1924 Map of Sheepshead Bay Area: Showing Race Track Spur & Manhattan Beach Division

  In the map shown below, which is a

Rand-McNally 1924 Map of Brooklyn, which was taken from the David Rumsey Map Collection, you can see areas penciled in red: 1) Former BRT-LIRR Trackage to Sheepshead Bay Race Track and 2) Allignment of the LIRR Manhattan Beach Division Line to Manhattan Beach.  Also, you will see that parts of the Coney Island Creek that were still in existance in 1924.  The David Rumsey Map Collection is very extensive.

Three Brooklyn Race Tracks in 1913: What Happened to Kings Highway?

In the map below, I brought in the 1913 Street Railway Map that shows interesting features besides the then running streetcar lines.  The former Brooklyn race tracks, the Gravesend, Brighton and Sheepshead Bay were still around according to the map, but mapped under different names.  Notice that the Gravesend Race Track near Gravesend Avenue (Mcdonald Avenue) had a different shape than what I posted earlier.  Perhaps the land was being developed.  I looked closely and on the 1913 grid, I did not see  Kings Highway which is the northern boundary of the former race track.  I then brought in the modern street grid and it shows the position were it should be, eventhough I am slightly off due to georeferencing problems.  The Nostrand Avenue Trolley, which according to the 1913 map is slightly off from my grid, but it shows that it ends at Avenue T before it reaches the Coney Island Jockey Club ( formerly the Sheepshead Bay Race Track?).  It is possible that the 1913 map has some errors in it if it is missing Kings Highway.  The trackage on Nostrand Avenue may have been single tracked between Kings Highway and Avenue T at this time and Nostrand Avenue ended before reaching the race track. To be continued.   The picture below the map comes from a picture website called http://www.brooklynpix.com.  This 1915 picture shows the right of way of the Culver Line on McDonald (then Gravesend Avenue) facing north from Avenue T.  If you look to the right, you can make out the extensive race track buildings that were still in existence at that time and probably little land development took place by that time.  The present day steel elevated did not open to 1919.

Two Former Bklyn Race Tracks in one 1924 Aerial View

Sheepshead Bay Race Track Aerial View (Full) 1924

Here is a full view of the Sheepshead Bay Race Track pathway that was still visible in this 1924 aerial picture.  The long line on the left is Ocean Avenue. The area to the east of the former race track is Marine Park.  From this picture, it appears to me that the Sheepshead Bay Race Track may be larger than the Gravesend Race Track.  Rapid Transit service to the race track approached from the west at Ocean Avenue from the BRT Brighton Line and the LIRR Manhattan Beach branch and the Ocean Avenue Trolley.  (See prior posts)

Aerial View of Sheepshead Bay Race Track Area 1924

This aerial photograph taken in 1924 shows the shadow of the right of way of the Sheepshead Bay Race Track Spur.  In the lower left of the frame, the BMT Brighton Line trackage is shown crossing Avenue Y.  It is possible that the BMT trackage was seperated from the MBRR by a small gap.   The private right of way was broader than today beause the right of way had two tracks for the Manhattan Beach Railroad which was steam driven.  According to the map, all streets were not paved as shown on the B. Linder map.  You can clearly see the curves of the right of way.    By 1951, the area was built up already.  The white line towards the right of the photo is Ocean Avenue and the red star is at 1700 Avenue Y, the location where the private right of way touches the location of Avenue X.  To the extreme right of the frame what appears to be a circular road perhaps the race track itself.  The race track is boarded by Ocean Avenue and perhaps you can see the shadow of the road leading from the Ocean Avenue train platforms.

Not Cowboy Spurs but Sheepshead Bay Race Track Spur

I came across a track map drawn by B.Linder and published in the New York Division Bulletin on page 2, in their July 2003 edition (Vol. 46, No 7) showing the Sheepshead Bay Race Track Spur.  Many Brooklynites and those who are interested in rapid transit and rapid transit history do not know about this spur.  Up to around ten years ago, a passenger in our present day "B" or "Q" trains would look out of a north bound train to Manhattan in an easterly direction just south of the Neck Road station and they would see a curved wall at surface level.  This curved wall was destroyed to make way for modern housing and is probably all that remained of this spur.  According to the map, the sidings were removed between January and March, 1929.  I believe that this spur may have been under wire at this time as was the main line.  In short, the development of rapid transit in Brooklyn could be generally explained as follows:

1. Steam Railroad on the surface (19th Century) Examples:  Culver, West End, Brighton Lines
2. Steam Railroad on elevated line in business areas (Late 19th Century), Examples, 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue Elevateds in Brooklyn and perhaps the Myrtle and Broadway Els as well.
3. Steam Railroad on elevated line extended to suburban areas such as the Coney Island Area via the above right of ways. (Examples:  Culver, West End and Brighton Lines)
4. Electrification of the the Elevated Lines and trolley wiring of their extentions on the surface (1890's to early 1900's).  Trolley wire strung on Gravesend Avenue, Brighton Line Right of Way, New Utrecht Avenue (West End Line).  Train cars had trolley poles and third rail shoes.
5. Construction of the more modern elevateds with third rail and equipping private right of ways with grade separation and third rail power. (Around 1914:  Modern Sea Beach, Brighton Line, Culver Line and so on.
6. Running modern subway equipment on new elevated structure and private right of ways such as the Sea Beach Line and Brighton Line using third rail power.
7. Former right of way under new elevated structures retained trolley wire and tracks and was served by streetcar type of service at ground level. (Example, around after 1916, such as the Gravesend Avenue (McDonald Avenue Trolley), West End Trolley under the West End El on New Utrecht Avenue).

8. Abandonment of streetcar service under elevated structures.  (For example, West End Trolley died in 1947, McDonald Trolley died in 1956.
9. Abandonment of older elevated structures, such as the 3rd and 5 th Avenue Elevateds, Fulton Street Line, Lexington Avenue El (1940's to 1950).  Section of the Culver El abandoned in 1975.

It is possible that for a short period of time, dual mode service (trolley pole and third rail shoes) was operated at the eastern end of the Jamaica Elevated and the Metropolitan Avenue Line, but I am not sure.

According to the material I presented, logic would say that this Sheepshead Bay Race Track spur was operated under trolley wire because the Brighton Line line was not redesigned for third rail operation until after 1912.  Although not shown on the above diagram, there were two easterly tracks on the embankment  that was stream railroad operated by the Long Island Railroad.  Perhaps this spur was served by Long Island Railroad Stream trains?  But I am not sure.

Note:  The Neck Road station is presently on an embankment and probably was also prior to 1912.

Imagine a race track on Ocean Avenue?

More about this to follow:
Tramway Null(0)