West End Line (Brooklyn surface)
Encyclopedia
The West End Line or New Utrecht Avenue Line was a surface transit
line in Brooklyn
, New York City
, United States
, running along New Utrecht Avenue and other streets between Coney Island and Sunset Park
. Built by the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad as a steam line, it became a trolley line, along which elevated trains ran until the new elevated BMT West End Line
opened. This route is no longer of any bus line; its southern part (south of Bath Beach
) was part of a bus route - the B64, which replaced the 86th Street Line trolleys, until 2010.
as president, opened the first part of its line, from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue to Bath Beach
mainly along New Utrecht Avenue (then the Bath Plank Road), on October 9, 1863. The extension to Coney Island
was opened on June 9, 1864, making it the first steam railroad
to bring beach
goers from downtown Brooklyn. (The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad had been operating horse cars to the island since 1862.) At the Brooklyn end, the steam line ended at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, where the BB&CI's own horse cars ran to a connection with those of the Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad's Fifth Avenue Line
and the Brooklyn City Railroad
's Greenwood Line at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The odd double transfer was made necessary by the City of Brooklyn's refusal to allow the line to operate steam cars within its city limits.
The road took its common name from the area of its terminal on Coney Island, where a hotel of the same name, but unconnected to the railroad, existed. Its terminal was known as West End Terminal, a name which survived upon major rebuilding in 1919 as New West End Terminal before that name fell into disuse.
The road was reorganized in 1868, on January 22, 1879, and again on December 1, 1885, the latter time changing its name to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, formalizing the use of West End in the line's name. Before that time, the original steam dummy cars, which consisted of a locomotive and passenger car in one railroad-coach-type frame, were replaced by conventional steam locomotive
s pulling unpowered coaches.
gained control of the West End in January 1893, leased it on May 8, 1893, and began to electrify it immediately without the permission of the town of New Utrecht
. Effective May 21, 1893, the Atlantic Avenue extended its Fifth Avenue Line
(which was electrified March 14, 1893) along the West End's trackage to the Union Depot at 36th Street, where West End trains were subsequently terminated. Electric trolleys began running on the West End Line from the Union Depot to Coney Island on November 18, 1893, and soon from the 39th Street Ferry. The Nassau Electric Railroad
leased the Atlantic Avenue, and thus the West End, at midnight at the end of April 4, 1896, implementing its universal five-cent fare between Downtown Brooklyn
and Coney Island. In late May the 86th Street Line was placed in operation, using the West End trackage from Bath Beach
to Coney Island. Some West End cars were extended over the Brooklyn Bridge
to Park Row
in Lower Manhattan
on February 15, 1898. The Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad and Atlantic Avenue Railroad
were consolidated into the Nassau Electric Railroad
in July 1898.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) gained control of the Nassau Electric in November 1898 and leased it (and the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, operator of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, among other lines) to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
on April 1, 1899. On June 4, 1899, a new switch at Bath Junction was placed in service, and the Park Row-Coney Island cars were rerouted via the Sea Beach Line; West End cars from Downtown Brooklyn
continued to use the West End Line through Bath Beach
.
BRT control paved the way for the line to be connected to the elevated system, and, on December 19, 1900, trolleys between 36th Street
and Bath Beach
were replaced with elevated trains from Park Row
in Lower Manhattan
; the line beyond Bath Beach to Coney Island was part of the 86th Street Line. Trains operated by third rail
power over the Fifth Avenue Elevated to a ramp at 37th Street, and, from that point, trains raised trolley pole
s to operate using overhead wire to Bath Beach. A new bridge over Coney Island Creek
was built to allow heavy elevated trains to run to Coney Island, and this service, from Park Row to Coney Island, began on July 13, 1902 for ten cents.
The Nassau Electric Railroad
lease to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
was canceled on June 30, 1904, and dual operation began, where the Brooklyn Heights (later the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad and New York Consolidated Railroad) operated the trains to 38th Street, and the surface operation beyond to Coney Island was done by the Nassau Electric.
