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

RAILROAD OPERATED PIER STATIONS & INLAND FREIGHT STATIONS
OF MANHATTAN

Less Than Carload Car Load LCL

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Index

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This page consists solely of pier stations or inland freight stations that were simply that:
a pier station or inland freight station with no other adjoining railroad facility, float bridge, or trackage.

Pier Stations with adjoining railroad operations are shown on their respective Offline Freight Terminal pages.

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Pier Station Overview

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Bridges and Bridge Plates

   Freight handling via pier stations was a rather simple but laborsome affair especially in the era prior to mechanized fork lifts. Locomotives, float bridges and yard trackage were not needed, as the freight cars need not be removed from the carfloats. Despite this, pier stations were expeditious and very direct for the transfer of cargo. 

   Depending on the type of watercraft: covered barge or station carfloat; would dictate the method used for the transfer of freight to and from pier stations, and station / platform carfloats and the pier. 

   The floors of the pier shed, was ramped down to meet the deck of the pier at regularly spaced intervals, where sliding doors were located. 

   In the diagrams above, we will be referring to wood plank bridges shown in orange, and steel bridge plates (also called dock plates) and shown in yellow. 

   The simplest of these wood plank bridge appear to be 6 feet wide and at least 10 to 12 feet long, using 12" x 2" planks. They could be simple in construction or heavily reinforced with side beams.

   Bridge plates on the other hand were 3' x 4' plates of 5/8" or 3/4" steel, with multiple punched holes along the edges. The holes were used with prybars to lift or manuever the plate into place when laying flat on a deck.

   In either of Diagrams 1, 2 or 3 above; once these bridge plates (in yellow) were in place, and the center platform of the station carfloat was accessable through the red boxcar, any of the other boxcars on the station carfloat were now accessible to the pier shed as represented by the dashed yellow line; and armies of men with hand trucks, dollies or even forklifts could be used to unload / load freight from any of the boxcars on that given carfloat via that center platform (dotted yellow lines). 

   Unloading priority was given to perishables or expedited freight.

Diagram 1

  Upon the arrival of the either a station carfloat with boxcars or a covered barge, the doors of at least one boxcar on the station carfloat or at least one door on the covered barge were positioned directly across from a door on the pier shed. In Diagram 1 above, the two carfloats are moored to the bulkhead and each side of the piershed, and a covered barge is moored to the outshore end of the pier. 

   In regards to the covered barge, with the pier shed door slid open and the door on the covered barge slid open, a wood plank bridgewas manuevered into position and lashed into place for safety. Men could now begin the process of moving cargo to and fro as seen in image "A" below.

   However for a station carfloat, there was one more step to complete: the inwards facing door of the boxcar (shown in red) and facing the center platform was also opened, and a steel bridge plate (also known as a dock plate) (image B below) wheeled into place to bridge the small gap between the boxcar floor and steel deck of the carfloat platform. 

   Once this bridge plate was in place, men could now bring additional bridge plates to the station carfloat, and open additional boxcar doors and simultaneously carry or wheel cargo to and from any of the boxcars on the carfloat and the piershed.

Image "A": wood plank bridge

Image B "bridge plate." Note holes along edges.

Diagram 2

   This diagram shows two carfloats moored side by side. This was usually done where a headhouse existed in conjunction with a piershed. The Produce Exchange in lower Manhattan was an example of this. 

   While the inner most carfloat could be accessed by either a pier shed door or a head house door, the outside carfloat was accessed via the bow ramp, and a wood plank bridge (orange) to a door on the head house. I am sure in times of necessity, a wood plank bridge could have been placed between two carfloats, but I have yet to encounter a photo of this taking place. 

   Referencing Diagram 2, once the first bridge plate was placed in position, the boxcar in red on the inner carfloat would be unloaded first or at least a pathway cleared between the two boxcar doors. In some cases, an empty or partially empty boxcar was placed in the cut of cars, for expediancy in unloading.

   In regard to the outer carfloat, because the bow ramp was being used, it was not necessary that a pathway through a boxcar be cleared first and to use as bridge to the pier; and any or all boxcars were accessable from the start. 

   Also, in locations of frequent head house usage, even more stoutly constructed wood bridges of various designs with side timbers were used. These heavy bridges were moved in and out of place by block and tackle mounted in the headhouse; and their heavy construction allowed the use of storage battery and gasoline powered "mules" as seen in the image below. Note the net to prevent accidental falls of people or cargo into the water.

   This image below also shows the toothed "rack" used to prevent railroad cars from falling off the carfloat, as show in from of the B & O boxcar.

