The
Fort Hamilton Parkway staircase, leading to the street. We are looking
west along the ROW.
The
Fort Hamilton Parkway staircase, leading to the street. We are looking
west along the ROW.
If the Cross-Brooklyn Expressway was to be positioned north of the Sea Beach Branch throughout it's ROW, then highway engineers may not have had to worry about the Fort Hamilton Parkway station while constructing the expressway, since it would not have been in the way.
According to nycroads.com, an interchange was planned from the Cross-Brooklyn
Expressway and Fort Hamilton Parkway. The planned interchange may
have been at or near this location. Large amounts of non-railroad
ROW land acquisition would have been required for the construction of this
interchange.
Catenary mounting
brackets and frayed catenary wires dangle from the overpass. At one
time, the LIRR Bay Ridge branch served for some of the New Haven Railroad's
freight operations. The New Haven Railroad used catenary wires to
power their electric trains. The LIRR, who owns the railroad line,
did not use catenary provided power for their electric trains. So,
it is interesting to see that the LIRR outfitted power for the line to
be used by railroad corporations other than their own!
LIRR diesel trains ran along this line. Now, New York and Atlantic
(NYA) diesel freight trains utilize this line for their operations (NYA
leases the line from the LIRR for freight operations).
Looking
west at the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station and an overpass.
The LIRR Bay Ridge Branch now occupies a position north of the Sea Beach
subway line.
From nycroads.com: "Between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 12th Avenue, the
expressway would descend to railroad grade at 12th Avenue. The depressed
eight-lane roadway, in a position north of the two existing LIRR Railroad
tracks would be retained, would not interfere with the Sea Beach tracks
that would remain south of the railroad. Property acquisition would
be required between 65th Street and 62nd Street, and on the north side
of 61st Street from 9th Avenue easterly to 12th Avenue."
Continuing
east on our tour, the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch has a fairly wide ROW at this
point. Notice the gently sloping land that was created in order to
provide a trench for the railroad ROW. A railroad service road, consisting
of packed ballast, lines the ROW. At the top of the sloping hill
lies 61st Street. Moses' engineers had intended on acquiring much
of built-up property for the very large eight-lane expressway that was
to be built in this area.
The
Sea Beach subway line, residing south of the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch.
The Sea Beach line is located above the retaining wall, whereas the LIRR
Bay Ridge Branch single-tracked line runs directly next to the cement wall.
The Cross-Brooklyn Expressway would have been located to the north of
the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch train tracks.
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