yards of bare ground and then water.
   

4. The Montague Street street car line was built as a cable car. I can find no historical record of it being converted to overhead electric.

   So, is this the foot of Montague Street, just after the Wall Street Ferry Terminal was razed? I would like to believe it was:

Fulton Terminal - foot of  Montague Street - March 23, 1913
unknown photographer - Brooklyn Eagle photo
Brooklyn Public Library archives

(unknown tug at center, but if one looks carefully over boxcar at extreme right,
the striped stack of either the "New York Dock" or the "Brooklyn" can be seen.
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E. Belcher Hyde map -1929
Historic Map Works
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   Located online in the Life Magazine archives are the following three photos, of which all were taken in 1943 and all of which pertain to the Fulton Terminal. The top two contain a great many details not normally seen in the standard railfan photos of the locomotives.

   Pulling back from the float bridges to Furman Street and to the south was a three stall enginehouse. The Ward Line pier (#15) has a single track that ran the outside north edge of the pier to serve the piershed. (this track can be seen in both the E. Belcher Hyde map above and Port Terminal map below).

   Prior to the construction of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, long rows of warehouses lined Furman Street with the yards and tranckage running along the bulkhead. The following two aerial photos show these warehouses, along with the NYD "New York":

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both photos: 1951

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   In the US Army Corp of Engineers Port Terminal map below, we have a better graphical representation of the track layout in later years, after these warehouses along Furman Street were demolished for the construction of Brooklyn Queen Expressway, and the Brooklyn Promenade.

Fulton Terminal - post 1962?
Army Corp of Engineers, Port Terminals Map, unknown issue (believed to be 1964 edition)
courtesy of P. F. Strubeck

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   Exiting the float bridge leads, trackage extended to both the north and south serving (but not going onto) a multitude of piers, steamship lines and land based customers. The enginehouse is located over the "NN" in "CONNECTING" in the map above.

   The northern most tracks extended almost all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge serving a small yard. A spur that crosses Furman Street just south of Doughty Street led to the Watchtower Building.

   Watchtower Publications had a huge printing plant in that building (for the Jehovah's Witnesses bibles and publications). This building was formerly occupied by the Squibb Pharmaceutical firm.

   Also, the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper was formerly located across the street and both of these firms would receive rolls and pallets of paper that would be brought in by boxcar.

   As discussed early, it is to my understanding, that one of these buildings had a freight car elevator, that is; an elevator large enough to hold and lift a full sized railway freight car from floor to floor.

   The spur to the Squibb / Watchtower used to lead into the building and this is the most viable candidate for this information. The remains of this spur can be seen in the photo to the right.

   The southern lead track from the float bridges, veered towards the bulkhead into a modest stub ended yard to the southern end of Fulton Terminal.

   One of these tracks continued across Joralemon Street where it split into two short stubs into a notch of the north face of the building where it served the New York Dock warehouse:

New York Dock Trade Facilities Building - 1958
Irving I. Herzberg photo
Brooklyn Public Library archives

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   The following image is one of the best overall views of the Fulton Terminal this author has seen to date. It clearly shows the float bridges, pier yard, finger pier, track arrangement, yard office (square building on left), tugboat and locomotive as they were in October 1966. This photo was taken from the Brooklyn Promenade overlooking the Fulton Terminal.

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   In early 1980, the northern carfloat apron was removed. The Fulton Terminal was the central operating part of New York Dock for almost the entire life of the company, but on February 1, 1982; the entire terminal was shut down for good. The property was used for storage until being completely abandoned.

   Today, most of the Fulton Terminal right of way has been built upon with new construction, and there are minimal traces of tracks remaining in paved parking lots. The enginehouse was demolished on an unknown date and what does remain now however, are in various states of decay. The central pier (formerly the four track pier yard) is still in place, but it is heavily deteriorated and is collapsing into the East River. The south float bridge also remains, but is half sunk in the water:

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Atlantic Terminal; Brooklyn, NY

April 14, 1975
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection
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   This location was inherited in the purchase of the Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse Company in 1901, which operated this facility prior to this date.

   The Atlantic Terminal was located at the foot of Ferris and King Streets, in the Atlantic Basin. The Atlantic Basin is off of the Buttermilk Channel, and is a "T" shaped protected harbor with large piers on either side. The Atlantic Terminal was located on the south end of this basin and had only a single carfloat apron, with a pontoon style float bridge located at the foot of Ferris Street.

