The Culver Line, Gravesend Avenue Line, or McDonald Avenue Line was a surface
public transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...
line in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, running along
McDonald Avenue
McDonald Avenue is a north-south street in Brooklyn, New York City. The avenue runs about between the intersection of 86th Street and Shell Road in Gravesend, north to 20th Street and 10th Avenue in Windsor Terrace. It runs underneath the New York ...
and built by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad. Most of its main line has been essentially replaced by the
IND Culver Line
The IND Culver Line (formerly BMT Culver Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, extending from Downtown Brooklyn south to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. The local tracks of the C ...
of the
New York City Subway.
The company originally owned a
streetcar line
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
- the
Vanderbilt Avenue Line
The B69 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City, running along 7th Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue between Kensington and Dumbo. The B69 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. I ...
- from Prospect Park north to
downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and r ...
.
History
The original surface
steam railroad
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Rapid transit
A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
opened in 1875 from Greenwood Depot on the eastern side of
Green-wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several blo ...
at current Prospect Park West (9th Avenue) and 20th Street in the then-
City of Brooklyn where transfer could be made to horse-drawn
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
s to downtown Brooklyn. As the Culver Line was built on a nearly straight path from terminal to terminal, it was a popular choice for travelers to the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
shore at Coney Island. Service to Neck Road opened June 19, and Coney Island June 27. In 1880 service began on the line to Union Station at 5th Avenue and 36th Street.
1886 Information
On January 6, 1886, it was reported by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad
[Brooklyn ''Eagle'' Newspaper; January 6, 1886 Page 1.] that the fare on the Culver line was set at 25 Cents for Adults; 15 Cents for Children between five and 12 Years; and Free for Children under five. Its Timetable was set as follows:
*Coney Island Bound:
*On Weekdays and Saturdays,
Coney Island bound trains left Prospect Park West (9th Avenue) and 20th Street for Culver Terminal at 0630; 0705; 0900; 1000; 1100; 1200; 1300; 1400; 1500; 1600; 1700; 1800; 1900; and 2000.
:On Sundays, and Race Days,
[The Culver Line served the Coney Island Jocky Club at Kings Highway during racing season.] trains left Prospect Park West and 20th Street for Culver Terminal 0900; 1000; 1100; 1200; 1230; 1300; 1330; 1400; 1430; 1500; 1530; 1600; 1630; 1700; 1730; 1800; 1830; 1900; 1930; 2000.
*Greenwood bound:
*Weekdays and Saturdays: 0700;0805; 0930; 1030; 1130; 1230; 1330; 1430; 1530; 1630; 1730; 1830; 1930; and 2030.
:On Sundays and Race Days: 0930; 1030; 1130; 1230; 1300; 1330; 1400; 1430; 1500; 1530; 1600; 1630; 1700; 1730; 1800; 1830; 1900; 1930; 2000; 2030.
LIRR Ownership
The Culver Line was owned by the
Long Island Rail Road from 1895 to 1899 and for a time both before (by interline agreements) and throughout that period, used the Culver Line in whole or in part for a variety of services in combination with its
New York and Manhattan Beach Railway
The Manhattan Beach Branch, Manhattan Beach Line, or Manhattan Beach Division was a line of the Long Island Rail Road, running from Fresh Pond, Queens, south to Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It opened in 1877 and 1878 ...
lines to provide services variously connecting downtown Brooklyn via the
Fifth Avenue Elevated
The Fifth Avenue Line, also called the Fifth Avenue Elevated or Fifth Avenue–Bay Ridge Line, was an elevated rail line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Hudson Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 38th Street, and Th ...
, the 39th Street Ferry and the 65th Street Ferry on the one hand, and the
Sheepshead Bay Race Track, West Brighton and
Manhattan Beach, the latter two on Coney Island, on the other hand.
The Culver Line built a connection to the
South Brooklyn Railway
The South Brooklyn Railway is a railroad in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is owned by the City of New York and operated by the New York City Transit Authority. Its original main line ran parallel to 38th Street from the Upper New Y ...
, which had built a line to gain access to
ferry connections at 39th Street and the waterfront. When this branch, parallel to Brooklyn 37th Street, was electrified with
trolley wire elevated trains from the Fifth Avenue Line were able to use the Culver Line to reach Coney Island directly from
Park Row in
Lower Manhattan to Coney Island. Under the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate railway lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using ...
Company, the Culver became the primary service on the Fifth Avenue El.
In 1891, the
Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad
The B68 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City. The B68 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in June 1862, and was k ...
electrified its Coney Island Avenue Streetcar Line and breached its agreement to run its cars to the Culver's Greenwood Cemetery terminal in favor of connecting its own Smith Street Streetcar Line to its former
horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, w ...
line. In retaliation, the Culver Line, after electrifying its own line, interoperated with the
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.
The company wa ...
's Vanderbilt Avenue Streetcar Line to downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan via the
Brooklyn Bridge.
From this start, the Culver Line became a major trolley route in addition to its excursion and elevated railway traffic, accepting connections from a variety of other streetcar lines. After the ca. 1900 consolidation of most streetcar lines in Brooklyn under the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate railway lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using ...
, many summer services were operated from other lines onto the Culver to
Coney Island. These included:
*
Court Street Line
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordanc ...
,
Park Row in
Lower Manhattan to Coney Island
*
Fifteenth Street Line,
Hamilton Ferry in
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Red Hook is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, New York, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. It is located on a peninsula projecting into the Upper New York Bay and is bounded by the Gowanus Expressway and the Car ...
to Coney Island
*
Myrtle-Culver Line
The B54 is a bus route on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City. The line travels between Downtown Brooklyn in the west and Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues station in the east. The B54 operates from MTA New York City Bus's Fresh Pond Depot in Rid ...
,
Ridgewood, Queens
Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick and East Williamsburg. Historically, the neighborhood st ...
to Coney Island
*
Nostrand-Culver Line
The B44 is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along Nostrand Avenue, as well as northbound on Rogers Avenue or New York Avenue and Bedford Avenue (as part of a one-way pair), between Sheepshead Bay and Williamsburg. ...
,
Essex Street in
Lower East Side, Manhattan
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
to Coney Island
*
Reid Avenue Line
The B46 bus route constitutes a public transit corridor in Brooklyn, New York City. The route runs primarily along Utica Avenue north from the Kings Plaza shopping center through Eastern Brooklyn, with continued service west along Broadway (Bro ...
, Essex Street to Coney Island
*
Tompkins-Culver Line,
Greenpoint Ferry in
Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Coney Island
*
Union Street Line
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates a number of bus routes in Brooklyn, New York, United States; one minor route is privately operated under a city franchise. Many of them are the direct descendants of streetcar lines (see l ...
, Park Row to Coney Island
*
Vanderbilt Avenue Line
The B69 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City, running along 7th Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue between Kensington and Dumbo. The B69 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. I ...
, Park Row to Coney Island
Streetcar operations on the surface Culver Line continued to the very end of Brooklyn streetcar operations on October 30, 1956.
The final services were the McDonald Avenue Streetcar Line (formerly known as Gravesend Avenue Line) and the 16th Avenue Branch of the Church Avenue Streetcar (formerly known as Gravesend–Church). The McDonald Avenue Line traced the entire route of the original Culver Line, except at its very southern end, where it rather ironically ended at the
West 5th Street Depot of its former rival, the
Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad
The B68 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City. The B68 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in June 1862, and was k ...
.
References
External links
Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad (Arrt's Arrchives)
{{BMT companies
Streetcar lines in Brooklyn
Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation