[?]

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

South Brooklyn Railway So Bk Rwy SoB SBRR Railroad SBK

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

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

.

.

..

.

.

As this particular webpage deals with an active railroad and company, viewers should be aware that this webpage, the author(s) or its contributors are not affiliated with: . the South Brooklyn Railway, New York City Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transit Authority, the City of New York, New York City Economic Development Corporation; South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Axis Group, Davidson Pipe Supply Company, or Costco Wholesale Corporation; or any of their subsidiaries, holding companies or parent organizations, employees or otherwise; and no affiliation or connection with those companies or municipalities is suggested or implied. This website and the information contained within has been compiled for the use of reference only, and any inaccuracies are purely accidental. This webpage sees revision for the purpose of the addition of information, or correction of inaccurate data. Also, this website does not condone or authorize anyone not employed or affiliated with the above companies or agencies to enter the properties thereof, or the taking of photographs (digital or otherwise) from other than public property and access points.

Index

.

.

Overview

   The South Brooklyn Railway, was but a fifth common carrier railroad located in Brooklyn, and it is often overlooked as it did not have a freight terminal or float bridges of its own, as did Bush Terminal, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Jay Street Terminal and New York Dock. 

   But the South Brooklyn Railway did have its own freight station (actually several) along its route - the largest being their main station located between Second and Third Avenues, between 37th and 39th Streets.

   But the South Brooklyn Railway's history is richer than that, and it rightfully deserves it own place in the annals of Brooklyn railroading history.

   Having first been operational since 1892; the South Brooklyn Railway predates that of all the other terminal railroads, except for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, having started as Palmer's Docks in 1870, and was different in many ways; from the typical freight terminal operations.

   First, it was organized around and utilized the vast trolley network of Brooklyn. Anywhere a trolley went, a freight box motor (basically an electrically powered boxcar) could go. These freight box motors were self powered (through the trolley wire) and compact. They only needed one person to operate: a motor man; and so simple to operates, that some businesses were allowed to have their employees operated the car between internal sidings (with brief training of course.)  Freight box motors were nimble, and a siding could be installed in most small driveways and alleys and even unimproved lots and yards.

   Another notable fact about the South Brooklyn Railway: they were the first to offer freight car door to customers door trucking service "door to store" via their Paramount Station at Third Avenue. All the other terminal railroads were conventional in where  "you come and get it" or you hired someone to come and get it for you. The South Brooklyn Railway delivered it to you, which was a very novel approach before wide spread teamsters and motor trucking outfits became prolific.

   Another fact that made the South Brooklyn Railway unique among the other four Brooklyn freight railroads: it would come to be owned by a quasi-governmental agency of the City of New York. First, is was acquired by the City of New York Board of Transportation, when the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit "BMT" was absorbed in 1940; and then the Board of Transportation's successor: the New York City Transit Authority in 1953; whereas the other four Brooklyn freight railroads remained held by private corporations.

.

Historical Operations

South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Co. Freight House - September 7, 1938
William J. Rugen photo
Looking east: Automobile is on Second Avenue, between 38th Street (left) and 39th Street (right).
This structure would be razed unknown year, and the location subsequently occupied by a brick yard, Davidson Pipe, and now CostCo Wholesale club.
original image courtesy of Queens Public Library Digital Archives
via P. Matus
added 13 July 2010

.

Private Ownership: 1887-1940

   A great deal of the information for this chapter comes from "The Elevated Railways of Brooklyn and the BMT Subway" by Eric Oszustowicz, and he has graciously allowed the use of this information here. I don't believe a more comprehensive early history of the South Brooklyn Railway has been assembled, and I for one am grateful for his work and to be reuse it here.

The South Brooklyn Railway or "SBK" (as it is known within New York area railfanning groups) as organized, was unique in the fact that it at one time; handled both freight and passenger service.    This webpage will focus itself upon the freight aspects of their operations, with intermittent mention of passenger operations where relevant.    According to the New York Times article dated July 16th, 1892 (seen at right); the South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company was organized in 1887, but its history really predates this by one year.    On September 29, 1886, the South Brooklyn and Flatbush Railroad Company was incorporated to operate a steam railroad. Historical recordings reflect that this company never started construction and on November 10, 1887; the name was changed to South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company.     Even at this time, it was not an operating railroad in that it owned no locomotives or rolling stock, but had been merely organized as a property holder no longer than a few city blocks. It was organized with the intent for that property to be leased to another operating railroad that wished to the connect to the Ferry Terminal at the foot of 39th Street. Unfortunately, no other railroads showed interest, and the land remained unused.    In 1892, the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company spent a great deal of money to purchase that land and extend the route to the new ferry terminus at the foot of 39th Street and the shoreline of New York Harbor. A Terminal Station and freight house was built at Third Avenue & 37th through 39th Streets.    Freight business began in April 1896 when the South Brooklyn entered into contract with the National Express Company to carry freight in seven express trolley cars. One more express trolley entered service four months later.    On June 30, 1897; the Nassau Electric RR turned over its lease on the South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal to the Long Island Railroad (which had been operating passenger trains from their own ferry terminal at 65th Street via the Bay Ridge Branch and connecting with the Prospect Park & Coney Island RR at Parkville Junction), and as a result, LIRR eliminated their Bay Ridge Branch to Parkville Junction passenger train).    Quick side bar here: in 1893, Andrew Culver sold his Prospect Park & Coney Island RR (which ran along Gravesend Avenue) to the Long Island Rail Road.    The Long Island Rail Road operated the South Brooklyn Railway & Terminal Company using steam powered locomotives (former elevated locomotives of 0-4-2T and 0-4-4T wheel arrangements) from June 1897 and until June 1903.    Unfortunately, these locomotives were not adequate for freight operations, and the line was electrified in 1899. In spite of this, the LIRR continued to run irregular steam powered "Racetrack Specials" to the Brooklyn Jockey Club / Gravesend Racetrack located between Kings Highway and Avenue U, between McDonald Avenue and Ocean Parkway., with passenger railroad service via sidings on McDonald Avenue. . The Aught's .    On December 19, 1899, the South Brooklyn Railroad & Terminal Company would go into foreclosure, but would continue operation by the Long Island RR., and on January 13, 1900, the SBRR&T Co was reorganized as the South Brooklyn Railway by the new owners, Brooklyn Rapid Transit. Even under this new Brooklyn Rapid Transit ownership, the Long Island Rail Road would continue to operate the trains.    In 1900, Irving T. Bush of the "Independent Stores" (soon to become Bush Terminal) advised the Brooklyn Heights Railroad (a BRT subsidiary) that their trolley cars should handle freight as well, and by installing private sidings for the service of such. Following this, the BHRR formed a freight department.    In June 1903 (some references cite 1905), the Long Island Rail Road ceased operating the trains on the South Brooklyn Railway and Brooklyn Rapid Transit would assume passenger service.    It should be recognized that in these early days of operation, being a subsidiary of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit; the freight was operating over several dozen of the already established streetcar routes, that by this time had been absorbed under the parentage of Brooklyn Rapid Transit.    Walter S. Wells, former manager of South Brooklyn Railway freight traffic recalled the method of interchange between South Brooklyn Railway and Bush.  In 1905, South Brooklyn Railway 's freight was sorted by Bush Terminal into trolley hauled freight and steam hauled freight, and both of these were placed in the Bush Terminal Yard at Second Avenue between 40th and 41st Street.     South Brooklyn Railway trolley motors would venture of to the Bush Terminal Yard and carload freight would be transferred directly from freight car to trolley motor, and Less Than Car Load (LCL) freight would be transferred from the Bush Terminal freight house to other trolley motors.    Carloads like tank cars, gondolas of stone, etc; were also brought in by Bush Terminal locomotives, but these went to the 38th Street and Second Avenue Yard, where South Brooklyn Railway locomotives would take the car throughout their route. Under the contract that existed with the Brooklyn Height Railroad (the parent organization of the South Brooklyn Railway) at this time, the Bush Terminal RR supplied the interchange yard, provided the freight car transfers, and the office space for the Brooklyn Heights freight representative.  As such, some of the very early images show the equipment marked as BRT Freight Department.    With the development and growth of Bush Terminal, and increasing amount of freight traffic destined for the South Brooklyn Railway, the yard at 40th ans 41 st Streets was growing inadequate. Bush Terminal constructed a new freight yard located between 47th and 48th Streets and First and Second Avenues,where a freight agent of the South Brooklyn Railway had an office.

   During this period, the South Brooklyn Railway ran on Bush Terminal tracks from Second Avenue, down 41st Street, and along First Avenue to 48th Street. When the BRT second Avenue tracks were completed, South Brooklyn Railway would use the Second Avenue routing exclusively. 

   When Brooklyn Rapid Transit assumed control of the South Brooklyn Railway in 1903 (nineteen aught three), it was able to operate passenger service, but not the freight service aspect; therefore the Long Island Rail Road handled the freight service. But, it soon became apparent that this joint operation was both cumbersome and of added expense and likewise not practical from a profitability standpoint. Therefore, on April 10, 1905, the South Brooklyn Railroad began hauling its own freight on the Culver Line. 

   At this time, any freight cars from Class 1 trunk line railroads coming through the Long Island Rail Road for the South Brooklyn Railway would be interchanged at Parkville Interchange at Gravesend Avenue (to become McDonald Avenue in 1931) and Avenue I . However, due to the unfavorable division of the freight tariffs, the management of South Brooklyn Railway now directed most of their freight traffic through Bush Terminal; because at this time, Bush Terminal was able to directly receive freight cars from out of state trunk lines via their float bridges, whereas the Long Island Rail Road did not have a car float facility in Brooklyn at this early stage. Long Island Rail Road hauled freight would have to either become generated on the LIRR network (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk Counties, or arrive via their Long Island City freight terminal which did have float bridges); where they would then have to haul the freight cars east to Fresh Pond Yard in Glendale, Queens and then onto the Bay Ridge Branch to head south to Parkville Interchange or 63rd Street and First Avenue, which obviously added extra handling and mileage.

    This choice in reducing traffic to and from the Long Island Rail Road, appears to have contributed to the dispute of rental charges of the Coney Island freight house; where the Long Island Rail Road was the owner and the South Brooklyn Railway the lessee. As the South Brooklyn Railway needed the freight house for Less Than Carload freight delivery in the Coney Island area, but under the original arrangement of $1000 per year rental, if the profits from the South Brooklyn Railway freight service to/from this location did not exceed the $1,000 per annum rental fee; the South Brooklyn Railway was operating this location at a loss. Therefore it wanted more favorable terms. Also, the freight house was old and dilapidated. 

   It is obvious that if prevailing freight charges were right around the same amount or more than, the rent, there would be no issue. But apparently the South Brooklyn Railway was operating this location on that very fine line between profit or deficit. Ultimately, the parties involved agreed to a temporary month-to-month lease of $83.33 per month (which comes to $999.96 for the year.) 

   Following amendments made to the regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission Act of 1907, this resulted in a reorganization of freight haulage by the South Brooklyn Railway and other subsidiaries of Brooklyn Rapid Transit. The conclusion was that all freight handling was now assigned solely to the South Brooklyn Railway. 

   As such, the South Brooklyn Railway entered into multiple trackage agreements throughout the following year with the Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburban RR; the Brooklyn Union Elevated; the Sea Beach Railway; and Nassau Electric Railroad among several others subsidiaries of BRT. 

   An agreement with the Long Island Rail Road was signed to allow the LIRR to haul special trains to the Brooklyn Jockey Club located at Avenue U and Gravesend Avenue (this agreement augmented a prior agreement between the LIRR and the Brooklyn Heights Railroad for the same service and considerations.)

   In 1908, the South Brooklyn Railway entered into agreement with many of the BRT's subsidiary operating companies to provide express and US mail delivery operations over their trolley lines.

.

The Teens

.

   A significant date in South Brooklyn Railway history took place on March 13, 1913 and after the "Dual Contracts" were signed. The South Brooklyn Railway's subgrade cut along 38th Street between Fourth and Tenth Avenues became instrumental to the construction of the West End Line and the Fourth Avenue Subway. Therefore the South Brooklyn Railway conveyed to the City of New York, a permanent right of way and in return, the City leased trackage rights to the South Brooklyn Railway. And when construction began, the South Brooklyn Railway hauled the excavated materials from the tunnel boring and the Sea Beach line's excavation; and not an "outside" contractor.