Atlantic Terminal - 1924
Fairchild Aerial Survey Photo
NYPL archives
added 11 Dec 2008

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Atlantic Terminal  - July 24, 1951
Fairchild Aerial Survey Photo
New York State Library archives
(looking north north east)
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   In the early years and prior to the first yard rebuild in 1962, (as seen in the 1924 and 1951 Fairchild Aerial Survey Photos above), the tracks coming off the floatbridge, was sort of a "wye" with two of the legs leading off the float bridge situated on pilings and the third leg on the bulkhead. A most unusual arrangement!

   The east leg of the wye led into a double track that ran along the south bulkhead of the basin. While either of these photos are a bit blurry, this track followed the contour around the bulkhead and curved onto the east bulkhead wall and proceeded along Conover Street north to Bowne Street.

   Unfortunately, the southern portion of the railyard is cut off in the photo, but a coaling tower can be seen at the very bottom edge of photo.

   We can also see a small tank farm was built after 1924, but prior to 1951 as well as an overhead gantry.

E. Belcher Hyde map -1929
Historic Map Works

Please note:
a four block portion of the map [which was on another map plate] between William Street  / Clinton Wharf
(currently known as Pioneer Street) and Commerce Street did not show any trackage, so I omitted it to keep image size down.
Both maps are proportioned to one another, even though the scales at which the maps were drawn were different.

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   Out of view in the Aerial Photos above but ascertained from the E. Belcher Hyde Map of 1929 seen above, a turnout at Bowne Street led to a 180 degree turn to the east to double back to Commerce Street where it served a small yard and customers (block 507): Ault & Wiberg, American Maize Products J. A. Casey, a copper works and Building Trades Paint & Specialty.

   Continuing along the "main" on Conover Street, and one block north from the turnout at Bowne Street you will veer west onto at India Street at the intersection of India and Summit Streets. Approximately 200 feet west from this turn you will reach the twin trailing point turnouts for Rubel Coal Company (block 515), which had two spurs.

   250 feet further west from the Rubel Coal turnouts, the track now curves south (left) into the large piershed to serve: Grace Lines, Panama Mail Steamship and New York Dock Co.   

   Returning to the float bridge, the west leg of the wye led to the large railyard which was parallel to the main New York Harbor bulkhead, where an overhead gantry can be seen. The wye at the foot of the floatbridge appears to be on pilings just off the south bulkhead. Due to the nature of the photo, it cannot be determined if the usual double crossover on the float bridge approach was used. Judging from the short distance between bulkhead and floatbridge, it does not seem likely.

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the first Atlantic Terminal reconstruction - 1962   

Atlantic Terminal - post 1962
Army Corp of Engineers, Port Terminals Map, unknown issue (believed to be 1964 edition)
courtesy of P. F. Strubeck

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   After the first rebuild in 1962, the yard capacity expanded when the cluster of fuel tanks and the old brick east / west warehouses seen in the 1951 Fairchild Aerial were torn down. Also, yard track orientation was changed. Instead of north - south yard stubs, the yard lead off the float bridge would run southwest / northeast with yard spurs heading east. This expansion and reorientation is reflected in the US ACoE Port Terminal Map seen above.

   The following photo was taken in the new yard looking west from Ferris Street between Sullivan & King Streets. The tracks on the right side of the photo are for assembling and readying strings of cars for the car float. The float bridge is behind and to the right of the photo.

April 14, 1975 - (looking west)
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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   It appears that the eastern portion of the basin was filled in to the western piershed (not the main American Stevedore piershed on the Buttermilk Channel bulkhead). The two small narrow piersheds jutting out into the basin were demolished, and a new larger warehouse (#11 in the Port map above) was constructed  for Maersk Lines on the new east bulkhead.

     Returning to the float bridge apron, the wye was removed, but the float bridge lead still extended from the bulkhead to the float bridge. Here is a photo of the float bridge lead and float bridge located at the Atlantic Terminal.

Atlantic Terminal float bridge - unknown date - (looking north)
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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   A small railyard stood on a portion where the old brick warehouses were located. This trackage of this new yard connected at the east end to the track and ran down Conover Street (which appears to have been extended as a result of the filling in of the basin). 

