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Discussion relating to the past and present operations of the NYC Subway, PATH, and Staten Island Railway (SIRT).

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 #235140  by Otto Vondrak
 
WNBC-4 did a story tonight about the Red Hook neighborhood, the new cruise ship terminal, the new Fairway market... at one point the reporter was standing on Bob Diamond's abandoned street trackage, and another shot showed the old PCC's standing out in the weather exposed to the elements. No mention was made of either.


-otto-

 #236840  by Otto Vondrak
 
And seeeing how no one has commented on this thread means that Bob Diamond did a damn good job of keeping his project secret and alienating as many people as possible.

 #237348  by JFB
 
Actually, I worked with Bob at BHRA many years ago--back when they stored their Austrian(?) streetcar in then-undeveloped DUMBO.

Bob was an odd guy. Further personal comment, I think, would be inappropriate, and likely unfair.

It's a particular shame that BHRA's plan didn't pan out now that the City has spent millions on a passenger ship terminal in the most transit-deprived section of northwest Brooklyn. Whatever Bob's failings (and failings there were), the greater share of the blame lies with NYC DOT and other City administrations for poor prioritizing, and for failing to take initiative when the opportunity presented itself.

 #238230  by Otto Vondrak
 
I have to say all my dealings with Bob were pleasant- I was the BHRA webmaster from 1999-2002. In 2002 all this stuff started coming out and that's when trouble with the city started. Damn shame. Those rails will rust and those cars will rot and that opportunity will never come about again. Ever.

-otto-

 #238472  by JFB
 
I had forgotten that you created their website, Otto. Excellent work.

My own dealings with BHRA ended around 1990. When the proverbial poop hit the propeller in 2002-03, I was dismayed to see much of the same dynamic that had existed there earlier--internal strife and nearly paranoiac mistrust all around. I still think City DOT was boneheaded to demand that work not only stop, but be dismantled, but I can understand their wanting to distance themselves from the association.

Worse still, the latest contender, Brooklyn City Streetcar Company, seems even less promising than BHRA. I was hoping they could piggyback on some of the latter's successes, but they seem to be starting from the drawing board. Hard to say if they've made any progress, since they haven't updated their site since 2004. (Awful site, too. Looks like a cheesy PowerPoint presentation.)

 #239155  by BMT
 
JFB: I know something about Brooklyn City Railroad....they are a very small group that originally was promised a dedicated ROW within a project that many NYC locals know as Brooklyn Bridge Park. This urban park would run from the DUMBO area, and proceddd through the planned park that would extent down along Brooklyn's East River shoreline to at least Atlantic basin. A distance of about a mile.

That was around three years ago. What's happenned since then is that the President of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Committee has been replaced and the new figure head is not interested in the trolley line aspects of the project. A new map has been issued and there is no indication of a rail right-of-way.
 #437886  by BEDT 14
 
Now, after a tumultuous period of time, I happy to learn that BHRA / Bob Diamond is rebuilding his empire and looking for a new place to house and run the PCC's.

Down, but not out. And while speculation and rumor has made the rounds, we all know his venture would not be and certainly has not been the first to suffer minor or major setbacks, I commend Bob, eccentric as he may be, in continuing to pursue his goal. In the face of adversity, he remains dedicated to his goal.

We all know the saying, it's alway easy to Monday morning quarterback.

But whether you love Bob, or hate him, or don't really care either way, he is still in the game, still in in for the long haul, and still plugging away to reintroduce trolleys / streetcars to Brooklyn.


I will say this in conclusion, in consideration of my recent personal disappointment with the organization I was involved with, I don't blame him one bit in being hesitant to spread power around.

More power to him.

Best wishes to all,

Phil

 #441568  by Otto Vondrak
 
You seem to be in the know- you have made allusions that Bob is still "in the game." So... what's the gameplan? Secrecy and paranoia brought down the last project.

-otto-
 #441583  by BEDT 14
 
Hi Otto,

Can you blame him? The PCC's in Navy Yard were hauled away, as was the Davenport Loco. He was shafted by NYCDOT. He was shafted by Greg O'Connell.

Was it Bobs fault? Possibly, but we all know that when political or neighborhood climate changes, the best laid plans go awry. (And one does not need to look further than CMRR's current "problem" with the outspoken anti-railroad resident to underscore this.

Is Bob Eccentric, yes. Stupid? Hardly. Paranoid? Why shouldn't he be?

I've known Bob for the better part of 14 years. I've had my share of ups and downs, but I was never ostracized or treated with any degree of paranoia. Matter of fact, after not having communicated with Bob for about the last 8 years, I called him out of the blue. He remembered me well, and was more than happy to hear from me and fill me in on the goings on that I missed since I relocated out of the city in 1998 and was no longer active with BHRA.

You may or may not be aware that I'm a historian of things Brooklyn Eastern District Terminial and when I questioned the correct ownership of #16 in 1993-1998, he faxed over his documention within 15 minutes, plus the letters of intent and papers regarding his possession of #3. Secrecy? Not with me.

Whatever happened to Bob, happened. I said it before, and I'll say it again - EVERY historical association and Society that I have ever seen had suffered slings and arrows, downturns and troubled times. His organization is no different.

The bottom line is he's still in the game. His meeting with city officials went well, (and I'm not foolish enough to release the particulars in public before they are official - so now you can call me paranoid - I prefer the term cautious myself)

Phil