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INDUSTRIAL, OFFLINE TERMINAL RAILROADS & RAIL-MARINE OPERATIONS
OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

PALMER'S DOCK EAST RIVER TERMINAL RAILROAD and the BROOKLYN EASTERN DISTRICT TERMINAL
A  Comprehensive  History of Operations, Property, Equipment and Personnel 1870 - 1983
	by Philip M. Goldstein © 2024

counter activated 12/6/2021

MAIN INDEX
(with subchapter listing)

   This website, while theoretically stand alone, is in fact only one part of another website which pertains to freight railroad history in the New York Metropolitan Area:

INDUSTRIAL, OFFLINE TERMINAL & RAIL - MARINE OPERATIONS OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN, NY

   In conjunction with that above research, I have also yet another website detailing the histories of military installations with accompanying rosters of locomotives that operated throughout the New York Metropolitan Area:

MILITARY RAILROADS & LOCOMOTIVES OF THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA

   Not to mention all my other little side interests in railroad history:

INDEX OF WEBSITES BY PHILIP M. GOLDSTEIN

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A Brief History Of Rail - Marine Traffic in New York

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A Glimpse of the Way Things Were

   It is the year 1870. Ulysses S. Grant is in the White House after being elected president following a successful victory in the Civil War. Walrus mustaches are popular among men, and tops hats are in. The Department of Justice is created as a government agency. The Army Weather Bureau is created, and this would become the National Weather Service and the current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is placed in service. The transcontinental railroad celebrates it's 1 year anniversary. There are no electric lights and either the mail or the telegraph is the means of communicating long distance, (even though a gentleman inventor named Alexander Graham Bell is tinkering with acoustic telegraphy, which in a a few years yields a device that will eventually become known as the telephone).

   In New York City; the Statue of Liberty does not exist and just north, Ellis Island, known then as Castle Garden, is beginning to bustle with freshly arrived immigrants looking to become Americans. North Manhattan is wild forests. Staten Island is similar with a smattering of farms. Brooklyn and Queens are highly developed the closer you get to New York Harbor, but the eastern edges of Brooklyn & Queens are what would be considered "rural", and farmland dominated the view. Long distance travel, primarily via horse drawn wagon; is beginning to give way to the railroads. But, horse drawn carriages and small steam locomotive drawn street cars were the way to travel anywhere out of walking distance within the city.

   Long Island (which is comprised of Kings [Brooklyn], Queens, Nassau & Suffolk Counties), and Staten Island (Richmond County) were truly isolated from the mainland US. There are no bridges or tunnels spanning the East or Hudson Rivers. The Brooklyn Bridge would not be opened until 1883 and the Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensboro or George Washington Bridges would not be built until may years after that. There are no Holland, Lincoln or Queens Midtown Tunnels. The only way to transport anything to these locations was by water: either by ship, boat, lighter or barge. If you found it necessary to go from Brooklyn or Queens to Manhattan, or from Staten Island or New Jersey to Manhattan, you would have to take a ferry. The waterborne vessels of this period are powered either by wind and sail or primitive steam power and coal is starting to increase as the fuel of choice for furnaces and boilers, which are used for heat or propulsion power.

   The "second" industrial revolution is underway in earnest, and the mass production of consumer goods is taking hold. To get the raw materials, commodities and items from the mainland to Long Island, everything was shipped by water from New Jersey to Manhattan and Long Island. Today, it is difficult to envision this isolation with the myriad of bridges, highways, and tunnels (and gridlock!) linking Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island with the mainland.

   As a result of this waterborne traffic, many dockside terminals and warehouses were built around the New York City proper for storage. The large mainland trunk line (or known later on as Class 1) railroads had their own equipment and properties; namely: tugboats, lighters, barges and ferries to bring these commodities to and from various mainland railroad points around the NY Harbor. To get the commodities to the New Jersey shoreline; many railroads, their locomotives themselves powered by steam, have built a vast network of tracks radiating towards the New York area.

   In the pre-float bridge days, freight had to be manually transferred at the docks and wharves from newly arrived trains to barges and lighters (a lighter is essentially a barge with an enclosed structure on it, similar in design to a one room warehouse). Of the lighters that carried products that need to be kept chilled, (i.e.: milk, meat, fruits and vegetables), these lighters were insulated (usually with double walls filled with sawdust) and were equipped with roof hatches for the loading of ice to be carried on board.

   This was a time consuming and back breaking method, of having to unload a freight car on the dock, load it onto a lighter or barge, transport the lighter cross-harbor to Brooklyn, then unload it. Then repeat the process again for the trip back. It also required vast labor pools. There had to be a better way...

The Development of Carfloats & Float bridges
(or how to get freight cars from here to there by water)

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   So in order to load and unload the railcars themselves from the carfloats, the carfloats would be moored to the device known as the float bridge and that's where the pontoon type float bridge came in. But, the actual design of the local float bridge had to be figured out at that point.

   This dilemma had been solved by the invention and development of the carfloating and the "float bridge" or "transfer bridge". The history of the the first railroad car transfer bridge in the United States, reflects that it was built in 1838 under a joint venture by the Camden & Amboy and Baltimore & Potomac Railroads to provide passenger car ferry service across the Susquehanna River at Harve De Grace and Perryville, Maryland.

Understanding the Differences between "Carferrying" and "Carfloating"

  It should be understood that the primary difference between carferrying and carfloating is thus:

• Carferrying essentially was a way to take entire trains (freight or passenger) across a body of water and usually the entire train in a single trip; at a location where for various reasons a bridge or tunnel would have been impractical. 
  
  Once this train has been ferried from one shore to the other, it would continue on its journey to its final destination, which may be hundreds of more miles from the ferrying point. Of course, when a bridge could be built over (or a tunnel under) that waterway at a later date, it would be; thereby greatly reducing those delays in those trains having to use car ferry transportation.
  
  Based on this, carferries were almost always self-propelled and large enough to accomodate a large train.
  
  
  

• Carfloating on the other hand, at least in regard to New York Area operations, started primarily as an extension to a terminal operation; dedicated specifically for freight service (no passanger conveyance), which is quite different from carferrying. 
  
  Of course, carfloating was used where building a bridge was impractical as well. This became especially so, as freight traffic grew and destinations all around the harbor were added to the terminal. Many bridges would be needed to span the Hudson, East & Harlem Rivers and since the bridges and their associated approaches would need to be built tall enough as not to impede the marine traffic, a great deal of very valuable real estate would be wasted on the shores of New York Harbor and connecting estuaries!
  
  Carfloats however, could be brought to anywhere along the hundreds of miles of waterfront in the region, over tax-free "real estate" maintained by the government, i.e: the harbor waters. They could be moored to a simple pier anywhere along the waterfront, and loaded and unloaded without any sort of supporting infrastructure.
  
  Most importantly, the end destination of the carfloat was a freight terminal or pier. The train (or freight cars) did not continue onwards from that destination. 
  
  Furthermore, carfloats are unpowered, and need a tugboat to move them from one location to another.

The Advent of Carfloating

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The first intensive use of the dedicated carfloating of freight in the United States seems to have occurred during the Civil War, when freight cars were floated on makeshift barges along the Potomac River, to serve places where existing rail lines could not reach for various reasons.  As published in "American Railroad Freight Car", by John H. White, Jr. (1993, Johns Hopkins University Press) credits Brigadier General Herman Haupt for first carfloating on a barge in 1862, during the Civil War. In the October 2000 issue of "Model Railroader" magazine, p. 82-85 there is an illustrated article on the November 1862 construction, under the direction of Brigadier General Herman Haupt, of a carfloat operation for the Union Army at Alexandria, Virginia.    Haupt had been the Chief Engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad and was in the process of constructing the Hoosac Tunnel when he was "conscripted" to run the U. S. Military Railroad. Two steamtug drawn floats were constructed, each holding 8 cars transversely, and they were served by triple-track aprons at the transfer landings, running from Alexandria, Virginia, down the Potomac River 60 miles to Aquia Landing, about 10 miles northeast of Fredericksburg, Maryland.    In addition, George Abdill on page 48 of his book "Civil War Railroads: A Pictorial Story of the War between the States, 1861-1865 "(1961, Indiana University Press) calls it "pioneer car ferry" which it was not. Instead, it was the pioneer carfloat in the United States.    General Haupt supervised the construction of these transfer bridges at both terminals of this proposed water route. General Haupt also designed, requisitioned materials and built the unique railroad float barges. The carfloats consisted of two large-sized Schuylkill type barges moored side by side, across both of which long timbers were placed supporting eight tracks mounted transversely (from port to starboard instead of the modern configuration of bow to stern).    At Alexandria, VA; the loaded freightcars were placed singly aboard each of the eight tracks of the carfloat. The carfloat was then towed sixty miles by steam tug to Aquia Landing, VA. Once at this location, railroad crews unloaded the carfloats by pulling the cars.    While not this has not been confirmed, it appears from maps and background detail that the three transfer bridges were located in Alexandria, VA; and the eight track bulkhead was at Aquia Landing, VA. We were able to locate three images of the operation in searching the web. All three images are attributed to the National Archives, but were located on a very nice website showcasing Bernard Kempinski's "The American Civil War in Miniature".

Brigadier General Herman Haupt (March 26, 1817 - December 14, 1905) Union Army (1862 - 1863) Commanding Officer; U.S. Military Railroads

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   Once the freight cars were unloaded, they were then able to forward those freight cars with their contents, without the need of "breaking bulk" (unloading the freight from the car) along the rebuilt rail line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad to Falmouth, across from Fredericksburg, VA; on the north bank of the Rappahannock River.

   According to Haupt this was:

"the first known attempt to transport cars by water with their cargoes unbroken. The Schuylkill barges performed admirably and thus was formed a new era in military railroad transportation. The length of the barges were sufficient for 8 tracks carrying eight cars, and two such floats would carry the sixteen cars which constituted a train."

   All of this construction occurred over a period of two weeks. Haupt was ready to support further military operations by November 17th, 1862. As to how the cars were loaded onto the barges, the technology was already in place for carferrying. So the Civil War usage of carfloating maybe was more of an inspiration than an invention, inspiring the New Jersey railroads about how to serve Manhattan without having to unload everything out of the cars onto ferryboats or sail lighters on the Jersey side.

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Carfloating comes to New York Harbor

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   The first mention of carfloating in New York Harbor can be read in the (Trenton) Daily State Gazette, November 13, 1866, p. 3:

"CENTRAL RAILROAD: The Central Railroad Company [of New Jersey] are having a large scow constructed for the purpose of conveying the freighter cars directly from Communipaw to the New York side. It is large enough to hold eight cars which will be run in on rails from the track on this side. It will be in operation next week. The Western mail which has heretofore been carried by the Erie Railway has been transferred to the Central Road."

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    As to this and the early history of carfloating in general, why do we call this only a "hint" ? While this article does state fact, it turns out that there were forces behind this operation that were more complex than mentioned here. Believe it or not, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the real sponsor, even though at the time its own tracks came nowhere near New York Harbor!

   As read in "History of the Pennsylvania Railroad", by J. Elfreth Watkins, 1896; the Empire Transportation Company's line was organized in 1866, it wished to deliver to Manhattan and since the Pennsylvania Railroad did not reach or have a terminal at that location, it contracted with the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which did build the first carfloat for that purpose. Early in 1867, the operation began with the first carfloats carrying those freight cars across the Hudson River. The "car-ferry" route was from Communipaw, NJ Terminal to Pier 14, on Manhattan's west side, which was occupied at the time by the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

   By this method, the Empire Transportation Company was able to load & unload its freight cars at Pier 14 in New York City and transport said freight to its destinations without the need to "break bulk". Arrangements were then made by the Union Railroad and Transportation Company with the Camden & Amboy Railroad and the New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Company for hauling these freight cars through Jersey City, instead of unloading the freight in New Jersey, and transporting it via steamboat between South Amboy and Pier 2 in Manhattan, which had been the existing procedure. As the remainder of the railroads in New York Harbor saw the advantages of carfloating, it rapidly gained acceptance and use. Lighters by the way, weren't totally obsolete, as some railroads still maintained "pier stations" along the waterfronts, where there was insufficient room for a rail terminal and float bridge.

   Lowell Palmer also recognized the usefulness of carfloating, and as discussed later on this website, he would install his first float bridge on the Williamsburg waterfront in 1876. According to research, this would be the very first float bridge  constructed for use by a Brooklyn rail terminal; and in all likelihood, the first float bridge for a rail terminal anywhere east of the Hudson River.

   Should you be interested in an in-depth comprehensive look at the development, designs and histories of carfloat transfer / float bridges in the New York Harbor area, please refer to this page of the website: Development of Carfloat Transfer Bridges in New York Harbor.

   If you would like to learn how carfloats were "moored" to the float bridges, and the proper procedure for such, please visit the following chapter through this link: Carfloat Mooring & Pinning Procedures.

   

Railroads on the Shores of New York Harbor

   There were dozens of railroads that took up residence on the Hudson River shoreline, some with more than one railyard. Many of those railroads would merge with another throughout their history, and henceforth bring about a name change, but for historical purposes I will name each railroad as an individual, as this website applies to the cumulative history since 1870. A list of those railroads, throughout the history of New York Marine Rail operations, are as follows:

railroads in New York Harbor Baltimore & Ohio Central Railroad of New Jersey Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Erie Erie Lackawanna Hoboken Manufacturers Lehigh Valley Long Island New Haven New York Central New York, Lake Erie & Western New York, New Haven & Hartford New York, Ontario & Western New York, Susquehanna & Western New York, West Shore & Buffalo Pennsylvania Penn Central Philadelphia & Reading Reading West Shore .

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1943 Terminal & Facilities Map for the Port of New York

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   Mere words cannot show the prevalence of the mainline railroads on the shores of the Hudson River, so I have included a excerpt from a 1943 Terminal & Facilities Map for the Port of New York, issued by the New York Central Railroad. You can view a large image by clicking on the thumbnail:

   Throughout those ensuing years however; while almost all these railroads would have some sort of facility on the the west bank of the mighty Hudson River (also referred to as the North River), those shipments from New Jersey that were destined for Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island; meant going through the four Brooklyn and one Queens terminals.

   Only a small handful of the trunk line / class 1 railroads had terminals in Brooklyn and Queens that were equipped with float bridges for carfloating operations, those being:

 *Footnote: the Pennsylvania yard at North 4th Street was surrounded by BEDT and yet had no physical connection to the BEDT tracks that surrounded it, as was the BEDT Pidgeon Street yard was across the street from the LIRR yard, but again there would be no track connection between the two. The only interchange connections between these railroad terminals was by carfloat.

Independent / Contract Terminals of Brooklyn

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   In addition to the large trunk line or "class 1" railroads carfloating to and from Manhattan and New Jersey, there were also the "independent" or "contract" terminals located in Brooklyn. These were known as "contract terminals", as they would be contracted by the trunk line / class 1 railroads to deliver the freight cars to their final destinations in Brooklyn and Queens, which of course in most cases those trunk line / class 1 railroads could not do.

   These terminals, such as the Brooklyn Dock & Terminal and Brooklyn Wharf & Warehouse would be eventually absorbed by the larger terminals and after they were absorbed, history may have forgotten their names until now. These contract terminals would prosper, expand, and some would eventually utilize steam, diesel & electric locomotives for the unloading and loading of rail traffic transported by barge, lighter and carfloat.

   The recognized "independent" or "contract" (non-class 1) terminals with railroads in Brooklyn were:

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   It should also be understood that Palmer's Dock / East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, New York Dock, Bush Terminal and Jay Street Connecting offline terminals were known collectively as the "Union Freight Terminals". This was due to the fact that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Bush Terminal and New York Dock all handled freight for many of the Class 1 railroads. This is in contrast to the Class 1 owned offline terminals, where almost all of the freight handled was consigned to that sole specific railroad.

   Palmer's Dock would be organized this year, 1870; and thus is the reason this year is the starting point for our journey through history above. Palmer's Dock, and through it's successors: the East River Terminal and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, operated until 1983 and at it's peak, would have a total capacity of 1000+ cars, would transport 27,000 cars per year and the distinction of serving the New York "Brooklyn" Navy Yard.  

   Palmer's Dock / East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal had many float bridges throughout its history, which were located at:
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    I myself, am particularly interested in the history of the Palmer's Dock / East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal; and this website reflects that interest. Now that we can understand of the mechanics of carfloating and the importance of the contract terminal in Brooklyn, we will now delve into the intricate and detailed history of the Palmer's Dock / East River Terminal / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.
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Timeline of Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal Railroad & Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal

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Significant Dates In Palmers Dock / East River Terminal / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal History

   I felt it was important for the reader to comprehend the significant dates in Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal history. 

   Therefore, this chapter outlines those significant dates, in chronological order. 

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Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal Railroad & Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal -
Corporate Flow Chart: 1870 - 1972:

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   I have taken the time to draw up a flow chart, to better show the dates of incorporation and the principles involved with those corporations. 