   As a result of the new construction, Atlantic Terminal trackage that led to Bowne Street now comprised of street trackage on Conover Street between the old warehouses on the east side of the street and the new Maersk warehouse on the west side.

   Proceeding north on Conover Street, a spur at Verona Street led to a small three track yard was built between Conover, Imlay, Verona and Bowne Streets.

   The main track (street trackage) continued to proceed north on Conover Street to Bowne Street where in made that 180 degree turn to double back to Commerce Street as originally designed and discussed in the chapter above.

   However, the segment that proceeded to India Street and west appears to have be removed from service, as it no longer appears on the map.

   In the Atlantic Terminal yard was a gantry crane. It does not appear tall enough to load containers but does appear to load standard bulk freight.

April 14, 1975
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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   According to Brad Sobel, who contacted this author March 2009; states that his family business was located at the Atlantic Terminal from 1975 to 1987. The steel structure behind the gantry, was part of that business:

"My family's business was Silver Flour Warehouse and Trucking Corp. We leased warehouse space at the 149th Street Yard starting in 1932 and ended in April of 1968. From there we moved to the New York Dock Railroad, Atlantic Terminal."

   Also located in the Atlantic Terminal yard was a retailer in bagged sand. My father, during a railfan visit in 1975, recorded this operation. A hopper would dump sand near this sand retailers "office". I use that term "office" in the loosest sense. I think the following images will explain why:
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   The retailer would load the sand into a small silo with a bagging chute on the bottom. A kerosene heater under the silo, dried the sand to allow it to flow freely. Once bagged and sealed with a wire twist tie, the sand bags would be stacked on pallets.

   According to Brad Sobel this sand retailer was P. Marckesano and Sons.

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the second Atlantic Terminal reconstruction - 1982

   The second of the yard rebuilds took place in 1982, and this would be the final arrangement. I am currently seeking a track plan from this era. 

   This yard arrangement ended up surviving the transition into New York Cross Harbor ownership and was used until 1992 with service to American Stevedoring until that date.

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Today

   The yard trackage was torn up soon after this last usage in 1996 by the City of New York, and in 2006 the float bridge was removed to make way for a new ship terminal.

   Fortunately, a few of the original New York Dock multi-story concrete construction warehouses have been preserved, if not for being converted into condos. The following image was taken from the water onboard the Lehigh Valley tugboat "Cornell" on a rail marine tour of New York Harbor.

Atlantic Terminal Warehouse - July 12, 2008
photo by author

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Baltic Terminal: Brooklyn, NY

   The Baltic Terminal was the last of the New York Dock owned terminals to be built and the first to be demolished. Baltic Terminal was located between the Atlantic and Fulton Terminals along the bulkhead of the East River at the foot of (what else?) Baltic Street.

   Paul Strubeck located the following newspaper article in the 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac. It announced the proposal to acquire the New York Dock Company's "Baltic Yard" for the purpose of the "South Brooklyn Terminal / Brooklyn Marginal Railroad", which is discussed at length on another page of this website .

   This proposed "South Brooklyn Terminal / Brooklyn Marginal Railroad" would not see creation, and the Baltic Terminal would remain a New York Dock property.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac - 1915

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   An E. Belcher Hyde property map from 1929 gives an approximation of the trackwork at the Baltic Terminal along with the significant commercial occupants in the area:

E. Belcher Hyde map -1929
Historic Map Works
(composite of two maps)

   Here we have a Fairchild Aerial Survey Photograph of the Baltic Terminal, taken in 1930. Click on the photo below to view a very detailed close up. Please be advised the photo is pretty big, and takes a few moments to open completely. (There is a link under the enlargement to return you here.)

Fairchild Aerial Survey Photo - 1930
New York Public Library archives
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   The Baltic Terminal was the smallest of the New York Dock terminals, and employed the use of a float bridge and consisted of two yards oriented east / west.

   One yard was located between Harrison and Baltic Streets (southern yard), and another between Baltic and Warren Streets (northern yard).

   A small leg off the float bridge ran north for three blocks to the foot of Amity Street where the New York Dock Company. had a warehouse. 

   Other than Baltic Terminal being sold in 1962 and razed to make way for a new container terminal, further information and photographs are lacking and desperately needed.

   Research however, is ongoing..Please feel free to contribute:

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Red Hook Warehouses; Brooklyn NY

   The New York Dock Company also maintained several piers and warehouses in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, south of the Atlantic Terminal.

