Re: (rshsdepot) B&O Railroad Museum

["James R. Guthrie" <jguthrie_@_pipeline.com>]

rshsdepot
Paul wrote:

> When plan is mentioned last year or whatever year, Cross Harbor RR
(the one
> in Brooklyn, is this same one-I guess) was to be part of the
arrangement (as
> it is the only carfloat down there is not inLIRR Bay Ridge yard but
on Cross
> Harbor property, possibly even old Bush Terminal property (it is the
car
> float bridge from Erie 28th Street on Hudson originally....)
>
No -- there are two brand-spanking new carfloats at the LIRR Bay Ridge
Yard (currently leased from New York City by NY & Atlantic for
marshalling bulk cars for a "Just in Time" Bulk customer in New
Lots -- and the city has an RFP out for an operator. Cross harbor's
float is a few blocks north -- so the Brooklyn Waterfront now has thre
(Count 'em) operable floats, although two are not currently used.

For pictures, see Tom Scanello's oldnyc.com site and see the Bay Ridge
"Virtual Tour."

> So far they are completely replacing rail, roadbed, ballast,
everything from
> somewhere near the A bridge to just west of I think it is called
South
> Street-in the industrial area near where Proctor and Gamble
> was....Abandoning the freight was a mistake, even without a tunnel
it
> probably will be done.....NY wants a facility that can handle the
large
> containers and Staten Island still has a lot of waterfront area for
> that....plus industry on the north....just to haul out the garbage
it may be
> being put back right now...I am looking into it..

The current plan is to haul barges to Linden for rail transfer, but
some NJ residents aren't too thrilled. They might stop the Linden plan
yet -- but don't count on it.

Manhattan real estate has become far too valuable for traditional rail
freight operations -- has been for a long time. There is no natural
advantage for Manhattan carload freight; and never has been room for
an efficient container operation.

Further, between the Port Authority nand CSX/NS there'd be no interest
in the additional expense to haul freight to Brooklyn; the Mayor,
Congressman Nadler, and all the rest envision a return of boxcars;
andything biugger than a ferryboat load of containers would be
politically untenable on the Brooklyn Waterfront.

Finally, let's not forget that the B&O ran its ***OWN*** ferry to
Whitehall Street (the SI terminal) out of Communipaw from the time
Royal Service (later Royal Blue) commenced in 1890 until 1905, when a
boat collided with a Staten Island Ferry, demolishing the latter and
dumping an evening riush hour load of commuters into the Upper Harbor.
Four persons were killed, but the city -- having the B&O as a tenant
for the previous 4 years (when it purchased the SI ferry from B&O) --
had had enough and kicked B&O out.

One might ask why the extra route? The B&O wanted the convenience of a
direct connection to the Third Avneue El.

For those interested in the evolution of  passenger stations and
terminals in NYC, keep in mind that major El stations sold interline
rail tickets -- so a B&O passenger could purchase, say, a Washington
Pullman ticket at, say, 42nd St on the El. The LIRR offered through
tickets (and timetables) for service to Whitehall St via the El and
34th st branch; the New York and Northern no only had through
schedules and ticketing from Rector St and Whitehall, but originated a
Boston sleeper from the El station at 155th St, Manhattan.

The tradition of through ticketing via transit ended in 1962 when the
Port Authority took over the H&M Tubes. Until The PA takeover, all H&M
stations were interlined with the rail system -- and in theory, one
could purchased a Florida Pullman ticket from, say, the token booth
clerk at 9th Street. I'm old enough to remember the signs offering
"Tariffs to All Points Available for Inspection" signs at the Tube
stations.

Cheers,
Jim

------------------------------