MANHATTAN BEACH BRANCH

Manhattan Beach - 1879

The narrow gauge line was built in 1877 on the south side of the Manhattan Beach hotel, on the beach and operated between the Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach hotels, a distance of under 1/2 mile in length.  The track was on the south side of the depot, visible in the attached image at the lower left, to the left of the stairs. 

After being beaten up by the storm of Nov. 25, 1888, it was relocated to the north side of the hotel and connected with the NY & Manhattan Beach Railroad (also narrow gauge) but this fantastic architectural beauty of a depot building was not duplicated. Info: Dave Keller

 


Marine Railway station at the Manhattan Beach Hotel c. 1880
Archive: Dave Keller
Manhattan-Beach-Brooklyn_1878.jpg (99260 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway - Manhattan Beach, timetable front 1878


LIRR Ticket -  LI City to Manhattan Beach Excursion Season Extra 1890's

Manhattan-Beach-Railway-Timetable_5-25-1878.jpg (167163 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway - Time Table 5/25/1878

Ticket 1894 LI City-Manhattan Beach with 34th St. Ferry Archie: Brad Phillips


LIRR Trip Pass -   Manhattan Beach to LI City 1895

5-15-1910 PTT MANHATTAN BEACH LIC TO MB. BROOKLYN .jpg (161766 bytes)
 Manhattan Beach Division Public Timetable - LI City to Manhattan Beach 5/15/1910

5-15-1910 PTT MANHATTAN BEACH LIC TO MB. BROOKLYN cover.jpg (121623 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Division PTT, front - LI City to Manhattan Beach 5/15/1910

Ticket 1895 Hewletts to Manhattan Beach Archive: Brad Phillips


LIRR Ticket - Kouwenhoven to Manhattan Beach c.1906

 

Built by New York & Manhattan Beach R. R. Co. as a narrow gauge, single track line in 1877, from Ocean Avenue to the Oriental Hotel.
Double tracked: 1878, as a narrow gauge line.
1st passenger train from Greenpoint to the Oriental Hotel: 1878. 1st passenger train from Bay Ridge to the Oriental Hotel: 1878
Standard gauged and double tracked: 1883
N.Y. & M.B.R.R. became New York, Brooklyn and Manhattan Beach R.R. in 1885, and leased to the LIRR.
Last passenger train from Bay Ridge to Manhattan Beach: 5/13/1924
Last passenger train from Greenpoint to Manhattan Beach: 1882
1st passenger train from Long Island City to Manhattan Beach: 1883
Last passenger train from Long Island City to Manhattan Beach shown in timetable effective October, 1923 and lasting until May, 1924.
No signals on entire line east of “MJ” after grade crossing elimination. Trains were operated only one at a time, “MJ” to Manhattan Beach via either No 1 or No 2 tracks.
Grade crossing eliminations and relocation of main tracks started in1908 and lasted all during 1909, finishing in March, 1910.
“Bay Ridge Improvement” began on 5/19/05 at Parkville Yard:
1st work: Depressing of Main Line: 7th Ave. to Avenue G: 4 ˝ miles. Elevating of Main Line: Avenue G to New Lots Road: 2 ˝ miles.
2nd work: Depressing of Main Line: Liberty Avenue to New Lots Road: 1 mile.
3rd work: Tunnel of Main Line north portal to south portal: 1 mile.
4th work: Elevating Main Line North portal to “FN” cabin: 1 ˝ miles.
5th work: Widening of cut, 7th Avenue to floats: 1 ˝ miles.
Work completed: 3/1/1918 at Bay Ridge Yard.
Elimination of BRT EL trains crossing LIRR at grade:
Gravesend Avenue eliminated: 9/19/1906
New Utrecht Avenue eliminated: 7/16/1907
Bath and Brighton Beach R.R. (at “MJ”) eliminated: 1/17/1908
Marine Railway operated storage battery cars #1-5, built by Beach Car Co., over the LIRR from Sheepshead Bay Station to Oriental Blvd: 8/7/1913 to 4/1/1921
LIRR was abandoned east of Oriental Blvd. c. 1908. 
From Bob Emery’s Notes

NY and Manhattan Beach Railway 1879 map.jpg (294133 bytes)
New York & Manhattan Beach Railway map 1879

USGS-map-1901_Manhattan-Beach.jpg (772091 bytes)
1901 USGS Brooklyn map Manhattan Beach Railway


Narrow-gauge 0-4-4t with 36" drivers, #1876 built in 1876 by Mason Machine Works in Taunton, Mass. for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.  The locomotive was acquired by the NY & Manhattan Beach Ry in January, 1877 and was named "Charles L. Flint."

