Streetrunning Subway!

I was wondering around the ye old internet today and I found this photo found below!

Apparently the BMT used a temporary ramp in the middle of the street, essentially making this streetrunning, in order to go into a tunnel. This ran between the LIRR's Montrose yard on the Bushwick Branch and BMT Canarsie line. Does anyone have further information of where the right of way or tunnel specifically is and if it still exists?

Further info about this occurrence: https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/BMT_Cana ... r_Delivery

Based on the photos, the line was still under construction and it was just a temporary ramp down to the tracks.

The South Brooklyn was the Common carrier connection to NYCTA,and controlled by NYCTA dispatchers.
That was the most extensive surface running other then the yards across the system.
There was a connection in the Bronx but was turned into a MW supply yard

How steep would that ramp have been?

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 4:14 pm The South Brooklyn was the Common carrier connection to NYCTA,and controlled by NYCTA dispatchers.
That was the most extensive surface running other then the yards across the system.
There was a connection in the Bronx but was turned into a MW supply yard

Thank you for this information. Where was this other connection in the Bronx?

I see no third rail or separate engine in those photos. How were the cars powered?

CLamb wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 12:13 am I see no third rail or separate engine in those photos. How were the cars powered?

They were probably towed by good 'ol manpower of the 20s! (Or they were towed by some sort of motor)

More likely by horse team to the ramp then winched up the ramp

The picture reminded me of the street-running track that connects Line A of the heavy-rail Buenos Aires subterráneo to its shops. I looked it up online and found this story of a runaway from a couple of years ago https://tn.com.ar/sociedad/insolito-un- ... ito_905342.

I would be surprised if any traces still exist. From the photos it looks like this was done before the subway structure was complete so the ramp was built directly leading into the tunnel, through the space where the ceiling would later be constructed. The right of way led from the end of the Bushwick branch, there's been so much construction and reconstruction in the last 90 years I doubt there would be any traces of where the temporary track was laid, not to mention the road appearing to be dirt.

Kilgore Trout wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 12:04 am I would be surprised if any traces still exist. From the photos it looks like this was done before the subway structure was complete so the ramp was built directly leading into the tunnel, through the space where the ceiling would later be constructed. The right of way led from the end of the Bushwick branch, there's been so much construction and reconstruction in the last 90 years I doubt there would be any traces of where the temporary track was laid, not to mention the road appearing to be dirt.

I doubt they still exist as well. the Bushwick branch is basically the NYA/LIRR's LAST priority, so letting a temporary track ramp deteriorate is completely normal.

And NYCT still has some street running segments on SBK.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:58 pm And NYCT still has some street running segments on SBK.

Are those NYCT-owned?

YES!!!

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:10 pm Apparently the BMT used a temporary ramp in the middle of the street, essentially making this streetrunning, in order to go into a tunnel. This ran between the LIRR's Montrose yard on the Bushwick Branch and BMT Canarsie line.

That makes the H&M's 1909 solution downright sophisticated...

There was a 1-car elevator just outside the Hoboken H&M / Path station (all the way on the right) where single cars could be raised / lowered between the street and underground. I believe the top side of this was in the trapezoidal building which you can still see at the corner of Observer and Hudson. Presumably there was a connection with the Lackawanna there, at least for car deliveries and perhaps storage. This was when the H&M operated only between Hoboken and 19th St. Once they had the system extended to the portal and had built the yard at Grove & Henderson, they no longer needed the car elevator at Hoboken. At least until 2000 or so, the underground part remained. It may be walled off now for CBTC equipment.

Trivia possibility - the H&M lettered their tracks in order of construction (so A is the original 1870s start that now has service from midtown to NJ). If they lettered their yard leads the same way but working backwards, since Y was the one leading up to the Henderson yard, my guess is that Z was the Hoboken elevator. Y is now full of CBTC equipment.