Brooklyn Navy Yard

[ElTrain]

Please excuse my lack of knowledge about Brooklyn's geography! I read an article today about NYC's expansion plans at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Is there any way the NYAR could benefit from this? It would seem that adding rail access would be an excellent draw. I'd appreciate any thoughts/ideas.

Thanks.

[DogBert]

Where was the article?

If NY&A got to use the float bridge at bay ridge, yes, it would be possible, but the likelihood of that is low.

The navy yard is isolated from rail, it is just north of the manhattan bridge, far from any branches. It is on the water though, and does have an old float brudge there that would need some fixing up. I'm nut sure if tracks still run around the complex, but some of bob diamond's PCC cars are stored right near the float bridge. I prseume the barge just pulled up along side the pier and they used a crane to unload them, leaving them on the ground and not on any track... though I might be wrong, at least about the track part.

the owners of the navy yard would have to see some benefit of fixing and opening the float bridge, and maybe get their own endgine and crew to switch the complex. Seems like a lot of cost when the "highway" is right there at the corner.

[ElTrain]

I saw it in the Times and the Post.

I forgot the highway was right there. If the floats/tracks are rebuilt with a public/private partnership, it might be feasible. Floating goods/supplies to Jersey or elsewhere might have the lure of beating some of the NYC-area traffic and save time/$$$.

[DogBert]

What would be smart of them also, besides floating right to NJ, would be to have a crane and take piggyback cars... that would add another layer of competition.

[BMT]

Dogbert...there are some street tracks not far from the Brooklyn Navy Yard: the remnants of the old Jay Street Connecting Railroad (last used in the mid-fifties). However, even if those tracks were to be extended into the Navy Yard, the street trackage no longer directly connect to any float bridge system as was the case with the New York Dock Railway that worked the floats that used to be down under the BQE and the Promenade of Brooklyn Heights. NYD closed ops around 1984.

[DogBert]

I know about jay st. and nyd, but was there street running or any other tracks inside the navy yard itself? There is a float bridge in there much like the ones LIRR had in LIC (the now 'gantry park'), so I'm assuming at one point there were tracks all around inside the gate there. (I should really read that book about all the old ny riverside terminals that floated through the harbor...)

There's also a little more street running trackage in that area - the remains of the flushing av. trolley line, running past where all the new hasidic housing is.

[BMT]

Dogbert...I totally forgot about the BEDT (Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal) that covered the streets in the vicinity of the Navy Yard and the now abandoned Domino Sugar Refinery. I believe BEDT served the Navy Yard briefly when --in the 1980's -- they delivered rebuilt New Haven M-3's and PATH cars from the re-manufacturers that were based in the Navy Yard (I believe the book 'Brooklyn's Waterfront Railways' has much info on that).

As most folks know, the Railroad Museum of LI has BEDT engine 16 as a restoration project.

In any event, I'm not sure of the condition of rails inside the Yard, but in the streets, there are very few sections that have not already been paved over (or removed altogther).

[BEDT16RMLI]

in the navy yard today there is only a car float bridge and a yard or two, that is really it. Not alot left.

[DogBert]

I didn't think the old BEDT went further south than around metro av though - did it?

Here's a topo of the old bedt williamsburg terminal:
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... 0&z=18&w=2

Just about all trackage there is gone. The riverfront property has been bulldozed and cleared for a proposed park, though I believe there might still be the rusting hulk of a float bridge at the end of N.5th street. (so far as I know there were builidings and track in the property until the mid 90's, when most of the buildings, which were abandoned, were knocked down, then about 2 years ago whatever was left - mostly just concrete, a tiny bit of track, and some burned out cars, was cleared out.

if you click on the topo map heading south, you'll see the navy yard and what looks like a big self contained rail complex in it. The float bridge is still by wallaabout creek, visiable from kent av. by where some of BHRA's PCCs are rusting into the dirt.

Weere the two 'terminals' connected at some point by street running track?

I had no idea path cars or even M3s were worked on in the navy yard. I really must get that book one of these days...

[JoeRailRoad]

I didn't think the old BEDT went further south than around metro av though - did it?

The BEDT operated from No. 4th St. to No. 10th St. and from the East River to Wythe Ave.

The BEDT delivered coal to the powerhouse and steel etc. to Seatrain shipbuliding.

When the city took over the navy yard some boxcars where spotted for some new costomers.

[lirrmike]

Does anyone know where I can get a track diagram of the Navy yard? I'd like to see where this powerhouse was (is?) and just a general idea of how it was laid out. Thanks.

Mike

[JoeRailRoad]

Does anyone know where I can get a track diagram of the Navy yard? I'd like to see where this powerhouse was (is?) and just a general idea of how it was laid out. Thanks.

If you use the link in one of the above posts to the TerraServer map, move South to the navy yard.

Look for the words "New York Shipyard". Just SSW under the letter 'N' should be the powerhouse.

If you look above the letter 'D' to Wallabout Channel just to the left of the letter 't' is were the floatbridge was.

[lirrmike]

Thanks. Still a little hard to read the map, but it's not too bad.

Mike

[BEDT16RMLI]

about the powerhouse I may be going there this friday, I will check it out. As I said before there is little left, of what was, i remember about 5 years ago it was all intact well the best it could be, there was even some places where the track went into a building or two.

[BMT]

Yeah, the NYC DOT has been ripping up old tracks at a fever pitch lately. Most of the old Jay Street Connecting RR tracks have been ripped out (no doubt so that the DUMBO community can be made more 'attractive' to prospective new tenants in the area). Also, along McDonald Avenue the old trackage of the South Brooklyn Railway is being taken out as we speak, so things are not looking good for those wishing to find remnants of Brooklyn's at-grade railroad past.

Only saving grace now is the Bush & Brooklyn Army Terminal facilities. Those tracks will be in place for some time.