   With this increase in haulage by 1914, the South Brooklyn Railway purchased 26 air dump cars and (numbered 3052-3059 and 3062-3079) but most importantly, it ordered two more locomotives from General Electric: #6 (first) and #7 (first), which were 55 tons, 800 horsepower, trolley wire and third rail capable.

   When the Fourth Avenue Subway was under construction, a temporary trolley wire was installed to allow the South Brooklyn Railway to bring trolley flats and trolley gondolas to the site, then once loaded, remove them and bring them to dump sites in vacant lots around 86th Street. Steam shovels were filling one trolley gondola every three minutes.

   Also necessary to the construction of the subway and the elevateds, steel girders and support columns of every size and length were manufactured out of Brooklyn, carfloated from New Jersey to Brooklyn by the Bush Terminal Railroad, then interchanged with South Brooklyn Railway. The South Brooklyn Railway then brought them directly to the site of construction; where hoists would unload the girders direct from the railroad car. Rails and ties and other materials necessary to the construction, also arrived the same method. 

   In 1914, with the influx of new subway cars for the New York Municipal Railroad (another subsidiary of Brooklyn Rapid Transit) they needed storage space. So, the NYMRR leased the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Shops (the freight house) as well as their 38th Street Yard for a term of five years. This led to NYMRR to build a huge yard west of Second Avenue on South Brooklyn Railway owned property for the storage of rails, ties, and ballast; but the South Brooklyn Railway retained trackage rights in this yard.

   Because the Bush Terminal Railroad was the primary source of incoming freight cars, (and because Irving T. Bush was a very astute freight terminal operator and businessman) the South Brooklyn Railway entered into an agreement for a track connection from this yard, to the Bush Terminal tracks on First Avenue. Under this agreement, South Brooklyn Railway paid Bush Terminal RR $1.90 per car and locomotive (no "light" locomotives - those not hauling cars) between the interchange track at 41st Street and the Long Island RR at 63rd Street.

   In 1914, 20 more dump cars were purchased (3080-3099) as well as four rail cars: 9978, 9979, 9987 and 9988 built by the Transit Development Co., yet another BRT subsidiary. At this time, #9980 was converted to an ash dump car. Ironically, this car would be the only one to survive through to the modern era of operations and saw use right up through the 1960's.

   A Whiting crane was installed on #9004 and a new under frame installed on #9133. (dupe on equipment page.)

   In compliance with a Public Service Commission order, geared hand brakes were installed on 37 South Brooklyn Railway cars; and the 3000 series equipment was renumbered into the 9000 series to fit in with the existing numbering scheme on BRT equipment. 

   All was going well for the South Brooklyn Railway, freight traffic was booming, the subways and elevateds getting built. But the first half of 1917 changed its prospects.

   From a Brooklyn Rapid Transit Annual Report, June 30, 1917, (via Eric's book):

   During the latter part of the fiscal year the US Government requisitioned for war purposes, the valuable waterfront property on New York Bay at 63rd Street and the connecting rights-of-way and tracks between 2nd and 4th Avenues, all belonging to New York Consolidated Railroad Company.

   The taking of this property not only deprives the system of valuable waterfront and storage yard facilities (now almost impossible to get) but takes away direct railroad connection with the waterfront, upon which not only do the companies of our system depend on getting their materials but upon which a large part of Brooklyn is more or less dependent for freight shipments. No adequate substitution can be provided therefore.

   We offered the government the joint use of this property during the period of the war but this would not suit the Government's purpose and permanent possession thereof has been taken.

   It is to be presumed that ample compensation will be paid. In the meantime the Government has undertaken on lands elsewhere provided by the system to furnish some substitute facilities for storage purposes."

   This was a major set back for the South Brooklyn Railway; as well as motor trucks were making inroads (pun intended) for freight delivery and started whittling into the South Brooklyn Railway's business. 

   Back in 2009, I acquired a copy of the "Brooklyn Rapid Transit - Track Mileage Book" originally dated January 1, 1910; which reflects that the South Brooklyn Railway (freight) would have operated over the following passenger "routes". 

   Reference to these several different "routes" led me to understand these routes were originally operated by several different "owners", which was quite confusing.

   While I hope the following compilation is accurate there is a small possibility of error. Please note the locations given are passenger stops / stations. Corrections are welcome.

* = also known as the Brooklyn Jockey Club 

The not so roaring Twenties

.

   By 1920, a lot of the subway projects were completed or nearing completion in Brooklyn, and this too was a mounting loss for the South Brooklyn Railway.

   The Culver Line, which had been constructed over the South Brooklyn Railway's right-of-way on 37th Street, descended into the the tunnel at the east end of the Ninth Avenue Station, thereby blocking the main line of the South Brooklyn Railway, forcing it to realign the main line adjacent to the Culver tracks . This required the purchase of land, yet another expense.

   Despite this fall off in business, the South Brooklyn Railway carloading was down, but not out; and was still profitable according to their September - October 1919 report; which showed an average of 60-75 carloads over the line daily. In 1920, the Flatbush Industrial Building was built, and the siding connecting to the South Brooklyn Railway tracks on their 37trh Street right-of-way.

   In 1921, an agreement was entered with the New York Consolidated RR<permitted  the running of freight through the Fourth Avenue, Sea Beach and West End Lines and in reciprocation, the NYCRR could use South Brooklyn Railway locomotives when required.

   But it was beginning at this times, that freight sidings along the trolley lines were decreasing with the industries opting to build or relocate on the main freight line. 

   In 1922, the Prospect Park & Coney Island RR< the New York and Coney Island RR and the Prospect Park and South Brooklyn RR were merged into the South Brooklyn Railway, when South Brooklyn Railway purchased the majority of the stock for those companies. 

The players may change but the game remains the same.

.

   1923 saw Brooklyn Rapid Transit file for bankruptcy; and it would be reorganized into the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), which in effect became parent organization to the South Brooklyn Railway, as the BRT had been; and all Interstate Commerce Commission regulations remained as before.

   In 1926 the New York Rapid Transit Corp. (a subsidiary of Brooklyn Manhattan Transit) wanted the South Brooklyn Railway to cease operating in the Fourth Avenue Subway and on the Sea Beach Line. The South Brooklyn Railway only had four customers remaining on the Sea Beach: J. M. Huber, at Sixth Avenue; Rubel Coal & Ice and Granitface at Seventeenth Avenue; and the Brooklyn Boro Gas Company adjacent to the Coney Island Yard (with their well recognized and remembered "Gas Heats Best" gas holder.) The NYRT was not successful in this endeavor; however, but the die was cast as the trolley (and now rapid transit line) freight delivery network was coming to and end.

   1927 saw the South Brooklyn Railway construct a new freight house at Sheepshead Bay Road (where!?!!)

   On September 27, 1929, a twist of fate occurred that was beneficial to the South Brooklyn Railway: New York Rapid Transit (which had attempted to evict the South Brooklyn Railway from operating on their Sea Beach and Fourth Avenue subway lines three years prior); now needed space to lease for a bus storage yard for their Brooklyn Bus Corp. (yet another BMT subsidiary.) The South Brooklyn Railway property at 38th Street Yard (between Second and Third Avenues) was the site chosen. Two miles of yard track and sidings were removed and the site macadamized for vehicles. This location would be used for buses until 1952; when the land was once again repurposed for industry, and in 1959 Davidson Pipe would take up residence here.) 

   To give the reader a better (and visual) understanding of the vast network the trolley network that existed in Brooklyn (like in other boroughs); this map by the Electric Railroaders Association should help.  The BHRR freight department and the South Brooklyn Railway could send a freight box motor or trolley flat car over all of the tracks shown (as long as it was in service!)

City of New York Ownership - 1940 .    All the private transit operators were now operating in the red - by a little or a lot; it made no difference. The City of New York had formed their own transit entity in 1932 - "the IND".  The IND was intended to be fully owned and operated by the municipal government, in contrast to the privately operated or jointly funded Interborough Rapid Transit Company "the IRT" and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation "the BMT" companies.    And so, in May 1940, the South Brooklyn Railway became part of the City of New York Board of Transportation "BoT", which consolidated( also known as "the First Unification") all the individual privately owned transit companies (the IRT & BMT) and street car lines in the New York City proper under one municipal government organization: the Board of Transportation.     In practice, these three operations remained somewhat independent of one another, whether due to equipment size, signaling, et al. But, the BoT entered into contract with the South Brooklyn Railway to provide labor, supplies and ultimately, equipment for freight delivery.     Railroad freight traffic, which had been tapering off with the advent and proliferation of motor trucks, figuratively exploded with the entrance of the United States in World War II. Wartime restrictions and rationing of gasoline and other petroleum products curtailed motor truck usage and the South Brooklyn Railway (which was electric powered) now found itself with plenty business.    In 1946, World War II was over and the South Brooklyn Railway would purchase two surplussed ex-U.S. Army Whitcomb 65 ton diesel locomotives, #8 & #9 (first).    In June 1953, the New York City Board of Transportation was reorganized and renamed the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA). The purpose of this was to remove transit policy, and especially the setting of the transit fare, from City politics.   On October 31, 1956; passenger service by streetcar along McDonald Avenue was discontinued, leaving that route to the exclusive use of the South Brooklyn Railway for freight movements (although it would have to share that thoroughfare with automobiles.)     In 1960, two more diesel electric locomotives were purchased (#12 & 13) and a sad milestone in South Brooklyn Railway history occurred in December 27, 1961, when the overhead trolley wire was de-energized, effectively ending electric locomotive operations along the South Brooklyn Railway.

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

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

   In 1978 the street trackage east of Fort Hamilton Parkway, as well as that upon McDonald Avenue trackage was embargoed (placed out of service, but not sold or abandoned.) Abandonment would take place two years later. By 1980, there were only two non-Transit Authority customers: Davidson Pipe at Third Avenue, and Roberts Foods at 37th Street and Tenth Avenue.

   Portions of the McDonald Avenue line were paved over around 1991. The 37th Street right of way was parceled out and rezoned residential - with many two or three storey townhouses constructed upon it.

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

   During this period was the South Brooklyn Railway's slowest. It had not hauled new or rebuilt inbound subway cars since 1992 with the delivery of rebuilt R44's; or outbound obsolete subway cars for scrapping or rebuilding since circa 2004.

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

   Its resurgence, if it can be called that; began in May and throughout June 2012, where the South Brooklyn Railway saw haulage of new equipment for the NYCTA: the delivery of twenty-eight R156 diesel-electric work locomotives. Delivery took place upon the completion of the reconstruction of street trackage along First Avenue to the new South Brooklyn Marine Terminal at 39th Street, which included a new interchange with New York New Jersey Rail, the successor to Bush Terminal railroad, New York Dock Railway, and the New York Cross Harbor Railroad. At this point, in was only the South Brooklyn Railway right of way that was seeing action - the two locomotives in South Brooklyn Railway livery were assigned to other parts of the subway system. 

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

   During 2025 through 2026, the MTA Railcar Testing and Acceptance Facility was built and completed upon the former SBK 38th Street "Unloading Yard" (between Third and Fourth Avenues) and where the subway new and rebuilt subway cars were unloaded from their flatcars.

   The South Brooklyn Railway Corporation remains in operation as a freight subsidiary to the New York City Transit Authority and a property holder, but it no longer rosters any equipment.

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

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

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

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

An In Depth Look into South Brooklyn Railway Delivery Network

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

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

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

• 8 - 10 Fulton Street (Main Depot)
• Jamaica Avenue & Union Hall Street (160th Street)
• Third Avenue and 23rd Street
• Bay 19th Street and Bath Avenue
• Gravesend Avenue and 16th Avenue
• Stillwell Avenue and Railroad Avenue (1/2 block north of Surf Avenue)

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

   In most cases, this would be a boxcar loaded with many different items or materials from different consignors for different customers. Almost always, Less than Carload meant a box car, but it could also mean different loads in a gondola (one batch of pipe to here, another to the there); or on a flat car (one piece of machinery to one destination, another to another.)  Later in the era of multiple bay covered hoppers used in dry bulk shipping, less than carload could be applied here as well.

