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INDUSTRIAL & OFFLINE TERMINAL RAILROADS
OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

ASTORIA LIGHT, HEAT & POWER
Astoria, Queens

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Visitors please take note ! The collection of images on this website, which continues to grow; is due to the unprecedented and selfless contributions of the current owners of photo archives. These people made their generous contributions to this website in good will, and allowed me to post their images online for the entire railroading community to view and appreciate, in admiration of these Fallen Flag Railroads. In return, I strongly request that you please respect the ownership copyrights of those said images. Other than that, please enjoy the history, thanks for taking the time to visit, and don't forget to sign the guestbook on the main page!  ~ Phil

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E. Belcher Hyde Map Co., 1919

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   Astoria Light, Heat and Power was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Consolidated Gas Company. This facility was a gasification plant used to make illuminating gas out of coal tar. Astoria Light, Heat & Power was located at what is now the foot of the Hell Gate Bridge on the Queens side and was first organized in 1893. Construction began in 1903 and at time of completion of two of the four gasification units, this plant was capable of generating 24 million cubic feet of gas per day.

   Throughout the ensuing years, Brooklyn Union Gas (now Keyspan Energy) would purchase and consolidate all of the gasification plants on the east side of the East River. Eventually, gas brought in from Texas via the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line in 1955 eliminated the need for gasification plants and in 1960, the Astoria Light, Heat & Power plant was closed.

   Of particular note, are the locomotives that operated for Astoria Light, Heat & Power; as the H. K. Porter build records show Astoria Light, Heat and Power had both narrow gauge and standard gauge locomotives which operated at the same time.

   My hypothesis for railroad operations was that the standard gauge (56½" or 4' 8½") locomotives interchanged with a Class One railroad or by possibly a floatbridge, to receive cars containing coal for gasification; and the narrow gauge (36") locomotives removed ash, cinders, clinkers and other waste from the furnaces.  This is now understood to be partially incorrect.

   The actual method of receiving coal was by barge, unloaded by massive electric gantries into either storage piles or directly into standard gauge 50 ton hopper cars, which would transport the coal to the coke ovens. The narrow gauge operations, as far as can be ascertained, is correct.

"Electric gantry, with 2 ton automatic grab bucket."
Average capacity, 125 tons per hour. Length of boom, over all, 192 feet 6 inches. Coal taken from [illegible] and delivered either to standard railroad cars, via 50 ton hoppers, or to storage space, via inboard leg boom.
Two such gantries in operation, controlling a length of 715 feet along the bulkhead."
unknown photographer
photo from Water Terminal & Transfer Facilities, US ACoE - 1913

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"Electric bridge tramway, with 7 ton automatic grab bucket and man trolley"
Capacity per hour, 200 and 300 tons, depending upon length of trolley travel. Length of trolley travel, 570 feet.
Length of bridge travel, 715 feet. Coal taken from storage space controlled by the gantries to space controlled by the bridge tramway, or to standard railroad cars, via hopper. Total amount of storage space controlled by the bridge tramway,
400,000 square feet or 500,000 tons of coal. 
unknown photographer
photo from Water Terminal & Transfer Facilities, US ACoE - 1913

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   Recently upon searching the web, I came across a Lionel K-Line 'O' scale model of an H. K. Porter 0-4-0T in Astoria Light, Heat & Power livery. While I am not a Lionel / O Scale fan, I do freely admit to being very amoured with this little engine on historical principals. But, I could not help but wonder if the model is actually a prototypically correct design copied from a drawing or photograph. So, I have to ask, where did Lionel get the idea from? If any of you know of a photo of the real engine, please get in touch with me!

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   Fortunately, at least one photograph of a real Astoria Light, Heat and Power locomotive is known, and that being of #5. Ironically, this locomotive would go on to become Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal #16:

#5 -  January 1923 - H. K. Porter builders photo
(note the disconnected panel track pose)
Kalmbach Memorial Library archives
authors collection

Astoria Light, Heat & Power / Consolidated Gas Steam Locomotive Roster

Locomotive Footnotes

[a]	currently under restoration at Railroad Museum of Long Island, Riverhead, NY.

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