   This chart was originally in two parts in the Palmer's Dock and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal chapters:
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Palmer's Dock: 1870 - 1906

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Lowell Mason Palmer

Lowell Mason Palmer, for whom Palmer's Dock was named for; was a significant manufacturer of barrels and casks in the New York area. These barrels and casks were how large amounts of refined sugar, among many other commodities, was shipped in those days.    Lowell Mason Palmer was born on March 11, 1845; in Chester, Ohio. Lowell was the oldest of two children from the marriage of Chester Palmer and Achsah Smith Melvin and could trace his roots on his mothers side to the Mayflower.    Lowell Palmer was educated in public schools and attended Western Reserve College where he was a student until the outbreak of the Civil War.    Upon the fall of Fort Sumter in 1861, and the call for 75,000 volunteers by President Lincoln, Lowell Palmer enlisted at the age of 16. He would fight in all the the battles of the Cumberland including: Chickamauga under General Thomas; in General Schofield's Corps in the Atlantic Campaign under General Sherman; and he participated in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. He became a member of General Schofield's staff, and would rise to the rank of Captain.

Lowell Mason Palmer (1845 - 1915)

   Lowell Palmer would marry Grace Humphrey Foote on October 24, 1877. Together, they would have eight children:

   To those of you who are paying attention: you will notice these children's names match the names of the original group of locomotives purchased by Lowell Palmer as listed in the steam locomotive roster! There is one exception however: no locomotive ever bore Harold's name.

   My hypothesis is that Harold either died at childbirth or shortly after. As it turns out this my hypothesis is correct, as Harold died at 9 years of age. Locomotive #7 would be named "Chester", and presumably named after Palmer's birthplace of Chester, Ohio.

   Lowell Palmer was a proponent of righteousness and beneficent action in business and citizenship, and his values won him the respect of many of the foremost business men in New York City.  He was also a great lover of art (one of the very few things he had in common with Henry Havemeyer), and from 1900 to the time of his passing, he would be trustee of the Brooklyn Gallery of Arts & Sciences. The gallery of paintings in his home in Brooklyn was considered one of the most noted in the City of Brooklyn and his library contained many first editions.

   Lowell Palmer died at 70 years of age in Stamford, Connecticut; on September 30, 1915. At the time of his death, he was:

   His son, Lowell Melvin Palmer, eventually rose to the position of president for the Brooklyn Cooperage Co. From the maps you will see below, you will find many structures labeled for Brooklyn Cooperage in the Palmer's Dock area, so it appears that Palmer utilized their properties along the Williamsburg waterfront to further their investments.

Palmer's Cooperage

   Palmer's company was located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn on the East River waterfront. The property was immediately north of, and adjoined the American Sugar Refining plant located at South 3rd Street, in the area formerly known as "Palmer's Dock" or "Palmer's Cooperage". A cooperage is the manufacture and / or repair of wood barrels and casks.

   The Palmer Cooperage was organized in 1867 and it was known at the time as "Palmer's Cooper Shop". Sometime in the late 1870's or early 1880's, Palmer relocated his cooperage to the property that was bounded by 1st and 2nd Streets and by North 6th and North 7th Streets. "1st Street" was later renamed Kent Avenue, and "2nd Street" was renamed Wythe Avenue. Palmer would construct another building between North 5th and North 6th Streets a short time afterwards.

  Palmer's Cooperage, would supply all the wood casks and barrels to most, if not all, of the Sugar Refiners in the Williamsburg area (Havemeyer & Elder were not the only one) and would eventually expand further north to include properties around North 7th Street and Kent Avenue, as well as the horse stable between North 9th and North 10th Streets and Kent and Wythe Avenues. His great success caught the attention of Frederick C. Havemeyer and in 1874, Havemeyer & Elder turned over all their cooperage interests to Lowell Palmer, and the Brooklyn Cooperage Company was organized, with Mr. Palmer (Sr.) as president.

   It was also at this time that Palmer and the Havemeyer's formed a co-partnership and organized the terminal and railroad "Palmer's Dock".

Palmer's Dock - Property & History

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The Beginning - Sugar

   The Palmer's Dock facilities, ultimately were created as a result from the sugar refiners of the area (American Sugar only being one of many) having so much raw material to receive and so much refined product for shipment. In short: Havemeyer & Elder, the owners of American Sugar, would receive raw sugar through Palmer's Dock and then refine it. Then Palmer would package it for shipment and ship it as well. As a result, Lowell Palmer eventually recognized the lucrativeness in creating freight depots in the area to handle freight, and in 1870, he began to do so.

   As per Tom Flagg, in a document viewed by him; BEDT Vice President Edward C. Potter Jr. gave a lecture to the "Brooklyn Traffic Club" on April 25, 1913, in which it explains how Lowell Palmer purchased a carfloat and a tugboat in 1873 to transport freight cars to and from the Williamsburg location. These freight cars would be loaded aboard the carfloat and picked up at the Erie facility (in New Jersey) and then brought to and unloaded along the bulkhead in Williamsburg. At this early point in time, they were not removed from the carfloat.

   Not only was the Brooklyn Cooperage formed (mentioned in Palmer's Cooperage chapter above), and as his early business partnership with Havemeyer & Elder apparently was quite successful, they would enter partnership once again in 1874, in which the Palmer's Dock railroad terminal was established. Acquisition / merger details of Palmer's' Dock and Havemeyer & Elder are scarce, but it has been recorded that Lowell Palmer supervised operations after it's organization.

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Freight Terminal & Steam Locomotive

   Also in 1874, Palmer established a freight terminal on North 5th Street between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street. Palmer began laying a network of railroad tracks to move that freight to and from the East River bulkhead and the freighthouse. He leased that freighthouse to the Erie Railroad. In 1875, the first steam locomotive was ordered by Havemeyer & Elder for use at Palmer's Dock, and was constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Works. It would be named after the Havemeyer patriarch, Frederick C. Havemeyer. 

   Palmer would conduct business with Erie Railroad exclusively for about one year, at which time he would now begin to interchange with other railroads: New York Central & Hudson River, West Shore, Central RR of New Jersey, among other several others. From historical accounts, the first trackage was laid in the vicinity of North 5th Street. As the other railroads leased property from Palmer and the freighthouses constructed, the trackage would expand north. And other locomotives would be purchased as the railroad and terminal operations expanded.

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First Float Bridge In Brooklyn

   In 1876, Palmer constructed and installed what is understood to be the first float bridge in the Williamsburg area, much less all of Brooklyn. Early property maps and the Galt & Hoy drawing below show the concentration of trackage in the North 5th Street area, and this is where the first float bridge was installed. The significance of this may be lost in this modern era of "door to door" shipping; but in 1876, this was a substantial leap forward in the the transportation of freight cars via water. Being the success that it was, other Brooklyn based terminals would follow Palmer's lead and install float bridges at their terminals as well. 

   Tom Flagg generously submitted the following item from his archives. It is a Galt & Hoy Panoramic Drawing from 1879 of the Palmer's Dock facilities. What makes it more unique is the fact that it was done from an aerial perspective. It shows a single float bridge located between North 5th and North 6th Streets with trackage extending east along North 5th Street as previously discussed.

Galt & Hoy - 1879
Special thanks to Tom Flagg for this beauty!

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Consolidation and Expansion

   In 1890, Palmer's growing property acquisitions necessitated the need for him to began to reconstruct and consolidate his property. His property now housed many more freight depots, structures and team tracks for the growing railroad and by this point in time, the Palmer property now comprised of the area between North 4th Street and North 10th Street, and between the East River bulkhead and Berry Street.

  Tom Hendrickson located the following newspaper article on Palmer's Dock, which is dated Aug 17, 1890 and was printed in the Brooklyn Eagle. This article is a very interesting read, as it not only describes the local merchants, but the sizes of the structures and estimated cost for the construction of same:

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Palmer's Board of Trade - Hay & Produce Market

    Also, according to City of New York Department of Health Annual Reports (1905 & 1907) and the August, 17, 1890 Brooklyn Eagle article above; Palmer's Dock was also the chief place for the importation and distribution of vegetables in bulk in Brooklyn. Palmer also organized an entity known as the "Palmer's Dock Hay & Produce Board of Trade". The nature of this "Board of Trade", from what I comprehend it to be, was a operating entity of Palmer's Dock as to secure a better lot price on the bulk purchase of hay and produce, to be distributed from a centralized location (Palmer's Dock).

   The original farmers market was located in the Wallabout Market some distance south (by the Brooklyn Navy Yard). According to newspaper accounts this Wallabout facility was crowded and dilapidated. Palmer recognized the need for a newer, larger facility and commenced construction of such in Williamsburg. There would be several instances of the Pennsylvania Railroad filing a lawsuit against this Palmer's Board of Trade, for offering lower than reasonable rates in competition to the Pennsylvania, and not furnishing the same terminal facilities to the Pennsylvania RR as Palmer would do for others. This new Hay & Produce Market, was a huge success and help bolster Palmer's reputation, as well as keep the Williamsburg waterfront in active competition with the other developing terminals and markets.

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Coal Depot

   In 1892, Lowell Palmer constructed a huge coal depot at North 9th Street between Kent Avenue and the East River. This coal depot was actually multi-story, and served by an elevated coal trestle extending out onto the pier and into a covered piershed. This coal depot replaced the coal shed of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad as well as a few other minor coal dealers.

   Please note, it was first thought that the original coal depot was located on North 5th Street and Berry Street. This is not the case and was an error on the author's part. The cylindrical concrete coal silos located on North 5th Street between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street (that appears in some of the locomotive images) was actually the Lehigh & Scranton Coal Co. and was built in the late 1910's or early 1920's. It is NOT the original Palmers Coal Depot as previously stated here. Palmer's Coal Depot is marked as such on the 1898 Belcher Hyde Property Map in the  Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter.

   By building this coal depot, Palmer could buy coal at cost, transport to his facility, and resell at great profit to coal dealers in the area. The new coal depot was more of a coal trestle with storage bins underneath. The hopper cars would be brought up an incline by locomotive and located over the bins, and discharge their load into the bins below. Then, the coal retailer would back his "wagon" under the silo, and the coal was screened and dispensed directly into the wagon, to be delivered to the customer's homes and businesses.

   Portions of the elevated coal trestle and pier can be seen in the 1914 photo that appeared in the weekly publication of the Merchants Association of New York: "Greater New York". This image is available for viewing below in the East River Terminal chapter; East River Terminal Property Photo.

   This new coal depot was a significant improvement in reducing labor and handling time, as the previous method employed by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad required many men to first shovel it out of the barges into tubs that would be hoisted to the dock side. Then it would be shoveled into wheel barrows, and then walked up a few blocks to their shed, then shovel it once again. This was very time consuming, labor intensive and costly. As Palmer's new facility directly transferred coal into the depot from the hopper car, this cut back significantly on manpower, and likewise labor cost. As a result of this "new" cost efficient method, Palmer and his coal depot prospered. Here is an "in depth" article:

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   Palmer's Dock would go on to construct a pier warehouse at the foot of North 7th Street with other structures served by rail on both sides of North 9th Street west of Kent Avenue. Palmer's Dock also had several buildings including a stable throughout the surrounding neighborhood.

   Palmer's Dock trackage also continued to serve the main warehouse of Brooklyn Cooperage which was located between North 6th and North 7th Streets, (which divided the two railyards) by way of a service track on North 7th Street. Please refer to the 1898 Belcher Hyde Property Map and 1907 / 1908 Bromley Property Map in the Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter.

   Oddly, from referencing these property maps, Palmer's Dock trackage did not extend south to North 4th Street where the American Sugar Refinery was located; which from all accounts was the reason Havemeyer & Elder and Palmer's Cooperage united to form the Palmer's Dock and which in turn would eventually become the BEDT.

   Research by Jay Wanczyk located the following entries in a book titled "The Eastern District of Brooklyn", by Ambrose Armbruster. It was first published in 1912, with additions in 1941. All references are short, and not all have dates, and they are listed by street. The following are excerpts from the listings:

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Other Palmer Locations

   Lowell Palmer would also have an "L" shaped piershed located in Jersey City around 1908 (possibly prior to this date) through 1919. This piershed would also go on to serve BEDT and American Sugar Refiners at their Warren Street Terminal.

   This piershed can been seen (barely) in the photos of the Warren Street vicinity and on the Hopkins Property Map of that area, of which both can be viewed in the Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter.

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Palmer Relinquishment / Havemeyer Takeover

   Information that is continuing to be collated by Tom Hendrickson, is showing there was "parting of the ways" between the Havemeyer's and Palmer in the years after 1900. 

   The exact causes are unknown to us this time, but it appears that Lowell Palmer became disenchanted with the operations in Williamsburg, and left the organization around 1905 to devote his time to Squibb pharmaceuticals and his other business interests.

   It has been put forth by Tom, that Palmer wished to distance himself from the Havemeyer's, due to their growing scandals and less than ethical business practices. Whether there is any truth or basis to this theory, remains to be confirmed.

   We know clearly enough through historical documentation, that the Havemeyer's eventually incorporated the navigation portion of Palmer's Dock operations into the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in 1906 and the railroad portion into the East River Terminal Railroad in 1907.

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Palmer's Dock - Equipment & Trackage
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Equipment

   Returning to the railroading history of the Palmer's Dock; throughout it's existence; Palmer owned a total of eight 0-4-0T and 0-6-0T steam locomotives.

   When Palmer's Dock was re-incorporated as the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (as a navigation company) in 1906 and East River Terminal Railroad in 1907 (the Bromley map of 1907/1908 still shows the property listed as Palmer's Dock); most of the equipment, including the steam locomotives, tugboats, carfloats, and the properties were "inherited" by the ERT/BEDT. Locomotives 6, 7 and 9 would go on to operate into the 1930's for the BEDT. Number 8 would be scrapped first, followed later by the others.

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Trackage

   The following article was discovered within the Official Proceedings of September 1900 for the monthly meeting of the Western Railway Club. In this discussion, it specifies the design of the trackage, how the locomotive is used at the Palmer's Dock:

Official Proceedings of the Western Railway Club - September 1900
added 22 October 2010

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Facilities

   So far, not much has been located denoting the trackage capacities of Palmer's Dock. However, according to the "Report of the Committee on Terminals and Transportation of the New York State Food Investigating Commission" published 1913; the car capacity of Palmer's Dock in 1903 was:

* =  "Capacity given is that of the loading and unloading platforms, terminal is not equipped with freighthouse."

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Palmer's Dock - Lessees & Interchange Partners

   Railroad cars would arrive at the various yards of the mainland railroads (as mentioned above). These cars would be sorted according to destination in classification yards for transfer or interchange to other railroads. 

   For cars destined to businesses served by Palmer's Dock; Palmer's Dock would dispatch tugboats with carfloats to those mainland terminals, which would arrive and moor. The mainland railroad would load the railroad cars onto that carfloat and Palmer's Dock would "pick up" those carfloats. More often than not, the carfloats would be loaded quickly, and tugboat would just wait until loaded and set sail. In reciprocation, railcars belonging to those mainland railroads would be returned at same time.

   After 1875 when Palmer was no longer exclusively dealing with the Erie and throughout the ensuing years, other railroads and steamship lines leased space in the Palmer's Dock facilities or used Palmer's Dock to handle and store their freight. Combining the names listed from the Brooklyn Eagle news release in 1890 and from an advertisement in the journal "Railroad Men" from February 1903, Vol. XVI, No. V; Palmer had the eventual presence of the following railroads and steamship lines in Williamsburg:

   The Pennsylvania would eventually open their own freight station / terminal at North 4th Street, and the New York, New Haven & Hartford would open a freight station / terminal at North 1st Street. But the other railroads would go on to continue to use Palmer's Dock and subsequently the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal for transporting their freight into Brooklyn.

Havemeyer History

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Overview

   The history of  Palmer's Dock, as well as the East River Terminal Railroad and subsequently the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, also starts with the Havemeyer family; brothers William & Frederick; Frederick's sons: Henry Osborne and Theodore; and Theodore's' son Henry Osborne. (This is not a mistake, Theo named his son after his brother.)

   The Havemeyer's would make their fortune in the sugar business. They owned several sugar refineries in the NY area, and would consolidate their interests on the shores of Williamsburg. Not only would the Havemeyer's find financial success, they would also come to be most influential in local politics as well, even in the face of tribulation and scandal.

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Havemeyer Family Tree:

   I am at this time respectfully requesting that if any of the Havemeyer descendants should happen across this website, that they please contact the author. I am seeking images of Henry Osborne Havemeyer (1876-1965 and son of Frederick), and Henry Osborne Havemeyer, Jr. (1903- ? and grandson of Frederick).

   You may contact me at bedt14@aol.com

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Timeline - The Havemeyer Family

Wm. & F. C. Havemeyer Sugar;
Havemeyer, Townsend & Co.;  
Havemeyer & Elder;
and the
American Sugar Refining Co;
How sweet it was!

