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INDUSTRIAL & TERMINAL RAILROADS & RAIL-MARINE OPERATIONS OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

BROOKLYN  EASTERN  DISTRICT  TERMINAL

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Property, Structures, Operations & Freight Handling

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I have combined the W. R. Harrison survey images into this page to show the construction progress. 

The W. R. Harrison Survey Photos of 1918-1919 as stand alone images are on their own page.

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Index
(by street)

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#9 - North 5th Street & Kent Avenue - July 16, 1918
Looking north.
Concrete mixing "plant" with pouring chutes for foundation of North 5th Street Freighthouse.
Kent Avenue crossing guard with shanty with partial demolition of West Shore Freighthouse and Brooklyn Cooperage in background.

#10 - July 16, 1918
Looking south at excavation for foundation forms for North 5th Street Freighthouse. Sunbeam Foods (to be Austin Nichols Building in background).
PRR North 4th Street Freight Station barely visible above rightmost boxcar.

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#12 - 5 'A' Temporary Trackage - August 8, 1918
Looking east south east from bulkhead.
Temporary trackage (no tie plates) around construction of North 5th Street Freighthouse.
Note saddletank and locomotive center right of image.

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#11 - PRR North 4th Yard, BEDT 5 'A' and 6 'A' Yards - August 8, 1918
Looking west-northwest.
In what has to be one of the best "early era" images of the Pennsylvania Railroad North 4th Street Freight Station.
Note the locomotive on float bridge lead track, Howe Truss float bridge. Piersheds for both Union and Empire Lines. PRR steam tug at end of pier.
Enclosed wagon being loaded/unloaded on team tracks from Canadian Government Railways..
Coal being offloaded from gondola into horsedrawn carts on adjacent track with scale on and weighmaster.
Note top of BEDT locomotive (square saddletank) almost dead center of image behind freight car.

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#17 - Cul de Sac trackage between North 5th Street Freighthouse - September 17, 1918
Looking east.
Newly installed Tracks 5A11, 5A10, 5A9 and 5A8 between the mostly renovated former West Shore Freighthouse on left and North 5th Street freighthouse framing
on right. The left side would become outbound freight, and the rightside inbound freight. Refer to July 1963 photo below.

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North 5th Street Freighthouse - ca. 1920
Looking north.
W. R. Harrison photo
authors collection
added 15 August 2026

5A Yard - July 1963
Looking east - locomotive is on 5A10, with 5A9 and 5A8 to right
R. Ziel photo
authors collection

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North 5th Street - April 1963
Looking east along North 5th Street. Freight house on left.
The red and black tank cars seen just above the concrete wall are in the 5B Yard
(between Kent and Whyte Avenues). The white tank car to the right of the black tank car is in the 5C Yard
(between Wythe Avenue & Berry Street), adjacent to the Scranton & Lehigh Coal Silos
(on corner of North 5th and Berry Street)
Photographer is standing between North 5th Street float bridge lead (left) and 5A1 (right).
North 5th Street is on other side of this track. Switch at bottom left corner of photo is for north and south float bridge tracks.
A. Bink photo
authors collection
added 01 Aug 2009

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#18 - September 17, 1918 - 5 'B' Yard
Looking east at temporary (I hope!) trackage in 5 'B' Yard

#13 - August 8, 1918 - 5 'B' Yard
Storage of rail, temporary ties and joiner bars in 5 'B' Yard. Note single point turnout in street.

North 5th Street "B Yard" - April 16, 1963
Looking northeast - note Ray Fleet Trucking on right edge of photo
unknown photographer
authors collection

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#1 - North 6th to North 5th Streets - June 1, 1918
Looking east at (from left to right) Brooklyn Cooperage, 6A Yard, 6 Bridge (gantry) 5A Yard, 5th Street Enginehouse on right; Erie RR Freighthouse in background.
added 18 January 2016

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#5 - Back Alley at foot of North 6th - June 1, 1918
Rear of Brooklyn Cooperage at rear alley looking towards North 7th Street with a very serious watchman.
Note the pile of excavation debris and gantry behind the B&O boxcar. This is for the excavation of the BMT Canarsie Line ("LL") Subway vent shaft
for the 14th Street Tunnel.

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#7 - Between North 5 and North 6th Streets and Kent Avenue - July 16, 1918
Looking west across Kent Avenue at fence of 6 'A' Yard, West Shore RR freighthouse on right edge of image.