   These warehouses did not have railroad service, and further information of these properties is lacking.

   Piers 39 juts west from the tip of Brooklyn at the foot of Coffey Street and the southern entrance of Buttermilk Channel, with piers 40 through 45 following the contour of Red Hook peninsula with Pier 46 ending at the foot of Van Brunt Street.

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Bush Terminal; Brooklyn, NY

March 1975
S. Goldstein photo
authors collection

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   The largest property that New York Dock would come to operate, would be Bush Terminal.

   In 1971, Bush Terminal went bankrupt and the City of New York City purchased the properties. It then leased the railyard and railroad operation to New York Dock in 1972, who would continue to serve those Bush Terminal customers as before, but it has been understood that a surcharge was now charged to those customers desiring rail service to help offset the increasing costs of that service. Please refer to the Bush Terminal page on this website for in-depth property and facility information, as well as track maps.

   The following image, taken by Tom Flagg in January 1975, shows the rail service that the Bush Terminal loft buildings could take advantage of. If not for the date, semi-trailers, the Evergreen boxcar and the litter, this photo could very well have been taken any time between 1920 through 1950's.

January 1975 -  39th Street & First Avenue
Looking east at Loft Building 19 & 20 rail service alley.
T. Flagg photo
added 15 May 2009 

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   As with Bush Terminal operations before it, New York Dock would also enjoy the advantage of interchange with Penn Central and later Conrail at the 65th Street Yard. New York Dock would also interchange with the New York City Transit Authority by way of the South Brooklyn Railway at the 39th Street and Second Avenue interchange. Throughout the 1970's and early 1980's, New York Dock would carfloat into Brooklyn and deliver to the South Brooklyn Railway many new subway cars, as well as ship out subway cars to either be rebuilt or scrapped.

   For the most part, the trackage layout of Bush Terminal would remain unchanged during New York Dock's operation of this facility. Keep in mind however, usage of many of the "alley" sidings located along the avenues serving former industries would be discontinued, and the core of railroad operations would be either Bush Terminal Yards, or the street trackage leading to South Brooklyn Railway interchange, with some minor street siding usage.

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Float bridges

   New York Dock would inherit the use of the two pony plate girder float bridges, located at the foot of 50th Street. These float bridges were known as "Bush 1" (southern or left, when facing west / New Jersey) and "Bush 2"  (northern or right when facing west / New Jersey).

   Sometime after 1975, New York Dock would undertake an float bridge rehabilitation program.

   Bush 1, as we can see in the image following, was originally a three girder design.

March 1972 Bush 2 (left) - Bush 1 (right) T. Flagg photo	...	November 11, 1975 Bush 2 (left & sunk) - Bush 1 (right) T. Flagg photo

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"Bush 1"

   This float bridge was slightly different from its northern neighbor. Bush 1 had three girders: one girder on each outer edge, and one up the center; while Bush 2 would only have 2 outer girders.

    This three girder float bridge (see Bush Terminal page for images) would remain in service until June 1978 at which time the float bridge needed to be replaced (the reason for this is currently undetermined). The "Bush 1" replacement float bridge was "recycled" from the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroads' Jersey City facility and was a two girder design.

   Ben Schaeffer was fortunate to capture the float bridge "exchange" on film, and these images can be found in Tom Flagg's book "New York Harbor Railroads in color", Volume 2, pages 17-19.

   This "newer" float bridge is similar in appearance to Bush 2, as it has only two girders.

   This float bridge would remain in service until the pontoon developed a leak (unknown year), and the float bridge sunk. It remains in this state. (see image below).

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"Bush 2"

   As stated above, this float bridge differs from the original (pre-1978) southern neighbor as it has only two girders.

   This float bridge deck is believed to have been rehabilitated by Bush Terminal prior to 1970, but this is unconfirmed.

   In a March 1972 aerial taken by Tom Flagg (seen above) this bridge is shown in service, yet in a November 11, 1975 aerial also taken by Tom (and also seen above), this float bridge has sunk!  This sinking must have only been a dilemma of short duration as this float bridge has been in regular service almost continuously.

   The image below, taken by Jay Held, shows Bush 2 in service in June 1975.

Bush "2" - June 1975
unknown photographer
J. Held archives
added 05 May 2009

   Both Bush Terminal float bridges remain in place as of 2008, however: the wood deck of Bush 1 was removed and is in a sunken state due to a leaky pontoon and as such, it is not in service.

