Time for another update on the Hudson and Hartford.
On January 29, 2009 I tooka part time college teaching job. I teach a beginning accounting course at a college in Staten Island, New York and I find it stimulating. Teaching this isn't new to me since I did it full time for 8 years and a college in New Jersey and another in Jamaica, New York. I've also taught as an adjunct for many years as well with last time being in the Fall of 2007.
I like teaching but it also has proven a stimulous to doing certain research projects I had tended to push off ad infinitum. One of these was researching the railroads that perform freight operations in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties here in New York.
The railroad scene in this area of New York is ver different than it was during the 1916 - 1965 era. Back then lots of railroads had dealings with most of NYC and environs even though those railroads didn't come into the city or the other areas directly although some did. Most of the traffic was trabsported to NYC via car floats from various locations in New Jersey. In addition to car floats there were large ferry operations as well taking people to and from Manhattan and points east as well. All of that came to a screeching halt in the 1950s and early 1960s. Part of it was caused bythe opening of the Licoln and Holland Tunnels and the various bridges that connect New Jersey and Upstate New York. Part of it was also the major shift of most freight traffic to trucks as well. But railroading in NYC didn't die out. There is still alot of it though there is rarely a need for more than one car float of cars a day coming from Greenville yard and going to what used to be Brooklyn Army Terminal and back.
Back in the old days the BEDT used to handle the switching for many of the car float aprons that dotted the shores of Brooklyn and Queens. They also handles the movement of cars among the various terminals and industrial districts of these two Boroughs of the City of New York. The BEDT is long gone but they weren't the only such provider. For more details check out a book called "Brooklyn's Waterfront Railroads". It's out of print so you'll probabky to search for a copy. Check with your local train library. Copies can be expensive because th book is mostly old photographs taken by the author and the end the operational lives of most of the railroads covered.
Most movements of through traffic bound for the Bronx came thrue the Bay Ridge car float facilities that was also connected to the 65th Street Raiload Yard in Brooklyn. The yard and the tracks were owned by the Long Island Railroad but the New Haven Railroad operated both the car float aprons and the 65th Street Yard and they operated on the tracks leading from the 65th Street Yard up to and including the New York Connecting Railroad's tracks and bridges leading to Oak Point yard in the Bronx. This was done as part of an agreement with the LIRR and the Pennsylvania Railroad since it was the Pennsylvania Railroad that built the NYCRR and made the operating agreement for the LIRR tracks that connected the NYCRR to the 65th Street yard.
The NYCRR was an unusual railroad in that all it owned consisted of the track and bridges along the route. The New Haven provided the motive power and train crews and the cabooses used by the train crews. The line was busy during the 1940s and 1950s when it was not unusal for the car floats to transport 1,000 cars a day between 65th Street yard abd Greenville, NJ. Train lengths were often 100 cars or more.
In recent years the Long Island Rail Road has gotten out of the freight car business and has become solely a commuter line transporting passengers to NYC and from various points on Long Island abd vice versa. The freight operations still continue but under the wings of a shortline known ast the New York and Atlantic. They operate a significant amount of trackage in the four county area known formally as Long Island. They also operate the 65th Street Yard and would most likely work the car floats at Bay Ridge if those were still in operation as well. The car floats are operated by the New York/New Jersey Railroad and was formerly known as the New York Cross Harbor. Both the New York/New Jersey Railroad and the New York and Atlantic belong to other companies that specialize in owning and operating such operations.
Both of these Railroads can be looked up on Google and you'll find lots of information including direct links to their websites and Historical Societies. It's worth a look.
Irv