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#2 - 6 "A" Yard - June 1, 1918
Looking west at fencing along Kent Avenue; with 5th Street enginehouse on left, 6 Bridge gantry in background, Brooklyn Cooperage on right.

#3 - North 6th Street - June 1, 1918
6 A Yard - Same as above, but looking slightly more south west. Note locomotive on right of photo on pier trackage, and North 5th Street enginehouse left center.
Also note: Pennsylvania RR North 4th Street Terminal and large American flag at half mast on left side of image.
Taken from the second story of the Erie Freighthouse on Kent Avenue.

#8 - July 16, 1918
Looking southwest. Old freightsheds razed, foundation for new North 5th Street Freighthouse being poured.
Note concrete mixing drum at bottom of lifting derrick and pouring chute.

#14 - Former 6'A' Yard - August 8, 1918
Looking west-northwest. Note foundation and post pedestals poured for North 5th Street Freighthouse. Tell tale warning for Kent Avenue trolley wire between crossing guard and
watchman shanties. Cement mixer waiting to be relocated. Also note the single slip switches midpoint in yard.
Former West Shore RR Freighthouse being renovated with new exterior sheathing with multiple trackside door openings, with Brooklyn Cooperage building on right.

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#15 -  Foot of on North 6th Street Looking east - August 8, 1918
Former West Shore RR freighthouse being extended west.

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#4 - North 6th Street & Kent Avenue - June 1, 1918 (date suspect)
Looking west. Note track within curb line on right for Brooklyn Cooperage, and street sign "blocks" built into corner of H&E building
and note former West Shore RR freighthouse mostly completed of south side of street.

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#19 - 6 Bridge Lead Tracks - September 17, 1918
Looking west-northwest at North 6th Street Floatbridge and construction of floatbridge lead tracks as well as connections to trackage along bulkhead running behind Brooklyn Cooperage
to North 7th Street and northern part of property.
 Note the 0-4-0T BEDT steam locomotive. Number is obscured, but this is one of the older locomotives, so number has to be #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, or #6 and
note no steam dummy shell.

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Former 6 'A' Yard - September 17, 1918
Looking north-northwest. Taken from an upper floor of the "J. W. Bottles" building on the corner of North 5th Street and Kent Avenue. 
Erecting the framing of North 5th Street Freighthouse,
and roof being repaired on crossing guard shanty. Tell tale for Kent Avenue trolley wire is removed.
W. R. Harrison photo #20
authors collection

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This is an interesting image - the photographer is looking northwest from Kent Avenue at the 6A Yard gantry, but using something I never thought I'd see at BEDT. 
The image is undated, however the last service date on the New York Central gondola is December 1926.
These are LCL (Less Than Carload) Corp drop bottom bulk material transport containers. Various types of LCL containers were developed by the New York Central in conjunction with the LCL Corp
in the early 1920's for a variety of commodities; milk: mail, dry good, bricks, and other items.
These particular containers were used for sand, gravel, lime, and other things of that nature. The side lines on the gantry (with large O rings) pulled up on chains to keep the bottom door closed. When the cables were slacked, the bottom doors opened, dumping the contents.   The back of the dump truck says Krider - Masons and Building Materials.
authors collection
added 15 August 2026

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Kent Avenue & North 6th Street - 1953
Looking south along Kent Avenue with North 5th Street freighthouse on right
The traveling gantry to the right of southbound Kent Avenue crossing gate (under "Nichols"
and behind building facade) is PRR North 4th Street Freight Station gantry.
Wide opening between the gantry and Austin Nichols building is the Pennsylvania RR North 4th Yard.
Tracks in street are for streetcars, not BEDT, but notice there is no overhead trolley wire,
so service along Kent Avenue must have already ceased by date of this photo.