 

1799:		William Frederick Havemeyer Sr. accepts invitation to relocate to NY to work in Mr. Seamen's sugar refinery on Pine Street in Manhattan, New York.
1802:		Frederick Christian Havemeyer, Sr. emigrates from England after completing his apprenticeship and joins William.
1805:		Frederick C. Sr. and his brother William F. Sr. lease land and open the Wm. and F. C. Havemeyer Sugar Refinery at 87 Van Dam Street (formally Budd Street) in Manhattan. This is partially in response to the growing demand for sugar, and as other prominent names of New York history had entered sugar business, including the Livingston's, Bayard's, Cuyler's, Roosevelt's, Stewart's, and Van Cortlandt's.
1807:		Frederick C. Sr. & William F. Sr. become American citizens.
1828:		William Sr. and Frederick Sr. sell their company to their respective sons William F. Jr. and Frederick C. Jr.
1839:		Theodore A. is born to Frederick Jr.
1841:		Frederick C. Sr. passes away. Frederick C. Jr. turns over control of Sugar Company to other members of  the Havemeyer family. William F. Jr. leaves the sugar business to enter politics.
1845:		William F. Havemeyer Jr. is elected mayor of New York City.
1847:		Henry Osborne (the uncle) was born.
1855:		Frederick C. Havemeyer, Jr. reenters the sugar business and relocates the Havemeyer sugar company from 87 Van Dam Street in Manhattan, to the waterfront on South 3rd Street, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where undeveloped land, a deep-water harbor, and abundant cheap labor soon attracted other refineries.
1857:		The Havemeyer corporation name changes over the years to reflect the various partnerships entered into, and the Havemeyer, Townsend and Company was organized to include in-laws and other investors, is formed. Daily refined sugar output capacity: 300,000 lbs.
1863:		Havemeyer Townsend & Co. renamed Havemeyer & Elder.
1865:		As a result of the Civil War, the sugar industry in the Gulf states was destroyed, and sugar refining becomes concentrated in New York City, where the port had become the largest in the country, the transportation system was extensive, and banks were numerous.
1873:		Daily refined sugar output capacity: 1,000,000 + lbs.
1875:		The Havemeyer's consolidate their sugar business with Palmer's Dock; which was named for Lowell Palmer. Henry O. Havemeyer (the uncle) elected president of Long Island Rail Road.
1876:		Theodore and his wife Emilie (who was daughter of Austrian Consul General in NY) have a son, and name him Henry Osborne as well, and would be nephew to the first Henry Osborne, and of whom would take the helm of BEDT later in it's history.  Because of the intense competition of sugar refineries in the City, the City of New York tries to fix sugar prices.
1882:		The Havemeyer and Elder Sugar Refinery catches fire on January 9th, and is partially gutted. Most of the damage is contained to the 10 story brick "sugarhouse" between South 3rd and South 4th Street. It would be rebuilt.
1883:		Henry (the uncle) divorces his wife Mary Louis Elder, and marries her niece Louisine Elder. Henry O. and Louisine have distinct parallel tastes for art that compliment each other, and Louisine is very good friends with Mary Cassatt, a most famous and renowned artist.   Meanwhile, Henry O. Havemeyer (the nephew) was being privately schooled, and moved seasonally with his family between the family's three homes in Manhattan, NY; Newport, RI; and Mahwah, NJ; except from 1884-86 when the Havemeyer's took up residence in Europe. Daily refined sugar output capacity: 3,000,000 lbs.
1887:		The City of New York's failure to fix sugar pricing leads Henry (the uncle) to form the Sugar Refineries Company (known as the Sugar Trust) to control the price of sugar and the labor pool. This trust consolidated most of the major refineries in Brooklyn.
1891:		Frederick passed away. Henry (the uncle) inherits the sugar refining entities and expanded them with assistance from his brother, Theodore. Henry holds position as chairman, Theodore holds position of president. This was accomplished when, after being ruled illegal by the New York State Supreme Court; the sugar trust is reorganized by the Havemeyer's, who re-incorporate as the American Sugar Refining Company in New Jersey and retain headquarters in NY on Wall Street. Henry (the uncle) is the main driving force behind Havemeyer and Elder Co.; and becomes president of the American Sugar Refining Company.
1896:		Henry (the nephew) enters Yale College, but does not return the following year after his father Theodore's death in 1897. Uncle Henry persuades his nephew Henry to stay in Brooklyn and learn the sugar business. Henry (the nephew), receives his education by working on the Brooklyn Docks, by starting as a sugar sampler, and within two years he advances to the position of Assistant Superintendent.
1899:		Henry (the nephew) returned to Yale, received his degree and graduated in June 1900.
1900:		Henry (the nephew) marries Charlotte Whiting of Newport, RI; in July and the newlyweds go on a grand tour of Europe for their honeymoon. Upon his return to New York, Henry (the nephew) enters the main Wall Street office of American Sugar Refining Co. (the parent company of Havemeyer & Elder) to learn the accounting and financial aspects of the family business.
		Havemeyer & Elder eliminates the little remaining competition in the region, by consolidating the surviving refineries in NY City into the National Sugar Refining Company of New Jersey. The American Sugar Refining Company was the most important firm of the Sugar Trust, and the loose network of companies controlled by the Havemeyer's dominates the market.
1903:		Henry (the nephew) and his wife Charlotte are parents to Henry Osborne, (Junior).; who would also become involved in railroading operations in Brooklyn.
1906:		Henry (the nephew) leaves his position with American Sugar and becomes president of the newly organized Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, a navigation company, that is a subsidiary of the Havemeyer & Elder firm and handles the transportation of sugar in and out of New York.
1907:		Henry O. Havemeyer (the uncle) founder of Havemeyer & Elder dies of a ruptured pancreas, also presumably of stress as a result of the criminal charges entered against him as a result of an "under-weighing" scandal the Havemeyer & Elder / American Sugar Company was embroiled in. American Sugar, directly and indirectly accounted for 98 percent of the national production of sugar by 1907. From that year, the American Sugar Company engaged in a protracted legal battle with the federal government over its control of the trust, during which its share of the cane market fell from 53 percent to 32 percent. Until this time however; the Havemeyer & Elder company would come to control half the sugar refining capacity of the United States. Sugar refining was the New York City's most profitable manufacturing industry from 1870 until the First World War; and 59 percent of the country's imported raw sugar was processed here in 1872 and 68 percent by 1887.) This legal struggle would not end until 1922, with a settlement that allowed the firm to remain intact but would force it to refrain from unfair business practices. As a result, competition revives and the Havemeyer & Elder firm ceases to dominate the sugar industry. After the Depression the sugar refining industry declined in the city as alternatives to sugar and modern technology were introduced. (Details about this scandal can be read below in  the excerpt from T. Roosevelt's auto-biography). Henry (the nephew) would pick up the pieces and with his new company, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal; will become a fundamental part of railroad freight movement in the New York Harbor. The East River Terminal Railroad is incorporated this year, as a steam railroad company. This railroad handles the railroad traffic from the carfloats of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Navigation Company.
1915:		The East River Terminal Railroad and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (a navigation corp.) are merged and re-incorporated as the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, (a freight terminal corp.)
1917:		The refined sugar warehouse and packaging warehouse are seriously damaged by fire.
1918:		Renovation and reconstruction begins of the BEDT property North 4th Street through North 10th Streets.
1924:		American Sugar Refinery in Jersey City (Warren Street) totally destroyed in fire.
1927:		The sugar refinery and adjoining property located at South 1st Street undergoes major renovation, which include the boilerhouse and raw sugar warehouse (both structures of which remain today).

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Henry Osborne Havemeyer (the uncle)

   Next to Lowell Palmer, Henry Osborne Havemeyer would have to be the most influential person in the history of the Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal, and by his legacy; the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

   Henry would also serve as president of the Long Island Rail Road, and was elected to that position on April 13, 1875 and held that position for one term. Other than art, as mentioned above, the other business interests of Henry Havemeyer would include sugar trusts, mining, insurance and banking.

   The Sugar Trusts, as they was popularly called, was the result of the Havemeyer's buying up the independent sugar refineries in the New York City area and consolidating them. This gave the Havemeyer's a great deal of power in the sugar industry. As we all know, this type of business power often leads to legal skirmishes. Some of these were the result of competitor's jealousies, and some were the result of genuine violations of law.

   Henry's business practices, upon review of historical documents; were tenacious. Some of these tactics are questionable under todays ethics, and in some cases were punishable by law. But as we all can recognize, the Havemeyer's were not doing anything that was not being done by other influential business men of the era, such as the Vanderbilt's, Morgan's, Gould's, etc. If there was a dollar to be made, he found or deduced a way to make it. 

   As one can expect; the Havemeyer's and their associates would prosper.

   In 1883, Henry divorced his wife Mary Louis Elder, and would marry her niece Louisine Elder. Louisine was the daughter of George Elder and wife Mathilda Waldron. The Elder's were business partners with the Havemeyer's in the sugar industry.

   Henry and Louisine had distinct parallel tastes for art that complimented each other, and Louisine was very good friends with Mary Cassatt, a most famous and renowned artist. Henry and Louisine would have three children: Adaline (b. 1884); Horace (b. 1886) and Electra (b. 1888). Electra would be the only offspring to follow in her parents art collecting habits and she would go on to create the Shelburne Museum. In 1929, a substantial portion of Henry's collection was bequeathed by Louisine to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York; where it formed the foundation of the "European Impressionist" collection.

   Horace would follow in his father's footsteps and eventually become partners with his father, uncle, cousin and a few other close business associates, in the formation of the East River Terminal and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

   Henry was a member of several prominent social clubs and societies, namely: the Sons of the American Revolution (peculiar, as the Havemeyer's were partially of British descent) and the St. Nicholas Society. Henry & Louisine collected art, mostly of European artists, such as Degas and Monet.

   At some point in time, the City of Brooklyn named a thoroughfare in Williamsburg "Havemeyer Street", in recognition for the Havemeyer's. Havemeyer Street runs for approximately 15 blocks from Division Avenue to Union Avenue. Havemeyer Street runs parallel to the East River on a north by northeasterly course and it is six blocks southeast of Kent Avenue, where the East River Terminal operated.

   When Henry Havemeyer passed away on December 4, 1907; the streets surrounding his home: Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and the side street East Sixty Sixth Street were blocked with automobiles and horse drawn carriages of the attendees. His funeral was widely attended by many business leaders and notable Americans:
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   The casket was borne by American Sugar Refining employees to a simple black hearse drawn by two horses. The funeral procession consisting of carriages of Havemeyer family proceeded to Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn; where Henry Havemeyer was interred in the family vault.

Havemeyer family vault
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY - 26 January 2010
authors photo
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 Henry Osborne Havemeyer, nephew

   Henry's nephew, also named Henry Osborne Havemeyer, (to whom I formerly referred to as "the younger") would become instrumental in guiding the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. Nephew Henry and his wife Charlotte, would have a son, whom would be named (you guessed it) Henry Osborne Havemeyer as well. He was the third male to carry the name Henry Osborne, but since this latest edition of the Henry Osborne heritage is actually the son of the nephew, I will refer to him as Henry Jr.

   Henry Sr. and his wife Charlotte would collect Americana, including paper currency, pamphlets, coverlets, manuscripts, snuff boxes, portrait busts, cartoons, medals and prints. Henry donated to the New York Historical Society, thousands of portraits of prominent Americans. These items are still on display.
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Henry Osborne Havemeyer, Jr.

   Henry Osborne Havemeyer Jr., by the way, would also go work for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, and hold the position of assistant to the President.

   Keeping true to the Havemeyer's family contributions to railroading (whether infamous or beneficial), Henry Jr's. claim to fame would be that he invented an apparatus for float bridge and carfloat track alignment and mating, and he applied for and received patent #1,591,086 for this device in 1926. Paul Strubeck located the following patent application in one of searches.

   Basically, this device is similar in principle to a "guarded frog" on a turnout, but his design was not a "V"  as used in a frog situation, but rather a simple guard on one side of the rail to prevent derailments when the wheel set of a freight car transgressed from the float bridge rail to the carfloat rail.

   His patent application better explains the device, so I highly recommend you view the patent drawing and application here:
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   I am also at this time, going to ask that any descendants of the Havemeyer family please take the time to contact me at bedt14@aol.com

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Tribulations & Scandal

   The Havemeyer's and their relatives (Townsend's, Elder's), through consolidation of their 15 sugar refineries and through their political connections, would eventually become known as the "Sugar Trust". They would become extremely successful in the business world of America.   


   The success of the Havemeyer's is not to say that the Havemeyer and Elder sugar interests were without tribulation or scandal. As mentioned above, there were many investigations and indictments throughout their early history. Speaking frankly, it appears that the Havemeyer's almost always seemed to be embroiled in some legal folderol.


   These lawsuits varied greatly in topic, and most were filed in connection either with: receiving secret rebates from other railroads, fixing sugar prices (after the City of New York failed to), and in an under-weighing scandal. Located in Theodore Roosevelts' (yes, the 26th president of the United States) autobiography, this author uncovered the following:

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East River Terminal Railroad; 1907 - 1915

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Overview

   Upon my initial research for this website many years ago, the name "East River Terminal Railroad" appeared infrequently if hardly at all. The first and only reference to it that I had come across, was in the 1990 Semaphore newsletter by E. M. Koehler, where I learned of it. I would not hear the name again until Tom Hendrickson informed me he found reference to it, as I will explain below. At first perception, it seemed that East River Terminal Railroad was used interchangeably with Palmer's Dock; but as it turns out this is not the case.

The documentation located and submitted by Tom Hendrickson, clarifies the use of the name East River Terminal as its own entity.    Tom located several articles pertaining to the East River Terminal Railroad in the New York Times archives. The first of which relates to it's incorporation and is dated November 20, 1907, and in the principles you will notice that Lowell Palmer is not mentioned.    The name appeared once again upon Tom locating it on page 265 in New York Times Index of 1916, where he was also able to find the digital images seen here.    So, the navigation aspect of the business was incorporated as the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Company (a navigation corporation) on June 22, 1906; while the East River Terminal Railroad was incorporated in the State of New York as a steam railroad company on November 19, 1907.    For a long time, I often wondered why the East River Terminal Railroad was incorporated at a much later date, and you will learn why later in this chapter.

New York Times - Nov. 20, 1907

   
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Opposition!
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This next article, states how the Pennsylvania Railroad opposed the expansion of the East River Terminal Railroad, which had now announced it's southward expansion below North 5th Street to North 4th and North 3rd Streets. This article can be seen here to the right.    Is it not ironic how the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad would oppose this two block expansion, of this "little" terminal railroad?    Well the mighty Pennsylvania thought that by the East River Terminal Railroad expanding to south of North 4th Street, it (the PRR) would be encircled by East River Terminal Railroad trackage thereby preventing it from expanding either its trackage or its freighthouse as well as restrict truck / trailer movements on it's property. Granted, some of these concerns held validity.    Evidently, history clearly shows that the Public Service Commission allowed this expansion, as this new trackage would be in place in 1915 for the opening of the Austin Nichols Building between North 3rd and North 4th Streets on Kent Avenue.

New York Times - May 19, 1909

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Disassociation

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Oddly, in an another New York Times article, the Havemeyer & Elder principals: Henry O. (the nephew); Theodore A.; Frederick C.; and  Horace Havemeyer are apparently trying to publicize the "disassociation" of the East River Terminal Railroad (owned by Havemeyer's & Elder) from the American Sugar Refining Company (of which we already are aware that the Havemeyer's are / were involved in).    Not only is Henry O. stressing that the East River Terminal Railroad has no connection to American Sugar Refining, but he is also stressing that the East River Terminal Railroad has no interests in the Havemeyer & Elder Sugar Refinery, which is stated here to have been sold to American Sugar.    Notice how Henry O. states that East River Terminal Railroad holds the franchise rights for the tracks in the streets, and handles the cars of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, a corporation, all of whose stock is owned by Havemeyer's & Elder.       The reasons for this public disassociation from American Sugar Refining are unclear, but the end result is transparent enough: to establish the East River Terminal Railroad and related railroad properties as a completely separate entity from the American Sugar Refining, which at this time is still embroiled in the under-weighing scandal, and sugar trust investigation.    This disassociation could also have been a tactic to separate the East River Terminal Railroad from the lawsuits that the United States Courts were pursuing against American Sugar for receiving secret railroad rebates from the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, among other railroads as well.    As a result of this article seen to the right, we are now able to determine that the Havemeyer & Elder group incorporated the Palmer's Dock venture, which they had gained control of, into two separate entities and this took place not long after Lowell Palmer left the Palmer's Dock organization in 1905.

New York Times - Dec 03, 1909

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East River Terminal Railroad Property Photos - What It Looked Like!

   While the average reader might not comprehend, any images of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal prior to the late 1950's and likewise, its predecessors; are quite scarce. The reasons for this are unclear, as there appears to be sufficient images of other railroad facilities, equipment and installations of this era. So, it is with unbridled excitement, that I add the following images to this website for all to enjoy.

