There is an item in Flimsies about a railroad tunnel under Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, New York that was only in service between 1844 and 1859 (prior to the Civil War). The main subject of the story was some possible missing diary pages concerning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln that might be located in the still sealed portion of the tunnel. But also of interest, was the fact, according to the story, that in this sealed portion, the passenger platform used at the time, and a locomotive, might still exist. This was very interesting and I wondered what type of locomotive this might be. Obviously it wasn't electric, and most likely steam. But, do any photos or, more likely, drawings of the locomotives used for this operation exist?

Les

Why, when I read that description, do I hear in my head the narration of an overly-enthusiastic, overzealous, overly-gullible host from the Discovery Channel? <:-)

Makes me think of Geraldo Rivera and Al Capone's secret vault.

If in fact a locomotive still exists in that tunnel, let alone if the tunnel ITSELF still exsists, I'd sure like to see it...

Steve -

Okay, this should be pretty easy to confirm, or refute. The guy supposedly gives tours of the tunnel about once a month, and there's one coming up on January 25th. Let us know what you find out.

Les

FYI

http://www.brooklynrail.net/proj_aatunnel.html

DPK

DPK -

Thanks very much. And as they say, now we know "the rest of the story"! Still would sure like to know about a possible 1850's steam locomotive though.

Les

Take a look at:

http://www.brooklynrail.net/about_aatunnel.html

What guy and why should you assume that I am going? I just said I'd like to see it.

James -

Thanks! Well, whether a modified 1831 locomotive from England or something else, I sure hope the group in Brooklyn eventually digs out the rest of the tunnel so that it can be determined if such a loco does indeed, still exist.

Les

Here's one version of the rumor, but 1st some facts in possible order of decreasing truth.
There is an old tunnel with a manhole, both ends are sealed, but not much is filled in. It goes downhill Westbound under Atlantic Ave. from Court St. to about Hicks St. near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The double track is gone, but the holes in the ground for the ties remain. On one trackway, the holes are less distinct, as if road vehicles had run over the mud after the ties were removed. The West, downhill end is plugged with rough stone and the roof is damaged, possibly as if there had been a cavein. The end of the line, at the East River, was less than 1/5 mile away. Trains, possibly horse drawn, may have run on the surface before the tunnel, possibly a roofed over open cut, was built for steam trains.
The residents of Atlantic Ave. were so adamant about "Not In My Front Yard" that they agreed to be taxed to raise money to pay the railroad to get out of town. The property owners were assessed according to their frontage on Atlantic Ave. There may have been a provision that the railroad had to leave by Midnight or not get the money. Horse drawn streetcars may have replace the passenger trains, and the railroad moved to Long Island City, to the detriment of economic activity in Brooklyn.

The rumor is that the West, downhill end was walled up 1st. Then while work started on the East, uphill end, the locomotive of the stone train ran away and smashed into the new West wall. It was so close to the deadline for losing the money that there wasn't enough time to rescue it, so it was left behind as the tunnel was sealed. About 1905, a telephone company was digging a trench cross Atlantic Ave. at Hicks St. over the West end and found a deep hole which they quickly filled in, possibly burying the locomotive.

If there was no time to remove the engine, how was there time to remove the track and ties that it ran away on?

More info. here:
http://home.att.net/~Berliner-Ultrasonics/bhra.html

There's another fable floating around (that often circulates closely with this one) claiming there's an LIRR steamer -- or at least a boiler from one, depending on who you hear it from -- that was dumped in some swamp in the vicinity of what is now a West Hempstead McDonald's.

I also have one fine looking bridge to sell you.

So when do they plan to look for this steam locomotive?

Most likely LIRR locomotives would be "Ariel" or "Postboy". These were the Long Island's first two steam locomotives, both of which vanished into history prior to the Civil War. Less likely (FAR less likely) is the story that one of LIRR's Camelbacks was stuffed into the tunnel and the hole plugged up. Far, Far, Far, less likely is the persistent and idiotic story that the Long Island buried an H-10 Consolidation in what is now McDonald's parking lot.

I remind everyone that April 1st is coming soon, and we may "find out" the buried locomotive is a Union Pacific turbine.