Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!houxz!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxl!essachs From: essachs@ihuxl.UUCP (Ed Sachs) Newsgroups: net.railroad Subject: Brighton Line (BMT, Brooklyn) Message-ID: <1180@ihuxl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 19-Jun-84 13:47:55 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxl.1180 Posted: Tue Jun 19 13:47:55 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 21-Jun-84 03:34:39 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 33 ================================================================== It seems that the discussion under the title of "Dade Co. Metrorail Opens" has gotten far off track, so I'm submitting this piece under a new title, even though it follows from some previous ones. The four Brooklyn steam rail lines which converged on the "Seaside Resort" of Coney Island were all absorbed into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co. (BRT, predecessor of the BMT) and converted to electric operation around the turn of the century, entering New York City (Manhattan Island) via the Brooklyn Bridge. All of the lines underwent extensive rebuilding several times between their opening in the 1870's and incorporation into the Subway system around 1920. (Phil Burton mentions the Brighton, West End and Sea Beach lines, the fourth was the Culver (F) Line.) I grew up in the Sheapshead Bay section of Brooklyn, and rode on the Brighton Line (no D or QB then, just the old BMT standards and "D" units) every day to high school* in Manhattan (in "the city" as we called it then). (Oops -- my age is showing!) The Brighton Line (at least the elevated portion) shows evidence of an earlier incarnation, a two track elevated line located to the east of the present four track line. At several points, the concrete steps which led to the stations of the old line can be seen just to the east of the existing stations (at least they were still there a year or two ago). ------------- *Stuyvesant High School, in case anyone is interested. -- Ed Sachs AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, IL ihuxl!essachs