   Bush 2 on the other hand, received a new pontoon and wood deck in 2007 by the current operator; New York New Jersey Rail.

   There is rumor that Bush 1 float bridge may be rehabilitated by the current operator; New York New Jersey Rail, but this seems unlikely in consideration of plans currently under development for track realignment to Bush 2 float bridge allowing freight cars of longer length to be received.

Brooklyn Army Terminal

   This floatbridge was formerly located at the Erie Railroad's West 28th Street Terminal in Manhattan. This new (for NYD) floatbridge location was designated as the "Army Terminal Bridge" by New York Dock, but did not see much use by the New York Dock, as New York Dock ceased operations in 1983.

    It had been stated that this float bridge was relocated to the Brooklyn Army Terminal adjoining the north edge to the LIRR Bay Ridge Yard) by New York Dock Railway in 1981. The intended relocation was to ease congestion of Bush Terminal, and to avoid the sharp curves approaching the Bush Terminal float bridges and be be able to the handle railcars of longer length which were gaining use by the Class 1 railroads.

   This information appears to be incorrect, as new information states that this float bridge was installed to allow New York Dock to continue carfloat service while the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) reconstructed First Avenue between 58th and 39th Streets. This better explains why the bridge was not in service long (once First Avenue reconstruction was completed it was no longer needed) and why it is not used to this day (as NYNJ apparently receives modern sized freight cars without difficulty at "Bush 2" bridge).

   Tom Flagg courteously furnished a copy of the NYCDOT blueprint pertaining to this temporary transfer bridge installation, of which I reproduced the pertinent details of the image here. I omitted general notes to contractor, drainage piping, spiking arrangements, and cross sections to save on image size. Click on the image below to see a large scale hi resolution image. Use the back arrow on your browser to bring you back here.

City of New York, Department of Transportation - Bureau of Highway Operations
"Reconstruction of First Avenue from 58th Street to 39th Street - Borough of Brooklyn"
"Temporary Transfer Bridge & Connection at Brooklyn Army Terminal"
(no date - ca. 1980)
courtesy of T. Flagg

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   Here is the appearance of the float bridge once installed:

West 28th Street Pony Plate Girder Float Bridge at Brooklyn Army Terminal - undated (post 1981 - pre 1995)
J. McCluskey photo
via P. F. Strubeck collection
added 05 May 2009

   It was used from 1983 through 1991, at which time the New York Cross Harbor Railroad (successor to the New York Dock Railway) stopped using it as it was determined to be sufficiently deteriorated and not financially feasible to rebuild or replace. This float bridge still remains at this location, however it is now half sunk:

West 28th Street Pony Plate Girder Float Bridge at Brooklyn Army Terminal - July 6, 2006
photo by author
added 05 May 2009

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   It has pulled away from its bulkhead moorings (believed to be during the 1992 Nor'easter storm surge that inundated the shorelines of New York City). The inner end (land side) is underwater which does not float as the outer end does. As the pontoon is still watertight, that end still floats. Usually, it is the pontoon that usually leaks from age, and the outer end sinks.

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Greenville Yard; Jersey City, NY

   Upon the purchase of, and merger with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in 1979; New York Dock assumed the lease to and the operations of the Greenville Yard and facilities. Greenville when constructed, featured six electrically operated float bridges, numbered 9½ through 14.

   During the time span that New York Dock operated at this location, only bridges 11 and 12 were in service. Greenville Yard as constructed, exceeded 27 acres and even had a "hump" yard, but the yard had already been downsized by the time New York Dock operated at this location.

A more in-depth history of the Greenville Yard can be read on my Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal website:

Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal / East River Terminal / Palmers Dock:
A Comprehensive History - 1870 - 1983

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St. George Terminal; Staten Island, NY &
West 26th Street Terminal; Manhattan, NY

   New York Dock was also contracted to perform the carfloating operations for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads' operations in St. George, Staten Island; as well as the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads' West 26th Street Terminal on the west side of Manhattan.

   New York Dock carfloat operations consisted of carfloats being transported to and from St. George and Greenville, NJ; as well as between St. George and West 26th Street. Dates of this operation vary, depending on the resource: P. Strubeck related the dates 1976 through 1979, while the Jersey Central chapter of the NRHS states from September 1979 to 1980.

