VOLUME 11:
LONG ISLAND RAILROAD SERVICE TO LONG ISLAND CITY'S BRENNER PAPER

By Nicholas Kalis

Eleventh in a series of glimpses into industries or warehouses that made for interesting freight operations on the Long Island. Information presented has included, where available, a brief history of the firm, how it was served by the LIRR, and what commodities were received or shipped from this facility.

Brenner Paper Corporation (phone number RAvenswood 9-0535), located at 42-24 Orchard Street, Long Island City was known as Spot 12a according to page 2 of Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings published in June 1966. This 1966 publication puts Brenner facing Yard A and sharing a siding with American Steel Wool. In fact, Brenner shared the same building as American Steel Wool. According to the Hyde Atlas, Queens Vol. 1, updated through 1955, this building was bounded by Orchard Street, Jackson Avenue, and Yard A. According to the founder’s daughter, Rhoda Levenson, her father, Louis Brenner founded the firm in 1932. Mrs. Levenson’s husband, Eugene ran the firm in the 1960s. Brenner was a substantial firm even at that time as evidenced by the fleet of trucks that adorned an old photograph (Photo 1) Mrs. Rhoda Brenner Levenson shared with me. According to Mrs. Levenson, Brenner Paper Corp. occupied this space until 1979/80. Presently owned by Rhoda Levenson and still known as Brenner Paper Corporation, this firm moved to Glendale, Queens.

Brenner shared this address with American Steel Wool Manufacturing during the period of 1940 - 1960s. This facility, occupied a white 5-story brick building with a red sign with white letters that read “AMERICAN STEEL WOOL”, appears on page 5 of Penn Central Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by James Kinkaid and published by Morning Sun Books, Inc. Spot 12a has a separate tall, square, brick smoke stack to its west side and a one-story building painted white further to its west. Brenner’s spot (12A) was to the east of American Steel Wool. The purpose of this one-story building has yet to be uncovered. That siding is not in service today.

Commodities shipped into this facility by rail were large rolls of paper carried in box cars. These paper rolls originated in St. Catharines, Ontario from the Domtar Paper Mill. Brenner produced envelopes but only empties left this facility by rail.

Modeling

Readers seeking to model Brenner Paper would be well advised to simply scratch build it. Use the Walthers catalog to find industrial windows that match the prototype. Embossed sheet styene could be used to represent the brick construction. I would suggest a foam core mockup be constructed first. I have built a foam core mock-up of this building and am pleased with the results.

Credits

My thanks go to Mrs. Rhoda Levenson of New York. Thanks also to Carl Fabrizi, and Bill Myers, all of New York.

Bibliography

Author Unknown Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings (Reprint) June 1966

Please send photographs showing how Brenner appeared in the 1960s and direct any comments on or corrections to:

Nicholas Kalis, Suite 600, 1420 Spring Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22102
Any illustrations or maps contributed will be gratefully acknowledged.