The locomotive remained on the LIRR and was numbered #103.  It was widened to standard gauge in 1883.  The locomotive was renumbered #55 and was withdrawn from service with the electrification of 1905.  Research/Archive: Dave Keller

Manhattan Beach Railway Timetable- Gilmore's Concert- 9-18-1879.jpg (289061 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway Timetable 1879 Gilmore's Grand Concerts 9/18/1879
Manhattan Beach Railway Timetable 1879.jpg (374089 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway Timetable 1879
Manhattan-Beach- Railway_pre-Penn Station-1905-legend-LIRR.jpg (207041 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway - Pre-Penn Station -1905 map legend
Manhattan-Beach- Railway_pre-Penn Station-1905-LIRR.jpg (227137 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Railway - Pre-Penn Station -1905 Map

The legend indicates yard sizes in city lots.  Sunnyside Yard is indicated as consisting of 8,712 city lots/400 acres, yet it would be another 5 years before it was put into regular operation (1910). The land to be used for the yard was "showing proposed improvements" as designated in 1905. Research: Dave Keller
 

TOWER #79˝ SHEEPSHEAD BAY JCT. - EMMONS AVE. (LATER NEPTUNE AVE.) TROLLEY CROSSING - NORTH OF MANHATTAN BEACH STATION ON W. SIDE OF MANHATTAN BEACH BRANCH TRACKS AND NORTH SIDE OF EMMONS (NEPTUNE) AVE. (16 LEVER MACHINE IN SVC: 10/1898 OR 12/1898. REBUILT WITH 20 LEVER MECHANICAL MACHINE IN SVC: 6/11/1906. RENAMED “SQ” IN 1907.) Research: Dave Keller


Emery map - Manhattan Beach Branch - Emmons Ave -Tower #79.˝
12/1898 Archive: Dave Keller

TOWER #79 ˝ Sheepshead Bay Junction map 6/11/1906 Archive: Art Huneke

“SQ” TOWER SHEEPSHEAD BAY JCT. - EMMONS AVE. (LATER NEPTUNE AVE.) TROLLEY CROSSING NORTH OF MANHATTAN BEACH STATION ON W. SIDE OF MANHATTAN BEACH BRANCH TRACKS AND N. SIDE OF EMMONS (NEPTUNE) AVE. FORMERLY TOWER #79 ˝. (16 LEVER MECHANICAL MACHINE REPLACED BY 20 LEVER MECHANICAL MACHINE IN SVC: 06/11/1906. RENAMED IN 1907. OUT OF SVC. SOMETIME AFTER APRIL 6, 1908 WHEN EMMONS [NEPTUNE] AVE. WAS BRIDGED, ELIMINATING THE GRADE CROSSING. Research: Dave Keller


Manhattan Beach view just north (railroad east) of the station and looking north towards the bridge over Neptune Avenue
 in the right distance. On the left is the also now grade-separated BRT Brighton Line.  9/08/1909.
William Rugen collection-Queens Library Archive: Jeff Erlitz

"SQ" Tower Emmons Ave.-Manhattan Beach Branch - View NW 4/06/1908
Archive: Dave Keller

Sheepshead Bay Station c.1920 (Ziel-Boland)

Oriental Hotel Coney Island Manhattan Beach Shorpy 1903.jpg (65340 bytes)
Oriental Hotel, Coney Island, NY 1903 Archive: Dave Keller


Manhattan Beach Oriental Hotel - LIRR #211 2-4-4t  two center door
wooden car train. 1898 Archive:
Dave Keller

Manhattan Beach Branch map Archive: Dave Keller

End of the Manhattan Beach branch, 16.41 miles from LI City per 1903 CR4 before the Manhattan Beach and Oriental Hotels were demolished and service cut back to Manhattan Beach station.  Elevated NE view is from the hotel looking towards Long Island. The train, tracks, station and elevated view were taken from the land side of the hotel, looking across the bay.  Red arrow on the map ( above) is the direction of the photographer. Info: Dave Keller
 

Express-Frt House-Newly Constructed-Manhattan Bch (Huneke).jpg (81808 bytes)
Manhattan Beach - Newly constructed Express Freight House c.1910
Archive: Art Huneke
Station-Exp-Frt Hse-View South-Manhattan Bch (Huneke).jpg (110966 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Station, Express Freight House view S
c.1910 Archive: Art Huneke
Station-Manhattan Beach-Under Construction - 06-08-1910.jpg (84259 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Station under construction 6/08/1910

Station-LIRR-and-Trolley-View East-Manhattan Bch (Huneke).jpg (88096 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Station LIRR and Trolley View E
c.1910  Archive: Art Huneke

Express-Frt Hse-View East-Manhattan Bch (Huneke).jpg (65294 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Station, Express Freight House
zoom c.1910 Archive: Art Huneke
Station-Manhattan Bch-View East-from Trolley Station (Huneke).jpg (60961 bytes)
Manhattan Beach Station
zoom c.1910 Archive: Art Huneke

Manhattan Beach map 1921 - Emery SUNY-Stony Brook

Emery map - Sheepshead Bay to Manhattan Beach Station -  5/1959 Archive: Dave Keller