   The yard in St. George featured a wood Howe Truss floatbridge, the same kind that is located at the 26th Street Terminal, as well as some piers.

   As a side note of historical importance, the B&O wood Howe Truss float bridge at West 26th Street in Manhattan still remains and has even been restored. It is now used as a public kayak launching station and is open to the public.

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Locomotives & Rail Equipment Overview

   New York Dock would go on to have the largest roster of locomotives out of all of the independent contract terminals in Brooklyn. Over its 82 year history, no less than twenty steam locomotives (with a strong likelihood of more), one electric and eleven diesel locomotives wore the New York Dock name.

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Steam Locomotives

   The New York Dock Railway would receive as part of its purchase of the Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse, at least one of the steam locomotives, that being #4 (it remains unknown if NYD took possession of numbers 1, 2 & 3). So far this is the earliest locomotive acquistion accounted for by New York Dock.

   Another of the first steam locomotives to have served New York Dock, was a former Manhattan Railway 0-4-4T locomotive, originally built for elevated use. This locomotive was constructed by Pittsburgh Locomotive Works in 1894 (c/n 1516), and acquired  by New York Dock in November 1905. It was sold not two months later in January 1906 to Day Lumber & Manufacturing of Richardson, Mississippi. While we do not yet have an image of the particular locomotive that was purchased by New York Dock, I have located a builders photo of her immediate sister locomotive (c/n 1515); so we are able to see at least what this locomotive was originally configured like. 

   Oddly, some of the later steam locomotives were purchased used and some new in no particular order, and there are gaps in the numbering sequence. It is unknown at this time if these were true gaps, or if those gaps are presently unknown or undocumented locomotives.

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Steam Loco Shenanigans?

   Also appearing to be a repetitive occurance with New York Dock steam locomotives, is the mismatching of builders construction numbers (c/n) to road numbers or, number plates bearing different build years than that which are recorded for that locomotive in the respective builders records. Cases in point:
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• #7 has #6's build plate and construction number;

• #48 number plate shows 1920 build year, but ALCo builders records show #48 was built in 1924, with #47 (an identical ALCo locomotive at New York Dock) having been built in 1920.

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  The reasons for these discrepancies are unknown, but Joe Roborecky's initial hypothesis is that the numbers were possibly swapped for insurance reasons.

   I personally find it very unlikely that #6 and #7 (which were both Baldwin products), and #47 and #48 (which were both ALCo products); that both locomotive builders were "sloppy" in their record keeping to the extent that this should happen twice to New York Dock locomotives on more than one occasion purchased at two different times and under different purchasing arrangements (new vs. used)!

   Playing devils advocate however, #6 & 7 (which were purchased brand new by New York Dock from Baldwin) could possibly have been a record keeping error on the part of Baldwin, and #47 and #48 (which were both purchased used from Standard Oil in Baton Rouge), Standard Oil might have swapped the numbers before the locomotives were purchased and arrived at New York Dock.

  But as Joe Roborecky raises the point, if I noticed these "peculiarities"; how could it have escaped the notice of New York Docks' master mechanic; who was responsible for keeping the maintenence records and inspection reports of the locomotives, where boiler numbers, construction numbers and road numbers were recorded.

   In all likelihood, we will most likely never know what really transpired and why the numbers don't "jive".

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Electric Locomotive

   To date, New York Dock is only known to have operated a single locomotive utilizing overhead electric (trolley wire). Electric locomotive #5 (Baldwin steeplecab) was purchased new.

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Diesel Locomotives

 from front to rear: #54 (GE 44 Ton),  #57 (ALCo RS3), #89 (GE 80 Ton) - December 1978
T. Darnell photo
T. Darnell collection

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IR 59 Ton (at Bush Terminal)

   The General Electric / Ingersoll Rand 59 tonners that were originally part of the Bush Terminal roster, would be taken over by New York Dock when they assumed operation of the Bush Terminal Properties in 1972.

   While it was originally believed that these Ingersoll Rand locomotives were scrapped soon after New York Dock take over (and "soon" being a relative term), this is now understood to be partially incorrect. At least two, and possibly three; of the Ingersolls survived until 1974, and seeing some use by New York Dock.

