Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad was originally a horsecar
line in Kings County, New York (now the borough of Brooklyn
in New York City
).
The original line ran from the Boulevard entrance of Prospect Park
(Park Circle) to Coney Island
. It was the first railroad of any kind to reach Coney Island. The CI&B connected to other lines to bring people from Brooklyn (then a city) and from New York City (then meaning Manhattan
) to its service to Coney Island. It began operating service along the Smith Street Line
to Fulton Ferry
in June 1862, so that the line was commonly called the "Smith Street Line". It was also known as the "Slocum Road" after its president, Henry Warner Slocum
, a Civil War general and New York congressman. Slocum's name is also associated with the steamboat
General Slocum
, involved in a disastrous fire on the East River
.
Most of the route operated alongside the Coney Island Plank Road, now Coney Island Avenue
. In 1890, in order to compete better with the steam railroad
s that had been opened to Coney Island beginning in 1864, the CI&B became the first horsecar line in Kings County to electrify, using trolley wire
.
The CI&B acquired the Grand Street, Prospect Park and Flatbush Railroad (Franklin Avenue Line) in the early 1890s, and leased the Brooklyn City and Newtown Rail Road (DeKalb Avenue Line
) in 1897.
The Coney Island and Gravesend Railway, a Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company subsidiary, bought a majority of CI&B stock in 1913 or 1914; it remained part of the BRT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
after 1923) system until the BMT was purchased by the City of New York in 1940. In 1955, the former CI&B's Coney Island Avenue Line was the third to last Brooklyn streetcar line to be converted to bus
operation and the fourth to last in the State of New York.
The Coney Island Avenue Line continues to operate today as the B68 bus of the New York City Transit Authority
, tracing most of the same route it has run for nearly a century-and-a-half.
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
line in Kings County, New York (now the borough of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
).
The original line ran from the Boulevard entrance of Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
(Park Circle) to Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. It was the first railroad of any kind to reach Coney Island. The CI&B connected to other lines to bring people from Brooklyn (then a city) and from New York City (then meaning Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
) to its service to Coney Island. It began operating service along the Smith Street Line
Smith Street Line (surface)
The Smith Street Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mostly along Ninth Street and Smith Street between Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn. Originally a streetcar line, and later the B75, it is now split between the B57 and B61 bus routes...
to Fulton Ferry
Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn
Fulton Ferry is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is named for a prominent ferry line crossing the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is also the name of the ferry slip on the Brooklyn side...
in June 1862, so that the line was commonly called the "Smith Street Line". It was also known as the "Slocum Road" after its president, Henry Warner Slocum
Henry Warner Slocum
Henry Warner Slocum , was a Union general during the American Civil War and later served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. During the war, he was one of the youngest major generals in the Army and fought numerous major battles in the Eastern Theater and in Georgia and the...
, a Civil War general and New York congressman. Slocum's name is also associated with the steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
General Slocum
General Slocum
The PS General Slocum was a passenger steamboat built at Brooklyn, New York, in 1891. The General Slocum was named for Civil War officer and New York Congressman Henry Warner Slocum. She operated in the New York City area as an excursion steamer for the next thirteen years under the same ownership...
, involved in a disastrous fire on the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
.
Most of the route operated alongside the Coney Island Plank Road, now Coney Island Avenue
Coney Island Avenue
Coney Island Avenue is a roadway in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that runs north-south for a distance of roughly five miles, almost parallel to Ocean Parkway. It begins at Brighton Beach Avenue in Coney Island and goes north to Park Circle at the southwest corner of Prospect Park, where...
. In 1890, in order to compete better with the steam railroad
Steam railroad
Steam railroad is a term used in the United States to distinguish conventional heavy railroads from street railways, interurban streetcar lines, and other light railways usually dedicated primarily to passenger transport....
s that had been opened to Coney Island beginning in 1864, the CI&B became the first horsecar line in Kings County to electrify, using trolley wire
Trolley Wire
Trolley Wire is the magazine of the Sydney Tramway Museum in Loftus, New South Wales but is also co-published by most of the other albeit smaller tramway museums around the nation....
.
The CI&B acquired the Grand Street, Prospect Park and Flatbush Railroad (Franklin Avenue Line) in the early 1890s, and leased the Brooklyn City and Newtown Rail Road (DeKalb Avenue Line
DeKalb Avenue Line
The DeKalb Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States, running mostly along DeKalb Avenue, as well as eastbound on Lafayette Avenue , between downtown Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens...
) in 1897.
The Coney Island and Gravesend Railway, a Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company subsidiary, bought a majority of CI&B stock in 1913 or 1914; it remained part of the BRT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
after 1923) system until the BMT was purchased by the City of New York in 1940. In 1955, the former CI&B's Coney Island Avenue Line was the third to last Brooklyn streetcar line to be converted to bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operation and the fourth to last in the State of New York.
The Coney Island Avenue Line continues to operate today as the B68 bus of the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
, tracing most of the same route it has run for nearly a century-and-a-half.