Old Brooklyn

Great stuff Bobby, Thanks for posting!

How about some more Brooklyn trolley photos?

Thanks for memories, hey, why is my screen getting all blurry?  What's this wet stuff on my cheeks?  There's only 2 kinds of people, in the world, those who ARE from Brooklyn, and those who wish they were.

Richie Who took the subway from Brooklyn, to Union Square, solo at age seven, in 1958.  Different times, then, for sure.

Although I was born in Woodside, I went to college in Brooklyn so I have some Brooklyn memories.

Very neat photos.

Any of you from Sheepshead Bay? I lived in the area of Nostrand Av. and Av. X. I went to Shellbank J.H.S. and Sheepshead Bay H.S. between 1956 and 1962. I would like to hear from you. My first girl friend Alice lived across the street from me at 3000 Av. X. Contact me at: edmickey@optonline.net.

Bobby, thanks for the pictures. I am not nostalgic it's just that I remember too much it seems.

Correction to the above. Alice lived at 2955 Av. X. 3000 Av. X was and still is the address for Sheepshead Bay H.S. We both lived two blocks from our school.

Although not from Brooklyn, I enjoyed viewing the link, brought back many memories to the 50's and 60's, especially the grade school report cards, baseball in the streets, the Brooklyn Dodgers, the ma and pop Italian grocery stores and diploma,respect for all adults, city/town commercial stores(no malls), ethnic blue collar areas, it was most definitely a different period to grow up, thanks Bobby.

Grew up in Greenpoint on Graham Avenue with the trolley buses. I sort of remember the trolleys but they went away when I was 3. Rode the GG to high school and didn't get my drivers license until I was in the Air Force at 20.

Great pictures, too many of South Brooklyn, not enough of the North.

A Board f Transportation Trolley Bus at Nassau and Manhattan Aves on the Lorimer street route.

Before the Oakland Street Bridge to Long Island City was opened, There was a double Bascule Bridge on Manhattan Ave crossing Newtown Creek to Vernon Blvd. The Crosstown and Graham ave cars went over this bridge to a loop in Long Island City at Vernon and Jackson Aves.

The Bridge in a Postcard view

On the Long Island City side, the Brooklyn Eastern District had a carfloat and Freight Yard. It was not connected to the LIRR by rail and the engine came over on a float in the morning and went back to the North 6th street yard at night on a return float. Here is a view of that yard with the Manhattan ave Bascule open for boat traffic.

A Crosstown car coming off the Bridge on Manhattan Ave Greenpoint side.

Graham Ave car on the Long Island City side of the open Bridge heading for Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the Trolley days, The Graham ave line originated at Long Island City in Queens , crossed into greenpoint , travelled to downtown Brooklyn to Sand Street and over the Brooklyn Bridge into Park Row Manhattan. It was one of the Brooklyn Trolley routes that actually connected three of the city's boroughs.

PCC's at Park Row. The car in the distance might be a 6000 series assigned to the Graham ave route. The B&QT PCC;s were the only ones of their kind to operate in Manhattan albeit a very short distance.

Brooklyn Trolleys also ran on the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan at Delancey street. There was a station on the Bridge at Bedford Ave as well as the Terminal at Bridge Plaza. Here is a trolley getting ready to head for Brooklyn from the Underground trolley terminal at Delancey street. 

A PCC on the Bridge approaching the Bedford Ave station. This was a fab trip as PCCs were not assigned to lines operating through Bridge Plaza.

A Reid Ave car leaving the Plaza

And how about a little Brooklyn Eastern district operation on the North Side. BEDT was  the last RR to operate steam locomotives in Revenue service in New York City. They ran until October 1963.

At N5th street

At Borth 6th street float bridge

Another view crossing Kent Ave near Austin Nichols.

Steam galore at the BEDT on the North Side. BEDT operated 6 steamers at a time right up until dieselization took place in 1963.

At North 7th street with the BEDT tug Invicible.

Well I hope all enjoyed the little trip into Northern Brooklyn back in time.

I wonder if the underground trolley terminal at Delancy Street is still there?

Does Gravesend count? East 9th Street, between U and V. Cunningham Junior High School then Aviation High School, Queens, class of '65. Left the area in 1970 and moved to where else? Long Island. 

Bobby the terminal is still there . There are some tracks remaining in the ground and some of the overhead wire and support structure is still place.The trolley right of way on the Bridge was converted to two traffic lanes back in the 50's. There is some talk about building an underground park sort of like the high line. Here are some photos

As it was in the heyday

as it is today

You can see the  Subway station at Essex street here. when the Bridge opened for Rail way back when, some LIRR Rockaway trains  terminated here, two years before Pennsylvania station opened. .

Heres what the park could look like as and Artists concept. Trolleys would be better!

The terminal would be a great place for a trolley museum or an adjunct to the transit museum in Brooklyn. The tracks are already there and it has convenient subway train access.

A trolley museum could start by giving a home to the PCCs that Bob Diamond has squirreled away.