Elevated operations on the surface ended on June 24, 1916, when the new elevated West End Line, connecting into the Fourth Avenue Subway, opened to 18th Avenue
. The line was built as part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, but at the BRT's own expense. Trolleys continued to operate on the portion south of the Church Avenue Line
(39th Street) until June 28, 1947.
Surface transit
Surface transit is a type of public transit that operates on the surface in built-up areas, usually with buses or tram systems....
line in 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...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, running along New Utrecht Avenue and other streets between Coney Island and Sunset Park
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
. Built by the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad as a steam line, it became a trolley line, along which elevated trains ran until the new elevated BMT West End Line
BMT West End Line
The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line...
opened. This route is no longer of any bus line; its southern part (south of Bath Beach
Bath Beach, Brooklyn
Bath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
) was part of a bus route - the B64, which replaced the 86th Street Line trolleys, until 2010.
Steam railroad (1863-1893)
The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, incorporated in 1862 with Charles Godfrey GuntherCharles Godfrey Gunther
Charles Godfrey Gunther was a Democratic Mayor of New York from 1864 until 1866.-Early life:Gunther was born in New York into a family of recent immigrants from Germany. His father, Christian G...
as president, opened the first part of its line, from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue to Bath Beach
Bath Beach, Brooklyn
Bath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
mainly along New Utrecht Avenue (then the Bath Plank Road), on October 9, 1863. The extension 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....
was opened on June 9, 1864, making it the first 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....
to bring beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
goers from downtown Brooklyn. (The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad had been operating horse cars to the island since 1862.) At the Brooklyn end, the steam line ended at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, where the BB&CI's own horse cars ran to a connection with those of the Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad's Fifth Avenue Line
Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn surface)
The Fifth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill...
and the Brooklyn City Railroad
Brooklyn City Railroad
The Brooklyn City Railroad was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars in the City of Brooklyn, New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a borough of New York City in 1898....
's Greenwood Line at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The odd double transfer was made necessary by the City of Brooklyn's refusal to allow the line to operate steam cars within its city limits.
The road took its common name from the area of its terminal on Coney Island, where a hotel of the same name, but unconnected to the railroad, existed. Its terminal was known as West End Terminal, a name which survived upon major rebuilding in 1919 as New West End Terminal before that name fell into disuse.
The road was reorganized in 1868, on January 22, 1879, and again on December 1, 1885, the latter time changing its name to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, formalizing the use of West End in the line's name. Before that time, the original steam dummy cars, which consisted of a locomotive and passenger car in one railroad-coach-type frame, were replaced by conventional steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s pulling unpowered coaches.
Trolley line (1893-1947)
The Atlantic Avenue RailroadAtlantic Avenue Railroad
The Atlantic Avenue Railroad was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York, with a main line connecting downtown Brooklyn with Jamaica along Atlantic Avenue. It was largely a streetcar company that operated its own trains, but the Long Island Rail Road operated both streetcars and steam...
gained control of the West End in January 1893, leased it on May 8, 1893, and began to electrify it immediately without the permission of the town of New Utrecht
New Utrecht, Brooklyn
New Utrecht was the last of six towns to be founded in what is today the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It was named after the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. In 1652 Cornelius van Werckhoven, a surveyor born in Utrecht and a principal investor in the Dutch West India Company, began purchasing...
. Effective May 21, 1893, the Atlantic Avenue extended its Fifth Avenue Line
Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn surface)
The Fifth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill...
(which was electrified March 14, 1893) along the West End's trackage to the Union Depot at 36th Street, where West End trains were subsequently terminated. Electric trolleys began running on the West End Line from the Union Depot to Coney Island on November 18, 1893, and soon from the 39th Street Ferry. The Nassau Electric Railroad
Nassau Electric Railroad
The Nassau Electric Railroad was an electric street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan....
