Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn elevated)

The Fifth Avenue Line or Fifth Avenue-Bay Ridge Line was an elevated rail line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Hudson Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 38th Street, and Third Avenue from Downtown Brooklyn south to Bay Ridge.

History

The Union Elevated Railroad, leased by the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad, built the Hudson Avenue Elevated, a branch of the Brooklyn Elevated's Lexington Avenue Elevated. This line split from the Brooklyn Elevated at a junction at Hudson and Park Avenues, and traveled south above Hudson Avenue to the Long Island Rail Road's Flatbush Avenue terminal. Trains began operating between Fulton Ferry (the terminal of the Brooklyn Elevated) and Flatbush Avenue on November 5, 1888.cite BDE|title=Will Open on Monday|md=November 1|y=1888|page=5]

The line crossed the Myrtle Avenue Elevated at grade two blocks south of its merge with the Brooklyn Elevated. On its second day of operation, November 6, a Hudson Avenue train crashed into a Myrtle Avenue train. [cite BDE|title=Who's to Blame|md=November 7|y=1888|page=6] Service was suspended immediately, [cite BDE|title=Stops Running|md=November 9|y=1888|page=4] and did not resume until June 22, 1889, when an extension south to Third Street was completed, and a new connection into Myrtle Avenue opened, taking trains between Third Street and Sands Street at the end of the Myrtle Avenue Elevated, and replacing the four track crossings with one.cite BDE|title=One Train Ran|md=June 22|y=1889|page=6] The unused two blocks north of Myrtle Avenue were placed back in service on December 9, 1889, when Myrtle Avenue trains began to use it to reach Fulton Ferry via the old Brooklyn Elevated.cite BDE|title=Running Smoothly|md=December 9|y=1889|page=6]

An extension south to 25th Street at Greenwood Cemetery was opened at 4 p.m. on August 15, 1889. At this new terminal, elevated passengers could transfer to the north end of the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad for Coney Island.cite BDE|title=To Greenwood on Thursday|md=August 14|y=1889|page=1] cite BDE|title=The Fifth Avenue Elevated to Greenwood|md=August 15|y=1889|page=6] A further extension to 36th Street, at a new Union Depot serving the West End Line and Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad (Culver Line) to Coney Island, opened on May 29, 1890.cite BDE|title=Half a Mile More of L Road|md=May 29|y=1890|page=6]

The Seaside and Brooklyn Bridge Elevated Railroad was organized on March 18, 1890 [cite BDE|title=Seaside Road|md=March 18|y=1890|page=6] to extend the Fifth Avenue Elevated south to Fort Hamilton, to extend the Lexington Avenue Elevated from Van Siclen Avenue east to the city line, [cite BDE|title=Miles of L Road in Brooklyn|md=March 31|y=1890|page=1] and to build in High Street at the Brooklyn Bridge (this became part of the Sands Street station loop). [cite BDE|title=Wingate Scores Peabody|md=October 7|y=1894|page=19] The extension of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, along Fifth Avenue, 38th Street, and Third Avenue, opened to 65th Street on October 1, 1893.cite BDE|title=Trial Trip on the Sea Side|md=September 30|y=1893|page=10] [cite BDE|title=Through Trains To-day|md=October 1|y=1893|page=1]

tation listing

Fifth Avenue trains served Park Row, Sands Street, Adams Street, and Bridge Street stations before leaving the Myrtle Avenue Line.

References