   The top one was located by none other than our very own retired BEDT engineer, Joe Roborecky; who has been contributing more than his fair share of assistance in research. Ironically, he located it on a "Google Book" search, even though I had searched their archives many times before!

   The image was taken circa March or April 1914 and actually comes from the April 6, 1914 issue of the weekly publication: "Greater New York - Bulletin of the Merchants Association of New York".

   While this photo might not technically be an aerial photo, it is definitely not taken from ground level either. At first, both Joe and I thought the image was taken by hot air balloon. This hot air balloon method had been used to photograph the Bush Terminal railyard, and of which that image may be seen on that particular page.

   We also believed we were looking at the North 5th and North 6th Street Yards, with the Austin Nichols building being the background. It was only upon reading the accompanying article that we discovered that the Austin Nichols building was still being planned, and not yet constructed. This threw off our pinpointing the location until we referenced the property maps in the Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter of this website. It was then we realized that we were looking at the northern portion of the property, (North 7th through North 9th Streets) and not the southern portion (North 4th - North 6th Streets) as originally believed.

   By referencing the 1907 / 1908 Bromley Property Map, Joe and I were able to hazard a guess from where this image may have been taken: the top of the grain elevators of the Brooklyn Elevator and Mill! As Palmer's Hay Storage building was only three stories tall (which is believed to have become the North 10th Street freighthouse), it would not have afforded the higher perspective of the wood trestle in the photo, which is at least two stories tall in itself. The only structure that would have been tall enough for one to "look across" at the roof of the Brooklyn Cooperage building (in the background) would be either a similarly tall building, a water tower, or a coal or grain elevator. Of these, we do know there was a grain elevator on North 9th Street and the bulkhead by referencing the 1907 / 1908 Bromley Map.

   Anyhow, this fantastic picture shows a great many interesting details which we may now revel in;
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1. The image, which is looking south from North 9th Street and shows in the background, the multi-story Brooklyn Cooperage building and faintly, the Williamsburg Bridge;

2. Directly across from the Brooklyn Cooperage building, is the covered piershed of Palmer's Dock;

3. Several stick lighters about the Palmers Dock pier

4. The western portion of the North 7th and North 8th Street railyards, and;

5. A small steam locomotive (left side of the photo, about the horizontal centerline) can be seen in the image. It appears to this author, judging from the proportions of this locomotive; that it is one of the earlier 0-4-0T saddletankers (this locomotive looks remarkably similar to the Harlem Transfer #1 0-4-0T, also of Baldwin manufacture);

6. Two different types of lighters and a coal barge at the bulkhead of the North 7th Street yard;

7. In the foreground, is a wood trestle extending out and onto a covered piershed, of which this elevated trackage and trestle was previously undocumented and unknown to us (we now realize the Coal Depot was multistory and served by this very trestle).

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   If the viewer takes notice, there are no floatbridges visible in the image. This is because the North 9th Street float bridge is out of view below the photographer, which was located practically at the foot of the grain elevator, (from where it is believed this photo was taken from the roof of); and the North 5 and North 6th Street float bridges are out of view just behind the Brooklyn Cooperage building.

   One must also keep in mind, according to the 1907 / 1908 Bromley Map, the two yards (North 4th through North 6th and North 7th through North 9th Streets were segregated and not connected, with the Brooklyn Cooperage building dividing the property and railyards. This is apparent in the photo below.

East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal - circa March or April 1914
(looking south)
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   A link to a subpage containing the complete article accompanying this image is below. It is a multi-page article on the Brooklyn Terminals and is an interesting read on its own accord. Of peculiar note in the article, is that the Terminal is referenced to as the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, even though technically the East River Terminal Railroad exists, which was not yet merged with but leased to BEDT Navigation at this time. It also details the facilities of the Bush Terminal, New York Dock, Jay Street Terminal and the proposed South Brooklyn Terminal Railroad:

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   Now every once in a while, Tom Flagg sends something to whet my appetite. On May 6, 2009; Tom sent me this image. It is from the book "Brooklyn: A National Center of Commerce and Industry" published in 1914 by the "Committee on Industrial Advancement of the Brooklyn League". Tom states the photos might well have been taken the year before, or even earlier. But, as both this image and the one above are of approximately the same year, 1914; they provides us with two different views of the North 9th Street locale. In the image below, (which is facing east) many interesting structures can be seen:
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1. Multi-story wood construction "Brooklyn Elevator & Milling" feed elevators. Of which by the way are proudly advertising "BROOKLYN ED TERMINAL"! It is from the top of this structure that the photo above was taken. 

2. Behind this feed elevator is the three story brick structure which at the time of this image, was utilized for hay market & storage. This structure would become the North 10th Street Freight House. This was the only structure in this part of the property which survived into the "modern era" of BEDT operations.

3. Moving right, we have BEDT Carfloat #14 moored to the North 9th Street float bridge and North 9th Street Yard. One must keep in mind, at the time this image was taken, BEDT was the navigation company handling marine transportation, and the East River Terminal Railroad would be the railroad aspect of operations.

4. Between the float bridge and ramp for the coal trestle, is a two story structure. It was undetermined what purpose this structure served until Tom furnished a copy of the 1905 Sanborn Fire Map. It turns out this structure was one of TWO engine houses(!) that were operated simultaneously. (This one by North 9th Street and the other by North 5th Street.)

5. To the right of the of this structure, is the brick North 9th Street freight house running up the north side of North 9th Street.

6. Looking down the coal trestle ramp, we look directly down (east) on North 9th Street.

7. Slightly to the right we are looking up the trestle ramp, through the "covered bridge" / shed, of which its purpose is unknown. It is possible this was a location for dumping coal in scows underneath the covered trestle.

8. Following those tracks through the "covered bridge" leads us to Palmer's Coal Pockets in the background.

9. Under the inclined coal ramp fan (where the tracks spread out before entering the coal shed) an enclosed shed occupied the space.

10. The white fence is a stock yard, and there was a cattle shed here as well.

11. To the right of this and ground level is the North 8th Street Yard.
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It is highly suggested that viewers reference the 1905 Sanborn Fire Map, for in depth details to the structures in this area.

In case this might be a little confusing, please click on the image below for an annotated copy of the image.
Use your back arrow to bring you back here!

East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal
circa 1914
(looking east)
courtesy of Thomas Flagg
added 06 May 2009
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   Other than the building on the bulkhead, (which I learned from the Sanborn Fire Map was one of two enginehouses); the purpose of that white fence eluded us as well. As it appears the North 8th Street Yard was not fenced off, why would this section be? This question remained unanswered, until I reviewed a 1905 Property Map, where it was noted it was in fact a cattle yard. Apparently, this was a facility for the holding of livestock until they were "needed" (read: slaughtered) by the many meat packers on the side streets east of the terminal.

   While the exact date that the photo was taken is not known; judging from the lack of bustle, I would hazard a guess it was taken early to mid morning on a Sunday.

   Another interesting fact that arose during research, is the New York Times archives shows that on November 25, 1912, an explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the plant of the Union Sulphur Company located on North 10th Street (between North 10th and North 11th Streets).

   Thirty-four persons were injured with and undetermined number perished. Flying embers set fire to the hay market on the opposite side (south side) of North 10th Street. In a statement issued to the New York Times by H. O. Havemeyer, $245,000 worth of damage was done to the Union Sulphur Works, which was insured for $375,000, as well as undisclosed amounts of damage upon the hay market. The upper two floors of the grain elevator were also heavily damaged.

   Therefore, there are now two possibilities pertaining to the Brooklyn Elevator & Mill structure seen in the above image:

1. This image was taken prior to the fire and subsequent damage, or

2. These structures were rebuilt.
   
   

   By referencing the 1924 Fairchild Aerial Photo and the 1929 Belcher Hyde property maps, we can now also see that the BEDT property was totally redeveloped between the date of this photo and the mid 1920's; as no trestle or the covered piershed can be seen anywhere on BEDT property at these dates, and the Brooklyn Cooperage building is no longer shown on maps.

   It may be of unique interest to compare even later images, maps and landmarks with this photo. The circular fenced portion of the property just to the other side of the wood trestle, would become the approximate location of the enginehouse we are now so familiar with. Also the point of which the elevated track upon the wood trestle crosses over the track on the ground (running parallel to the bulkhead) is the approximate location of the "diamond" crossover (behind the enginehouse) leading to the North 9th Street yard trackage in the more modern (post 1924) and recognized track layout.

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A 780 Foot Railroad?

   The following document was located by Paul Strubeck. It is a report from the Senate of the State of New York, Report of the Public Service Commission, First District and dated 1915 (even though it was released in 1917). At first I was excited by the data, then very confused.

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   If you have not already noticed, there is some very curious and contradictory details in this document. It states: (with my comments in parenthesis):

• Miles of Track: 0.1475?    (That translates into only 778.8 feet!)

• Tracks: 60 feet in length?   (Seeing as how the blocks from Kent to Wythe Avenue is 400 feet long, how can that be? Sixty feet wouldn't hold two 35' boxcars... But this report clearly states that 7 tracks cross Kent Avenue and four tracks cross Wythe Avenue, but lists them only as 60 feet in length.)

• Only one locomotive? (We know from builder records several locomotives were purchased in the years before this document.)
  

  I commenced in writing a long and lengthy "rebuttal" chapter to this data, after consulting the 1907 / 1908 Bromley and 1929 E. Belcher Hyde maps, which clearly show trackage on North 4th Street much longer than the "60 feet" stated in the report. In the end, I deleted the paragraph until I could decide on how to best confirm or disprove this data. Well, that occurred about two hours later when reviewing the following document, which was also located and sent to me by Paul Strubeck.

   This document is a request for Permission to Issue Stock and Acquire and Hold the Stock of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (a navigation corporation) and the East River Terminal Railroad (a steam railroad company). It is also a request for permission to exercise its franchise on those two companies. It short, it pertains to the merger of the East River Terminal Railroad (a railroad company) and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (a navigation company) into the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (as a freight terminal company).

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   But, upon cautious reading of this document, we can finally learn WHY the East River Terminal Railroad was created and why its trackage was understated.
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A Sham Railroad?

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   Apparently, the Havemeyer's applied for an expansion of their terminal station to North 4th Street (to build and service the upcoming Austin Nichols building), and such expansion required tracks to cross city streets. This required a certificate of convenience from the Public Service Commission and a franchise from the Board of Estimate. When they filed for the franchise, they were informed that such a franchise to operate railroad tracks in city streets could not be granted to a navigation company, but a railroad company would be allowed to do so; and hence forth the application was denied.

   Upon further review of that application, it was determined that the firm who installed the railroad crossings already in place at North 5th Street and Kent Avenue (that firm being Palmer's Dock) did not have such right to do so because the franchise to cross streets by rail was not clear in its statement of incorporation. The right to cross the streets had been granted by the Aldermen of Williamsburg, and apparently never formalized through New York City legislature.

   The Havemeyer's was advised to file a new franchise application to the Board of Estimate to clarify that usage. If approved, then the Havemeyer's / East River Terminal Railroad were advised to refile for the certificate of convenience. Well, that franchise application was denied, because the certificate of incorporation previously filed in 1907 by the East River Terminal Railroad was not amended to reflect the railroads intent to expand it's trackage north of North 4th Street (where BEDT Navigation was already operating).

   It was also claimed that such an amendment cannot be issued because of a limitation on a railroads width is not to exceed six rods (a rod being 16.5 feet) or a total of 99 feet. The layout of the operations as per the intent of expansion, was seven blocks wide (North 3rd to North 10th Streets), and is in automatic violation of the statute. (It is not stated, and if I understand correctly; this rule applies to main lines and trunk lines and is not applicable to Freight Terminals, of which you should remember that neither the ERT or BEDT was incorporated as such as of this date).

   So, the East River Terminal Railroad was organized and with it apparently the Havemeyer's incorporated a company comprised of a 700 foot long railroad with only a few short sidings located along North 4th Street, listed to keep in under the "6 rod" rule (section 8 subparagraph 3 of New York State Railroad Law). Furthermore, a locomotive was leased from BEDT navigation. The result? An instant railroad and the right to lawfully cross city streets, even though the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (incorporated as a navigation company) was the company operating a railroad and executing most of the train movements across the streets. 

   And don't think for one minute the Public Service Commission did not know what was going on here either, as I think the highlighted text says it best:

    
excerpt from the Application to Acquire, Merge and Issue Stock -
Reports of the New York State Public Service Commission - First District - 1917

   "A sham railroad!" You have to admire the bluntness (and humor) of that statement in such a formal and legal state agency document!

   Seriously though, as I had stated at the beginning of this chapter, I had wondered why the East River Terminal Railroad was incorporated at a later date than that of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (navigation company). Fortunately, it is stated in this application and the facts are now known. Ironically, at the end of all this legal maneuvering and reviewing in 1915, the Public Service Commission granted the application to consolidate all the Havemeyer operations under one name and reissue stock, and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal as we know it was born and now incorporated as a Freight Terminal Station, so their tracks and trains could now legally cross city thoroughfares.

   In documents pertaining to the corporate history of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal as furnished to me by Tom Flagg, which in turn had been supplied to him in an interview with Marion McClelland in December 20, 1976; it is stated that in a contract with the City of New York dated December 27, 1909, the City granted the rights to the East River Terminal Railroad to construct and maintain trackage in North 5th Street, North 6th Street, North 7th Street North 8th Street, North 9th Street as well as Kent and Wythe Avenues. This significantly "expands" the actual trackage in use by the East River Terminal.

There is also an interesting coincidence of dates that was brought to my attention by Tom Hendrickson. The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was re-incorporated as a freight terminal company on November 4, 1915. Lowell M. Palmer passed away just five weeks prior on September 30, 1915. It is Tom's contention that the Havemeyer's incorporated this new entity to secure full ownership over the properties.     The article seen at right, is the public announcement that the Public Service Commission granted the application for permission of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal  (as a freight terminal company) to issue and hold stock of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, a navigation company, and the East River Terminal Railroad. This application has the effect of consolidating those two entities (as described in the application in link above).    As a result of this new information, it is believed and hypothesized that the Havemeyer's initially incorporated BEDT Navigation and ERT Railroad as two separate entities to protect and isolate either company from the other as a result of lawsuits, claims or negative attention from the Sugar Trust scandals among other things.     Upon the death of Lowell Palmer and the settlement of the sugar trust problems; perhaps the Havemeyer's decided that those threats were no longer a factor and could consolidate the two entities.

New York Times - May 19, 1916

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Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal; 1906 - 1983

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Overview: Whats In A Name?

   The name Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal as we know it, had its true beginnings in 1906 as a Navigation Company, and in the very beginning was incorporated as such under the Transportations Corporations Law of the State of New York on June 20, 1906.

   It was not until the November 5, 1915, after all the franchises and certificates of conveniences were finally approved; that all the properties, railroad, marine equipment and other assets were formally consolidated and incorporated under the name by which we know it and as a Freight Terminal operation; with a railroad, tugboats and carfloats. As previously discussed in the chapters above, the name by which we know had its beginnings in 1906 and until 1915,  and between those dates; generally referred to the navigation corporation operated by the Havemeyer's, even though it was operating a railroad along Kent Avenue.

   Paul Strubeck located some information in the following documents. The following is a summary and pier dimensions as listed in "Ports of the United States, 1916", and it makes a good overview.

Ports of the Unites States, 1916
Department of Commerce - Bureau of Foreign & Domestic Commerce
Miscellaneous Series - No. 33
Report on Terminal Facilities, Commerce, Port Charges,
and Administration as Sixty-Eight Selected Ports
by Grosvenor M. Jones.
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   Details as to the dimensions and occupants of the piers of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal that appear in this book at this point are listed in the Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter of this website.

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Non-Erie Beginnings a/k/a True Independent

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   To this day, many BEDT fans unfortunately still go by the misinformation that the BEDT was originated by, and / or was; an Erie Railroad operation. On Bill Russell's "Pennybridge" website (which is no longer on world wide web), it had been stated that:

"the BEDT was organized by the Erie Railroad".

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   In Jay Bendersky's book, "Brooklyn's Waterfront Railways" it states,

"In 1906 the railroad, with the leadership of mighty Erie, would be reorganized into that railroad with the unusual name:
the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal".

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   Bendersky goes on to infer a BEDT association with the Erie simply by judging from the design of the early BEDT herald / logo style below (diamond with side bars);

"The herald of the BEDT obviously came from its mentor, the Erie".

   (It is now understood by this author that the Pennybridge website used the information (albeit erroneous) stated in the Bendersky publication.)

   In any case, this "Erie involvement" or "Erie origins" information is, by all historical accountings uncovered and known to date, is simply not true. The similarities between the heralds is perhaps an honor to their (Lowell Palmer & Erie Railroad's) first business dealings, or is simply a coincidence. (Bush Terminal's 80 ton GE locomotives bore a three stripe paint scheme bearing a striking resemblance to the "Five Stripe" scheme as seen on the GG1 electric locomotives of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Should we now infer Bush Terminal to be of Pennsylvania heritage based on this similarity?)