   Very rarely was less than carload in a tank car or an open hopper where it was difficult to measure out the commodity being removed from the "whole" load.

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

   It was the less-than-carloads that usually were transferred to the "freight box motor" or similar equipment. Freight box motors were really nothing more than a powered boxcar with a platform on both ends (sometimes one) for the motorman to operate from. Basically it was the next step in the evolution from horse-drawn wagon delivery in urban environments with a network of trolley tracks. Whether small towns or large cities, most trolley companies had at least one trolley motor for smal deliveries.

   Beginning in 1904, following Irving T. Bush's business advice, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad began installing freight sidings upon request. The first of these sidings was to the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co (manufacturer of steel kegs and drums) located at Flushing Avenue and Cook Street, in the Bushwick neighborhood. 

   It is also at this juncture in time, that the small steam locomotives the South Brooklyn Railway had acquired and were operating were turning out not to be powerful enough to handle this increase in freight traffic. These locomotives were surplussed from elevated passenger lines that had been converted to electricity as a source of power and propulsion. 

   Therefore, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit designed and constructed their own electric box cab locomotive in their 39th Street shops; which was delivered in 1907 and given the number 4. 600 horsepower through 8 wheels (B-B wheel arrangement) on 57 tons, with smooth efficient electric propulsion; it was the largest electric locomotive built by a municipal railroad at that time. This would also be the very locomotive actually lettered "South Brooklyn Railway." (and it survives to this day at the Shore Line trolley museum in East Haven, CT)

   A good deal of the carload freight at this time was for contractors that were helping expanding the city: Cranford Asphalt, owned their own fleet of cars and transported sand from the sand pit at Avenue R on the Brighton Line to their storage yard which was located between Park Place and St. Marks Avenue on the present day Franklin Avenue shuttle line. 

   Granite for curbstones, as well as headstones for the cemeterys.

   Beginning in 1904, following Irving T. Bush's business advice, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad began installing freight sidings upon request. The first of these sidings was to the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co (manufacturer of steel kegs and drums) located at Flushing Avenue and Cook Street, in the Bushwick neighborhood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• 13 common box cars, 
• 8 insulated box for handling ice, 
• 7 express box, 
• 12 gondolas with 18" hinged sides, 
• 6 gondolas with 30" hinged sides, and 
• 6 gondolas with 36" hinged sides

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   As freight traffic materialized, more sidings would be added. Circa 1907, a siding was installed at Unionville (Ulmer Park) on the old Brooklyn, Bath & West End RR; for the Cropsey & Mitchel Lumberyard and several coal yards. These two businesses had been receiving their freight from boats tied up to the piers in the neighborhood, but they had to unload and pick it up for themselves.. The South Brooklyn Railway offered "to-their-door" delivery. 

   By 1910, a second public delivery point was established in the area, this one located at Bay 19th and Bath Avenue, which had been the Bath Beach Depot of the American Express Company. 

   Also in 1910, not three years after taking delivery of box cab locomotive #4; steeple cab locomotive #5 had been ordered from and built by General Electric Company located Schenectady, New York; and delivered to South Brooklyn Railway. This locomotive was designed with slightly different gearing than the box cab so as to ascend the steep grade near the waterfront as well as operate at high speeds on lengthy runs. 

   The South Brooklyn Railway instituted regular local freight service for the transport of sand, cement, crushed stone, paving blocks (setts not cobblestones) and other commodities of the building and construction trades from their docks at 63rd Street and from their dock at the foot of Stagg Street on the English Kills branch of the Newtown Creek. 

   Material and spoils excavated from the Crown Heights section was brought to the marshlands between Coney Island and Brighton Beach. When the Interborough Rapid Transit began excavating their tunnels at Joralemon Street, tunnel spoils were brought to the surface through elevator shafts (like those found at mines), dumped into gondola trolleys, and brought to the same dump sites in Brighton Beach and Coney Island, as well as Dyker Heights which was now being developed as well. Basically, in the development of Brooklyn which was not as flat as it is now, this was the era of digging dirt from hills and transporting it to fill valleys and tidal lands; all in the pursuit of making Brooklyn the finest city!

   Even ashes and cinders from the coal fired electrical generating stations of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit were hauled over the South Brooklyn Railway.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Transit Commission Annual Report - 1921

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

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

   By 1930, South Brooklyn Railway instituted their motor truck store-door delivery service from "Paramount Station"..

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

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

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

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

.

1)  Savings due to the substitution of electric motor power for the two present diesel locomotives.
2)  Lowering the tracks in the Fourth to Ninth Avenue rapid transit tunnel sufficiently to accommodate the standard AAR 40 foot 6 inch box cars.
3)  Discontinuance of the J. M. Huber Inc private sidetrack at Sixth Avenue and 63rd Street.

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

South Brooklyn Railway Main Freight House - Second Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets - ca. 1899
Looking east-southeast, Third Avenue Line trolley is entering upon trackage and private right of way to the 39th Street Ferry House two blocks behind photographer.

Up until 1904, the Long Island Rail Road, Brooklyn Heights Railroad and several other subsidiaries (the South Brooklyn Railway being one of many) of Brooklyn Rapid Transit (the main holding company) handled the freight traffic throughout Brooklyn.     On April 16, 1905, South Brooklyn Railway took over freight handling from Long Island Rail Road.    Also, this year is doubly significant for it is the year the South Brooklyn Railway entered into direct agreement with Bush Terminal Railroad to forward freight from the Class 1 mainland railroads yards in New Jersey through Bush Terminal via carfloats.     Without this agreement, the South Brooklyn Railway most certainly would not have enjoyed the cost savings and convenience of someone else doing the carfloating, and doubtfully would have been so successful.    In 1907, newly enacted legislation by the Interstate Commerce Commission resulted in the South Brooklyn Railway being split off from the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, and of which would now operate the South Brooklyn Railway under its own name as a completely separate company.     This required a slew of trackage rights and terminal agreements being canceled by the original subsidiaries and new contracts issued by the South Brooklyn Railway.      Had this not been done, the entire Brooklyn Rapid Transit system (almost entirely a passenger hauling company) would been made subject to Interstate Commerce Commission regulations.    Upon the formation of the South Brooklyn Railway (as will be discussed in The Old Era chapter above), there were dozens if not hundreds of small customers that received freight via the streetcar delivery network.     Unfortunately, quite a few of those names have been lost to history until a receipt or a document makes itself available, at which time it will be added to the list below.     At right: advertisement from the Official Railway Guide - June 1911

   The South Brooklyn Railway had several yards throughout its fixed route:

• 39th Street between the bulkhead of Bay Ridge Channel / Upper New York Bay and Second Avenue; was the hourglass shaped yard. I have seen reference to this being two yards (Bulkhead to First Avenue
     and First Avenue to Second Avenue) with the narrow part of the hourglass being the dividing line; as well as one large yard. I leave it to the reader to consider it being one or two locations.
• between 39th Street and 37th Streets, between Second and Third Avenues (prior to Davidson Pipe occupying the property), it was a large yard.
• between Third and Fourth Avenues adjacent to 38th Street. Became the "Unloading Yard" in later years due to a rail car ramp located here. Presently is the location of the Acceptance & Inspection Facility.
• between 37th and 36th Streets between Seventh and Ninth Avenues (materials yard)
• 37th Street and Thirteenth Avenue (1900-1920: unknown if this was a South Brooklyn Railway owned yard or a yard owned by a customer.)
• Shell Road and Avenue Y Yard. (Part of the Coney Island Yards, the eastern most tracks held several storage tracks and freight house.)
  

.

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

• 39th Street and Third Avenue - Main Freight Station - South Brooklyn
• 20th Street and Ninth Avenue - Greenwood (Prospect Park & Coney Island Railway car barn) 
• Avenue C and Gravesend Avenue - Kensington 
• Eighteenth Avenue and Bath Avenue - Bath Beach / Bay Ridge

.

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

• 37th Street and Ninth Avenue - Sunset Park
• 37th Street and Thirteenth Avenue - Borough Park
• Culver Yard (Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad / Long Island Rail Road) - Coney Island
• West 8 and West 12th Streets - (Sea Beach Railway Yard) - Coney Island

.

   It should also be recognized, that images exist of direct freight car to truck transloading taking place on several sidings along the route.

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

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

• foot of 63rd Street in Bay Ridge in Lower New York Bay, 
• foot of Meserole and Stagg Streets on Newtown Creek in Greenpoint.

• ash box cars 9405, 9506;
• dump car 9980;
• ash gondolas 9156 through 9183, and:
• tow cars 9960 through 9963.

• Flatbush Avenue & Atlantic Avenue,
• Atlantic Avenue & Fourth Avenue,
• Joralemon Street and Borough Hall
• Fulton Street & DeKalb Avenue  

• Brighton Beach, 
• Coney Island, 
• Dyker Heights and
• Elmhurst.

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

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

.

Customer List / Siding Location List

¹ - South Brooklyn Railway permitted trained & qualified employees of H. J. Heinz and Thomas Raulston companies to operate and move trolley motors on the sidings.
² - Saltser & Weinier's employees permitted to shift cars within their premises 
³ - permission given to William's employees to shift cars on their siding.

The Decline

   There was a marked decline in customers following the conclusion of World War I. But this also coincided with the advent of the internal combustion engine and motor trucks. And as a result, the streetcar delivery system (and like railroads elsewhere) traffic began to diminish. It was the second step in the progression from horse drawn wagons. 

   Little by little, as more trucks were built and entered service there was less need for trolley motors to ply the routes. Now a truck could be sent and returned within hours and without having to shoehorn its way into a trolley schedule or wait until off peak hours (usually late at night), and thereby be sent out again quickly. 

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

   By 1940, there were only seven freight stations:

• Sunset Park - 39th Street & Third Avenue
• Greenwood - Fort Hamilton Parkway and 37th Street
• Kensington - 14th Avenue and 37th Street
• Gravesend - Kings Highway and McDonald Avenue
• Coney Island - Shell Road and Avenue Z
• Bath Beach, and:
• Sea Beach Line at 62nd Street near 7th Avenue

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

   The South Brooklyn Railway's vast borough-wide delivery network was whittled down as each street car route was converted to internal combustion powered buses; and one by one the dominoes fell until by 1956 only a solitary route through Brooklyn survived. 

   It is this route that is best remembered in the collective memories of todays transit buffs and railfans that lived in Brooklyn in the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   And that is the way it remains today.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

Crew & Train Operations

   In September 2026, I undertook the initiative to redraw all the (now) crude (and subsequently pixelated maps) I had created when this page was first published in 2005. 

   Since I now have more resources at my disposal to refer too, such as Peter Doughtery's Tracks of the NYC Subway, and high resolution aerial photos of the facilities (via the New York Municipal Archives and the Brooklyn Public Library); it was also time to accurize the maps as well.

   In discussion with Paul Strubeck who was proof-reading the new text, and he sent me a scan of the following official document:

"Information for Employees Engaged In The Operation of Freight Service On The South Brooklyn Railroad - 
New York City Transit Authority.  

   This document was prepared in 1968 by Motorman Instructor Leonard Lacyk and Edward Taylor; and revised in 1976 by Motorman Instructor in charge of B-1 Division, Joseph Rossetti. The document was approved by Superintendent B-1, Alfred V. Broderick.

   Upon sharing that document with Peter Dougherty; Peter replied back with another version, which was revised as recent as 1984 (arrival of the R62-A subway cars.) Lord only knows how many times this documents has been mimeo and xerographed!

   At the expense of sounding like a priest in a pulpit, I give my utmost thanks to Peter and Paul. Amen.

	INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN THE OPERATION OF FREIGHT SERVICE ON THE SOUTH BROOKLYN RAILROAD NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY Prepared By:                       Motormen Instructor's                           Leonard Lacyk &                                   Edward Taylor                                       ( 1968 ) Revised By:                        Motorman Instructor                      in charge B - 1 Div.                                 Joseph Russetti                                  ( 1976 ) Approved By:       Alfred V. Broderick       Superintendent B-1
.
	The South Brooklyn Railroad is an independently operated subsidiary of the New York City Transit Authority.    Its operating personnel are all employees of the Transit Authoirty, assigned to Division B-1    The South Brooklyn Railroad operates a freight service. A majority of new subway passenger cars are delivered to the Authority via the South Brooklyn Railroad. It also services several private company subscribers in the Bush Terminal and South Brooklyn areas.    The Freight Office is located at 38th Streets and 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn. The telephone number is 330-3896 330-5141 extensions B 8138 or B 8137  B5138    The freight crew consists of a Conductor in Charge, Motorman, 2 Brake- men and flagmen. All members of the crew except the motorman are qualified Conductor Handswitchment.    Conductors must have one year's experience as a Conductor Handswitchmen before he may qualify as a Conductor in Charge of freight. He wil receive 3 8 days of training as a Conductor in Charge.    The Motorman must be qualified on diesel and electric engines and all miscellaneous equipment. He will receive 8 days of training as a Motor- man of the South Brooklyn Railroad.    The Conductor in Charge of Freight must assign duties to the other members of the freight crew.    He is responsible to the South Brooklyn Railroad Freight Dispatcher Traffic Mgr.    The Conductor in Charge duties are to obtain a list of cars and their delivery location from the Freight Dispatcher.           a)   Keep an accurate account of the final disposition of cars.           b)   Record all car numbers.           c)   Record whether cars are empty of loaded, etc.           d)   Line up moves to facilitate driling out cars, after locating                  same and noting final disposition in record book.            The Conductor in Charge must make sure that:           a)   The crew works on the Motorman's side of engine whenever possible.           b)   Angle cocks are closed on the open end of cars.           c)   Angle cocks are open on the leaving end of cars that are cut off                 from trains.           d)   Cars left or stored are secured with handbrakes and chocks.           e)   Flagging signals for engine movements are carefully given and when                 personnel are clear of the cars.           f)    Motorman is cautioned to observe position of switches, if possible,                 before moving. Currently diesel engines N 1 or N 2 are used for motive power on the South Brooklyn Railroad.
.
	The type of cars moved by the freight crew are various and consist of Box Cars, Gondolas, Hopper Cars and Flat Cars, etc.     Because of his responsibilities, the Conductor in Charge of freight received a higher hourly rate of pay than any employee holding the title of Conductor. Also, received extra hour pay daily for preparing C/R8s report.     The South Brooklyn Railroad consists of: a)    38th Street and 10th Avenue Yards. b)    Tracks of the N.Y.C.T.A. System (Locations will be described later). c)    Tracks along the southside of 37th Street to McDonald Avenue. d)    Tracks along McDonald Avenue to Avenue Y (Coney Island Yard). 38th Street Freight Yard limits are from 1st to 5th Avenues: a)   Bush Interchanges (BI) occupies the lower half of the 1st to 2nd       Avenue Yard and is used for storage of empty cars or "Westbounds".       1.  "Westbounds" are cars loaded by subscribers for the inter-             changes with other railroads. b)   The upper half of the 1st to Second Avenue Yard is used for incoming       loaded cars and has unloading platforms for brick customers. c)  Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues the yard is used mostly by the Davidson's      Pipe Company and contains a scale track and a main line for access      to the upper yards.       1.   Crossing 2nd or 3rd Avenues, the motorman will sound the warning             bell as other members of the crew flags vehicular traffic with             red flags.           2.   The gate entering upper 2nd Avenue Yard must be hooked to pre-             vent contact with freight cars.       3.   Loaded cars will be taken from 2nd Yard and placed at             Davidson's Pipe Company or at other designated locations indica-             ted by the Freight Dispatcher. Manager       4.   Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues tracks are designated as:             a)    New Yard (NY) - Moves to the New Yard tracks are made                    from the 2nd Avenue end will dril moves extending into                    2nd Avenue.             b)    Main Line (ML).             c)    Scale Tracks - May be used as a storage track.             d)    11A & 13 Tracks -  Moves to 11A and 13 tracks are made from 3rd                    Avenue, with drill moves extending into 3rd Avenue.             e)    Since these tracks (except the Main Line) have short radius                    curves, 65 foot and longer freight cars must be moved one at                    a times to prevent derailments.             f)     Clearance must be observed at all times especially around                    curves as the center of long cars extend inwardly on curves.             g)    Under no conditions are Gondola Cars to be moved from the                    Davidson's tracks across 2nd or 3rd Avenues with iron                    strapping hanging over the sides.
.
	h)   Between 3rd and 4th Avenues are more brick unloading tracks, access                   for trucks and storage tracks for loaded cars and for further movement to                  10th Avenue Yard (Up the hill). RAMP FACILITY for R-62-A CARS.                   10th Avenue Yard service the N.Y.C.T.A and other customers.          At 5th Avenue, the South Brooklyn Railroad enters the N.Y.C.T.A. system for a short distance and exits south of 9th Avenue lower level, passing thru the C-2 track.      Since the subway tracks have short radius curves, long cars present a clearance problem. When cars are to be moved thru the subway, the Conductor in charge must make sure cars are tagged for clearance.     Cars are tagged at 2nd Avenue for clearance by the South Brooklyn Railroad Car Inspector Conductor In Charge                   All  clearance factors may be obtained by contacting the Freight Dispatch- MGR er (B 8138)                  a)   WHITE TAGS - All clearances for subway moves from 5th Avenue along                        D-3 tracks to 9th Avenue upper level. Reverse to yard track Y-2                        and wrong rail move over C-2 track lower level to 10th Avenue Yard.                  b)   YELLOW WHITE TAGS - Limited clearance with moves from 5th Avenue,                        over #10 switch in reverse, worng rail over D-4 track directly into C-2                        track and 10th Avenue Yard.                     c)  RED TAGS - Will not clear subway tracks      (The Motorman will sound engine horn or) the Conductor in Charge will alert Towerman when desiring to enter subway system at 5th Avenue.      Before freight may proceed into the subway, the Towerman working at the Freight Tower (38th Street & 5th Avenue Interlocking, (B 8 5157) must line-up the move.                   a)   A right-rail move will proceed on the bottom green, will will auto-                        matically negate derailers at the entrance to the subway from the                        freight yard.                   b)   With YELLOW TAGGED cars and wrong rail move, the Conductor in Charge                         must obtain permission from the Trainmaster's Office. Move over #10                         switch in reverse, with a call on displayed, which will also negate                         the derailers.      Engines in the subway main line cars may be bucked or trailed, according  to siding requirements      All trains must be properly protected by having white and red lanterns and back-up hose to enable the Brakeman to stop cars in the event the Motor- man is unable to see right of way.
.
	Before passing thru C-2 track (9th Avenue lower level) the Conductor in Charge must detrain and walk C-2 track to 10th Avenue Yard, making sure track is unoccupied and hand throw switches are in the proper position. He will then call the Towerman (B 8161) at 8th Avenue Tower requesting move and giv- ing clearance for passage thru track.      In the event C-2 track is blocked, 10th Avenue yard may be reached by continuing up yard lead (Y-2) track from 9th Avenue upper middle and into the Subway Yard.   Then freight will proceed along upper main line to 10th Avenue Yard. the Yardmaster must be called to obtain permission to make this move ( B 8156).      At 10th Avenue Yard in Dunn's runaround and yard storage tracks for cars to be transferred in either direction.      Leaving 10th Avenue Yard (Southend) there are derailers on both tracks. These must be removed and then replaced after the train has passed (Just) north of Fort Hamilton Parkway),      Since the handthrow switches along this route are accessible to every- one, care must be taken to see that they are in the proper position when passing sidings.      Along 37th Street there are sidings that service:      a)   Roberts Food - In between 10th Avenue Yard and Fort Hamilton            Parkwayway (sic). Roberts Foods contracts for tank cars. Due to sharp            curve normal hitches are difficult to make. A special adapter is            stored to the left of the entrance in order to facilitate making            hitches.      b)   American Transp. Plastic Company.      c)   Kleins      d)   Kamco Supply Company      The crossing of avenues must be done with traffic lights and the flagg- ing of vehicular traffic with red flags.      Along 37th Street handthrow switches admit train to the desired siding (See strip map for sidings locations)      The train crew must be careful of debris that could damage cars or cause derailments.      Before leaving the South Brooklyn Railroad the Freight Dispatcher will call for a patrol car to assist crew in the event automobiles are blocking the right of way.      Entering McDonald Avenue the Conductor in Charge must caution the Motorman as the train will be operating on a main avenue. Due to the slow train operation, many impatient motorists may attempt to pass. The train crew must be constantly on the alert in order to prevent accidents.      The next siding is called Parkville (Long Island Railroad Interchange). The switches on McDonald Avenue need not be thrown when entering trailing point switches as they are thrown by the pressure of the wheel flange. But due to  the poor condition of the switch mechanism, facing point switches present a problem. Metal tie plates must be inserted in track to guide wheels along the facing point to prevent derailing.
.
	Train can be returned to the northbound track oer switch south of Parkville (Avenue I)      The next siding is [redacted - Flatbush Coal] located south of Kings Highway. How- ever, to turn back the switch at Avenue Y must be used.      The last stop is Coney Island Freight yard at Avenue Y. This yard contains storage tracks and a runaround track. Material for the N.Y.C.T.A. is delivered via this yard.  At the entrance to Coney Island Subway Yard is a gate that is locked by a No. 5 Master Lock #865. the key is obtainable from the Signal Maintainer at Tower "C". The Maintainer is on duty from 8 AM to 12 Midnight, Monday to Friday only.     On the return trip, the train wil be operated over the northbound track along McDonald Avenue to 37th Street just south of 14th Avenue, where train will be switched to the southbound track and then to 10th Avenue Yard (remem- ber derailer just north of Fort Hamilton Parkway).      The Conductor in Charge must call 8th Avenue Tower (B 8161) from wall phone (In 10th Avenue Yard) before entering lower level at 9th Avenue (C-2 track) subway and returning to the South Brooklyn Railroad Yard. Alfred V. Broderick Superintendent, B-1
.
.
	SOUTH BROOKLYN RAILWAY COMPANY Code of Operating Rules - Amended 7/1/1981 TO: All employees in Freight Service 1   - Conductor-in-Charge, checks engine capacity and will not attempt to        overload, taking into consideration rail, grades and weather conditions. 2   - Crews when reporting, check sanders and refill when necessary. 3   - Prior to use of engine in service, engineer checks main reservoir and        brake-pipe pressure for proper levels. 4   - Conductor-in-Charge checks clearance tags prior to moving cars. 5   - Member of crew are to wear their safety vests at all times. 6   - Engines must be on dock end of all trains moving up or down 38th street        cut. 7   - Cars should not be coupled unless they are secured. 8   - Crews will not handle any car without brakes, unless special orders are        received from supervision. 9   - Flagman must work same side of engineer 10 - Crews will stand clear of cars when coupling. 11 - Do not touch switch stand handle until train is clear of switch. 12 - Crews secure all cars left on sidings with hand brakes and a rolling        chock. 13 - Conductor-in-Charge will report any defects of cars and will make a        written report of any delays. 14 - Back-up hose must be used when bucking cars. 15 - At close of tour, engineer and conductor-in-charge will secure yard        and engine.                                             Andrew F. DeLuca                                            Freight Traffic Manager
.

   Additional yard maps from other NYCTA facilities were included in the file, but have been omitted as they are not pertinent to the operation of the South Brooklyn Railway.

   As described in the Linder / Eppler article (which apparently took abridged sections of the above manual), the following procedure for operating a train is as follows: 

.

The Crew

   A typical freight crew consisting of a Conductor in Charge, a Motorman, two brakemen and a flagman. 

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

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

1. Keep an accurate account of final disposition of cars,
2. Record all car numbers,
3. Record whether cars are empty or not,
4. Line up moves to facilitate drilling out cars.
   The Conductor must also make sure that the crew complies with the following rules:

• The crew works on the Motorman's side of the train where practical.
• Angle cocks are closed on the open end of cars.
• Angle cocks are open on the leaving end of cars that are cut off from train.
• Cars which are stored must be secured with hand brakes and chocks.
• Flagging signals for engine movements are given carefully after personnel are clear of the cars
• Motorman is cautioned to observe position of switches, if possible, before moving.

