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  • curious about tracks on 1st ave in sunset park, brooklyn

  • Discussion related to NYAR operations on Long Island. Official web site can be found here: www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html. Also includes discussion related to NYNJ Rail, the carfloat operation successor to New York Cross Harbor that connects with NYAR.
Discussion related to NYAR operations on Long Island. Official web site can be found here: www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html. Also includes discussion related to NYNJ Rail, the carfloat operation successor to New York Cross Harbor that connects with NYAR.
 #165999  by somethingsbegun
 
i recently walked along 1st ave from 39th to 58th streets in sunset park, brooklyn, in the bush terminal area. on 1st ave, there are tracks heading into each factory/warehouse along the way, and i'm curious about what used to run along these tracks and when.

i realize this is a very basic question and possibly not in the right forum, but i had no luck with internet searches and these forums seem to be full of knowledgeable people.

thanks,
megan

 #166187  by shlustig
 
Megan,

Suggest that you post this on the NY State forum.

New York Central did not run into Brooklyn. New Haven and Long Island RRs did, and there were a couple of short lines - Bush Terminal and South Brooklyn.

Hope this helps.

 #166188  by somethingsbegun
 
thank you! i had a feeling i was posting in the wrong place. appreciate the correction.
 #168891  by elan201
 
I biked here a few years ago - I dont know the history but I think the current carrier is the NY & Atlantic ?? I believe they're publicly traded and were in the newspaper a couple of times.
 #168923  by Sir Ray
 
elan201 wrote:I biked here a few years ago - I dont know the history but I think the current carrier is the NY & Atlantic ?? I believe they're publicly traded and were in the newspaper a couple of times.
New York Cross Harbor (aka NY Regional RR) - float operation based out of Greenville Yard, near the Bayonne/Jersey City border in NJ.
Floats to...50th St yard, I think, interchanges w/ NY & A around the 65th float yard (rehabbed by NY City EDC a while back, and not really used since - especially not for float service).
If anything, the history of NYCH (formerally NY Dock Railway, and seemingly a dozen other names) would be more involved with the PRR/NYNH&H due to the Bay Ridge Branch and associated float operations.
Solid information on the Brooklyn side of the NYCH is somewhat vague, but supposedly there are plans to remove the Second Ave. trackage and connect to the South Brooklyn yard via 1st Ave (which actually is a very good plan, as the NYCH services a business only a half block south of the yard (and Costco across the street), and the Second Ave. trackage is getting a bit rough.
Last year NY EDC tried to kick the NYCH out of their float yard for some misguided park plan, and force them to move float operations to 65th Street Yard (actually, I think they wanted to force them out of business due to back taxes), but a solution was eventually reached which apparently satisfied every party involved...

 #184877  by lirrmike
 
A book, "Brooklyn's Waterfront Railroads" is back in print. This book is a MUST for the history of the Brooklyn waterfront!

Mike

 #184954  by Sir Ray
 
lirrmike wrote:A book, "Brooklyn's Waterfront Railroads" is back in print. This book is a MUST for the history of the Brooklyn waterfront!
Mike
Has it been updated? The original ended in the mid-1980s (I leafed through the copy at my local library, and although I could not find it I swear it contained toward it's end the phrase "Business has never been worse!"). Guess this would be as good a time as any for an update, up to and including the NYEDC backing down on seizing the 50th St yard (or being forced to back down) as things seem to be in a holding pattern from the past year to the foreseeable future...

 #184976  by lirrmike
 
That I don't know. I have the original book.

Mike
 #184984  by freightguy
 
I have NY Harbor Railroads In Color. This is a book written by Thomas R. Flagg in 2000. It is a composed of all color photographs each with a descriptive caption about each one. It also has a section on each of the railroads that did car floating in NY harbor. Some are big of course and others small.

According to a map in that book those tracks where part of the Bush Terminal RR. That is a rough neigborhood a little further North of there I wouldn't venture around that locale late at night :P

 #184985  by lirrmike
 
I hope you have both books in that series.

Mike

 #185011  by emfinite
 
Those books are great... anyone who doesn't own them, definitely pick both up.

Joe

 #185029  by BMT
 
I was just over there yesterday with a friend checking out the condition of the two Redbird subway cars sitting in Bush Terminal Yard. The two cars are for IRM (Illinois Railway Museum), but have been floundering for over a year now.

As luck would have it, we happenned to come upon NYCH crews as they were setting up to unload a float barge at 50th Street using their rented diesel #2293. The real action wasn't going to happen till later as the crews were securing their engine in preparation to break for lunch. We had other things to get done, so we couldn't wait around to see the off-loading of the barge.

BTW, if you want a guided historical walking tour of the Bush Terminal area, contact the NY Transit Museum at (718) 694-1867

 #185127  by N221UA
 
Good to hear that they are still active.

How often does NYA make a trip down to Bay Ridge nowadays?

 #185151  by Jayjay1213
 
As of late, at least 2-3 times a week, it is twice a day, once in daylight, once under the cover of darkness. The RS-100 is the daily switcher, M-F at night.

 #193504  by BMT
 
Has it been updated? The original ended in the mid-1980s (I leafed through the copy at my local library, and although I could not find it I swear it contained toward it's end the phrase "Business has never been worse!").
"Brooklyn Waterfront Railways" as far as I know has never been updated by the author. As I understand it, a part of his life was lost during the making of the book (a dedication on the inside cover reveals the death of his girlfriend who accompanied him on his railfanning excursions. A picuture of the young lady is there and elsewhere in the book). It was also revealed to me a few years back that the author is a LIRR Engineer. Would of course like to meet him at some point as I'm sure he'd have many floatbarge stories to relate.