   Anyhow, this Erie origin misinformation is perhaps the most prevalent error in the previously published history of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. Therefore, I am going to disprove this "Erie ownership / operation" with several points of easy reference through the following documents and historical facts. My comments appear below each point in italics.

1. Congressional Sugar Trust court proceedings and Palmer's own testimony; 1911

2. Ambrose Armbruster's Williamsburg Brooklyn historical accountings; 1912

3. Corporate history of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal furnished (by the BEDT in 1976) to Tom Flagg; dated 1919

4. Brooklyn Daily Eagle Business Review article of November 4, 1925

5. Miscellaneous facts

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   While Lowell Palmer established a terminal on North 5th Street and subsequently leased a building to the Erie Railroad in 1874; the property, railyards and operation were under the sole control of Lowell Palmer until 1875.

   It was at this time that Lowell Palmer formed a partnership with the Havemeyer's. 

   Also in 1875 other railroads came to lease property from Palmer as well, as discussed in the chapter on the history Palmer's Dock.

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1)  Lowell Palmer's Testimony in the Congressional Hearings of the Sugar Trusts - 1911

   Perhaps the most important supporting evidence to refute this misinformation, would come directly from Lowell Palmer himself. At the Congressional "Sugar Trust" hearings in 1911; Lowell Palmer testified to the following:

   "When I commenced, Havemeyer's station was at St. John's Park, N.Y., so they had to cart and have ferriage on every pound of sugar shipped by rail; and that seemed to be an unfair arrangement and I brought in the Erie in 1874; I brought in the New York Central, I guess, in 1875; then the Central brought the West Shore, and that year they brought in the D. L. & W. and the Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania came and bought a block of ground adjoining that property."

   Quite simply; there you have it. Palmer "brought in" the Erie in 1874 and other railroads in 1875. The Erie did not bring him (or the Havemeyer's for that matter) into an agreement, arrangement or terminal. Palmer's Dock had already been established in 1870 when he brought in the other railroads, five years later.

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2)  "The Eastern District of Brooklyn", by Ambrose Armbruster - 1912, 1941

   As discussed previously in the Palmer Dock history chapter, according to the publication "The Eastern District of Brooklyn" by Ambrose Armbruster; Lowell Palmer would establish a terminus on his property, for the Erie Railroad in Williamsburg in 1874.

   Palmer's Dock would have exclusive business dealings with Erie Railroad 1874 through 1875, at which time Palmer become host to many other railroads. 

   Palmer would sell the North 5th Street freighthouse outright to Erie and this structure is shown below in the 1907 Bromley map still marked for Erie, but was now only accessible by the West Shore Railroad yard at North 5th and North 6th Streets and not by Palmer's Dock tracks north of North 7th Street. In the Belcher Hyde maps of 1929, this same structure is now marked as part of the BEDT.

   Furthermore, upon referring the 1907 Bromley map, one will see no less than four trunk line / class 1 railroads now on Kent Avenue around the time of formation of BEDT: Pennsylvania, West Shore, Erie and Central Railroad of New Jersey. Pennsylvania and West Shore would have trackage and yards on Kent Avenue pre-dating BEDT, and the Erie and CRRNJ would have freight depots only.

   If the BEDT was truly Erie owned property or an Erie owned operation, why would they (the Erie RR) allow competing railroads to lease property on their site?

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 3)  Corporate Documents of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal

   Tom Flagg was furnished with several documents in his December 1976 interview with BEDT President Marion M. McClelland, which subsequently have been furnished to this author. 

   One of these documents, is the Corporate History of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, dated 1919. This document was prepared by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, in accordance with the requirements of Valuation Order #20, issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission on May 13, 1915. 

   Nowhere in the eight pages of this document, is it mentioned that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was organized by or owned in whole or in part by the Erie Railroad.  

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4)  Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper article

   The following is an excerpt of a lengthy feature article on the success of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. This article appeared in Business Review section of the November 4, 1925 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspaper. The article can be read in its entirety here: Success Story.

   This article covers the rise of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal through it's auspicious beginnings under Palmer's Dock:

   Take exceptional note of the following two sentences:

   "He suggested to the Erie Railroad that he build a tug and float to take care of his own lighterage allowance from the railroad."

   "He acquired some real estate, built a float bridge and laid out storage tracks, which he threw open to the public."

    Need I say more?

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5)  Miscellaneous Facts

   1875: Other foretelling facts, if one checks their railroad history; Henry O. Havemeyer (the uncle) would serve as president of the Long Island Rail Road beginning in 1875 and hold that position for one year. The LIRR as we have seen; would go on to have an association with the Pennsylvania, and use PRR designed equipment. But again, this involvement apparently did not reflect on Palmer's Dock operations.

   1899: There would also be an announcement in the Brooklyn Eagle of a joint Long Island Rail Road / Palmer's Dock development of a freight terminal at the Pidgeon Street property acquired that same year by Lowell Palmer. No mention of Erie Railroad being involved which should be the case if Erie owned or operated Palmer's Dock. You can read the article in the Pidgeon Street chapter: Pidgeon Street.

   1906:  The Rebate Scandal and subsequent court trial involving the New York Central and American Sugar Refining (Havemeyer), shows where the American Sugar Refining Company received unfair rebates from the New York Central Railroad in transporting sugar.

   If Palmers Dock or the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was Erie owned or controlled, why would they enter into agreements with the LIRR (the competition) and why then was the sugar shipped by New York Central (another competitor to the Erie) and why would the Havemeyer's negotiate with the New York Central for illegal rebates when the Erie could have simply transported it for free or reduced cost?

   1910's - 1929: At some point, the North 5th Street freighthouse that had been sold to the Erie Railroad, would be repurchased by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal on an as yet unknown date (but presumably around 1907-1910). This as already mentioned, is reflected by the G. W. Bromley map of 1907 where the freighthouse is seen marked for Erie.

   The E. Belcher Hyde maps of 1929 where the freighthouse is now seen with the label of Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

   1950's: Another popular contention that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was directly involved with the Erie, would be that the BEDT leased a tugboat from the Erie while their tugs were under servicing.

   But if one reflects upon history once again, documents show that the BEDT would contract with the Central Railroad of New Jersey for major locomotive repairs, as evidenced by the firebox explosion incurred by #14 in 1953.

   Also the records and testimony in many court proceedings and lawsuits throughout the twentieth century; state that the East River Terminal Railroad, and likewise Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was owned wholly by the Havemeyer & Elder Co. since 1906; and was formed as the result of the previous merger of Palmer's Dock and Havemeyer & Elder, and the subsequent success of that merger and business interests.

   Prior to the formation of Conrail in 1976, Joe Roborecky recalls that one of the BEDT diesel locomotives was sent by carfloat to the Long Island Rail Road facility at Long Island City to have its wheel sets turned to return them to AAR contour specifications.

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Conclusion:

   As history and research have revealed thus far, other than those very early pre-Havemeyer & Elder days and business transactions regarding freight movements; Palmer's Dock and its successors; the East River Terminal Railroad and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal were not created, controlled, organized or administered to by the Erie Railroad.

   In short, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, apparently (and obviously) remained truly independent of trunk line / class 1 influences, even though it would rely on many of those trunk line / class 1's for it's business, purchase of surplussed marine equipment and intermittent assistance in heavy maintenance.

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What It Did

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   The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, like the Palmer's Dock / East River Terminal Railroad it descended from; was carfloat operation and a terminal railroad with no direct physical connection (interchange) to any other railroad. Yet it was interestingly enough would become a two state shortline (New York & New Jersey), and at various points in its history, would be classified as either a Class 2 or Class 3 railroad by the Interstate Commerce Commission. It was also known as a "contract terminal".

   A contract terminal, in a broad scope and layman's terms, is defined as a company that is contracted by larger railroads to perform the final delivery aspects of shipped freight. As such, since the large railroads (Erie, CRRNJ, NYC, etc.) did not have freight terminals in Brooklyn, they would contract with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal (and likewise, Bush Terminal, New York Dock and Jay Street Terminal) to pick up freight from the trunk line / class 1 railroads facilities in New Jersey, and forward said freight to the respective consignees in Brooklyn.

   On 13 March 2010, Joe Roborecky located the following advertisement in the May 20, 1911 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle - May 20, 1911

   
   The BEDT would not be a common carrier for many years, at witnessed by the court document below, but it would achieve common carrier status by 1940. Prior to being named a "common carrier", the BEDT (and Bush Terminal and New York Dock with it) was classified a Contract Terminal. This meant that the company (BEDT in this case) was functioning as an agent of the trunk line / class 1 railroad that was shipping the item via BEDT carfloat.

   I have located the following information, in of all places; an old lawsuit in which the BEDT was a respondent in a case for allowing an employee to remain on duty for more than 16 consecutive hours; (in violation of the Hours of Service Act). Conveniently, this lawsuit accurately describes the operations of the BEDT, and it's business arrangements with other railroads. Pertinent excerpts have been included here for informational purposes.

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The Highway Connection (that never was)

   On 14 January 2010 while during research for the New York Dock Railway regarding the construction dates for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (or "BQE" as it is more commonly called among urban New Yorker's); it was learned that the City of New York originally intended to construct a "spur" of the BQE to the Williamsburg waterfront.

   In 1940, it was proposed to construct the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and connect it to the already completed sections of the Gowanus Expressway (in the south) and the Meeker Avenue - Queens Boulevard section of the BQE (in the north). It is stated on Steve Anderson's website "NYC Roads" on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway page, that one of the proposals put forth by the New York City Planning Department for extending the BQE south of Meeker Avenue:

"The city plan included a "North 9th Street Connection," an elevated highway spur along North 9th Street that was to connect the mainline highway with Wythe Avenue.
It was to provide access to an industrial area along the Williamsburg waterfront."
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   As I was on the telephone at that very minute with Joe Roborecky and read him that passage, his immediate comment reflected the conclusion I had already come to while reading:

"industrial area along the Williamsburg waterfront" = BROOKLYN EASTERN DISTRICT TERMINAL!

authors rendering of proposed Brooklyn Queens Expressway North 9th Street spur
added 14 January 2010

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   It does not even take a great leap of imagination for one to see this BQE spur even points like an arrow at the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. Had this North 9th Street Spur of the BQE been constructed; the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would have seen and enjoyed a dramatic increase in freight traffic.

   There is no doubt that this elevated highway spur would have made it extremely convenient for tractor trailers to enter and exit the limited access highway system and connecting Brooklyn and Queens along with other major arterial highways and water crossings leading to the other boroughs. All this with minimal interference from vehicular traffic at cross and side streets, as well as pedestrian traffic. Therefore, this spur might have led to the possibility of a successful trailer on flat car (TOFC) operation at BEDT in later years, when that method of transporting trailers by train was perfected and gained popularity.

    Logistically, North 9th Street which is a one way street, would have had to have been widened to accommodate the two way elevated highway. This would not have been an overly difficult feat for the City of New York, as they widened other thoroughfares for identical purposes through condemnation proceedings. Therefore, North 9th Street would have most likely have become two way for the one block remainder of the distance from the end of the expressway spur at Wythe Avenue to Kent Avenue. More than likely than not; North 9th Street would have become two way the entire distance from Meeker Avenue to Wythe Avenue as well, and would have either run under or to the sides of the elevated highway.

   Sadly, this Brooklyn Queens Expressway North 9th Street Spur would not become part of the finalized plan, and the current route of the expressway was what would be constructed and as it exists today. 

Success of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal

   The success of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal could be measured by many factors, not the least of which being haulage, gross revenue, expansion and appearance.

   For example, in 1912, according to the "Report of the Committee on Terminals and Transportation of the New York State Food Investigating Commission" published 1913, the track capacity of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal increased from 357 cars to 426 cars.

   In 1914: it hauled over 150,990 tons of freight, for 1,200 shippers and 1,400 consigners and operated over 10.33 miles of track in New York & New Jersey. It operated 10 locomotives, 4 tugboats, 19 carfloats and employed 458 employees.

   I have been fortunate to locate a Public Service Commission Summary of Annual Returns for First District Operating Steam Railroads for 1920. These reports compare and tabulate the economic figures for the different Freight Terminals & Steam Railroads that operated in Brooklyn & Queens: Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Jay Street Connecting, New York Dock, Degnon Terminal and New York Connecting. Oddly, Bush Terminal is not listed. You will note some interesting facts in these reports, such as the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal handling 59,022 cars, over 9.24 miles of a track (a decrease of .63 miles form the previous year) with a gross income of $853,507.01. There were 115 employee injuries and 1 employee fatality listed for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal for that year.

   On 13 March 2010; Joe Roborecky located a rather interesting feature article concerning the success of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in an online archive. This article was originally published in the "Business Review "section of the November 4, 1925 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper.

   What I find most satisfying, is the content of the article bears out most of the conclusions I have reached through independent research some 85 years later! Unfortunately, the author of this feature article is not attributed so I cannot even belatedly thank this person for recording the statistics and great information:

November 4, 1925 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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   In 1954, as reported in the New York Times Article below; the Pennsylvania Railroad applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon their North 4th Street Freight Station. The Pennsylvania Railroad subsequently sold that property to the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. I find it ironic how the Pennsylvania Railroad opposed the expansion of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal back in 1909; and now some 45 years later, the BEDT was acquiring the property.

New York Times - May 8, 1954

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   The Coverdale & Colpitts Report of 1956 very nicely lists the trends in Revenue & Traffic on page 7. I have recreated a portion of that table here:

*  = average for years shown

   In 1959; according to the Railroad Magazine article by Melvin Krampf, the BEDT would switch 27,000 carloads, and exceeded a gross income of $2,500,000.

   Considering the fact that this railroad would never have more than 11 miles of track, defines this organization as a resounding success. Their equipment was always in good repair and prior to 1935, all of the locomotives, tugboats or carfloats were purchased new.

   Another measurement of their success, would be in its property expansions and acquisitions:

• In 1906, the East River Terminal / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would expand
     and build a float bridge and terminal at Pidgeon Street, Long Island City. 

• In 1910, ERT/BEDT opens the Warren Street Terminal in Jersey City.

• In 1914, ERT/BEDT opens the Queensboro / 13th Street facility between Astoria and Long Island City.

• In 1915, the Austin Nichols Building (a Havemeyer owned property) opens.

• In 1936, BEDT opens its Wallabout Market Terminal just north of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

• In 1940; BEDT assumes operations in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

• In 1954, BEDT acquires the PRR North 4th Street Terminal Property.

• In 1964, BEDT opens its Bulk Flour Terminal on Kent Avenue.

• Throughout the years, BEDT would expand it's way north of North 10th Street in short increments,
     to eventually reach North 12th Street.
  
  

   You can read more about the histories of these expansions in the Terminals, Facilities & Yards chapter.

   There is one other way to measure the success of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, if not in a subtle and roundabout method. That would be in its impact on people. In 1933; John J. Bennett, Attorney General of the State of New York; filed suit in the New York State Supreme Court that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal did not uphold to it's agreement when it was issued a land use grant some 50 years prior, so the State of New York sought to "evict" the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal from it's Kent Avenue properties. The details can viewed in yet another of the New York Times articles discovered by Tom Hendrickson here:

   What perhaps is most amusing about the article is that Justice Lockwood (the judge presiding over this case), as a teenager, had worked at the lumber company at the East River Terminal! Fortunately, Justice Lockwood recognized (and experienced first hand!) the positive commercial & economic impact that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal made in Williamsburg.

   If the State had been successful in their lawsuit and objective; hundreds of employees would be jobless, the property would be vacant, property taxes no longer collectable, and the State would be stuck with a expanse of land, as even Attorney General Bennett (who was pushing the issue) said the property "would be a white elephant". Perhaps most importantly, if this lawsuit had been successful, my interest in the BEDT would not have occurred and this website would never exist... Oh the horror!  :o) 

   Seriously though, while there were three other terminal railroads in Brooklyn (Bush Terminal, New York Dock and Jay Street Connecting); it is the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal that people seem to remember most. As Jay Wanczyk pointed out to me in general discussion:

   "One of my continuing thoughts about BEDT from its earliest Palmer days to the very end is that the company always seemed to conduct its business in a first class business way, no slap-dash operation. The employees seemed to be proud of "their" railroad and the company proud of it's image; ads in the Official Guide were large and graphic; in the late 1950's paining up its steam locomotives "almost too well" in their final years for all to see, and later even spending the money and taking the time to erect a professionally made large red and white flag sign on the flour terminal.

   Reading those new Palmer articles shows that business leadership approach seemed to begin with him and of course the Havemeyer's as well. I think that approach is what set the BEDT apart and above the other small Brooklyn railroads. Of the rest, only Bush Terminal seemed to have had any wide vision, and that came a bit later and still was not as broad in it's approach. At the very end though, it appears that NY Dock had the management that prevailed."

