The street railway review (1891) (14573825689)

The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars (

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 ...

s and later trolleys) in the

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

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, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

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 ...

in 1898.

Incorporation and first line

The BCRR was incorporated on December 17, 1853 with capital of $2,500,000, a large sum in those days. Its first line, the Myrtle Avenue Line, was the first horsecar line in Brooklyn, and opened on July 3, 1854. The line operated from Fulton Ferry via Fulton Street and Myrtle Avenue to the former stagecoach stables at Marcy Avenue. The New York State Legislature permitted it to reduce its capital to $1,000,000 in 1855.

List of lines

The following lines were operated by the BCRR at the time of its 1893 lease to the BHRR:Report of the Special Committee of the Assembly Appointed to Investigate the Causes of the Strike of the Surface Railroads in the City of Brooklyn
1895, pages 33-34 *

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 ...

, Brooklyn Bridge to Red Hook * Flatbush Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to Flatbush * Fulton Street Line, Fulton Ferry to

East New York East New York is a residential neighborhood in the eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are roughly the Cemetery Belt and the Queens borough li ...

Furman Street Line The Furman Street Line was a street railway line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along Furman Street from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, Cobble Hill to Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, Fulton Ferry. History When the Brooklyn City Rail Road was g ...

, Fulton Ferry to

Hamilton Avenue Ferry Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilton ...

* Gates Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to Ridgewood * Graham Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to Greenpoint Ferry * Greenpoint Line, Fulton Ferry to Greenpoint *

Hamilton Avenue Line The B33 was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along Hamilton Avenue between Bay Ridge and Hamilton Ferry at the north end of the avenue in Red Hook. Originally a streetcar line known as the Hamilton Avenue Line, i ...

to Greenwood Cemetery * Myrtle Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to Bushwick * Putnam Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to Ocean Hill * Third Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry to

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which i ...

;Built after the consolidations began * Bowery Bay Line, Ridgewood to North Beach * Corona Line, Ridgewood to

Corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 di ...

* Flatbush Avenue Line, Flatbush to Flatlands * Flushing Avenue Line, Bushwick to Maspeth *

Richmond Hill Line Richmond Hill is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It operates between Union Station in Toronto to Bloomington GO Station in the north in Richmond Hill. Trains on the line opera ...

, Ridgewood to Richmond Hill * Union Avenue Line, Greenpoint to Ridgewood ;From the Bushwick Railroad, leased July 26, 1888 * Bushwick Line, Williamsburg to Ridgewood * Cypress Hills Line, Ridgewood to

Cypress Hills Cemetery Cypress Hills Cemetery is non-sectarian/non-denominational cemetery corporation organized in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, the first of its type in the city. The cemetery is run as a non-profit organization and is loca ...

Lutheran Cemetery Line Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, Ridgewood to

Lutheran Cemetery Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

* Tompkins Avenue Line, Williamsburg to Crown Heights ;From the Brooklyn Crosstown Railroad and its leased Calvary Cemetery, Greenpoint and Brooklyn Railroad, leased July 30, 1889 * Annex Line, Long Island City * Calvary Cemetery Line, Greenpoint to Calvary Cemetery * Crosstown Line, Red Hook to Greenpoint * Union Avenue Line,

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 ...

to Greenpoint ;From the

New Williamsburgh and Flatbush Railroad 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 ...

and its leased

Greenpoint and Lorimer Street Railroad The B48 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Lorimer Street, Franklin Avenue, and Classon Avenue between Flatbush and Greenpoint. Originally the Lorimer Street streetcar line, it is now a bus rou ...

, leased July 31, 1889 *

Holy Cross Line The Holy Cross Cemetery Line or Holy Cross Shuttle was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running as a short branch of the Nostrand Avenue Line (surface), Nostrand Avenue Line along Tilden Avenue east to Holy Cross Ceme ...

Prospect Lefferts Gardens Prospect Lefferts Gardens is a residential neighborhood in the Flatbush area of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The community is bounded by Empire Boulevard (formerly Malbone Street) to the north, Clarkson Avenue to the south, New Yor ...

to Holy Cross Cemetery * Lorimer Street Line, Greenpoint to

* Nostrand Avenue Line, Williamsburg to

;From the Grand Street and Newtown Railroad, leased April 29, 1890 * Grand Street Line, Williamsburg to Maspeth *

Meeker Avenue Line The Meeker and Marcy Avenues Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, 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 ...

, Williamsburg to Penny Bridge ;From the South Brooklyn Street Railway, leased April 24, 1891 * Second Avenue Line, Sunset Park to Gravesend

Leased to Brooklyn Heights Railroad

In 1893, the Long Island Traction Company (LIT), a

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

, acquired the Brooklyn Heights Railroad (BHRR), operator of a short cable car line on Montague Street in

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, ...

and used this latter company as its operating arm. The BHRR obtained a 999-year operating lease on the Brooklyn City the same year. By this time the Brooklyn City operated 27

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 ...

Part of Brooklyn Rapid Transit System

The LIT was foreclosed and reorganized in 1895 as 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 ...

(BRT), which soon acquired, through lease or stock ownership, most of the trolley and

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...

lines in Brooklyn. The BRT (also known as "the rapid transit company" during its years of acquisition) became the public face of transportation in Brooklyn. Nevertheless, the BRT operated all of its lines through its operating companies, some of which were created just for that purpose, and others that were leased or subsidiaries, such as the Brooklyn City. Patrons may have noticed this in subtle ways, such as that streetcar transfers had the letters "B.C.R.R." imprinted on their face.

Company revival

In 1919, the BRT went into receivership as the result of a number of factors, such as the serious

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...

of World War I, and not helped by the

Malbone Street Wreck The Malbone Street wreck, also known as the Brighton Beach Line accident, was a rapid transit railroad accident that occurred on November 1, 1918, on the New York City Subway's BMT Brighton Line (now part of the BMT Franklin Avenue Line) in the ...

on the Brighton Line, which killed at least 93 people on November 1, 1918. Though the BRT was bankrupt, the Brooklyn City was declared solvent, and its charter and separate corporate existence were resumed. The lease by the Brooklyn Heights was ended and the lines the BCRR controlled in 1893 and more became its lines again on October 19, 1919. The BCRR had its own crews, cars and carbarns, and even purchased new equipment in its own name, though the overall planning and management was still effectively with the BRT. A negative consequence for passengers was that BCRR lines no longer issued transfers to the lines still with the BRT, and vice versa. When the BRT was reorganized as the

Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) 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. Today, together with the IND subway ...

(BMT) in 1923, the former BRT companies gradually were brought out of receivership. Nevertheless, the Brooklyn City did not become part of the BMT, but remained a separate company until June 1, 1929, when the BMT formed the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation to consolidate all of its surface operations in one operating company, which finally ended the corporate existence of the Brooklyn City.

References