TheBrooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators ofstreetcars (horsecars and latertrolleys) in theCity ofBrooklyn,New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became aborough ofNew York City in 1898.

The BCRR was incorporated on December 17, 1853 (171 years ago) (1853-12-17), with capital of $2,500,000, a large sum in those days. Its first line, theMyrtle Avenue Line, was the first horsecar line in Brooklyn, and opened on July 3, 1854 (170 years ago) (1854-07-03). The line operated fromFulton Ferry via Fulton Street and Myrtle Avenue to the formerstagecoachstables at Marcy Avenue. The New York State Legislature permitted it to reduce its capital to $1,000,000 in 1855.^[1]

The following lines were operated by the BCRR at the time of its 1893 lease to the BHRR:^[2]

• Court Street Line,Brooklyn Bridge toRed Hook
• Flatbush Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toFlatbush
• Fulton Street Line, Fulton Ferry toEast New York
• Furman Street Line, Fulton Ferry toHamilton Avenue Ferry
• Gates Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toRidgewood
• Graham Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toGreenpoint Ferry
• Greenpoint Line, Fulton Ferry toGreenpoint
• Hamilton Avenue Line,Hamilton Avenue Ferry toGreenwood Cemetery
• Myrtle Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toBushwick
• Putnam Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toOcean Hill
• Third Avenue Line, Fulton Ferry toFort Hamilton

Built after the consolidations began

• Bowery Bay Line,Ridgewood toNorth Beach
• Corona Line,Ridgewood toCorona
• Flatbush Avenue Line,Flatbush toFlatlands
• Flushing Avenue Line,Bushwick toMaspeth
• Richmond Hill Line,Ridgewood toRichmond Hill
• Union Avenue Line,Greenpoint toRidgewood

From theBushwick Railroad, leased July 26, 1888

• Bushwick Line,Williamsburg toRidgewood
• Cypress Hills Line,Ridgewood toCypress Hills Cemetery
• Lutheran Cemetery Line,Ridgewood toLutheran Cemetery
• Tompkins Avenue Line,Williamsburg toCrown Heights

From theBrooklyn Crosstown Railroad and its leasedCalvary Cemetery, Greenpoint and Brooklyn Railroad, leased July 30, 1889

• Annex Line,Long Island City
• Calvary Cemetery Line,Greenpoint toCalvary Cemetery
• Crosstown Line,Red Hook toGreenpoint
• Union Avenue Line,Downtown Brooklyn toGreenpoint

From theNew Williamsburgh and Flatbush Railroad and its leasedGreenpoint and Lorimer Street Railroad, leased July 31, 1889

• Holy Cross Line,Prospect Lefferts Gardens toHoly Cross Cemetery
• Lorimer Street Line,Greenpoint toProspect Lefferts Gardens
• Nostrand Avenue Line,Williamsburg toProspect Lefferts Gardens

From theGrand Street and Newtown Railroad, leased April 29, 1890

• Grand Street Line,Williamsburg toMaspeth
• Meeker Avenue Line,Williamsburg toPenny Bridge

From theSouth Brooklyn Street Railway, leased April 24, 1891

• Second Avenue Line,Sunset Park toGravesend

In 1893, theLong Island Traction Company (LIT), aholding company, acquired theBrooklyn Heights Railroad (BHRR), operator of a shortcable car line on Montague Street inBrooklyn Heights and used this latter company as its operating arm. The BHRR obtained a 999-year operating lease on the Brooklyn City the same year. By this time the Brooklyn City operated 27streetcar lines.

The LIT was foreclosed and reorganized in 1895 as theBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), which soon acquired, through lease orstock ownership, most of thetrolley andrapid transit lines in Brooklyn.

The BRT (also known as "the rapid transit company" during its years of acquisition) became the public face of transportation in Brooklyn. Nevertheless, the BRT operated all of its lines through its operating companies, some of which were created just for that purpose, and others that were leased or subsidiaries, such as the Brooklyn City. Patrons may have noticed this in subtle ways, such as that streetcar transfers had the letters "B.C.R.R." imprinted on their face.

In 1919, the BRT went into receivership as the result of a number of factors, such as the seriousinflation of World War I, and not helped by theMalbone Street Wreck on theBrighton Line, which killed at least 93 people on November 1, 1918.

Though the BRT was bankrupt, the Brooklyn City was declared solvent, and its charter and separate corporate existence were resumed. The lease by the Brooklyn Heights was ended and the lines the BCRR controlled in 1893 and more became its lines again on October 19, 1919. The BCRR had its own crews, cars and carbarns, and even purchased new equipment in its own name, though the overall planning and management was still effectively with the BRT. A negative consequence for passengers was that BCRR lines no longer issued transfers to the lines still with the BRT, and vice versa.

When the BRT was reorganized as theBrooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) in 1923, the former BRT companies gradually were brought out of receivership. Nevertheless, the Brooklyn City did not become part of the BMT, but remained a separate company until June 1, 1929, when the BMT formed theBrooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation to consolidate all of its surface operations in one operating company, which finally ended the corporate existence of the Brooklyn City.

• List of New York City Landmarks

• Streetcar lines in Brooklyn
• Streetcar lines in Queens, New York
• Railway companies established in 1853
• Predecessors of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation
• Defunct New York (state) railroads
• Defunct public transport operators in the United States
• Electric railways in New York (state)
• New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn