BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of coal-burning ferries..........

The "foist" oil-burner in the SI Ferry fleet was the "AMERICAN LEGIO" (1) in 1927.

The last steam-powered boats were the three handsome vessels in the "MERREL"-class, which entered service in 1950 and 1951 (they were retired in the early 1980s; none survive....I DO, however, have a large "engine room bell" chart from one of these ferries!)

The first diesels were those of the "KENNEDY"-class, which arrived in 1965; only the "KENNEDY" survives today as a floating comedy club.....the other two have been scrapped.

All of the boats that were still running in the 1960s (an all-steam fleet until 1965) were an integral part of my childhood days!

Ahhh, what wonderful memories!

"NYO"

["NEXT BOAT"]

[Cyberider]

NYO:

What wasn't better in the 1950's?! There might be something but I can't think of it.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Ferries in 1963:

In that year, there were still several ferry routes in New York Harbor, which carried passengers and vehicles:

ERIE-LACKAWANNA RAILROAD (Hoboken to Barclay Street)

JERSEY CENTRAL RAILROAD (Jersey City-Liberty Street)

STATEN ISLAND FERRY (Whitehall Street-St. George)

69TH STREET FERRY (St. George-Brooklyn)

PERTH AMBOY FERRY (Tottenville, Staten Island, to Perth Amboy, NJ)

Today, only the SI Ferry remains, but no longer carries vehicles.............

"NYO"

["FERRY TO NEW JERSEY"]

[Cyberider]

Quite the choice back then. One could certainly spend days riding the ferries, trains, and buses. Maybe even more a decade or two earlier when there were still some el's other than just the Bronx portion of the Third Ave. line.

I still remember the day JFK got shot very distinctly, too. I remember them announcing it over the PA system at school. I was 11 at the time. We'd have been even more shocked if we'd been told the truth.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On this day in 1946,,,,,,,,

The sprawling St. George ferry/rail terminal perished in a spectacular blaze that smoldered through several hot days.

The ferry "MISS NEW YORK", carrying 500 passengers, had, moments earlier, just departed for Whitehall Street.

The blaze spread so rapidly that the boat due in at 1:55 could not berth.

In addition to those based on Staten Island, fire companies from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey responded; also, several FDNY fireboats.

Several SIRT ME-1s, in the terminal at the time of the blaze, were also destroyed; the blaze was so intense, that the heavy steel cars buckled from the intense heat.

Three people, sadly, lost their lives; however, had the blaze started while hundreds were still in the main concourse, awaiting the gates to open, for boarding the "MISS NEW YORK", there would have been a major, catastrophic loss of life.

Plans were soon drawn up for the new (present) terminal complex, which opened in 1951.............

"NYO"

["DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS"]

[Cyberider]

Was the cause of the fire known?

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Aftermath............

After the fire, SIRT operations were revamped until a new temporary terminal could be put into operation at St. George.

Main line trains from Tottenville terminated at Tompkinsville.

Trains from South Beach also terminated at Tomkinsville (shuttle bus to ferries)

Trains from Arlington (North Shore line) also had schedules altered.

Ferry service at St. George was shifted to the adjacent slips of the 39th Street Ferry, which was discontinued (service later resumed, but served 69th St., Brooklyn, instead)

It also should be noted that the St. George terminal, prior to the blaze, had two interlocking towers for the SIRT's trains.

When the new terminal opened in 1951, a single tower now controlled all train movements......

"NYO"

["RIDE THE RAPID"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also.........

During the height of the blaze, every available fireboat in NY Harbor was called upon to battle the blaze; they were also assisted by tugboats equipped with fire guns and pumping equipment...........

"NYO"

["FDNY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It is also interesting to note that SIRT crews attempted to save the cars which were sitting idle at the St. George platforms as the flames neared the SIRT concourse.

The heat was so intense, only a few cars were saved; the cars that were caught in the blaze literally buckled from the heat........

"NYO"

["TO S.I,R,T. TRAINS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

These two rare WW-2 era photos show the terminal throat at St. George, used by the Tottenville and South Beach trains (most South Beach trains were single cars)

In the background can be seen the slips for the 39th St. (Brooklyn) ferries, as well as the lay-up slips used by the Staten Island boats.

Note the semaphore signals, after the terminal fire, these signals were replaced by the B&O's color position light signals.

The platform area was later covered over by the new bus approach lanes...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?115369

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?115373

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TOTTENVILLE LOCAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is a rare photo depicting the early stages of construction for the new St. George terminal; note the new (temporary) platforms now in place of those destroyed by the 1946 fire.

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21937

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

The interlocking tower seen here was replaced by a modern structure prior to the new terminal's opening in 1951.

In the background can be seen the slips (both occupied) of the 69th Street ferry (which Mom and I rode many times when I was growing up); this vital, very busy link to Brooklyn was shut down in late 1964, when the new VZ Bridge opened.

It should also be noted that, after the Arlington and South Beach lines were abandoned in 1953, single-car train operation ended; the shortest trains then operated were off-peak two-car trains (to Tottenville)............

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Perhaps one of the most rare SIRT photos taken at St. George is this photo showing the departure of a troop train, pulling out of the St. George terminal, sometime during WW2.

Note the elderly truss-road coaches being hauled by the Camelback (the B&O used thes extensively in freight service on Staten Island)

The train would only be heading a short distance, to the "deep water" piers at Clifton, where the men would disembark to board troop carriers for points overseas.

Also, note the ferries in the lay-up slips in the background; several ME-1 trains are seeing laying over, and awaiting their next runs...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?115368

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS"]