   When the train arrives at the Ninth Avenue Station on Track C-2 (lower level); the train comes to a stop. It must wait until the conductor detrains and walks on foot (about 600 feet) along track C-2 to the Tenth Avenue Yard, making sure the track is both unoccupied and that the hand throw switch is properly aligned. 

   If Track C-2 is occupied, the train may call the dispatcher, to align a route west to operate up the incline and onto Yard Lead Y-2 and into the 36th Street Yard, where it can be switched and reversed direction again heading east. 

   Upon arriving at the Tenth Avenue Yard, the locomotive(s) which were coupled to the rear or west end of the train at Fourth Avenue on eastbound movements; are run around the train, and coupled to the east end (front) of the train. Then the train can resume it eastbound movement in a conventional towed manner.

   Upon leaving the Tenth Avenue Yard, the South Brooklyn Railway is now operating on its own right of way under the Culver "El", paralleling 37th Street where most of its customers are located. This is unsignalled (dark) territory and sections of the route have manual derails. 

   Depending on how far the train is going to travel, the train crew must drop the manual derails at Fort Hamilton Parkway, Thirteenth Avenue and Fourteenth Avenues, and any sidings the train may need to use; as well as raise the derails after the train has passed. These derails were a safety measure in case the hand brakes on a freight car failed or were intentionally released by vandals; and so the derail prevented a runaway car from going more than a city block.

   Before crossing avenues or streets that are protected by traffic control devices (traffic lights), crews must be sure that the vehicle traffic light (where mounted) is displaying green. Vehicular traffic must be flagged with red flags on streets and avenues not protected by a traffic control device.

   As the train proceeds along 37th Street, it will most likely interrupt an Italian bowling game, bocce; played on a cinder court between the rails. Images can be seen in the Memoirs chapter below.

   Trains operate infrequently between Kensington Junction where the South Brooklyn Railway right of way on the surface (and under the elevated Culver Line until 1980) turned south onto McDonald Avenue.

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

Trackage, Right of Way & Facilities

.

   Rapid expansion of the South Brooklyn Railway soon followed the turn of the century and about this time as the Brooklyn Heights Railroad and Brooklyn Rapid Transit began installing freight sidings from established trolley routes into various factories. 

  The first siding is recorded as being build for the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company, which made steel kegs and drums; and was located at Flushing Avenue & Cook Street. 

   As such, the South Brooklyn Railway delivery network was vast, as it could take advantage of the huge network of trolley tracks throughout Brooklyn.

   By referencing that 1914 article, we can see by the list of delivery stations in Brooklyn as far north as Greenpoint, as far south as Coney Island, as far west as Bay Ridge, and surprisingly, as far east as Jamaica, Queens. 

   If there was a set of trolley tracks in the street, you can be pretty sure the South Brooklyn Railway had an agreement with the owning railway operator to deliver freight along that route. And there were dozens of streetcar line operators throughout Brooklyn. And since those streetcar operators kept getting consolidated into the larger Brooklyn Rapid Transit and then Brooklyn Manhattan Transit conglomerate, it only made sense to keep the freight traffic "in the family".

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

.

.

   The actual date on which the SBK trolley network service officially ended, eludes us to this day. I have never seen the date mentioned in any of the historical ERA articles or on contemporary websites. It just seemed to have happened, and the SBK fixed route replaced it. 

   What is known that the institution of fixed route service greatly preceded the date of final day of trolley operations in Brooklyn (taking place on October 31, 1956.)

   As internal combustion powered buses replaced trolleys, the trolley networks of Brooklyn (and other boroughs) shrunk, and quite rapidly. Most of the trolley routes were changed over to bus operation within a 10 year span between 1930 and 1940. 

   Each of those routes that were converted to bus and the tracks ripped out (or paved over) was a lost route to SBK service, cutting ever deeper into their earning overhead. This was the impetus behind their Paramount Station venture where they contracted with Horstmann Trucking, so that freight could be transferred from railroad freight car to a truck for final mile delivery within Brooklyn, and off the trolley route.

   In 1938, the dual service (freight and streetcar) tracks along McDonald Avenue (formerly Gravesend Avenue and so renamed in 1931) were reconstructed. As originally constructed, the horse and automotive lanes to the outside of the trackage were paved, but the two track railroad right of way in the center remained unpaved. 

   When the overhead elevated line along McDonald Avenue was built in 1920, it had the girder supports between the auto lanes / rail right of way. This sort of kept the two types of traffic segregated, but now by the 1930's with ever increasing automobile and truck traffic, more space was needed for them. 

   So, the 70 pound (per yard) conventional profile rail  under the elevated structure was replaced with heavier 128 pound grooved girder rail , and the space between the rails and elevated supports graded and paved south of Avenue P, at first, but eventually the entire McDonald Avenue right of way would see paving between the tracks from Shell Road all the way to Kensington Junction. 

   Only the portion of the South Brooklyn Railway line adjacent to 37th Street remained conventional profile rail and unpaved right of way.  

   Prior to the the construction of the Belt Parkway in 1940, the private South Brooklyn Railway right of way south of Avenue X veered to the east of the Culver Elevated through undeveloped tidal lands of Coney Island Creek, which it crossed on a low trestle.

   With the construction of the Belt Parkway, and the development of the surrounding lands to join the Brooklyn street grid; the South Brooklyn Railway right of way was realigned to the public thoroughfare Shell Road, and the freight station and yard in the Culver Terminal by West 6th Street was closed with new replacement facilities located on the east side of the Coney Island Yard. The southbound Shell Road track opened for service April 29, 1940 and the northbound track on May 6.

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

   The line began (or ended - depending on your point of departure) at 38th Street and First Avenue Yard, where incoming freight arrived via interchange with the Bush Terminal Railroad was received. The Bush Terminal Railroad placed the cars in the interchange yard between First and Second Avenues and 39 and 37th Streets. 

   From here, the South Brooklyn Railway route took it though the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Greenwood / Borough Park, Kensington, Parkville, Midwood, Gravesend and Coney Island.

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

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

both images above:
 March 1955 issue of "Transit Magazine"
collection of Joseph D. Korman
added 07 Sept 2009

.

   As of July 2018, we now have two historical maps at our disposal showing South Brooklyn Railway trackage. 

   Recently re-discovered in an October 1976 issue of the ERA Bulletin is a track plan which is dated September 1960. I took a little time and effort and cleaned it up for legibility. While there are not too many differences between this map and the Raudenbush map of 1961 (they are dated within one year of each other), however this 1960 ERA map shows the locations of derails and bumping posts (end of tracks) and quite as importantly, the names of a few of the customers served! It is not to scale, and it omits the interlocking complex west of Ninth Avenue Station

.

   However, I also took note of some inaccuracies and omissions in the original, and of which have been confirmed with both aerial imagery and in enthusiast's photographs. I procrastinated for 8 years in revising this plan. Therefore, in September 2026, I spent another a few hours redrawing the plan re-lettering it.

original map courtesy of October 1976 issue Electric Railroaders Association Bulletin
The portion of trackage between Fourth Avenue and Ninth Avenue was not included in the original map and
"Dunn's Runaround" was strangely omitted west of Roberts Foods. It has been added.
 Note 1: Tracks east of Fifth Avenue and west of Ninth Avenue, including the interlocking is not shown on this map. Refer to the clearance maps below.
   Note 2:   The author almost certainly remembers a crossover located in the vicinity of Billings Court, between Kings Highway and Avenue S.
map cleaned and modified by author
added 05 July 2018

.

.

original:  H. Raudenbush Map - 1961
modified:  P. M. Goldstein - 2026

(numbers correspond to map locations below)

Rerouting throughout the Years: A synopsis

.

   According to Jay Bendersky's book "Brooklyn's Waterfront Railways"; the South Brooklyn Railway ceased operations on the portion of trackage south of Fort Hamilton Parkway, including the trackage between Dahill Road and Avenue I along McDonald Avenue, on February 1, 1978.

   Also, according to an email received on 09 January 2010 from Dan C. he states:

"I lived near McDonald Avenue from 1960 to 1990. McDonald Avenue was reconstructed in 1978. It was at that time that the tracks were removed from the rebuilt LIRR overpass between Foster Avenue and Elmwood Avenue. Tracks were also removed at the intersection with Avenue X / 86th Street. These removals severed the connection. But for some unknown reason the now useless tracks were left in the street on McDonald Avenue while the outer lanes were properly torn up and rebuilt. When I left Brooklyn in 1990 the tracks were still there. If I remember correctly, they were paved over by 1992 and have been subsequently ripped out of the roadbed by the NYCDOT.

Even stranger was that in 1979 the NYCDOT painted Railroad Crossing indicators on the pavement of all the streets crossing McDonald even though by then it was by then impossible for trains to run there. They also put up little Railroad Crossing inventory tags on the pillars of the el. Maybe some of them are still there."

   His email caused me to recollect the fresh "R X R" pavement markings, so this may be my source for believing the McDonald Avenue trackage was still in service. But, with that Avenue X / McDonald Avenue trackage removed, it would have been impossible for trains to access the Coney Island Rapid Transit Car Overhaul Shop, (or more simply: "the Coney Island Shops") and Coney Island Yard via McDonald Avenue trackage.

   While I originally understood the right of way to have been shut down in two phases (36th Street Yard to Avenue I and Parkville Junction to Coney Island Yard), and after a lengthy telephone conversation with Ben Schaeffer; his information shows my understanding to be faulty, as the entire South Brooklyn Railway right of way from the east exit of the 36th Street Yard to Coney Island Yard being shut down at the same time. (Therefore I now believe that the street markings of R X R are what is causing me to think of a two segment shutdown.)

   According to Ben, the last movement of any kind on the southern segment (Parkville Interchange to Coney Island Yard) was Sperry Car #402 being brought from Coney Island Yard to Parkville Junction on Thursday, January 31, 1978. On that same day, Conrail BR-1 (Oak Point Yard, Bronx to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn) dropped several cars for pick up by South Brooklyn Railway at Parkville Interchange.

   The next day; on Friday, February 1, 1978; South Brooklyn Railway removed those few cars from Parkville and brought them points north along the Kensington Junction to 36-38th Street Yard segment. After this last movement, all street trackage between the 36-38th Street Yard and the Coney Island Yard including 37th Street and McDonald Ave was embargoed. The reason for this embargo was for the anticipated resurfacing of McDonald Avenue.

   In July of 1978, the New York City Department of Transportation sent a crew to apply the "RXR" pavement markings at each intersection as compliant with highway safety regulations. Ironically about the same time, a notice for abandonment was filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission by the South Brooklyn Railway to abandoned its trackage south of Fort Hamilton Parkway.

   To the best of Ben's recollection, on or about August 1981 the abandonment was approved. In approximately 1983, the McDonald Avenue overpass over the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch was scheduled for reconstruction. When it was rebuilt, street trackage was not part of the new design. This author distinctly remembers the tracks embedded in McDonald Avenue abruptly ending on both the north and south sides of the new overpass, but no tracks in the newly poured concrete of the overpass itself! This was before I became a historian, and I also recalled saying to myself "what idiot designed this? How will the South Brooklyn Railway use the McDonald Ave trackage!?!?" (Not realizing at that time the SBK street trackage along McDonald Avenue had been abandoned.) 

   No matter, as no train had or would ever transverse the trackage, since 1978 or would again. Most of the trackage on McDonald Avenue did remain embedded yet visible in the street for many years to come. 

   Due to the lobbying of Dov Hikind, a local Brooklyn assemblyman; the trackage along McDonald Avenue was at first simply paved over. The Parkville Interchange was in his district, and I believe it was stated in his proposal, that the:

• railway wasn't used to it's full potential, (obviously)

• that alternative routes existed, (West End Line)

• the rails in the pavement both presented asphalt resurfacing problems, (true) and

• when wet, the rails were slippery causing vehicular and pedestrian accidents. (true)

      At some point during the 1990's, that resurfacing had grown dilapidated and to so effect a proper job, the now buried rails needed to be excavated and new substrate laid. And so McDonald Avenue was completely torn up, the rails removed and the thoroughfare resurfaced.

