Sub-series 6.2: Brooklyn Trolleys by Car Number, 1890 - 1959

Sub-Series

Identifier: 2008.16.6.2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Harvey Mordetsky Collection comprises approximately 5,000 photographs of street railway and trolley lines operative in the New York metropolitan area, including Long Island and Staten Island, as well as other areas of the United States, and select foreign locations. Approximately 1,700 35-mm color slides showing trolley lines in Canada, Europe, and the United States is an additional feature of the collection. Footage of these same services is additionally captured in a series of moving image artifacts. Non-photographic materials include 282 BMT and NYCT trolley and bus transfers, trolley and transit periodicals, and personal effects/memorabilia belonging to Mordetsky.

Dates

1890 - 1959

Creator

From the Series: Mordetsky, Harvey (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Series: 2.1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Series Outline

Series 6: Photographs of Brooklyn Trolleys and Early Motor Buses

6.1: Trolleys by Line
6.2: Trolleys by Model/Car Number
6.3: PCC Trolleys and Trolley Coaches
6.4: Motor Buses by Model Number
6.5: Work Cars
6.6: Horsecars and Other Early Cars by Company
6.7: Trolley Yards and Depots

Series Description

Sub-series 6.2 contains images of cars, identified by car model and number, and owned by a variety of companies: Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company (BHRR), Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR), Nassau Electric Railroad (NERR), Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad (CI&BRR), Brooklyn and Manhattan Transit Corporation (B&MTC), and the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Company (B&QT). Noteworthy cars pictured include Car 1928, a J. G. Brill experimental car; Car 3556, a press steel car; Car 3557, a standard steel car; Car 4000, a “duplex” car, and Car 4900, an articulated model. Also shown are two parlor cars, the Amphion and Montauk, built in 1894 for excursions to leisure destinations like Coney Island. These cars were rebuilt as passenger cars to test the pay-as-you-enter (PAYE) fare collection system, and both lasted to be put back into revenue service during World War II. Cars 8000-8534 were the “Peter Witt” cars, distinguished from other streetcars of the era by their use of the center doors as “exit only” doors to decrease dwell times.