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North 6th Street Floatbridge (left) & North 6th Street Pier (right) (6P1 through 6P5) - 1952
 Looking west - Map Key 231 / 230
Melvin Krampf photo - June 1952  issue"Railroad Magazine"
Popular Publications

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undeterminable location - believed to be North 6th Yard (6A yard) - 1952
Coal transfer directly from hoppers to dealer's truck
Melvin Krampf photo - June 1952  issue"Railroad Magazine"
Popular Publications

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6A Yard Gantry - ca. 1956 - 1957
Looking west - tank car is on 6A7 - PRR boxcar is on 6A8, before the addition of tracks in the driveway.
unknown photographer
authors collection

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6A Yard Gantry loading scrap metal - ca. 1958?
Looking southwest. Gondolas are on 6A7
S. Meyers photo
D. Keller archives
authors collection
added 04 Sept 2009

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6A Yard & Gantry - April 1976
Looking east - click on the image above for a large non-annotated version for close up examination!
This image is of special interest as it appears BEDT installed additional trackage upon the northernmost (left)
driveway to increase car storage capacity of the 6A Yard. All maps and track plans show a paved driveway where the
Central Vermont (CV) and the yellow tank car are seen. North 7th Street is on the left edge of photo and truck being loaded
on the sidewalk most likely bagged flour for Semolina Trucking. Note broken bag of flour on ground.
The older truck on right edge of photo is Aceste Trucking, another flour distributor and is backed up to track 6A5
with the Penn Central (PC) boxcars. The Soo Line covered hopper is probably holding mustard seed for Old Dutch Mustard Co.
J. Held photo
added 13 July 2009

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Looking northwest at North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - December 24, 1915
Note enclosed conveyor between piershed and Brooklyn Cooperage building.
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

Looking northeast from 6 Pier at foot of North 6th Street - December 24, 1915
Note enclosed conveyor between piershed and Brooklyn Cooperage building.
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

Looking southwest at northeast corner of Brooklyn Cooperage Building - June 14, 1916
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

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Looking southeast at northwest corner of Brooklyn Cooperage Building - June 14, 1916
Note crude spindly barrel ramp that replaced enclosed conveyor
seen in earlier image.
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

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Looking northwest at North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1915
Note enclosed conveyor to second storey has been replaced with crude barrel ramp to ground floor.
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

Looking west-southwest at north wall of North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1916
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

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Looking northwest at upper floor (second storey) of North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1916
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

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Looking northwest at lower floor (ground level), north side, offshore end of North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1916
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026
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Looking northwest at lower floor (ground level) north side, inshore end of North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1916
digital print - authors collection
added 09 August 2026

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Looking northwest at lower floor (ground level) south side, inshore end of North 7th Street / Brooklyn Cooperage piershed - June 14, 1916
Note barrel ramp on right side.
added 09 August 2026

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North 9th Street - 1912
Looking east from East River, North 10th Street to left, North 9th Street straight. Coal trestle on extreme right edge of image.
Carfloat is at 9 Bridge. Note traveling crane on pier shed roof, grain elevator behind. Building with flag is BEDT office building at Kent Avenue, 
with North 9th Street engine house on bulkhead to left of coal trestle.
Author cropped excessive water and sky area out of image. Click on image for large high resolution version.
New York Municipal Archives Digital Collections - Image ID REC 0131 010820
Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
added 24 July 2026

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Kent Avenue & North 9th Street - October 1982
Looking west-southwest at Bulk Flour Terminal, appears to be a fan trip.
unknown photographer
authors collection
added 13 June 2010

Kent Avenue & North 9th Street - ca. 1997
Looking west at Bulk Flour Terminal.
J. Wanczyk photo

Kent Avenue & North 9th Street - ca. 1997
Looking west - southwest at Bulk Flour Terminal 
J. Wanczyk photo

Kent Avenue & North 9th Street - ca. 1997
Looking west at Bulk Flour Terminal 
J. Wanczyk photo

Administration & Offices, 86 Kent Avenue - ca. 1997
Looking north - note old painted sign near roof. See closeup below.
J. Wanczyk photo

Administration & Offices, 86 Kent Avenue - ca. 1997
Looking north - note old painted sign near roof.
J. Wanczyk photo

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November 19, 1965
Oblique aerial looking west at East River from over Kent Avenue. North 10th Street through North 12th Streets including 8 Pier , 9 Bridge and 9 Pier.
Air Map of America Corp.
New York Municipal Archives Digital Collection - Image ID: REC 0131 02 20758
annotated image: © 2026 - freightrrofnyc.info
added 24 July 2026

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The following series of fifty-four images are printed on 8" x 11½"  photo cardstock, are punched and bound in a post mount album.
They have a 7" x 9" image area. They were scanned in the same order as they were placed in the album, with #1 being on top.

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