.  However, on an unknown date and sometimes in circa 2010; Track C3-4 would be re-connected to the old SBK running tracks on 37th Street (still in place to Fort Hamilton Parkway (and now used for equipment storage); and Track C2 was severed and abandoned (as well as Track C-1 had been, but that was never used by the SBK.) Again, the exact date this change took place is not certain, so anyone that has a more firm date, corrections or additions; you are invited to contact me.

.

   Following the abandonment of street trackage south of Fort Hamilton Parkway including McDonald Avenue in 1978;  the main route for the transport of subway rolling stock and MOW matériel on flatcars and in gondolas is along the existing elevated trackage. This route would take South Brooklyn movements via the BMT "West End Line" elevated (currently the  train) along New Utrecht & Stillwell Avenues and into the Coney Island Rapid Transit Car Overhaul Shop, (or more simply: "the Coney Island Shops"). 

   The Coney Island Shops are one of only two major overhaul facilities for all the subway equipment in New York City (the other major overhaul shop being 207th Street in Uptown Manhattan). Staten Island Railway equipment is also repaired at the Coney Island Shops, but must be trucked over the Verrazano Bridge.

   Returning to the routing, it must also be understood that with this routing, two factors have to be kept in mind when using the West End Line elevated:

   This South Brooklyn Railway routing enters this elevated trackage at the east end of the 36-38th Street Yard (just a couple of tracks south of where they used to enter street running on their former route along 37th Street). It is here that South Brooklyn Railway trains would be switched from yard trackage to the "mainline" of the West End Line, (which circumvents the 36-38th Street Yard for its continuous and unhindered routing under Fourth Avenue).

   An inclined transition from the subgrade trackage to the elevated had been constructed in 1916 with the construction of the West End Line elevated.

   This route is shown in red in the map above.

   In 1987, it was discovered that the Williamsburg Bridge was in dire need of major repairs and required emergency repairs. This required closing the bridge to both vehicular traffic and transit services. As closing the bridge would isolate some of Northern Brooklyn's subway lines, access would still be needed to get subway equipment in need of maintenance & repair to and from the NYCTA's Coney Island Rapid Transit Car Overhaul Shop, more easily called "the Coney Island Shops". So, on or about October 1987, the South Brooklyn Railway entered into an agreement with Long Island Rail Road (both entities being operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority).

   This agreement allowed for the South Brooklyn Railway to operate over Long Island Rail Roads' Bay Ridge Branch between the hours of 19:00 and 03:00 (thats 7:00 pm and 3:00 am for those of you who cannot read 24 hour / military time). This route allows movements from the LIRR Bay Ridge Yard to the NYCTA Linden Shops or Canarsie Yard, both located in East New York.  It would also require the South Brooklyn Railway to operate on New York Cross Harbor Railroad trackage under a separate agreement, as well. All told the route was very arduous to say the least.

   A South Brooklyn Railway test train was scheduled, and the route was as follows:

From Coney Island Yard, north up the West End Line (currently the NYCTA  train),
switch off the West End Line at the SBK switch between 4th and 5th Avenues,
west through the Third Avenue & 38th Street Yard, to Second Avenue and 39th Street.
Here, the South Brooklyn Railway would switch upon and turn south onto the New York Cross Harbor Railroad trackage on Second Avenue at "Bush Interchange",
south for two blocks along Second Avenue to 41st Street and curve under the corner of the warehouse (of which so many photos are taken),
turn west down 41st Street for one block to First Avenue turning south again,
South along First Avenue to 58th Street,
through the Brooklyn Army Terminal to Long Island Rail Road Bay Ridge Yard and turning east onto the LIRR Bay Ridge Division. 
From here, up to either the Linden Shops (for track & structures) or to a point just north of the BMT Canarsie Line New Lots Avenue Subway Station Train,
A reverse move was necessary to switch onto the Canarsie Line  Line and finally
entering into the East New York Yard. 

   Even after the Williamsburg Bridge was rehabilitated, the South Brooklyn Railway would still see use of the Bay Ridge Branch (see Memoirs), and would still utilize it today if need be.

   The original plan, as part of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal reconstruction had the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Yard between Second and First Avenues being ceded to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal property. 

   It also had the South Brooklyn Railway now interchanging with New York New Jersey Rail (the successor to New York Cross Harbor Railroad) at South Brooklyn Railway's 38th Street Yard between Third & Fourth Avenue (two blocks east of the original interchange point) but this is not shown in the diagram. Matter of fact, none of South Brooklyn Railways trackage was represented and their 39th Street Yard is shown as "green space".

November 28, 2007 presentation by New York City Economic Development Corp (NYCEDC)
to ASICMA on "Infrastructure in New York City"

.

   As such, it seem to be that New York New Jersey Rail would have operating rights on the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal trackage, proceeding across Second Avenue, utilize the trackage adjacent to Costco, cross Third Avenue and possibly interchange with South Brooklyn Railway at the South Brooklyn Railway's 38th Street Yard.

   It appears by 2012, that plan had changed. Information now handed down to the author now had the South Brooklyn Railway interchanging with the New York New Jersey Rail at First Avenue & 39th Street, one block west of the original interchange point, following a complete restructuring of the track layout.

   The graphic below has the yard trackage for the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal still oriented for north / south (and of which the former SBK 39th Street Yard is currently oriented east / west), but with the tracks moved to the eastern boundary of the property instead of running up the center. And with that revised track entrance being located at 39th Street and First Avenue providing access into the yard for New York New Jersey Rail and allowing an interchange with South Brooklyn Railway.

   This original graphic below was originally from the "Sunset Park Vision Plan" of 2009 and was modified by the author to reflect all changes prior to May 2012.

   As the proposed reconstruction of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal shows trackage splitting east and west from a First Avenue and 39th Street access point, this arrangement would have effectively dissected the original South Brooklyn Railway 39th Street Yard. Therefore, this South Brooklyn Railway Yard was removed in its entirety to facilitate the new trackage alignment.

   In 2006, the New York Cross Harbor Railroad became New York New Jersey Rail, also known as NYNJ Rail. Also about that time, NYNJ Rail welded the turnout point located at First Avenue and 41st Street for the First Avenue alignment. This weld prevented New York New Jersey Rail traffic or South Brooklyn Railway traffic from using 41st Street to Second Avenue and then to the Bush Interchange where interchange at Second Avenue & 39th Street could take place.

   In short, the SBK was now isolated at Second Avenue and 39th Street at their yard. Therefore, the transfer of any freight traffic (if any!) from NYNJ Rail to South Brooklyn Railway now had to go through the Brooklyn Army Terminal and to the Long Island Rail Road / New York & Atlantic Railway Bay Ridge Yard to NYCTA Linden Shops for transfer anywhere else in the NYCTA System. Until 2012, it was not an issue as NYCTA was not receiving any freight traffic or equipment via rail from NYNJ Rail.
   
   This would change in 2012. When the order for the twenty-eight new R156 work locomotives (MotivePower MP8AC-3) was proposed, a way was needed to transfer those locomotives to the NYCTA / South Brooklyn Railway. As NYNJ Rail was already revamping its track structure, and as part of the New York City Economic Development Corporations' Sunset Park Improvement Plan, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal was being reconstructed. So, the opportunity presented itself for a new interchange with shallower radius curves and heavier rail to include conventional two point turnouts, as well as eliminating the sharp reverse curves encountered previously along the 41st Street routing. 

   The NYNJ Rail "main" was continued north along First Avenue for one more block to 39th Street (it previously ended mid-block between 41st and 39th Streets at a large industry), then turning gradually to the east to a turnout where the track would split to either a multi-track siding serving the the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal or connect with the South Brooklyn Railway. This new interchange was no more than one city block west of the old "Bush Interchange" but it so dramatically eased the curvature of the track alignment.

   Unfortunately, this new interchange was not ready for use by May 1, 2012 when the first locomotive (0L912) of the new order arrived for the NYCTA. It would not be until the delivery of the second locomotive, which would have the honor of being the first NYNJ Rail / SBK interchange to utilize this new interchange.

   This interchange remains in service. With thanks to an internal source, the delineation line of the South Brooklyn Railroad and New York New Jersey Rail is established at the Second Avenue crossing at 39th Street, in which the legal documents states: 

South Brooklyn Railway / New York New Jersey Rail Delineation Point
(North is to the right)
annotated map by author
not to be reused or reproduced without consent.
added 18 April 2021

.

.

RETURN TO INDEX

Freight cars with RED tags must not be operated on subway tracks.    Freight cars so Red Tagged, must not go further east than 38th Street Unloading Yard (between Third and Fourth Avenues).    YELLOW and WHITE tagged freight cars may move east of Fourth Avenue, provided:    Freight cars with a YELLOW tag have limited clearance, and must be moved over #10 switch east of Fifth Avenue in reverse.    Trains then run wrong rail over northbound D-4 track directly into C-2 track (lower level) in Ninth Avenue Station after which they proceed to the Tenth Avenue Yard.     A WHITE tag indicates that a freight car may be operated in the tunnel on southbound track D-3 to Ninth Avenue upper level (West End Line, center track), where train reverses direction westwards) and briefly enters upon on Yard Lead Y-2.    Train then reverses direction again (eastwards) then make a wrong rail move on lower level (Culver) northbound track C-2 to the Tenth Avenue Yard.    Without a doubt, it was an unusual part of operations of the South Brooklyn Railway when it hauled freight cars, but a very necessary part. all at right: collection of author

Track C2 (the northbound local track) on the lower level of the Ninth Avenue was now connected to the South Brooklyn Railway track south of the station. Also during this period, the platform on Track C2 was cut back to accomodate freight cars being transferred by the South Brooklyn Railway. This allowed freight traffic to bypass 38th Street Yard. Today (2022), the center track (track C3/C4) of the lower level is connected to the South Brooklyn Railway right-of-way so that trains can reach the refuse platforms south of Ninth Avenue. Currently, tracks C1 and C2 end at bumping blocks at the south end of the station.

If one were trace out the trains path via the SBK trackage back to Ninth Avenue, this "platform side" side of the gondola would fall next to the Track C2 (north / westbound platform side) of the Ninth Avenue Station.    And, if my conclusions is correct, these gondolas could not be used anywhere else in known SBK routing; i.e. West End Line; (on any track in the subway system), for the following reasons:    The uncut ribs would strike any station platform on that side of the car - meaning it could not be used on the West End Line as: Track D2 (northbound track) as local platforms are on uncut side of gondola,  as would be if running Track D3-4 (center express track) as the uncut side of gondola would interfere with northbound center "express / local" platforms;  nor could they be used on Track D1, where the cut side of the gondola would clear southbound local platforms; but again, not the center local / express platforms.

In the photo seen at left, we see SBK #12, with a red gondola which is marked "PLATFORM SIDE" in crude white letters. Note that the lower portion of reinforcing side ribs are torched off, giving the lower portion of the car greater clearance to a platform. Like, say; a subway platform?      How did I come to this conclusion above? A couple of grainy photos in my collection taken by Mike DeLuca, and taken circa 1971-1972 when the R44's were being delivered.    There were actually two gondolas, both of which can now be seen in a companion image of this train and just prior to pulling into the yard, and can be seen below.    In the photo below, which shows of the "other" side of the gondola, it is clear the ribs are not off and full length to the bottom of the sill.    Obviously, only one side of ribs on the gondola is cut, because if both sides were cut, why would only one side need to be marked?

