CONNECTING RAILROAD TRACKS, DUMBO

by Kevin Walsh

On December 31, 2023 I ventured into DUMBO, north of downtown Brooklyn, a formerly chiefly industrial region now a hotbed of expensive residences, retail and even a branch of the Brooklyn Historical Society. Because of various factors, it was my first foray into Brooklyn since the late summer of 2022. I haven’t yet posted the majority of the photos, but some will dribble out in advance of a more lengthy post.

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.

In this view on Plymouth Street, the tracks duck into one of the industrial buildings, either serving Brillo soap steel wool pads or Kirkman soap products. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your POV, many DUMBO’s Belgian blocks have been pulled up and replaced with smoother versions, and may of the JSCR tracks have also been sacrificed in the name of making the streets easier to navigate by autos and bicycles. However, the Department of Transportation hasn’t yet reached the east end of Plymouth Street. I hope the tracks stay here forever.

1944 Jay Street Connecting RR track map

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4/30/24

5 comments

Dean May 1, 2024 - 11:55 am

Do you mind if I share this information with the “Abandoned Rails” group? I’ll click on a few ads in return 🙂

Reply
Kevin Walsh May 1, 2024 - 10:27 pm

no probs

Reply
Andrew Porter May 1, 2024 - 1:05 pm

The tracks went into DUMBO from the terminal of the NY Dock Railway on Furman Street at Montague Street (the short stub of which is no longer connected to the street of the same name in Brooklyn Heights), under the Promenade. Building had rails in front of it which connected to a dock for car ferries from New Jersey, and the tracks then went north along Furman Street into DUMBO. When I moved here in the 1960s DUMBO was mostly deserted and rather dangerous. I have a bunch of photos of the old Purchase Building under the Brooklyn Bridge but not of DUMBO, because I was afraid I’d be mugged and get my camera stolen.

Reply
chris May 2, 2024 - 3:12 am

I lived in the Heights in the 60s and the only muggers in dumbo would have been Jehovah
Witnesses or maybe a Squibb employee.

Reply
Kenneth Buettner May 2, 2024 - 4:59 am

Back in the early 1970’s my friends and I would explore the waterfront (which was likely not a very good idea), and followed such railroad tracks in DUMBO and other areas. I can recall at least one abandoned locomotive that had been stripped down, but were still recognizable. I wish I had a camera then!

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