Brooklyn Old Trolley Cars

The Brooklyn trolley cars went out of service in 1948, but they’re still remembered both inside and outside of the city.

The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association once owned 16 trolleys throughout this borough, and decided, after a contentious struggle with bureaucrats to put some out on display in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where they were beloved by residents and tourists alike.

The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association (BHRA) was established in 1980 to oversee the restoration of the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel (the world’s oldest subway tunnel) and Brooklyn’s old trolley routes, a project that was killed when the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) pulled its support. It maintains a shop, trolley barn, and offices in the area.

In mid-2003, the BHRA was ordered by the DOT to fill in all of the trolley tracks on public streets and officially revoked its consent for a restoration project to proceed or exist on any city streets. Most of the trolleys were removed from Brooklyn by the organization. The only ones that remained were four on the Beard Street Pier. Plans called to move the trolleys to the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel when it makes sense.

However, in February of 2014 the cars were suddenly hauled away from their Red Hook location. Now, there’s only one car remaining.