   If this astute business sense on the parts of Palmer and Havemeyer can be recognized over a hundred some odd years after their involvement, I cannot help but feel this is a testament to their vision and success.
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End Of Steam Operations Ceremony

   Eventually, diesel-electric locomotives became the standard for all railroads. This was due to their ease of operation, efficiency, ease of maintenance and repair and common availability of parts. Upon the passage of the Kaufman Act in 1925, which in effect eliminated the use of steam locomotives within city limits; those railroads operating with the city confines had to turn to alternate methods of motive power. You can read more about the Kaufman Act on the main page of this website: Kaufman Act.

   But as we have seen; BEDT would have nothing to do with diesels until the last possible moment. How the BEDT kept steam power until 1963 still remains to be learned, but it could very well have to be due to the fact that around the early to mid 1930's, the steam locomotives operating on the BEDT were converted from coal fired to oil fired, more specifically Bunker-C oil. As we can see from the many hundred of photos of the steam locomotives operating, they appear to be clean burning, so this may have helped BEDT circumvent the Kaufman Act; but this is unconfirmed.

   Eventually, BEDT would have to end steam locomotive operations. This was attributed not to the Kaufman Act, but to the fact that parts for the steam locomotives were becoming scarce, exceedingly expensive to make or in some cases impossible to acquire. Also to be considered is that the boilers of the steam locomotives could only be certified for so much service before having to be rebuilt. As BEDT would have to shop out their heaviest rebuilds, but as the trunk line railroads gave up steam and re-equipped their shop for diesel, and they would not be equipped any longer for a steam locomotive rebuild, leaving BEDT with no one to turn to.

   Regardless of the reason, the day that steam operations on the BEDT ended sadly came on October 25, 1963; when BEDT ceased all steam locomotive operations with #14 and #16 both being the last steam locomotives to operate on the BEDT as part of the "end of steam ceremony". Furthermore, the administration of the BEDT recognized this event for what it was, and made it a public event. The event would be well recorded by many railfans, and an article would be published in the New York Times. Due to the growing number of pictures I am receiving from this date, and a lengthy newspaper article received from Tom Hendrickson, inspired me to place these items on their dedicated page:

   As a happy footnote to this occasion: all of the H. K. Porter saddletankers would not be scrapped, as the railfan movement was in its heyday. Unfortunately, Baldwin build #10 and #11 were already gone. Several parties sought out and purchased the remaining saddletankers for preservation and use on tourist railroads.

   That is all except #16, who would sit somewhat forgotten on Kent Avenue, as a lone testament to the steam operations of BEDT, until her rescue in the mid-1990's, and numbers 10 & 11 that were scrapped prior to cessation of steam operations.

The Diesels Take Over

   The first diesel locomotive to arrive on Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal property was an S1 model built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCo), in Schenectady, NY. This locomotive was formerly owned and employed at the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as their #453, and it arrived at the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Kent Avenue yard in the fall of 1962. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would assign this locomotive as number 21, skipping over unassigned numbers 17 through 20.

   Three more ALCo S1's would follow over the next few weeks or so, but from another railroad however. BEDT numbers 22, 23 and 24 would come from the New Orleans & Lower Coast Railroad as numbers 9013, 9014 and 9015, which was a subsidiary of the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

   The final two locomotives would originally come from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, numbered 307 and 313, and these would become BEDT #25 and 26 respectively. #25 would arrive in 1968 directly from Erie, and #26 would have a few more prior owners after Erie before winding up at the BEDT as late as 1973. Both of these were ALCo S1's as well.

   Having all the same model of diesel locomotive would be beneficial from an operational standpoint, as parts could be shared among the locomotives. Ergo, if one locomotive had a faulty brake cylinder and another had a faulty fuel pump, one part could be taken from one locomotive to make repairs to the other and one of the two locomotives would be able to return to service. This practice is called a parts donor. 

   The locomotive being used as a parts donor could be on a temporary basis, until spare parts could be purchased; or it could be permanent basis, where the oldest locomotive, the locomotive worst condition or one that was involved in an accident, could be sacrificed and used for parts.

   For detailed histories of the locomotives and their specifications, please visit: Equipment Rosters & Specifications.

   There were two events associated with the beginning of diesel operations for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, and they are discussed in the next two chapters.

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Full Crew Law
(one-man Steam Locomotive operation vs. two-man Diesel Locomotive operation)

   The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal found it necessary to employ "firemen" for diesel operations, whereas the steam locomotives were equipped for one man operation. Stated in Jay Bendersky's book "Brooklyn's Water Railways", that by the combination of the long hood and high control stand in the cab of the S1's, visibility was obscured for the engineer and so firemen were hired to assist. 

   This is not the case as reported by Joseph Roborecky, BEDT engineer (1968-1983).

   The reason for hiring the extra crewman, was that New York State had what is known as the "Full Crew Law" on the books regarding locomotive operations, and this law requires firemen to be present on locomotive operations. This law does predate BEDT diesel operations, but it remains unknown why BEDT steam operations escaped the use of firemen.

   In the April 1961 issue of Railroad Magazine, it is explained how BEDT operated with only one crewman (engineer) in their steam locomotives. It simply states:

"New York State's full crew law permits a road having less than 25 miles of track to operate oil burning steam locomotives with only one man in cab; a diesel must have two."

   This does not however explain the reasoning behind New York State allowing oil burning steam locomotives to operate with only one man. 

   I also understand the law to exempt the use of firemen on diesel locomotives weighing less than 45 tons which is why I believe the New York Dock Railway to have utilized GE 44 ton Locomotives (which were ballasted to 50 ton). The Alco S1's employed by BEDT after steam operation weighed more than the 44 ton limit imposed by the regulation (the ALCo's weighed 99 tons), therefore necessitating the hiring of locomotive firemen.

   To date I have not been able to find a copy of the law anywhere as of yet to verify or explain this.

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Enginehouse Extension

   Brought to my attention by Joe Roborecky, was another side effect (unforeseen?) resulting from conversion of operation to the diesel locomotives, and that was the enginehouse had to be extended. 

   The ALCo's were 16 feet longer than the 28 foot long Porters, and even after the diesels had been on BEDT property already one year, the enginehouse was still not extended, and the diesels being stored outside.

   By 1967 however (the earliest picture I have, that shows the extension), the enginehouse was expanded to provide more track length inside, so the diesels could now take turns residing inside. This extension was of concrete block and approximately 15 - 20 feet in length, and about two to three feet higher than the brick structure. In the right picture below, you can see the concrete block extension interlaced with the original brick construction on the extreme left of the image.

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Original Structure, before diesel locomotives		Concrete block extension on east face of building ca. 1964

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Causes for the decline of Rail-Marine traffic in New York City

    Several events hastened the end of marine-rail traffic in the New York area, in addition to the general economic malaise that effected the United States and especially the New York Metropolitan area during the 1970's:
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1. Robert Moses, who starting from the late 1920's; campaigned and lobbied for (as well as built) more roads and large arterial highways in and around New York City and Long Island. This lobbying paid off post World War II.
   
   

2. The completion of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and related highway connections in 1964.
   
   

3. The Brooklyn Navy Yard closed in 1966, and this probably was the worse event to occur to BEDT, as Uncle Sam was a major source of rail traffic and revenue, but the effects of this event would not be immediately felt.
   
   

4. In 1976; Conrail was created by Congress to reorganize and consolidate the financially troubled Northeast Class 1 railroads (Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, etc).

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Robert Moses:

   Robert Moses was vehemently anti-rapid transit and railroad, and yes; you can blame him and Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia directly for the decline and outright removal of New York City trolleys and streetcars (booo - hisss!) as well as New York's elevateds. Both Moses and LaGuardia had vested monetary interests in Standard Oil, General Motors and other automobile related securities.

   Naturally, this proliferation of highways and expressways; while improving the access of truck transportation to the rural and suburban areas of Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island; ultimately led to the decline of waterborne rail / freight traffic and the slow demise of the rail - marine carriers, such as BEDT and the others, even all rail terminals in New York City area; as freight by rail became redundant (and slower) to increasing tractor-trailer access to Long Island.

Completion of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, 1964

   If you ask me; all NY Metro Area marine - rail traffic really took a nose dive when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in 1964 and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway connections. (Ironically the Verrazano happens to be one of my favorite suspension bridges).

   This new bridge and the associated road connections now linking Brooklyn with Staten Island; of which Staten Island was already linked with the mainland United States via New Jersey, via the Goethals, Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne Bridges.

   Now trucks could drive directly from the piers and wharves in New Jersey (or directly from other parts of the United States for that matter), right into the heart of Brooklyn. This meant that without having to travel the Holland or Lincoln Tunnels or the George Washington Bridge in order to cross the Hudson River into Manhattan; then crossing the East River bridges or tunnel to arrive in Brooklyn, truck traffic could now circumnavigate and avoid the growing congestion in Manhattan and arrive directly into Brooklyn.

Closure of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, 1966:

    Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara ordered the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal shut down, as a cost cutting move. Even after the efforts of Senator-elect Robert F. Kennedy to prevent the closings, both were to shut down within 18 months. This loss of government freight movement, in addition to the eventual loss of the civilian businesses leasing space in the Navy Yard; took away a substantial proportion of BEDT traffic. 

    History has forgotten the name, but there was a major supplier of coal located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the NY Metro area (including segments of the public school system); as well as the Government buildings in the Navy Yard being heating with those black diamonds, and BEDT would bring in countless carfloats of hoppers loaded with coal destined for Brooklyn and Queens.

Formation of Conrail, 1976

   For the most part, the economy of the United States was not in the best shape it had been, and the railroads suffered as well. The Class 1 railroads in the Northeastern United States were particularly hard hit:

    Several of these railroad had parallel routes that were now redundant; others had rail lines severely impacted by the flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes. Here the Erie suffered the worst.

   The government "bailed out" these financially troubled railroads by organizing them in 1976 into a single entity: "Consolidated Rail Corporation" or Conrail for short. While Conrail would now handle most of the Northeast United States' freight service, Conrail was not the least bit interested in marine operations, in any way shape or form.

Carfloating for Conrail - 1976

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Greenville, NJ

   Conrail would take possession of the Greenville, NJ railyard which had been property of Penn Central and before the the Pennsylvania RR; but Conrail was not being the least bit interested in carfloating operations. The decision was made by Conrail to contract out the marine and float bridge operations at Greenville to the most qualified bidder.

   According to Joe Roborecky, Conrail came to inspect the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operations at Kent Avenue prior to awarding the carfloating contract. Conrail came away very impressed and as a result, BEDT won the contract over New York Dock, for carfloating operations between Greenville and other surviving Marine-Rail interchanges in New York Harbor.

   As part of the contractual agreement between Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and Conrail, the BEDT would now handle the carfloat traffic for themselves, as well as the New York Dock Railway. According to the contract, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would be paid by Conrail to load those carfloats for New York Dock, but would not be for paid for those carfloats loaded for themselves, which was included as part of the contract.

   Coming to light in a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers / New York Dock / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal "Arbitration Docket" dated December 15, 1980; is the fact that the BEDT also carfloated for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, between Greenville, NJ and St. George Terminal, which was located in Staten Island, NY. Prior to BEDT being awarded the Conrail carfloat contract, New York Dock carfloated between Greenville and St. George as well, according to this arbitration docket. A complete copy of this arbitration docket can be viewed in the Memoirs - Joe Roborecky - Unions chapter.

   In the beginning of carfloat operations at Greenville, a BEDT locomotive was sent to Greenville to perform switching duties. However, BEDT locomotives did not have the train brakes operational in the cabs as part of the BEDT Air Brake Policy (see Memoirs - Joe Roborecky - Air Brake Policy). This lack of train brakes made switching operations difficult prior to loading the carfloats.

   As a result, BEDT would find the need to lease Conrail locomotives for the loading / unloading of carfloats in Greenville. Several different Conrail diesels would be leased by the BEDT over the years to switch cars in the Greenville yard.

St. George Terminal (B&O), Staten Island

   According to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Union Arbitration Docket dated December 15, 1980; mentions that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal had a carfloat route from Greenville, NJ to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's St. George Terminal, located in Staten Island. 

   This previously unknown and undocumented carfloat "route" of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal is significant in the fact that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which in fact was still in business in 1976 (however now as a part of Chessie System), had given up its marine operations.

   According to Tom Flagg's book (NY Harbor Railroads in Color, Volume 1, page 16), the B&O gave up their carfloating operations in the mid-1970's. This date could very easily be presumed to be when Conrail was formed in 1976 and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal won the contract for carfloating operations out of Greenville, NJ.

   The St. George Terminal would close in 1980, and thus ending all carfloat traffic to this terminal at such time. 


 

The Last Years

    Combined with the other circumstances mentioned above, BEDT began to suffer financially (as would NYD and Bush Terminal railroads throughout the latter half of the 1960's), but BEDT managed to keep their heads (and their carfloats) above water, and the ink in their ledgers "in the black". 

   Bush Terminal would conclude operations in 1971, with New York Dock leasing the Bush Terminal property from New York City in 1972, and Jay Street Connecting was long out of the picture since 1959. BEDT's freight income would continue to diminish, and revenue would continue to diminish throughout the remainder of BEDT's history.

   Sometime around 1972, Petro Oil (incorporated as Petroleum Heat & Power Co. of Stamford, CT) purchased the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal from the Havemeyer family holdings. Petro, which is still in business; is a retailer of home heating oil among other petroleum products. Petro would also own the tank farm (formerly Standard Oil) on the East River and the inlet for Bushwick Creek, which is located just north of North 12th Street and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Kent Avenue Yard.

   To reflect this new ownership, the BEDT tugs "Petro Arrow" (ex-NYNH&H "Cordelia") and Petro Flame (ex-NYNH&H "Bumblebee") would be repainted into the Petro red/white/blue scheme. Oddly though, these tugs would have ports of registry in Philadelphia. There is also picture of a tank truck filling up locomotive #21 on the BEDT #21 photo page and that is almost certainly a Petro truck. (Matter of fact, my family used Petro Oil  for many years to heat our former home in Brooklyn). On an as yet unknown date, Burmah Oil & Gas purchased the Petro Oil Company. (By the way, Burmah Oil is the proprietary holder of Castrol Motor Oil since 1966 and Burmah Oil is a British held company.)

   In 1977; Reynolds Industries (better known to us as R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company) purchased the Burmah Oil & Gas Co. and Reynolds merged their Aminoil holdings with the newly purchased Burmah Oil. Aminoil, which did not have U.S. based service stations or refineries, would now wholesale refined petroleum products on the East Coast through Petro Oil.

   Sometime after this merger took place, Reynolds / Burmah / Aminol began to suffer financial difficulties due to skyrocketing crude oil prices and began to divest itself of it's non-essential (and non-petroleum) holdings. This apparently included the BEDT properties, and so the BEDT was put up for sale. 


 

New York Dock Ownership

   In July 1975, the United States Railway Association released its "Final System Plan" which in accordance with the Regional Rail Act of 1973, made recommendations for the reorganization of the railroads in the Northeast United States.

   Subsequently, the Interstate Commerce Commission recommended that New York Dock and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operations be merged to avoid duplication of effort. It was at this time, (currently believed to be 1978) that Dock Properties, the parent company of the New York Dock Railway, purchased the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

   The following document was issued February 9, 1979 as a revisit to certain points in the original decision of that ICC recommendation:

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   It is not this authors intent to appear "anti-New York Dock", but several circumstances which appear to be unusual in nature have arisen through research. Other than the direct quotes from legal briefs and document filings, there is little to no documentation supporting these suppositions and in some cases third party "allegations".

   According to a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers arbitration decision during a meeting held on November 19, 1980, it states:

   "The accounts of New York Dock present a dismal financial picture, with a negative working capital position, substantial over-capitalization, a negative net worth, and a 3-year record of deficit operations."

   As far as it is known, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, while suffering from dwindling revenue and in some cases operating losses as well, still appeared in the black (by whatever margin) at the time of its sale to, and merger with New York Dock. However, it is understood that New York Dock was already filing for bankruptcy reorganization proceedings. 

   Whether the BEDT was either purchased by NYD to help offset losses, or whether NYD purchased BEDT for other reasons, remain unknown. The other substantial question that arises, is how a failing company (i.e. NYD), could have the wherewithal to purchase a financially sound company (BEDT).

   According to the excerpt from paragraph 3 of the Abandonment Appeal (which can be read in it's entirety through the link several paragraphs below), we can better understand the dismal financial picture:

   "BEDT's annual carloadings had dropped 91% in the period 1973-82. Business in the first three months of 1983 had dropped by 62% from the corresponding period in 1982 and by 88% from the corresponding period in 1981. BEDT had been unsuccessful in its efforts to improve productivity by getting the unions' agreement to change outdated and costly work rules and practices. BEDT's facilities on land required considerable modernization and rehabilitation and its marine equipment required extensive renewal, the total cost of which, it was estimated, would exceed $3 million. Operations for 1982 had resulted in a loss of $120,251. Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 1982, had declined to $8,636; current assets, excluding amounts due from affiliated companies, were only $381,873, as against current liabilities, excluding amounts due to NYD Properties, Inc., and affiliated companies, of $418,933. BEDT had, in recent years, been forced to sell corporate assets to meet current obligations.

