West End Line (Brooklyn surface)

The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, incorporated in 1862 with Charles Godfrey Gunther as president,{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}} opened the first part of its line, from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue to Bath Beach mainly along New Utrecht Avenue (then the Bath Plank Road), on October 9, 1863.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Opening of a New Railroad|date = October 5, 1863|page=2}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Railroads|date = October 9, 1863|page=1}} The extension to Coney Island was opened on June 9, 1864, making it the first steam railroad to bring beachgoers from downtown Brooklyn. (The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad had been operating horse cars to the island since 1862.) At the Brooklyn end, the steam line ended at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, where the BB&CI's own horse cars ran to a connection with those of the Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad's Fifth Avenue Line and the Brooklyn City Railroad's Greenwood Line at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The odd double transfer was made necessary by the City of Brooklyn's refusal to allow the line to operate steam cars within its city limits.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Another New Rail Road|date = June 9, 1864|page=2}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Travel|date = June 9, 1864|page=1}}

The road took its common name from the area of its terminal on Coney Island, where a hotel of the same name, but unconnected to the railroad, existed. Its terminal was known as West End Terminal, a name which survived upon major rebuilding in 1919 as New West End Terminal before that name fell into disuse.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The road was reorganized in 1868, on January 22, 1879, and again on December 1, 1885, the latter time changing its name to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, formalizing the use of West End in the line's name. Before that time, the original steam dummy cars, which consisted of a locomotive and passenger car in one railroad-coach-type frame, were replaced by conventional steam locomotives pulling unpowered coaches.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

File:BMT powerhouse 38st-5av Bk jeh.JPG

The Atlantic Avenue Railroad gained control of the West End in January 1893,{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Local Stocks and Bonds|date = January 22, 1893|page=19}} leased it on May 8, 1893,{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Leasing the West End Railroad|date = May 8, 1893|page=10}} and began to electrify it immediately without the permission of the town of New Utrecht.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Norton's Men Arrested|date = May 16, 1893|page=1}} Effective May 21, 1893, the Atlantic Avenue extended its Fifth Avenue Line (which was electrified March 14, 1893{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=More Trolley Cars Running|date = March 14, 1893|page=10}}) along the West End's trackage to the Union Depot at 36th Street, where West End trains were subsequently terminated.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Improving the Service|date = May 22, 1893|page=9}} Electric trolleys began running on the West End Line from the Union Depot to Coney Island on November 18, 1893,{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Gravesend News|date = November 20, 1893|page=7}} and soon from the 39th Street Ferry.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Coney Island and Gravesend|date = December 15, 1893|page=6}} The Nassau Electric Railroad leased the Atlantic Avenue, and thus the West End, at midnight at the end of April 4, 1896,{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=New Railroad Conveniences|date = April 3, 1896|page=1}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Nassau-Atlantic Lease|date = April 4, 1896|page=16}} implementing its universal five-cent fare between Downtown Brooklyn and Coney Island.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Roughs on the Trolley Cars|date = May 18, 1896|page=4}} In late May the 86th Street Line was placed in operation, using the West End trackage from Bath Beach to Coney Island.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Local Stocks and Bonds|date = May 17, 1896|page=31}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Magic Five Cent Fares|date = June 7, 1896|page=14}} Some West End cars were extended over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row in Lower Manhattan on February 15, 1898.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Thousands Cross in Bridge Trolleys|date = February 16, 1898|page=16}} The Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad and Atlantic Avenue Railroad were consolidated into the Nassau Electric Railroad in July 1898.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Traction Assets Sold|date = July 14, 1898|page=3}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Local Stocks and Bonds|date = July 24, 1898|page=27}}

The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) gained control of the Nassau Electric in November 1898{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Of the Nassau-Transit Railroad Consolidation Deal|date = November 6, 1898|page=30}} and leased it (and the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, operator of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, among other lines) to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad on April 1, 1899.[https://books.google.com/books?id=j47IQgaWJM4C McGraw Electric Railway Manual: The Red Book of American Street Railways Investments], 1908, pages 202-210 On June 4, 1899, a new switch at Bath Junction was placed in service, and the Park Row-Coney Island cars were rerouted via the Sea Beach Line; West End cars from Downtown Brooklyn continued to use the West End Line through Bath Beach.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Nassau Cars on Sea Beach Line|date = June 5, 1899|page=12}}

BRT control paved the way for the line to be connected to the elevated system, and, on December 19, 1900, trolleys between 36th Street and Bath Beach were replaced with elevated trains from Park Row in Lower Manhattan; the line beyond Bath Beach to Coney Island was part of the 86th Street Line.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Motor Trains to Bath Beach|date = December 14, 1900|page=2}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=New L Service Begun|date = December 19, 1900|page=1}} Trains operated by third rail power over the Fifth Avenue Elevated to a ramp at 37th Street, and, from that point, trains raised trolley poles to operate using overhead wire to Bath Beach.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Went Over the Road|date = December 19, 1900|page=5}} A new bridge over Coney Island Creek was built to allow heavy elevated trains to run to Coney Island,{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Putting In a New Bridge|date = February 16, 1902|page=40}} and this service, from Park Row to Coney Island, began on July 13, 1902, for ten cents.{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Don't Want Through Trains|date = February 20, 1902|page=20}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Through Elevated Trains to be Run to Coney Island|date = July 7, 1902|page=3}}{{cite news | work = Brooklyn Daily Eagle | location = Brooklyn, NY |title=Throng Visiting Coney Numbered Over 100,000|date = July 14, 1902|page=9}}

The Nassau Electric Railroad lease to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad was canceled on June 30, 1904, and dual operation began, where the Brooklyn Heights (later the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad and New York Consolidated Railroad) operated the trains to 38th Street, and the surface operation beyond to Coney Island was done by the Nassau Electric.[https://books.google.com/books?id=sP4JAAAAMAAJ Reports of Decisions of the Public Service Commission, First District of the State of New York], 1922: "The Bay Ridge and Sea Beach trains were operated to their respective destinations by the New York Consolidated Railroad Company, but the West End trains were operated by that company only as far south as 38th street. From that point south, they were operated by The Nassau Electric Railroad Company."

Elevated operations on the surface ended on June 24, 1916, when the new elevated West End Line, connecting into the Fourth Avenue Subway, opened to 18th Avenue.{{Cite news|work=The New York Times|title=New Line to Bath Beach|date=June 24, 1916|page=7}} The line was built as part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, but at the BRT's own expense.James Blaine Walker, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lpEgAAAAMAAJ Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864-1917], 1918, pages 254 to 255 Trolleys continued to operate on the portion south of the Church Avenue Line (39th Street) until June 28, 1947.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}

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{{Brooklyn streetcar lines}}

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Category:Streetcar lines in Brooklyn

Category:Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation

Category:1863 establishments in New York (state)