Image C - note heavy timber sided bridge, and safety net.

Image D: a wood plank bridge deck and steel bridge plates at front ramp of station carfloat. Note the use of bridge plates at the boxcar doors along left side of platform, as well as the edges of the wood plank bridge to ease the transition. Also note the block and tackle over doorway, which would be used to manuever the plank bridge.

    According to the Joint Plan with Comprehensive Report, in most cases, the head house (or bulkhead shed) was used for the loading of outbound freight, while the piershed (being larger), was used for inbound freight that was unloaded. Consignors were usually given 48 hours "free time" (starting at 7 am the day following the freight's arrival), to come and get their freight. This 48 hour hold time requires a great deal of space, while consignors freight awaits pick up. Therefore the larger piershed was in most cases used for inbound freight. 

   In some cases, a piershed would be shared between a railroad and steamship line.

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Diagram 3

   In some cases, as has been seen on the West Side of Manhattan, a stand alone ramped platform (Image E) was located at the bulkhead and could be bridged to the carfloat. This seems to be a method favored by the New York Central Railroad, as these bulkhead ramps are seen both at the bulkheads at West 34th Street and Twelfth Avenue, as well as the bulkheads along the west driveway of the West 60th Street Yard and in between  Piershed. B, D, E and F.

   This bulkhead platform allowed direct station carfloat to truck / truck to station carfloat exchange of cargo; without having to go through the pier house. 

Image E: external wood ramp at bulkhead for direct truck and station carfloat loading / unloading.

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Inland Freight Stations

   An inland freight station is nothing more than a railroad owned warehouse type structure set away from the piers or offline terminals for storage of freight.  

   They were used by the railroads to relieve congestion at the waterfront piers and offline terminals. Therefore, a customer could pick up or drop off their shipment at the inland freight station and avoid the hustle and bustle of the pierside location, and the railroad would take care of the transportation to and from the pier and inland freight station.

   The inland freight stations were also used for the long term storage of freight before consignees could come an pick up their items. Also, inland freight stations could have served to store "overflow" from pier stations when freight traffic was at it's peak.

   The Erie Railroad had several inland freight stations located in lower Manhattan at Leroy, Greenwich, Watts, and Hubert Streets. These were located one or two short blocks inland from the piers stations on the Hudson River.

   On September 16, 1932; the Port Authority of the City of New York dedicated the Union Inland Freight Station. This facility was also known as the Port of New York Authority, Inland Terminal #1. The Union Inland Freight Terminal was a 16 story building occupying the block between Eighth & Ninth Avenues and West 15th and West 16th Streets and opened for business in 1933.

   This Union Inland Freight Station was to be occupied by no less than eight trunk line railroads:

   It is understood that the purpose of the Union Inland Freight Station was to provide a convenient and unified location in Midtown Manhattan for the major railroads  in the New York Area.

   Inbound Freight would arrive from New Jersey via carfloat or lighter at the respective railroad's piers on the Hudson River. The freight was then offloaded and trucked to the Inland Freight Station to await pick up by the consignee / customer.

   Outbound Freight would be dropped off by the consignor at the Inland Freight Station at the respective railroads area, and consolidated with other shipments for transfer to the piers. Once at the pier station, the freight would be loaded into freight cars (already on carfloats) for transport to New Jersey where the freight cars would be pulled off the carfloat and subsequently shipped to their various destinations throughout the United States.

   In modern "lingo", the Inland Freight Station would now be referred to as a "shipping hub".

   Handling the freight twice may appear to be a waste of labor, but considering the limited space at the piers & wharves, congestion of horses & wagons, and later trucks necessitated moving the freight transfer point away from the piers & wharves.

   On 08 July 2010, I purchased an original agreement for the use of the Union Inland Freight Station, as issued to the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Upon reading the agreement, I learned that it was originally intended to construct two additional Inland Freight Stations in New York City per the success of the original station. I found evidence that the Port Authority constructed the Union Inland Freight Station #2, also known as the Union Motor Truck Terminal which was located by the Holland Tunnel; and of which appears to have not been utilized by the railroads. I have also not been able to locate evidence of the City actually constructing the third location.

   What makes the the Union Inland Freight Station unique, is that instead of being owned by any one individual railroad, it was owned by the City of New York, and they in turn leased space to the railroads. While the Port Authority would maintain the overall structure, heating, ventilation, electrical, and plumbing; the railroads would maintain the freight handling facilities, elevators and all specialty equipment.