   Compare the information above to paragraph 7 of the same document:

   "For reasons similar to those alleged by BEDT, NYD's carloadings had dropped 77% in the ten year period 1973-82. Its business for the final three months of 1983 was 36% less than in the corresponding period of 1982 and 56% less than in the corresponding period of 1981. Like BEDT, NYD alleged that it had endeavored unsuccessfully to get the agreement of labor unions to change outdated and costly work rules and practices; that its physical facilities required modernization, rehabilitation and renewal at a cost of nearly $12 million, which greatly exceeded its earning or borrowing potential; and that in recent years it had been forced to sell corporate assets to meet current obligations. It had a loss of $244,511 in 1982, with an aggregate retained deficit of $3,209,777. Its balance sheet as of December 31, 1982, showed current assets, exclusive of amounts due from NYD Properties and affiliated companies, of $877,574, as against current liabilities, exclusive of amounts due to affiliates, of $2,422,538."

    Regardless of these questions and financial statistics, New York Dock purchased and merged with the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. Below are photographs of the contract signing, between NYD administration and BEDT employees, represented by J. Roborecky, ca. May 1979 or May 1980.

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from left: Joe Crawford, VP of Brotherhood Locomotive Engineers Al Malone, Vice President of New York Dock Joseph Roborecky, General Chairman Division 639		from left: Christine Pasquariello, attorney for BEDT and NYD Joseph Roborecky, General Chairman Division 639		from left: Joe Crawford, VP of Brotherhood Locomotive Engineers Al Malone, Vice President of New York Dock Christine Pasquariello, attorney for BEDT and NYD Joseph Roborecky, General Chairman Division 639
all photos: courtesy of J. Roborecky

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   The administration and personnel of both New York Dock Railway and BEDT organizations would be merged, and not without some difficulties in seniority standings, but eventually the two operations would merge. Strangely, the two railroads would keep their own separate identities and heralds until the end of operations in 1983. But, throughout this time period, equipment would be pooled and shared, with BEDT locomotives showing their presence at Bush Terminal and New York Dock properties, and New York Dock locomotives showing up on Kent Avenue as well (albeit very infrequently and this author has never seen photographs of this occurrence).

   The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, regardless of who owned it; and not to mention the City of New of New York and the rest of the United States as well; were facing severe fiscal crises. These economic downturns would effect the BEDT, and they would eventually close its Pidgeon Street yard sometime in 1977 (perhaps early 1978). The BEDT, after being purchased by the New York Dock would not fare as hoped.

   Whatever the reasons, the end result was the one and the same, and the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would not survive. The following image, taken on an overcast October 1982 day, clearly shows the lack of freight traffic in the yard and a solitary bulkhead car of lumber, with #16 guarding the subway airshaft can be seen. A gloomy photo for a gloomy end to one of Brooklyn finest and oldest offline terminal operations.

October 1982 - Bulkhead  at foot of North 8th Street looking south
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 03 February 2010

   Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal filed the required ICC "Notice of Intent to Abandon Service" on April 8, 1983; and on August 12, 1983, operations at Kent Avenue Yard ceased altogether with the switching of a few covered hoppers at the Bulk Flour Terminal. The operations of New York Dock at Bush Terminal would not fare any better during this same time frame, and after several previous attempts at downsizing; it ceased operations on August 17, 1983.

   Joe Roborecky was courteous enough to send me the following image. It is his time book, showing location, assigned locomotive(s), hours of duty and wages. Take particular note of 8/12 (last day of operations at Kent Avenue on locomotive 21) and of the entry for 8/17, with locomotives 22 and 25, and where in the last column is says: "LAST DAY AT NYD".  

courtesy of J. Roborecky

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   According to this Abandonment Appeal (link below), when this decision was made by New York Dock to cease operations, it was decided upon to abandon the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal properties located at Kent Avenue, but the New York Dock properties located at Bush Terminal would be sold to New York Cross Harbor Railroad, even though both properties were owned by New York Dock. This is not so difficult to understand now, as we know from post 1983 operations, only Bush Terminal would continue to operate under New York Cross Harbor ownership, with the Fulton Terminal of New York Dock being abandoned as well.

   This is not to say the employee's went down with a fight. The following link will take to a copy of the Abandonment Appeal filed in 1984. While there is a lot of legalese and lawyer jargon, there is some pretty interesting information embedded in the chapters:

   Signs posted along Kent Avenue state the property is a park under construction and is heavily fenced off. The Austin Nichols building was listed as a landmark, but recently had that landmark status removed, but the structure has been preserved and the windows appear to have been replaced; and the Domino sugar refinery is no longer making the sweet stuff for coffee.

East River State Park

   Present tense: There is a great land boom developing in the Williamsburg neighborhood, and the land that once was an industrial area and railyard is now home to a residential building boom. Not a bad idea considering the gorgeous views of the East River and Manhattan skyline! A portion of the site of the former BEDT yards Between North 8th and North 9th Streets is now the "East River State Park", and the remainder of the property south of this location is a housing complex. Its name? Palmer's Docks! (Dear Lowell: we've come full circle...)

   I have been fortunate to have assisted with the development of this park at the request of Ms. Audrey Nieson of the New York State Office of Parks Recreation & Historical Preservation, Bureau of Historic Sites; in helping create, proof & correct historical information on the interpretative displays located in the park, as well as coordinating usage permission from those current owners of the images chosen to be incorporated in those displays.

   The following is an excerpt from the New York State Office of Parks Recreation & Historical Preservation website:

[The] East River State Park is a seven-acre waterfront park located along the East River in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. It offers visitors a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline, a delightful play area, and the green space provides many opportunities for recreation and relaxation. As the site of a 19th century shipping dock, visitors to East River may also discover unique historical remnants like old cobblestone streets and railroad tracks embedded in concrete. Historic interpretive signs are provided for your convenience. The park preserves and protects the many natural and historical resources along this beautiful city waterfront. The park is free and open to the public.

In addition to the great views of the East River and Manhattan, the park offers native meadow plantings among the historic rail yard remnants; passive recreation; picnicking and barbecues.

   As time marches on, I am seeing more and more residents from the ongoing "renaissance" of the Williamsburg neighborhood making their way to this site. Most are just people who have moved to the area and wish to learn more about the history of the area they now live in, and leave comments in the Guestbook. On 13 December 2011, I had the pleasure of posting a "new" image taken of the former BEDT property from a very unique vantage point. This image was generously submitted by Nate Able, a resident of the residential complex that now overlooks the East River State Park (former BEDT 8A Yard).
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East River State Park (former BEDT 8A Yard) - 12 November 2011
N. Able photo
(Click on image above for annotated version)
Thanks Nate!

Customer & Commodities List

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Customer & Commodities Overview Railroad Connections (w/ Traffic Proportions) Grain, Hay Austin Nichols Sugar & Flour Direct Carfloating Breweries & Beverages New York "Brooklyn" Navy Yard. Coal & Coke Less Than Carload Meat Packers & Distributors Trailer on Flat Car Ramp........ Cement & Lime Oversize Loads Iron & Steel (Finished & Scrap) Customer List - Inbound Copper Customer List - Outbound Waste Paper & Cardboard return to main index

 



Customer Overview

   Palmer's Docks, and likewise the East River Terminal and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal that followed was in the business of transporting freight to and from it various customers. It is impossible to list every single type of freight that the BEDT transported over it's history. What I have been able to do is recreate a "customer list" from the various newspaper articles, lawsuits, documents, receipts and photographs that I have encountered over the years. 

   By 1940, the BEDT would become a common carrier, and through the years until its cessation of operations; the BEDT served many large local businesses. The table below lists the customers (where known) of Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal; 1870-1983. If you happen to be aware of a business that I missed, please feel free to submit it with it's commodity and location for listing.

   One thing readers should take note of is, according to the Coverdale & Colpitts Report, carfloated freight car traffic did not go directly from the trunk line / class 1 mainline railroads to Pidgeon Street, Brooklyn Navy Yard team tracks or the "Direct from Carfloat" merchants. Instead, all freight cars were first carfloated to Kent Avenue first, where they would be sorted. Then, those cars destined for Pidgeon Street were then placed aboard a carfloat destined specifically for Pidgeon Street.

   It seems odd that BEDT would want to handle the freight cars more times than necessary, but according to this report, this was the method used. Matter of fact, the Coverdale & Colpitts Report suggests revising this method to direct placement to both save the finances involved in the double handling and double move and to ease congestion in the Kent Avenue Yards.

   It is understood this was done because it was more financially beneficial for BEDT crews to sort the cars at their home terminal on Kent Avenue, rather than pay the other Class 1 railroad in New Jersey to do so.

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Railroad Connections & Traffic Proportions

    The  Coverdale & Colpitts Report gives a precise breakdown of the trunk line / class 1 railroads and the respective proportion of freight traffic the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal received from those railroads.

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Sugar & Flour

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   One of the original reasons behind the creation of Palmer's Dock, would be to transport the raw sugar into Brooklyn for the sugar refineries, as well as ship the finished product out. The East River Terminal and likewise the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would follow suit as well in this assignment. American Sugar Refiners was located at Kent Avenue and the other refiner being New York Sugar Refiners at Pidgeon Street. The Pidgeon Street refinery would become Jack Frost brand in the later years.

   The Havemeyer's constructed their main refinery in 1859 on South 4th Street. Eventually the property south would be purchased, and added. By reviewing the 1886 E. Belcher Hyde map, one can see the Williamsburg area in the vicinity of Palmer's Dock also still held quite a few sugar refineries. One would be located between North 3rd and North 4th, another between North 6th and North 7th Streets. Many more independent refineries would exist prior to this.

   Upon the consolidation of those refiners by the Havemeyer's, the main refinery Havemeyer & Elder sugar refinery located by South 3rd Street, would become the sole refinery in the area. However, this refinery did suffer at least two catastrophic fires, one on January 9,1882 and another on June 12, 1887. This refinery at South 3rd would be completely rebuilt and expanded to South 1st Street in 1926.

   Both images below, were taken by the author on July 12, 2008 from onboard the Lehigh Valley Railroad tugboat "Cornell".

Havemeyer & Elder / American Sugar Refinery (brick / left - ca. 1887?)
Amstar (Domino) Sugar addition (concrete / right - ca. 1926)
July 12, 2008 - South 3rd Street, Brooklyn, NY
(looking northeast)
photo by author
added 30 May 2009

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Havemeyer & Elder / American Sugar Refinery  (1887?) - July 12, 2008 - South 3rd Street, Brooklyn, NY
(looking east)
photo by author
added 30 May 2009

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Not only was the sugar brought into Brooklyn via Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, but flour was also transported and stored as well. The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal once maintained 10 flour terminals with a combined capacity of 450 carloads.    Commercial bread bakers of the time, such as Pechter's and others; as well as macaroni manufacturers in the area would draw off the flour from these terminals in truck loads on an as need basis.    Eventually Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would construct the Bulk Flour Terminal for consolidating the specific storage of flour and semolina. The Bulk Flour Terminal would open on March 24, 1964, and cost $300,000 to construct.    The Bulk Flour Terminal was constructed by the John Post Construction Corp, of Christopher Street, and the internal flour handling equipment was installed by the General Contract & Shick-Tube Veyor Co of Kansas City, MO.     Flour would be pumped out of the hopper means of a removable cart that was placed under the hopper chutes. An image of this cart can be seen in the Joe Roborecky chapter on the Memoirs Page.

NY Times - Mar. 24, 1964

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east (Kent Avenue) wall of Bulk Flour Terminal - October 1982
Appears to be a fan trip.
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 13 June 2010

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Covered hoppers inside the Bulk Flour Terminal- October 1982
 (looking southwest with Kent Avenue behind photographer)
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 13 June 2010

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Breweries, Beverages & Distributors

Breweries

   Other commodities being received, were carloads of hops for the Liebmann brewery (located in Brooklyn) and the Pabst brewery (located in Long Island), and these arrived via Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. Hops and malted barley was off loaded at the terminal then hauled by truck to their respective destinations.

   The Schaefer Brewery however, which having been serviced by the Lehigh Valley Railroad until 1975, would become a Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal customer that year. The Schaefer Brewery was located directly on the East River immediately north of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Wallabout Canal. Schaefer was also a unique customer in the fact that it was a "direct from carfloat" customer. Specially modified carfloats, known as "centerpipe" carfloats, were utilized with pneumatics in offloading the bulk material (hops, barley) held in covered hoppers onboard the carfloat.

Schaefer Brewery & Lehigh Valley "centerpipe" carfloat - September 1972
courtesy of T. Flagg
added 19 February 2010

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   At some point in its history, Schaefer Brewery became this direct from carfloat customer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, although the exact date eludes us. As a result, the Lehigh Valley Railroad modified a carfloat into a centerpipe type. (More about this later.) In 1971, Schaefer decided to build a new brewery just outside of Allentown, Pa. The following excerpt is from "Breweries of Brooklyn", by Will Anderson; 1976:

   Schaefer's most dramatic move with respect to plants was the decision, in 1971, to build a brand new, ultra-modern brewery just outside of Allentown, Pa. Realizing that all three of its plants at the time, Brooklyn, Albany, and Baltimore, were old and inefficient, Schaefer management decided it had to go the route being taken by Pabst, Schlitz, Anheuser-Busch and Miller - build a brand new and thoroughly modernized brewery rather than continue to try to upgrade old facilities. To construct a new brewery is extremely expensive, of course, but when it was opened in 1972 Schaefer could be justifiably proud - their Lehigh Valley plant was one of the most modern and efficient breweries in the world!

   What does a company do, however, when it has one ultra-modern plant and three that appear very dated by comparison? The question is really rhetorical, of course; strive to add to the modern plant while phasing out the less efficient facilities. And that's exactly what Schaefer did. The Albany plant was shut down almost immediately, on December 31st of 1972. In 1974 the Lehigh Valley plant was expanded from its original 1,100,000 barrels-per-year capacity to 2,500,000 and then, in 1975, it was decided to expand again - to 5,000,000 barrels plus. By 1975, therefore, it was obvious that one of the two less efficient plants should and would be closed, the only questions remaining was which plant, Brooklyn or Baltimore, and when. Both questions were answered on January 22, 1976 when Robert W. Lear, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The F. & M. Schaefer Corp., announced the closing of the Brooklyn plant.

   Apparently, when the Lehigh Valley Railroad learned of Schaefers' impending closing of the Brooklyn plant, Lehigh Valley dropped Schaefer as a customer before Schaefer actually closed, leaving the Schaefer Brewery without rail / carfloat service. Exactly why Lehigh Valley chose to do this, is currently unknown. 

   As a result, the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal stepped in and offered direct carfloat service for Schaefer's remaining tenure in Brooklyn. Improving upon Lehigh Valley's lead, the BEDT converted one of their platform / station type carfloats into a "centerpipe" carfloat as well, to be used for Schaefer Brewery unloading. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal carfloat #26 would be selected for this conversion. 

   As it also happened, BEDT #26 was longer than the Lehigh Valley centerpipe carfloat and allowed for a greater car capacity. This would allow the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal to reduce the number of times the centerpipe carfloat would need to be transported to and from Schaefer and the BEDT float bridges, and thereby reducing the number of times in having the freight cars swapped out on those centerpipe carfloats.

   Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal also purchased a surplussed platform / station carfloat from the Pennsylvania RR (carfloat #588), and converted that carfloat to a centerpipe as well. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal numbered this carfloat to BEDT #32. Images of both the #26 and #32 carfloats can be seen on the Marine Equipment page.

   It should be noted that the center platforms removed from the carfloats would not go to waste either, and would be placed parallel to trackage so that trucks could backup to the platform and freight transferred from boxcars directly into the trucks. The platform from BEDT carfloat #26 was placed at North 9th Street, and the platform from Pennsylvania RR carfloat #588 was placed at Pidgeon Street. 

September 1972 - Stern of carfloat to right of image.
T. Flagg photo

   It leaves one to wonder even why BEDT would go through the expense of converting those carfloats for such a short duration, knowing Schaefer was closing the plant and leaving the New York area. Unless of course BEDT was hedging a bet on a last minute reprieve of Schaefers' decision to close the plant, and it would stay open. But, as we all know now, Schaefer closed the plant.

   In November 2011, and once again due to the keen eyes of Paul Strubeck; we have determined that there were in fact at least three centerpipe carfloats: BEDT #26, BEDT #32 and one built by the Lehigh Valley. (I originally concluded, erroneously I might add, that BEDT 32 was the Lehigh Valley carfloat). These three carfloats can be easily distinguished from each other:

• BEDT #26 and #32 were longer (six 50'+ car capacity as having been modified from a station type carfloat) than that of the shorter Lehigh Valley carfloat.

• BEDT #26 had Hayes style track bumpers, #32 had box style track bumpers painted yellow. The Lehigh Valley centerpipe carfloat had brown box style track bumpers.