leased the Atlantic Avenue, and thus the West End, at midnight at the end of April 4, 1896, implementing its universal five-cent fare between Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
and Coney Island. In late May the 86th Street Line was placed in operation, using the West End trackage from Bath Beach
Bath Beach, Brooklyn
Bath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
to Coney Island. Some West End cars were extended over the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
to Park Row
Park Row (BMT station)
Park Row was a major elevated railway terminal constructed over the New York end of the Brooklyn Bridge, across from New York City Hall in Manhattan that served as the terminal for BMT services operating over the Brooklyn Bridge from the BMT Fulton Street Line, BMT Myrtle Avenue Line and their...
in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
on February 15, 1898. The Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad and Atlantic Avenue Railroad
Atlantic Avenue Railroad
The Atlantic Avenue Railroad was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York, with a main line connecting downtown Brooklyn with Jamaica along Atlantic Avenue. It was largely a streetcar company that operated its own trains, but the Long Island Rail Road operated both streetcars and steam...
were consolidated into the Nassau Electric Railroad
Nassau Electric Railroad
The Nassau Electric Railroad was an electric street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan....
in July 1898.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) gained control of the Nassau Electric in November 1898 and leased it (and the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, operator of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, among other lines) to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
Brooklyn Heights Railroad
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad was a street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. It leased and operated the streetcar lines of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, but started out with the Montague Street Line, a short cable car line connecting the Wall Street Ferry with downtown Brooklyn...
on April 1, 1899. On June 4, 1899, a new switch at Bath Junction was placed in service, and the Park Row-Coney Island cars were rerouted via the Sea Beach Line; West End cars from Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
continued to use the West End Line through Bath Beach
Bath Beach, Brooklyn
Bath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
.
BRT control paved the way for the line to be connected to the elevated system, and, on December 19, 1900, trolleys between 36th Street
36th Street (BMT Fifth Avenue Line)
36th Street was a station on the demolished section of the BMT Fifth Avenue Line. It was served by trains of the BMT Culver Line and BMT Fifth Avenue Line. It had four tracks and two island platforms. The next stop to the north was 25th Street. The next stop to the south was Ninth Avenue for Culver...
and Bath Beach
Bath Beach, Brooklyn
Bath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
were replaced with elevated trains from Park Row
Park Row (BMT station)
Park Row was a major elevated railway terminal constructed over the New York end of the Brooklyn Bridge, across from New York City Hall in Manhattan that served as the terminal for BMT services operating over the Brooklyn Bridge from the BMT Fulton Street Line, BMT Myrtle Avenue Line and their...
in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
; the line beyond Bath Beach to Coney Island was part of the 86th Street Line. Trains operated by third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
power over the Fifth Avenue Elevated to a ramp at 37th Street, and, from that point, trains raised trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
s to operate using overhead wire to Bath Beach. A new bridge over Coney Island Creek
Coney Island Creek
Coney Island Creek encompasses two sea inlets in Brooklyn, New York City, one separating Coney Island from the neighborhoods of Gravesend and Bath Beach, the other separating the neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach...
was built to allow heavy elevated trains to run to Coney Island, and this service, from Park Row to Coney Island, began on July 13, 1902 for ten cents.
The Nassau Electric Railroad
Nassau Electric Railroad
The Nassau Electric Railroad was an electric street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan....
lease to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
Brooklyn Heights Railroad
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad was a street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. It leased and operated the streetcar lines of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, but started out with the Montague Street Line, a short cable car line connecting the Wall Street Ferry with downtown Brooklyn...
was canceled on June 30, 1904, and dual operation began, where the Brooklyn Heights (later the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad and New York Consolidated Railroad) operated the trains to 38th Street, and the surface operation beyond to Coney Island was done by the Nassau Electric.
Elevated operations on the surface ended on June 24, 1916, when the new elevated West End Line, connecting into the Fourth Avenue Subway, opened to 18th Avenue
18th Avenue (BMT West End Line)
18th Avenue is a local station on BMT West End Line of the New York City Subway in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. It is served by the D train at all times. It has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is not normally used....
. The line was built as part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, but at the BRT's own expense. Trolleys continued to operate on the portion south of the Church Avenue Line
Church Avenue Line (surface)
The Church Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along 39th Street and Church Avenue between Sunset Park and Brownsville...
(39th Street) until June 28, 1947.