Many visitors to the DUMBO, Brooklyn area mistake the numerous tracks found in the Belgian-blocked streets for old trolley tracks. However, since until a few years ago DUMBO was almost entirely given over to warehousing and manufacturing (except for the small Vinegar Hill neighborhood on the eastern end) trolley lines never troubled it north of Sands Street.
One clue that these were never trolley lines is that several pairs run on sidewalks and into buildings. These tracks belonged to the Jay Street Connecting Railroad, one of the shortest rail lines in Brooklyn. It was originally constructed (beginning in 1904) by the Arbuckle Brothers, who imported coffee from far-flung regions; it was unloaded from carfloats in the East River (not for nothing are there two streets in DUMBO called Dock and New Dock). Goods were shuttled into warehouses a lofts in the streets of DUMBO via the tracks. The JSCR ran its last load in 1959.
The whole story:
William Bryk in New York Press
JSCR on Trainweb
3 comments
The current ConEd plant is where the Jay Street car float and yards(as well as its roundhouse)were located,in fact ConEd is the main reason the railroad gave up the ghost in 1959…..
[…] with its fair share of luxury skyscrapers, but it still maintains that old-time feel with train-track lined cobblestone streets and its abounding 19th century factories and warehouses. All this charm is set to the backdrop of […]
Yes, but trolleys did run in parts of DUMBO:
Trolley on Sand St., near Jay St., DUMBO, taken in 1941: http://www.oldnycphotos.com/dumbo42.html
Trolley coming off the Brooklyn Bridge 1947 – Brooklyn, NY: http://www.oldnycphotos.com/dumbo66l.html