Since almost every subway or elevated line in Brooklyn and in the South Brooklyn Railway operating area was three or four track with center island platforms, these cars could not be used on these lines.    Therefore, it appears these red gondolas were only used as spacer cars on the SBK; and had MCB / AAR couplers on both ends, could possibly be used on the PC / CR / LIRR Bay Ridge Branch as there were no passenger platforms to be concerned with.    They also cannot be considered transition cars (which have a MCB / AAR coupler on one end, and Form 70 (or other type of subway coupler) on the other end.)    This is determined by the image seen at left. Clearly seen is a "deepwater green" Penn Central gondola after the red gondolas, but before the R44's. Therefore the PC gondola is serving as a transition car.    The PC gondola car (transition car) would have been used to haul the subway cars from the St Louis Car Company manufacturing plant. (Ironically the R44's were to be the last subways cars built by SLCC prior to going out of business.)    As the far end of the PC gondola car is mated to the R44 car, that end had a Form 70 coupler. The close end of the PC gondola has MCB / ARR coupler, as do both ends of the red gondolas, and the end of SBK #12.    Two questions remain unanswered about the red gondolas:    1)  Why the red spacer cars were needed in this mover remains unknown, and these three          photos are the only known images showing the red gondolas in service.    2)  It is also believed the red gondolas were in captured service by the South Brooklyn         Railway and not intended to leave the SBK trackage, as I have not encountered their         use on any other part of the NYCTA system.

An alternative not used...    Another solution would be the usage of gantlet tracks; such as those in use at New Jersey Transit's stations at Roselle Park and Union, NJ of which NJT operates upon the Conrail Shared Assets Operation Lehigh Line. This route sees usage by both heavy freight rail traffic as well as commuter traffic.    Freight cars (being wider than subway or commuter cars) if they were to take the same track as commuter cars which is closer to the platform, the freight cars would strike the edge of the platform. Likewise, if the platform was wider to meet to commuter cars on the freight tracks, the freight cars would strike the platform (like what would have occured in the Ninth Avenue Station.)    The commuter fleet is slight narrower than that of the freight cars, so they need to get closer to the platforms. . freight train on outer set of gantlet tracks keeping it farther away from the platform (north / east bound track)   (south / west bound track) commuter train on inner set of gantlet tracks bringing it closer to the platform (south / west bound track)    So, an inner set of gantlet tracks provides the solution. Heavy freight uses the set of rails farthest from the platform providing extra clearance. In the photo at upper left, note the freight locomotive is on the outer set of rails of the north / eastbound track (other side of station from images above center and above left) to provide extra clearance for freight cars. The inner set of tracks goes unused at this moment, waiting for a commuter train.    Hypothetically speaking, if a commuter train were to stay on the outer set of tracks, there would be a wider gap and one that could present a risk of passengers falling into. This does happen on occasion where the switches might freeze, or the some other set of circumstances necessitating the commuter train taking the outer set of rails. Here a bridge plate is used, and one can see the sign "Bridge Plate" under the eve of the station roof. The bridge plate is also used for wheelchair passengers. both images: New Jersey Transit, Union, NJ Station on Conrail Shared Assets Operations Lehigh Line -  March 7, 2010 taken by author

Returning to the South Brooklyn Railway operation, when the Culver Line was running out of the lower level of Ninth Avenue Station, it utilized Tracks C3-4 (east & southbound) and C1 (west & northbound).    So, the only track not being used for revenue service was C2, which the South Brooklyn Railway used.    When the Culver ramp opened in 1954 and Culver Line service switched to IND Division operation, service was reduced to bi-directional single track operation on the Culver Shuttle elevated out of Ninth Avenue, and so track C3-4 became a spare, but it still was not usable for freight because of the platform clearance!    When the Culver Shuttle service was abolished altogether in May 1975, C3-4 and now C-1 were unused.    By May 1975, there were only two customers remaining: Davidson Pipe and Roberts Foods; and only one of those was east of Ninth Avenue Station, that being Roberts Foods.    The hauling of subway cars to and from Coney Island via the lower level on Ninth Avenue would only last until February 1978 as well.       In February 1978, the South Brooklyn Railway embargoed (placed out of service) most of the route along 37th Street east of Fort Hamilton Parkway and onto McDonald Avenue all the yard to the Coney Island Yard entrance at Avenue Y.    Service continuing to 37th Street west of Fort Hamilton Parkway, therefore Robert's Foods would retain rail service.    The hauling of subway cars (new inbound or those for outbound for rebuilding or scrap) now went via the West End Line.

RETURN TO INDEX

Location List

.

Numbered links above correspond to map locations below.
9 - Greenwood Industrial Sidings has multiple links in a sub-map at that chapter.
Photos of non-station locations are interspersed geographically along the route.
Click on map below for large scale image.

1)  First / Second Avenue Yards - "BI" Bush Interchange - Sunset Park

.

   The northwestern-most point of the trackage was the storage yard located between 39th and 38th Streets between the bulkhead of Gowanus Bay and Second Avenues just to the north of the 39th Street Ferry Terminal. 

   The trolley line (#8 / #35 Church Avenue Line) running along the south edge of the yard was not part of the South Brooklyn Railway, and the tracks were separated by a tall wood panel fence line.

   After reviewing maps, it now appears that most of the trackage between Second Avenue and the bulkhead was "inherited" from the US Navy Fleet Supply Base, after operations of this facility ceased post-World War 1

   Randall Auguste was generous enough to allow the use of the following two plates from his 1912 Belcher Hyde Atlas of Brookyn. In it, we can view early track and building arrangements of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway facilities in the Sunset Park area.

1912 E. Belcher Hyde Atlas of Brooklyn, NY courtesy of Randall Auguste (two plates scaled and merged by author) added 18 April 2021

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

   Referencing these two maps, it appears that upon conclusion of World War I, the US Navy began to relinquish a great deal of its property in Sunset Park. 

   While it had been the authors conclusion that Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway sold a portion of its property to the US Navy, which went on to build its own yard and railroad upon this land, it turns out this was not the case. 

   The US Navy had leased the unimproved land from the City of New York, and built their structures and installed the trackage throughout the base to connect the various storehouses, as well as interchange with Bush Terminal Railroad.

   Shortly after the conclusion of the World War I, the land reverted back to the City of New York, and some of the base yard trackage between 37th Street and 39th Street was connected to the South Brooklyn Railway across Second Avenue, giving the South Brooklyn Railway additional yard space.

   The first map is undated but appears to be circa 1913, as the proposed (but never constructed) "South Brooklyn Marginal Railroad" is shown. It appears that the Brooklyn Rapid Transit trackage extended to and occupied a pier north of the Ferry Terminal. 

   Notice how 38th Street is still shown as a through street. You may click on the map below to bring you to a larger version. Use your back arrow to return you here:

Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY - circa 1913
Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Engineering Records
added 02 January 2010
.

.

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

   Note how the yard has begun to resemble the "hour glass" figure of later eras. Note there is no direct connection shown between the South Brooklyn RR property east of Second Avenue and the tracks west of Second Avenue.

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

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

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

Brooklyn Rapid Transit / South Brooklyn Railway (U.S. Navy Fleet Supply Base), Brooklyn, Kings County, NY - August  20, 1919
Dashed lines represent BRT 39th Street trolley. Solid lines represent US Navy Fleet Supply Base trackage.
Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Engineering Records
added 02 January 2010

.

   The Navy would continue to occupy certain parcels of property abutting the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Yard through at least the 1950's, but they eliminated their railroad operation in or around 1920. The north-south trackage parallelling Second Avenue connecting the storehouses was eliminated, but the yard tracks became part of the South Brooklyn Railway Yard. 

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

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

   This Fairchild Aerial oblique image of the South Brooklyn - 39th Street area showing redevelopment; dated January 16, 1931; reflects the beginning of the reconstruction of the area. The US Navy Fleet Supply base has been downsized, most of their yard tracks between the buildings and Second Avenue are removed. South Brooklyn Railway has taken over the US Navy trackage to the south of the buildings, for use and interchange with Bush Terminal Railroad. 

   Note that the 39th Street Trolley Right Of Way is segregated and fenced separately from the South Brooklyn Railway trackage.

   During this era, the South Brooklyn Railway saw a lot of freight traffic and they undoubtedly needed the additional yard trackage, and put it to good use. Click on the image below for an unannotated version.

South Brooklyn Railway - 39th Street Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - January 16, 1931
Facing north.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0028 20 14 1674-1
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
annotated image - © 2026 by author
added 24 July 2026

   I have included two additional crops of the above image to show the fantastic detail. First and Second Avenue Yards, 39th Street runs along the dashed line:

Zoom in on fence line separating trolley R.O.W and SBK yard trackage. 
North is up.

One block to the east: 39th Street - Third Avenue Yard and Freight House (to become Davidson Pipe) - January 16, 1931
Note freight cars at front of freight house.
North is up.

.

   This next image, dated ca. 1934; shows the relative (lack of) development of the land formerly occupied by US Navy Fleet Supply Base or the Ferry Terminal / Trolley area waterfront area; but a new building (with peaked roof) has been constructed towards the middle of Third Avenue Yard, and tracks and freight cars fill the railyard portion of the property. The Fifth Avenue Shuttle Elevated is still present, curving from 38th Street to Third Avenue. 

South Brooklyn Railway - 39th Street Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - January 16, 1931
Facing east.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0028 20 14 1674-1
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
annotated image - © 2026 by author
added 24 July 2026

.

.

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

   Note the hourglass configuration (ooh la la!) of the First Avenue Yard. This appears to be a remnant of some of the track layout from the Fleet Supply Base.

Port Facilities & Terminals Map - 1942
US Army Corp of Engineers
authors collection
added 02 January 2010

.

.
Looking west at SBK #9 in the First / Second Avenue Yard South Brooklyn Railway / Bush Terminal Interchange Yard
about to cross Second Avenue - ca. 1948
D. Klepper photo
added 22 September 2026

.

.

   It is April 3, 1952, and the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 11 to 1 in Spring Training today! Meanwhile, back in Sunset Park; an Fairchild Aerial Survey airplane is flying over the South Brooklyn Railway facilities around noon (note the shadows of the poles - they make great sundials!). This image shows how the half the Third Avenue Yard trackage has been removed, and this area has been re-purposed as a bus yard and it appears to have been paved. However the trolley poles still stand with their bases now painted alternating black and white; while the bases of the trolley poles in the tracked portion are all white bases. (Black bands to contrast from snow during those months for the bus drivers?) We can see the very tip of the Gowanus Express in the bottom right corner.

   What is most interesting is the Paramount Station is in operation. Note the tractor trailers and trucks backed up to the team track siding with that cut of four box cars; and we can even make out Trolley Motor #9980 - its one man cabs on either end are easy to spot! Derricks 9006 and 9007 at the west end of the yard trackage, with two trolley gondola motor to the east and up track from them. A little harder to discern, but that might be a Trolley Box Motor on their east end. No Diesel-electrics or steeple cabs are present.

   The land in front of the US Navy Fleet Supply Base has been graded, but is still vacant. By the storehouses, a lumber yard appears to have take up residence; but the dwindling number of freight cars in the yards is not a good sign. 

South Brooklyn Railway - 39th Street Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - April 3, 1952
Facing west-northwest.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 02 02308
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026

.

.

   When passenger service ended on the Norton's Point Trolley Line in Coney Island in 1948, the South Brooklyn Railway became strictly freight. One can see the Church Avenue trolley line (#8 which later became #35) to the 39th Street Ferry (formerly operated by Brooklyn & Queens Transit and now the New York City Transit Authority) is still in service as we can see three PCC cars on the loop that ran to the ferry house. 

   To be clear, this line was not operated by the South Brooklyn Railway (their Norton Point trolley service in Coney Island ended in 1948.) This line trolley was not going to be in service much longer from the date of this image, as all trolley service in Brooklyn would cease in less than six months (that fateful day being October 31) from the date of this image May 15th.

   The First Avenue Yard is very empty: you can count the amount of freight cars on one hand: five cars. Three gondolas (one loaded and two empty) and a boxcar at each end of the yard. A new space frame building with a long loading dock (lightly sloped roof) has been built on the former Fleet Supply Base property and a wide thoroughfare added to the street grid. A larger high resolution version of this can be opened by clicking on the image below.

South Brooklyn Railway - First Avenue Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - May 15, 1956
Facing west-northwest.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 09081
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026

.

.

   Taken a few moments before (or after) from the above image; this image below was taken on the same date but is now facing due west, but also was taken from further east, capturing the Third Avenue Yard in the view. 

   By this date, the South Brooklyn Railway freight house has been torn down, the internal tracks now visible, but Davidson Pipe has now taken up residence in the former Bus Yard. We can still make out Trolley Motor 9980 at the east end, and Paramount Station truck delivery service still looks active but not quite as busy.. A larger high resolution version of this can be opened by clicking on the image below.

South Brooklyn Railway - First Avenue Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - May 15, 1956
Facing west. The freight house has been razed.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 9104
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026

.

.

   This image is nowhere as clear as the above images, but I would not be thorough if I did not include it in the chapter. The date December 8, 1960. Davison Pipe has filled out the Thrid Avenue Yard nicely, taking up the area formerly occupied by the freight house. That's about all that could be discerned from that image. There is a bit more freight cars in the First Avenue Yard than in the 1956 images above, but I surpise this may be more as a result of SBK having to relocate from the Third Avenue Yard due to the piles of pipe!

South Brooklyn Railway - First Avenue Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - May 15, 1956
Facing east.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 17646
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026

.

.

   Commencing in 1959, the 39th Street Ferry House was torn down, and the basin to the west of the existing bulkhead was landfilled for the construction of the Northeast Marine Terminal Company; of which the anchor tenant for the property would be to Mitsui Shipping. The trolley loop and trackage leading to the ferry house from Second Avenue would also be removed (with all trolley service in Brooklyn having ceased in on October 31,1956); and the property is now being used as a parking lot. Not much in the way of railroad cars can be seen in the Yard.

   At some point over the next few years, the location would become known as the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. 

South Brooklyn Railway - First Avenue Yard between bulkhead and Second Avenue - October 19, 1959 
Facing north
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 16245
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026 

.

.

   No where near as glamorous or information packed as the obliques are, I would be remiss if I did not include it. These were part of a survey. It clearly shows by this dates, how Davidson Pipe has pretty much taken over the Third Avenue Yard, leaving just the running tracks and one or two sidings unimpeded.

February 28, 1962
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 18982

.

.

   April 8, 1970 - the Mitsui Pier has been finished since 1963 (out of view to the left). There are plenty of tractor trailers backed into the area loading docks; and very few rail cars. One must wonder if rail traffic to / from the new pier did not materialize has one might have hoped. In the coming years, this is where retired subway cars would be placed for interchange to New York Dock Railway for carfloating to New Jersey.

April 8, 1970
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0131 02 21815
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)

   From 1970 until the 1990's, very little change regarding the trackage took place. By this era, the South Brooklyn Railway saw no freight and any haulage was either inbound new subways cars, with an occasional gondola of tie plates; or outbound subway cars for scrap. 

   The outbound subway cars would be positioned in the 39th Street Yard between First and Second Avenues; until a shipment to the scrapper was ready to be interchanged with New York Dock Railway (1972-1983) or its successor, New York Cross Harbor RR (1983-2006)

   In 1994, the "Bush Junction" interchange trackage was reconstructed; and in 2000 the First / Second Avenue Yards itself would be reconstructed. The diagram below is representative of both of those changes and shows the track configuration.

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

   Oddly, the South Brooklyn Railway did not service this customer, but in fact the New York Cross Harbor Railroad would. 

   Unfortunately, this Marine Terminal would sit vacant and it understood it did not see rail service. As of 2010, the area went under extensive reconstruction to it's present configuration; which will be shown further in this text..

South Brooklyn Marine Terminal trackage - 1994 - 2010

.

.

Readers Please Take Note:

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

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

.

.

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

.

   On Second Avenue, there was interchange with the Bush Terminal Railroad until 1972, at which time New York Dock Railway assumed operation of the Bush Terminal properties and trackage.

   In August 1983, the New York Cross Harbor Railroad was organized (absorbing the New York Dock Railway and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operations.) The New York Cross Harbor RR operated until 2006. 

   At this time, the operation was renamed New York New Jersey Rail, and taken over by Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the operation became a government subsidiary.

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

"Bush Junction" 1960 - 1994

.

39th Street Yard & "Bush Junction" - 1994 - 2012
First / Second Avenue Yard reconstructed in 2000.

.

    Before we go any further, it is imperative to understand that the Bush Terminal Railroad (and likewise its successors) had a significant involvement in South Brooklyn Railway history. For it was at Bush Terminal where freight cars destined for and from the South Brooklyn Railway customers had arrived and departed from Brooklyn via the Bush Terminal float bridges at 50th Street.

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

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

Bush Terminal 50th Street Floatbridge - April 24, 1950
"Seagoing subway cars - Somewhat out of their natural element, cars being transferred
from Queens IRT line to Bronx shops make detour through Brooklyn by way of Bush Terminal dock."
Brooklyn Eagle Newspaper archives
Brooklyn Public Library
added 22 Dec 2009

.

Bush Terminal 50th Street Float Bridge "Bush 1" (southern float bridge) - ca. 1985 - 1987
R68's arriving on left and right tracks with an R32 loaded on flat car on center track.
unknown photographer
added 22 Dec 09

.

SBK #9980 on Second Avenue.
Looking north, #9980 is pushing into the South Brooklyn Railway / Bush Interchange Yard.
The SBK brakeman on the ground is waiting for #9980's truck to clear the points for the Church Avenue trolley, then using the prybar, move the switch point into alignment for the trolley right of way.
The trolley can be seen waiting to come out of the trolley right of way.
SBK freight house on right edge of image.
D. Klepper photo
added 22 September 2026
.

.

   Once incoming subway cars bound for SBK arrived at Bush Terminal, they would then be moved by Bush Terminal locomotives to Bush Junction. They were either immediately handed off to the South Brooklyn Railway, or placed in the yard at 39th Street and Second Avenue. From here, South Brooklyn Railway locomotives would bring the subway cars to either the NYCTA 36th Street Yard or Coney Island Yard.

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

Bush Terminal RR #2 and South Brooklyn Railway #13 - September 28, 1965 - Second Avenue & 38th Street
Brand new R32's arriving at the BTRR/ SBK Interchange.
BT #2 on northbound track, SBK #13 on southbound track.
G. Landau photo
authors collection
added 22 Dec 09

.

New York Cross Harbor RR #25 - 1983 - Second Avenue & 38th Street
Brand new R62's arriving at the BTRR / SBK Interchange.
NYCH #25 is ex-BEDT #25 ALCo S1 coming off northbound track and
is about to enter the South Brooklyn Railway's 39th Street Yard.
unknown photographer
P. F. Strubeck collection
added 22 Dec 09

.

.

   This image, posted by the New York Transit Museum on their Facebook page; shows the Bush Junction scene somewhat. The S curves of the 39th Street trolley (abandoned) are in the foreground.

   Towards the background, to the right of the diner, the turnouts of the Bush Terminal Railroad can be seen. The crossing diamond and track of the South Brooklyn Railway is obscured.

New York Transit Museum archives

Reportedly, when delivery of the first R68's was made on February 4th, 1986, they failed to negotiate a sharp curve on South Brooklyn Railway trackage on 38th Street in Brooklyn.    According to railfan lore, supposedly this curve had to be rebuilt and the radius eased somewhat; with delivery finally occurring on February 26th, 1986.    An inquiry made to Fred Briemann, locomotive engineer on the New York Cross Harbor Railroad at that time (and Bush Terminal Railroad prior to that); relates that no trackage or curve was realigned for the delivery of these subway cars, nor were any delays incurred on a delivery of subway cars to the South Brooklyn Railway.    He recalls that the turnout (highlighted in red in diagram to right) on the northbound track of Bush Terminal RR trackage on Second Avenue into the South Brooklyn Railway 39th Street Yard was temperamental; with many freight cars over the years "picking the points" and derailing.    It should be kept in mind, trackage at this location was quite aged, located in a main thoroughfare and therefore abused by heavy commercial vehicular traffic; as well as NYC Department of Sanitation snowplows during snow removal. Another contributing factor, was that the turnout was a "single point" or "tongue & mate" switch (designed primarily for streetcar / trolley use), see Glossary.    Corroborating this explanation, Joe Roborecky (also locomotive engineer also familiar with the route and railroad) added: this switch point was held in position by a wedge; and the roadbed was "soft", with the rail flexing in a vertical direction under load, which contributed to the point moving under load. Fortunately, train speeds were slow and either the "minor derailment" or "unintentional reroute" was remedied quickly with a portable rerailer.    Therefore, in appears this "point picking" problem has been misinterpreted by the novice railfan as a "curve radius" issue.     Furthermore, copies of documents acquired by this author in a FOIA request, reflect that poor trackage conditions at this location were confirmed by internal South Brooklyn Railway documents in 1982 and 1989 and may be read here.    In 1994 the Junction was reconstructed with double point (conventional) heavy rail turnouts and the issue eliminated.

• The disconnection and removal of the out of service southbound track on Second Avenue between 40th Street (this is Bush Terminal RR trackage),
• The removal of the southbound interchange turnout (this is Bush Terminal RR trackage) ¹
• The elimination of the street diamonds of Davidson Pipe ¹
• The elimination of both south and northbound tracks (Bush Terminal RR) north of Bush Junction on Second Avenue
• Installation of a heavy duty double point turnout, eliminating the trolley service rated single point switch
• The new alignment through the Costco property.
• The rebuilding of the 39th Street Yard (which took place in 2000).

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

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

.

   The contracting firm for this reconstruction was T. Glennon of Piscataway, NJ.

   The South Brooklyn Railway 39th Street Yard was last used by NYCTA in 2007, as a location for asbestos removal from obsolete subways cars that were outbound and prior to reefing. After this date the remained unused.

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

.

Current Interchange

   The new interchange between New York New Jersey Rail and South Brooklyn Railway was relocated to First Avenue and 39th Street, and is reflected by the lime green & orange line segments in the map below. The purple line segments reflect the old yard and alignment. 

   This took place in 2012 with major redevelopment of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal property.

   This new trackage eliminated the dilapidated street trackage, including the two 90 degree curves: one at First Avenue and 41st Street and the other at Second Avenue & 41st Street; as well as the 1994 rebuilt Bush Junction turnout (#1, the junction of the red & black striped / orange and yellow line segments in diagram below).

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

2012 - present: South Brooklyn Railway / New York New Jersey Rail Interchange
and  South Brooklyn Marine Terminal track layout.
diagram by author

.

.

   This new interchange remains in service as of 2026. 

   Contrary to erroneous statements and assumptions made in railfan groups on social media, and with utmost thanks to my access to internal sources within the MTA, the delineation line of the South Brooklyn Railroad and New York New Jersey Rail is established at the Second Avenue crossing at 39th Street, in which the legal documents states: 

   Therefore, it is now clear and simple: west of Second Avenue crossing is NYNJ Rail, east of the crossing is South Brooklyn Railway. Not Third Avenue, not the Bush Terminal Yard, and not 65th Street Yard. Precisely where it is shown on the map below.

2012 - present: South Brooklyn Railway / New York New Jersey Rail Delineation Point
North is to the right.
annotated map by author
not to be reused or reproduced without consent.
added 18 April 2021

.

.

3)  Third Avenue Yard & freight house, Team Tracks, "Paramount Station", Davidson Pipe Yard - SBK Offices

.  

   It is worth noting the prior to the freight house and yard. 

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

   The following scan states the location of the South Brooklyn Railway to be at 370 Jay Street, (which is the Headquarters of the New York City Transit Authority) the other address shown is 990 Third Avenue. 

   Research shows this 990 Third Avenue location to be the address of the freight house and yard..

   In the years prior to circa 1959; this was another modestly sized railyard of the South Brooklyn Railway and was the location of their freight house. Aerial photos located in the 2026 in the New York Municipal Archive, show the yard in great detail. 

South Brooklyn Railway - Third Avenue Yard Front Gate - unknown date
W. H. Lundin photo
New York Transit Authority archives - Image ID: 2004.20.9.1273
added 21 September 2026

.

.

South Brooklyn Railway - 39th Street Yards between bulkhead and Third Avenue - January 16, 1931
Facing north.
New York Municipal Archives - Image ID: REC 0028 20 14 1674-1
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
annotated image - © 2026 by author

.

South Brooklyn Railway - freight house between Third Avenue (foreground) - 1939
after being converted to bus garage. Facing southwest.
W. H. Lundin photo
New York Transit Authority archives - Image ID: 2004.20.9.568
added 21 September 2026