Question About Interlocking at the Brooklyn Bridge

  A few weeks ago, a reader raised a question regarding the interlocking on the Fulton Street El near the Brooklyn Bridge where the tracks divide into the Kings County Station and the Fulton Ferry Station.  According to the map, the interlocking was removed from service on January 22, 1934.  Please see below part of a article titled " Two Brooklyn Elevated Lines Opened 120 Years Ago   ".    This is an article by Bernard Linder in the Vol. 51, No. 4 (April, 2008) edition of  "The Bulletin" of the New York Division, Electric Railroaders' Association.   As shown by the article, the Fulton Ferry Station was used only until May 31, 1940.  Does this mean that service was still provided even though the interlocking was removed years before?  Page 3 also has interesting information about the "C" type of wooden elevated car that was used on some of the elevated lines in Brooklyn.  Notice that the "C" types had originally two sets of doors only in the middle of the car but the fleet was altered with doors placed more towards the ends.  It is funny, that the doors on the "C" types appear similar to the sliding doors on the "D" Type articulated units of the BMT subway.  Wooden elevated cars provided some service on the Culver Line south of Ninth Avenue right up to 1954 when the southern portion was converted to Independent Subway Service.  Notice a train of "C" types in Culver Express service on the middle track at the Avenue P station.  Notice the wood and glass wind screens adjacent to the platform.

Fulton Street Elevated 1936- 1956

Source:  Linder, B. In "New York Division Bulletin" Electric Railroaders' Association, Vol 38, No 2, February, 1995,  pp.2-4.

 

  The subject matter of this posting, the Brooklyn Fulton Street El has an extensive history of which I know very little.  The line, started in the 19th Century as a elevated steam railroad, served as an important transit link between various districts in Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row Manhattan, was very important before the building of the first IRT subway to Brooklyn.  Most of the line was destroyed by June, 1940, but certain sections remained intact to around 1956.  In fact, the section from 80th Street and Liberty Avenue to Lefferts Blvd. is used today by IND "A" trains.  Sections have been rebuilt as you can see from the map.  Interesting points is the multi-level Sands Street terminal and the interchange with the BMT Franklin-Brighton Line,  Also hidden under the Brooklyn Bridge was the Kings County Terminal and the Fulton Ferry Station..  According to the map dealing with the west portion, the map stated that the "interlocking was out of service as of 1/22/34.  A reader asked regarding the Myrtle Avenue Line map that "interlocking out of service 2/23/33" to the High Street Loop.  Does this mean that service ended on that date?  I think that interlocking refers to switches and the signals that control interconnections between tracks.  It is possible that interlocking can be out of service but the rails are still intact and some track movements can take place.  For example, for the interlocking that leads to the Fulton Ferry Station, the station may have been service until 6-1-40 at abandonment but the interlocking was out since 1/22/34.  Perhaps a reader can clarify this for us.  Books can be written on this subject matter.

Tramway Null(0)

 Also, parts of the original Fulton Street El that were not needed in the reconstruction of the line around 1914-19 may have been used as parts used in the construction of the Culver El, specially south of the Avenue X station.