The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds 226 - The Brooklyn Train Strike
Dec 12, 2016
Dive into the chaotic world of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company strike! Discover how luxury resorts drove rail construction and the class divisions in transit. Hear about untrained workers tackling dangerous routes, leading to the infamous Malbone Street crash with harrowing consequences. Learn about union struggles, violence during strikes, and political intrigue involving Mayor Hyland. The aftermath reshaped safety regulations while highlighting the tragic toll of corporate negligence. A riveting exploration of history with twists and turns!
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Coney Island Hotels Sparked Private Rail Lines
- Austin Corbin bought 500 acres of Coney Island and built exclusive hotels after moving his sick son to the sea air.
- The Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach hotels catered to different classes, creating class-segregated rail demand.
Private Rails Produced Fragmented Chaos
- Private railroads built to serve specific resorts created fragmented, incompatible networks and class-segregated service.
- This fragmentation caused delays, bankruptcies, and operational chaos that hindered urban transit growth.
BRT Consolidation Replaced Many Private Lines
- The city pushed for unified subways while private lines merged into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT).
- By 1900 the BRT controlled nearly every Brooklyn train, trading fragmentation for corporate consolidation.