Brooklyn and North River Line
Encyclopedia
The Brooklyn and North River Line, operated by the Brooklyn and North River Railroad, was a trolley line in Manhattan
and Brooklyn
, New York City
, United States
. Its route ran from the Desbrosses Street Ferry across Lower Manhattan
via the Canal Street Crosstown Line, over a pair of tracks on the east side of the Manhattan Bridge
, and to the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street
in Downtown Brooklyn
. Operation in Manhattan and over the bridge was with conduit electrification, while in Brooklyn it used overhead trolley wire, switching at a plow pit.
The company was formed by a coalition of the three major Manhattan and Brooklyn streetcar operators - New York Railways
, the Third Avenue Railway
, and Brooklyn Rapid Transit
- in competition with the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line. The B&NR was operated with Third Avenue cars. The two companies shared trackage on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
The B&NR originally operated on the west side of the lower deck, now used by subway trains between the BMT Broadway Line
and DeKalb Avenue station. When the four tracks on the upper level were completed, the B&NR switched to the two western ones; the Three Cent Line used the eastern pair.
Due to BRT rapid transit
operations across the bridge, the B&NR stopped operating by 1919.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its route ran from the Desbrosses Street Ferry across Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
via the Canal Street Crosstown Line, over a pair of tracks on the east side of the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
, and to the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street
Fulton Street (Brooklyn)
Fulton Street, named after engineer Robert Fulton, exists mainly in two parts in what are today two boroughs of New York City which Fulton linked by his steam ferries, and each segment has its own distinct identity. This entry deals with Fulton Street in Brooklyn, which now begins at the...
in Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
. Operation in Manhattan and over the bridge was with conduit electrification, while in Brooklyn it used overhead trolley wire, switching at a plow pit.
The company was formed by a coalition of the three major Manhattan and Brooklyn streetcar operators - New York Railways
New York Railways
New York State Railways was a grouping of several large city streetcar and electric interurban systems in upstate New York. It included the city transit systems in Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Oneida and Rome, plus various interurban lines connecting those cities.The company was formed in 1909 when...
, the Third Avenue Railway
Third Avenue Railway
The Third Avenue Railway System was a street railroad system in New York City in the 19th and early 20th century.-History:The principal company was the Third Avenue Railroad Company from 1853 to 1910, when it was succeeded in reorganization by the Third Avenue Railway Company...
, and Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Brooklyn Rapid Transit
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using the single-letter symbol B on the New York Stock Exchange...
- in competition with the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line. The B&NR was operated with Third Avenue cars. The two companies shared trackage on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
The B&NR originally operated on the west side of the lower deck, now used by subway trains between the BMT Broadway Line
BMT Broadway Line
The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan, New York City, United States. , it is served by three services, all colored yellow: the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks...
and DeKalb Avenue station. When the four tracks on the upper level were completed, the B&NR switched to the two western ones; the Three Cent Line used the eastern pair.
Due to BRT rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
operations across the bridge, the B&NR stopped operating by 1919.