   The following excerpt is from the "New York City Guide of 1939"

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   What year the structure ceased being the Inland Union Freight Station remains to be discovered. However, I have found reference to it as late as 1947. Referencing the New York Harbor Terminals Map of 1961, shows the location no longer referred to as the Union Inland Freight Terminal, and the location is simply marked Port Authority Building.

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Facilities Map - 1943

   The map below will provide you with a guide as to the locations of the pier stations and freight stations mentioned on this page.

   Please keep in mind that this map is from 1943, and some pier stations may have been relinquished or may not have opened yet. Only the piers marked in red were railroad operated, but remember: carfloats and lighters could be spotted at any pier for a customer.

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Index of Railroad Pier Stations

Pier Numbering

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Notes:

* = incomplete atlas in NYPL archives (volumes missing)
¹ = correlates to 1942 ACoE Port & Terminal Facilites, Part 2
² = inbound only
³ = MTCo = Manhattan Terminal Co.: Joint Company for B&O, LV, Erie, CNJ

When a street is listed as 26.5, this denotes the pier is located mid-block between two streets, and not physically at the foot of a street.
BH = unnumbered Bulkhead House or Freight Shed, not a pier;   

B&O = Baltimore & Ohio;    CNJ = Central RR of New Jersey;    CR = ConRail;    CS = Chessie System;    CV = Central Vermont;    DL&W = Delaware, Lackawanna & Western;    Erie = Erie;   EL = Erie Lackawanna;    
LV = Lehigh Valley;    NJS = New Jersey Southern;    NYLE&W = New York, Lake Erie & Western;    NYO&W = New York, Ontario & Western;    NYC = New York Central;    NYC&HR = New York Central & Hudson River;    
NYWS&B = New York West Shore & Buffalo;    PRR = Pennsylvania;    WS= West Shore

Legend

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HUDSON   RIVER      A/K/A     NORTH   RIVER

PIER 1 - PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD)

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PIER 8 - RECTOR STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD)

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PIER 11 - CEDAR STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(CENTRAL RAILROAD OF NEW JERSEY)

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Central Railroad of New Jersey - Cedar Street Freight Station / Pier 11 - ca. 1932
E. Galloway photo
NYPL Digital Archives
added 02 July 2009

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PIER 13 - CORTLANDT STREET PIER STATIO
Hudson River, Manhattan

(DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA & WESTERN RAILROAD)

DL & W Pier Station S

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   The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Freight Station located on Pier 13 (Hudson River) was located at the foot of Cortlandt Street.

   According to Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan & Recommendations, 1920, published by the New York New Jersey Port & Harbor Development Commission; Pier 13 dimensions were 882' x 100'.

   The following is an excerpt from the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western RR 1952 Directory of Industries & Facilities:

   This Freight Station would share space with the Starin Transportation, Ben Franklin and New Haven shipping lines.

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PIER 16 - BARCLAY STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD)

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PIER 20 - CHAMBERS STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(ERIE RAILROAD)

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Erie Railroad - Chambers Street Freight Station / Pier 20 - 1942
Homer H. Poss, Jr. photo
(Mr. Poss was sightseeing in New York City prior to disembarkation for overseas duty during when he took this image.
His daughter, Sherry Fletcher; contacted me and presented this image (along with a photo of the DL&W Ferry "Ithaca") as gifts.
authors collection
added 23 November 2009

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PIER 21 - DUANE STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(ERIE RAILROAD)

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Erie Railroad - Duane Street Freight Station / Pier 21 - July 8, 1937
(with Baltimore & Ohio Jay Street / Pier 22 in background)
P. L. Sperr photo
NYPL Digital Archives
added 02 July 2009
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Erie Railroad - Duane Street Freight Station / Pier 21 - August 31, 1926
P. L. Sperr photo
NYPL Digital Archives
added 03 July 2009

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Erie Railroad - Duane Street Freight Station / Pier 21 - July 12, 1931
P. L. Sperr photo
NYPL Digital Archives
added 03 July 2009
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PIER 20 / 21 - DUANE STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD)

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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad - Duane Street Freight Station / Pier 21 (left) and Pier 20 (right) - ca. 1950
unknown photographer
E. Bommer collection
added 27 December 2011

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PIER 22 - JAY STREET PIER STATION
Hudson River, Manhattan

(BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD)

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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad - Jay Street Freight Station / Pier 22 - unknown date
Photo taken by Interstate Commerce Commission and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Inventory Crew between 1916 and 1920.
image courtesy of Joseph De May, Kew Gardens, NY
added 19 June 2010

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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad - Jay Street Freight Station / Pier 22 - ca. 1920's
E. Bommer collection
added 28 December 2011