• BEDT #26 had mooring cleats, BEDT #32 had mooring cleats along the sides with button bitts on bow & stern, and the Lehigh Valley had double bitts along the sides. 

• On BEDT #26 and #32, the deckpipe platform was offset from the end with a segment of deckpipe to the rear of the platform, while the Lehigh Valley with the deckpipe
     platform at the extreme rear end of the carfloat and at the end of the deckpipe.

• The sides of the Lehigh Valley carfloat also incorporate three rub rails which take on the appearance of corrugation while the BEDT carfloats did not.

• BEDT #26 & #32 had mooring cleats along the top edges of the carfloat deck, and the Lehigh Valley carfloat had double bitts.

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   What eventually happened to BEDT #26, we do not know. BEDT #32 was seen in several images from 1976 through 1983. The Lehigh Valley centerpipe carfloat also disappeared without a trace.

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Beverage Distributor

   Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal also serviced a large beer distributor in Long Island City via the Pidgeon Street yard. According to Joe Roborecky, it was not a brewery as originally thought, but a distributor that would primarily receive Miller Beer products via boxcar. It is unknown at this time if it received other brands as well. Boxcars of already manufactured and filled containers would be delivered to this location.

   In this arrangement, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal would switch and spot the boxcar(s) containing the appropriate size containers by the various receiving docks. As there were many types and sizes of beverages being delivered at that time, the boxcar they needed might have been several cars up track and not near the receiving dock. So Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal crews would have to rearrange or "spot" the boxcars to place the appropriate boxcar by the appropriate receiving dock.

Pepsi Cola

   Also located at the Pidgeon Street Yard was a Pepsi Cola bottling plant. According to the Pepsi Cola Bottling website, this Long Island City location was the original Pepsi bottling site until 1934, when other Pepsi bottling plants would open around the United States. I particularly recall seeing the huge neon "Pepsi-Cola" sign which could be seen from most East Side locations in Manhattan, especially from the FDR Drive. I believe this sign still exists as a landmark.

   Exact details of the Pepsi plant and the interaction with the BEDT are unfortunately not known at this time, but it is understood from the Coverdale & Colpitts Report, that the Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant was a "Direct From Carfloat" customer and yet it is understood from Tom Hendrickson that there was indeed some sort of rail traffic with the Pepsi plant.

   It can only be hypothesized that this Pepsi bottling plant received tank cars of corn syrup, cola syrup, and possibly carbon dioxide for carbonation; as well as bottles, cans and cardboard for boxing and packaging.

   It is unknown at this time if the Pepsi plant utilized team tracks or sidings in addition to the direct from carfloat traffic.

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Grain & Hay

   Another of the original commodities received via Palmer's Dock and subsequently East River Terminal Railroad / Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, was grain.

   Grain is a rather generic term, as listed in the 1920 Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan & Recommendations, issued by the New York, New Jersey Port & Harbor Development Commission)  "grain" pertains to Wheat, Corn, Oats, Rye, Barley, Buckwheat & Flaxseed. Which of, or what combination of those grains was actually stored by Brooklyn Elevator & Milling, is not clear at this time, but this "grain" would be held in the multi-story elevator (similar in principal to a silo) of Brooklyn Elevator and Milling located on the East River bulkhead between at North 9th and 10th Streets.

   While it is clearly known that Lowell Palmer created the "Palmer's Dock Hay & Produce Board",  it is unknown if Palmer was actually involved in the early stages of the Brooklyn Elevator & Milling. The 1893 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac, states:

   "the Brooklyn Elevator Hay & Produce Exchange occupies a new and commodious building at the foot of North Tenth st. [sic] It is the principal market of the kind in the city, and is largely patronized by merchants in N. Y. City"

    Later documents (post 1900) reflect that the Havemeyer family were the principals of the Brooklyn Elevator & Milling, with Henry, Theodore, Frederick, Horace all holding various positions on the board of directors.

   The exact circumstances regarding the receipt and handling of this "grain" by Brooklyn Elevator & Milling is uncertain. Almost every grain type on the list above could have been used by one merchant or another in Brooklyn (Wheat, Corn, Rye for bread & baking, Oats for horse feed, Hops & Barley for brewing, etc).

   Various documents located via Google book search show various grains could be found at Brooklyn Elevator & Milling:
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• 1906: Sample of ground feed taken from Brooklyn Elevator & Milling for chemical analysis.

• 1922: Lawsuit filed in January against Brooklyn Elevator & Milling states 18,000 ducks were lost by the quality of bran sold.
  

   As horse drawn wagons were still the primary mode of transportation when the elevator was constructed, and taking into consideration that oats were used for livestock / horse feed; and that the North 10th Street Hay Storage Building (the low three story brick structure with the arched windows seen behind the silos in the image below) abutted directly against the Elevator & Mill structure, leads to the possibility that the storage of feed in the Brooklyn Elevator & Mill took place for the many stables in the Williamsburg area. As this structure would disappear from view and aerial maps by 1924. Oddly, this coincides with the advent and expansion of the internal combustion driven trucks.

   New York Times archives show that on November 25, 1912, an explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the plant of the Union Sulphur Company. Thirty-four persons were injured. Flying embers set fire to the hay market on the opposite side (south side) of North 10th Street. In a statement issued to the New York Times by H. O. Havemeyer, $245,000 worth of damage was done to the Union Sulphur Works, which was insured for $375,000, as well as undisclosed amounts of damage upon the hay market. The upper two floors of the grain elevator were also heavily damaged.

   Therefore, two possibilities exist pertaining to the Brooklyn Elevator & Mill structure seen in the below image:

1. This image was taken prior to the fire and subsequent damage, or

2. These structures were rebuilt.
   

    In any event, whatever "grain" this elevator would have been used for, this elevator had a listed capacity of 500,000 bushels and can be seen in the 1914 image below, contributed by Tom Flagg. If one looks carefully, the faded remains of the painted "Brooklyn Elevator & Milling Co." can be seen on the side wall of elevators (to the right of the smokestack).

   There is a service track internal to the structure, and boxcar can be seen partially inside the structure (next to the double row of windows on the ground floor).

   As mentioned above, this structure would be razed by 1924, (as the elevators are no longer seen in the Fairchild Aerial Photo taken that year) and when significant portions of the property was reconstructed.

Brooklyn Elevator & Milling - circa 1914
(looking east)
courtesy of Thomas Flagg
added 29 May 2009

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Coal & Coke

   As previously mentioned in the Palmer's Dock History, Palmer consolidated the coal sheds in Williamsburg and opened his own wholesale coal depot: Palmer's Coal Depot.

   In the later years of Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal operations; a set of yard tracks would dedicated to the receiving and off loading of coal when this coal depot was removed from service. This set of yard tracks was located in the North 7th Street yard and hopper cars loaded with coal would be brought in by BEDT and placed in the yard. Portable wheeled conveyors would then be placed under the unloading chutes of the hopper car. The coal was offloaded out of the hopper, onto the conveyors, and directly up and into the retailers trucks using this method. A picture of the hoppers and the conveyors, with a coal dealers truck can be viewed on the BEDT Properties Page. So in all essence, the hopper cars itself (and not the typical coal silo) were the storage as well as shipping methods.

   Coal was a primary commodity of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal until the use of coal declined as a fuel in the early to mid 1950's, where it was dropped in favor of fuel oil and natural gas. Some of coal dealers receiving coal via the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal was the Berry Coal Company< Bacon Coal Company and the Scranton & Lehigh Coal Company.

   The Scranton & Lehigh Coal Company, would have rather large concrete coal silos located on North 5th Street, between Wythe Avenue & Berry Street.

NYSPL / NYS Archives Digital Collection

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   Note the address of the main offices in the newspaper advertisement below: 84-86-88 Kent Avenue - the same as the administerial offices of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal! However, the president of Scranton - Lehigh Coal Company; Thomas Patterson; has not been encountered before as an employee of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. 

   Therefore did BEDT lease space to Scranton & Lehigh, or was it a wholly owned subsidiary of the BEDT?

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   Bacon Coal (as seen from an advertising card shown below), had a location that was specifically serviced by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal: "Newtown Creek / Wallabout Canal". Notice the date on the card: 192_.

   This date raises an interesting question as all information to date reflects that the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal did not take up occupancy in the Wallabout Canal area until circa 1933. So, was the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal providing service to this area earlier than believed, or was this a bulkhead delivery only facility?

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Meat Packers & Distributors

    Throughout the decades when they would be located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; the Armour, Cudahy, Morrell and Wilson meat packing companies would receive countless tons of beef daily via Palmer's Dock, East River Terminal and subsequently the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. There was also the firm of Moore Trucking, which was a meat distributor throughout western Long Island.

   At peak times, it was not uncommon for 50 carloads (that's fifty boxcars of 40 ton capacity equalling 4,000,000 pounds of meat); to be received by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal for dispatch on a single Monday. Those 50 cars were roughly the occupancy equivalent of two and a half carfloats.

   These meat packers were located on the south side of North 6th Street, and stretched almost the entire length of the block between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street. While the "store fronts" of these meat packers faced north on North 6th Street, a track was located along the back (south side) of the buildings which opened upon the North 5th Street "C Yard" for the unloading of meat into the respective packing houses.

   Generally speaking, the multi-track yard at this location occupied the almost the entire length and half the width of the block bounded by North 5 and North 6th Streets, Wythe Avenue and Berry Street. The inset below, taken and modified from the Belcher & Hyde map of 1929; shows the relative arrangement of the "C Yard" trackage for that era. It is unclear if the trackage ever extended to Greenberg Brothers. Iron & Steel, and it is not known how extensively the track arrangement would change when the coal bunker was torn down many years later.

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   As these Brooklyn based meat packers would relocate out of Brooklyn throughout the 1960's and 1970's, this commodity would diminish and eventually cease at the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

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Cement / Lime

   Another significant commodity of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal which was ascertained from the Coverdale & Colpitts Report, was cement and lime. Most, if not all of the cement product was delivered via a team track at the Pidgeon Street Yard in Long Island City. Unloading of this product at that location was expedited under contract by an independent contractor.

   Lime on the other hand was offloaded (at the date of this report) at the Kent Avenue Yard by Charles Pfizer & Co.

   Seen in photos dated April 12, 1963 and September 23, 1963 of #14 in the North 9th Street Yard, shows a rather new and clean "six pack" group of tall steel silos. These silos were used for cement storage. Unfortunately, these silos are not reflected in any aerial photos of 1954, 1966 or 1980 on historicaerials.com; or in any of the track maps of 1953 or 1965.

   However, Tom Flagg furnished a track map of BEDT dated 1969, and these silos are shown so we at least now know the silos stood from at least 1963 through 1969. The actual dates of construction through removal remain unknown.

April 12, 1963	September 23, 1963	September 23, 1963

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   Unfortunately, this is all that is known about these commodities at this time and further research is both pending and welcomed.

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Iron & Steel

Finished Products & Scrap

  The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal received its fair share of finished iron and steel products. A substantial portion of this structural steel, was destined for the Navy Yard for military ship construction, but there were quite a few regular civilian customers receiving structural steel at the various BEDT Yards for building and possibly highway construction. The BEDT was well equipped to handle even the largest loads, and mentioned in the Coverdale & Colpitts Report as a special "enticement" to draw customers, BEDT offered to provide free crane service on pieces weighing more than 1,000 pounds.

   While finished steel held a significant proportion of inbound traffic; scrap iron and steel as well as other metals was a significant outbound commodity. There were a few scrap yards in the industrialized sections of Williamsburg, as well as other parts of Brooklyn. It is understood from images that the BEDT would set aside a few team tracks to facilitate the loading of scrap metal into gondolas.

   In several images, an electro-magnet mounted on a crane can be seen. In the 1952 Railroad Magazine article by Melvin Krampf, it states that 35 to 40% of scrap metal originating in Brooklyn is shipped through the BEDT, with 79% of the outbound scrap destined for either Buffalo, NY or Bethlehem, PA. Images accompanying this article shows the yard area assigned for the loading of scrap metal was between North 8th and North 9th Streets by Kent Avenue, to include use of the overhead gantry at this location. According to Joe Roborecky, BEDT also employed the used of tracked "crawler" cranes with electro-magnets to assist in the loading of this scrap metal.

image above and at right: June 1952 Scrap Metal loading area between North 8th and North 9th Streets (looking west from Kent Avenue) (note electromagnet on left edge of photo, and enginehouse and tugboats in background of above image)	...	.
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6A Yard Gantry loading scrap metal - ca. 1958?-  Gondolas are on 6A7 S. Meyers photo D. Keller archives authors collection added 28 January 2010
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December 1959 Scrap Metal loading area between North 9th and North 8th Streets looking east at Kent Avenue, behind truck and gondolas. Note two cranes in extreme upper right corner) (This location would become the Bulk Flour Terminal in 1964)

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Independent Scrap

   Independent Scrap which began operations at North 11th Street, would eventually move to the former Pennsylvania Railroad North 4th Street Terminal property about 1966. The former PRR property had been purchased by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and on an as yet undetermined date, then subsequently leased to Independent Scrap. A few dedicated sidings would be constructed on this property and connected to the BEDT trackage for the receipt of empty gondolas for loading of scrap metal.

   Independent Scrap by the way, would receive several contracts to scrap New York City Transit Authority subway cars.

   In the image below, the locomotive and gondola is on track 4A7 coming out of Independent Scrap (ex-PRR North 4th Street Freight Station and is crossing the Intersection of North 5th Street and Kent Avenue. Track 5A1 can be seen to right of loco front step and the crossing shanty is on right edge of image.

4A7 - January 21, 1968
R. O. Adams photo
authors collection
added 08 February 2011

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Copper

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   Ben Schaeffer has contributed information that is particular of interest. Following the demise of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, several pieces of their floating equipment were acquired by New York Dock, and by nature of the 1979 merger with same, were stored at and / or used by Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal.

   Two scows, numbered 345 and 350; were acquired from Baltimore & Ohio along with numerous platform / station carfloats, the floating machine shop "James H. Clark" and the tugboat "Roy B. White".

   As it would turn out, these scows would be used by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal in the transport of copper anodes to the Phelps - Dodge Refining Corporation located on Newtown Creek. The copper was used for for the making of copper sulfate based pesticides.

   For unknown reasons; there was a long involved, labor intensive process for the transfer of copper ingots arriving via the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal to Phelps - Dodge:
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1. High cube boxcars loaded up to their haulage capacity with 750 pound copper ingots, would arrive at Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal on a three track interchange carfloat.

2. These boxcars were hauled off the three track interchange carfloats, and transferred onto a modified station / platform carfloat. Joe Roborecky recalls that this station carfloat was so modified, in that the roof of the platform was raised to accommodate the opening of the plug doors on high cube boxcars.

3. Also, one empty boxcar with a fork lift inside was also loaded onto the station carfloat, with the boxcars loaded with copper.

4. This carfloat was then moved slightly upriver from the float bridge at North 9th Street to north side of "9 Pier" (slightly north of the float bridge) and moored to the pier.

5. Then, one of the former B & O scows would be moored against the station carfloat.

6. Then the fork lift would exit the empty boxcar, and begin removing the copper ingots out of the loaded boxcars and set them down on the carfloat platform.

7. Now another fork lift (or the same fork lift later in the day) would pick up the anodes of the station carfloat platform and stack them on the scow deck.

8. When all the boxcars were unloaded and all the ingots on the scow, the scow would be brought to the Phelps - Dodge Smelter located on Newtown Creek to be offloaded.

   Fortunately, this operation did not occur every day (and I certainly hope not considering the labor involved!)

   And exactly why this laborious procedure was needed is unclear. I can only postulate that perhaps there was bulkhead crane at Phelps - Dodge used to remove the stacks of ingots from the deck of the scow in bulk, but if the ingots were loaded inside boxcars, they could not be accessed by the crane and hence the transfer onto an open scow. Or perhaps demurrage (storage fees charged by the railroads) on the boxcars was more than the labor costs involved in transfer the anodes to an open scow which could then be tied up the Phelps - Dodge bulkhead and left to be unloaded at their convenience. Who knows.. and if you do, send an email to bedt14@aol.com for inclusion here. 

  We have photographic confirmation of this operation, or at least this service to Phelps - Dodge. Ben Shaeffer has generously provided two photographs showing the ingots on B&O scow #345 at BEDT:

July 12, 1978 - East River at north side of North 9th Street Pier looking east.
(Note navigation beacon base in background).
It is unknown if the BEDT road crane was used for this process.
Benjamin W. Schaeffer photo
collection Philip M. Goldstein / Paul F. Strubeck
not to be used or reproduced without consent
added 29 October 2016

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July 12, 1978 - East River at north side of North 9th Street Pier looking north.
Note navigation beacon base in background.
It is unknown if the BEDT road crane was used for this process.
Benjamin W. Schaeffer photo
collection Philip M. Goldstein / Paul F. Strubeck
not to be used or reproduced without consent
added 29 October 2016