Heading south,
one can see several more freight cars parked along the layup tracks.
A view of a
manual switch. The CHRR yard is very old, and there are no electronic
signals or switches in the yard.
Here, we can
see the manual switch and rails. The system is not complex, but it
still performs flawlessly after all of these years.
The Cross Harbor
Railroad once served many industries along First and Second Avenues in
Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Here, a spur goes out of the CHRR yard, transverses
the sidewalk, and cross the avenue to a factory across the street.
Like most of the rail freight operations within New York City, activity
began to slowly dissipate as trucks and highway infrastructure gave industry
owners the ability to transport their goods utilizing these services.
This spur is
in fairly good shape, even though it hasn't been used in years. Notice
the different types of track groves used on the left track compared to
those utilized on the right track. OldNYC.com contributor Terry Guyatt
explains, "There is no difference in the rails, but the right-hand rail
has a check rail laid inside it. The curve is sharp and, as a locomotive
pushes a car around it towards the right, centrifugal force would be exerted
onto the left-hand rail, tending to push the rail out of alignment. The
check rail helps alleviate the problem as it takes some of the strain by
pressing on the backs of the locomotive¹s right-hand wheels, preventing
the full force from bearing on the left-hand rail."
-->> Click Here to Continue to Explore the Cross Harbor Yard!