   A photo seen on eBay in January 2010, which according to the seller is dated April 27, 1974, clearly shows #7 and #2 still on Bush Terminal property.  It is believed that #5 also saw operation under New York Dock ownership. At the least, we can now conclude that it would be sometime after this photo was taken and not 1972 as originally believed, that these remaining Ingersoll Rand locomotives would be scrapped.

   According to Fred Briemann, senior locomotive engineer for Bush Terminal (and subesequently New York Dock); related to me that when New York Dock took over Bush Terminal operation, they did not retain the shop mechanic that was knowledgable and experienced in the repair and maintenence of the Ingersoll Rand locomotives, and eventually these locomotives fell into a state of disrepair.

   On one occasion, the air compressor governor became defective, caused the compressor to run continuously. As it turned out, the air pressure safety release valve was also stuck in the closed position unbeknownst to the engineer. This resulted in a catastrophic failure (read: explosion) of the air reservoir which knocked the engineer Sammy Corray (spelling?) unconscious.

   Following this event, New York Dock discontinued use of the remaining Ingersoll Rand locomotives.

GE 44 / 50 Ton

   New York Dock would usher out their steam operations with the purchase of five brand new General Electric 44 Ton models. These would be the only diesel locomotives purchased new by New York Dock, and these were built in 1951. Also, these locomotives would be ballasted to 50 Ton. These locomotives would bear the numbers 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55.

   Oddly, #53 would be sold off in 1953 and sent to Cuba. Why this particular locomotive was sold off so soon after purchase remains unknown.

   (Considering the state of Cuba under the current embargo, one must wonder if that locomotive might still exist, like the multitudes of 1950's hi finned Chevrolets!) - author

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GE 80 Ton

   New York Dock would acquire the two General Electric 80 ton center cab switchers from the defunct Bush Terminal operation in 1972. These two locomotives were ex-military and bore the numbers 88 and 89. #89 would be removed from service first, and #88 would go on to serve until almost the very end of New York Dock operations in 1983.

   Minor manufacturing design differences between the two 80 tons are noted on the Bush Terminal page.

   According to Fred Briemann (senior locomotive engineer), #89 was taken out of service first due to mechanical problems. #88 would soldier on, and one day while Fred was heading onto a carfloat, the locomotive lost it's independent airbrakes. He was able to get the locomotive into reverse and get it stopped before any detrimental incident could occur. Once stopped, he called Al Malone (who was superintendant of New York Dock) to inform him he was putting the locomotive out of service of service. Mr. Malone objected to Fred putting the loco out of service and told Fred "he could not do that". Fred replied "yes I can" and did so. Fred then proceeded to the enginehouse, took another locomotive and #88 never ran again.

   Fred stated that both #88 and #89 were moved to the southern end of the yard and eventually scrapped.

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ALCo RS3

   In 1973, New York Dock purchased two ALCo RS3 locomotives from Southern Railway - Central of Georgia, and these would be numbered 56 & 57.

   According to Fred Briemann, the RS3's were purchased with the thought of interchanging with the Long Island Rail Road at Fresh Pond Junction. This was not to happen, the RS3's were tried on the Bush Terminal trackage.

   These "Road Switchers" were not conducive to smooth operation on the tight radii and not so perfect New York Dock trackage due to their long wheelbase, and according to New York Dock engineers, the drawhead swing had been narrowed with the installation of wedges in the coupler shank pocket by Southern Railway. Never-the-less, these locomotives did not see much use before being placed in storage, and what use they did see was strictly limited to drilling carfloats.

   Several "railfan" accounts relate that the RS3's short-lived use at New York Dock was due to them being too heavy for the Bush Terminal trackage. This is, quite simply; not true. The EMD NW2 locomotives weigh in at 248,000 pounds (124 tons). According to the ALCo Model RS3 Operating Manual issued June 1950; the RS3 locomotives weigh 240,000 pounds (120 tons). This figure for the RS3 is lighter than the weight for the NW2, so it is quite obvious weight was not the issue with the RS3's!

   Furthermore, two living New York Dock locomotive engineers: Joseph Roborecky and Fred Breimann, confirm that use of the RS3's was short-lived not due to their weight, but due to the long wheelbase of the locomotive which is 39' 4", and the longer wheelbase of the truck itself (AAR Type 'B' Road Trucks) at 9' 4".

   For comparison, the wheelbase for the EMD NW2 is 30' overall wheelbase with the trucks (AAR Type 'A' switcher) at 8'.

   Upon New York Dock administration informing staff it was seeking locomotives, J. Roborecky had told the superintendent of New York Dock to send William Herschenroder, (because he was an ex-machinist), to pick out the best locomotives for intended use on NYD & BEDT. This advice was not heeded and the RS3's were purchased, with the aforementioned results.

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EMD NW2

   Upon the unsatisfactory performance of the RS3's, New York Dock would purchase two used Electro Motive Division NW2 locomotives from the Southern Railway in 1981. These locomotives were numbered 58 & 59 and operated successfully to the cessation of New York Dock operations.

   These locomotives were of a shorter wheelbase and worked out well for the New York Dock, as opposed to the RS3's.

   These two locomotives survived into New York Cross Harbor Railroad operations. #58 would be scrapped in 2006, but #59 survives (out of service) at Clean Earth Dredge Recycling, in Jersey City / Greenville, NJ.

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Footnotes:

   Upon the cessation of New York Dock operations in 1983, several locomotives were stored in the Brooklyn Army Terminal and then transferred to a carfloat and stored at the Fulton Terminal: four of the six  BEDT ALCo S1's: #21, 23, 24 & 26, the two NYD RS3's: #56 & 57, and the four remaining NYD GE 50 tonners #51, 52, 54, 55, (#53 had been sold to Cuba in 1953).

   It was hoped that some or all of these locomotives would be purchased by other railroads. Only one would be: GE 50 tonner #55 was sold off the carfloat to Eastern Railcar in 1984. It currently is located at East Penn Railroad.

   Also, as stated above, NYD #88 and #89 are not seen in any of the images taken of "Roster on a Barge" and their disposition was unknown. It has been rumored that one of these locomotives was sold to a tourist railroad, but this has not been substantiated. Finally, communication with Fred Briemann revealed both of these locomotives were placed in the southern end of Bush Terminal Yard and scrapped.

   In 1983, the newly formed New York Cross Harbor Railroad, which now operated on the former Bush Terminal properties, would chose several locomotives of the combined rosters of NYD & BEDT for their operation. While the GE 50 tonners would be passed over, the three operable BEDT S1's: #21 (which was removed from storage on the carfloat), #22 & 25 (which had not been placed on the carfloat), as well as NYD #58 & 59. These locomotives would continue to serve for many years for New York Cross Harbor Railroad .

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Non Revenue Equipment

   New York Dock also owned a handful of other pieces of various equipment, listed as follows:

• ex-PRR N5c class caboose - Yard Office
     This was used as an agent's office near the float bridges. The caboose was located at the base of the coal silos located at First Avenue between 49th
     and 50th Streets. An aerial photo dated March 1972 and taken by Tom Flagg does not show the caboose, so it must have been placed at this location
     after this date.
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• ex-PRR X31 round roof "wagon top" boxcar - Storage / Work Car
     Somehow NYD came about a PRR X31 boxcar. It was used for storage in the Greenville Yard, and would survive into the New York Cross Harbor
     era of operations. Unfortunately, it would be scrapped in 2006.
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• unknown 50' gondola - #101 Idler / Reach Car:
     This car was originally a regular gondola car but it is unknown from where it came, This car had been modified with end ladders and open accessways
     at the ends; as well as being ballasted with rails and concrete as extra weight. It was used as a Idler / Reach car for float bridge service. It was acquired
     from Bush Terminal.
  
     Careful examination reveals that this car was an outside brace high side gondola. Several statements have been made in railfan forums that this was an
     outside brace boxcar, but this has not been substantiated.
  
     Furthermore, Fred Briemann (retired BT & NYD engineer) confirms this car had been modified from a high side outside brace gondola and not a
     boxcar. Joe Roborecky, using a little basic geometry noticed that if one continued an imaginary line up from the diagonal brace to a point on an
     imaginary line that intersects with the vertical brace, the intersecting point would not be high enough to represent a truss as encountered on an outside
     brace boxcar which extended up to the roof line. Also, take note of the "fish belly" sill which runs almost the full length of the car. This long sill was
     common on gondolas but not on boxcar which generally only appeared directly under the doors.
  
   

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Locomotive Photo Index

    Due to the growing amount of locomotive photos on this website, I found it necessary to provide an index to provide easy access to a specific locomotive.

(click on a locomotive number to take you directly to photos of that locomotive.)