The road took its common name from the area of its terminal on Coney Island, where a hotel of the same name, but unconnected to the railroad, existed. Its terminal was known as West End Terminal, a name which survived upon major rebuilding in 1919 as New West End Terminal before that name fell into disuse.[citation needed]
The road was reorganized in 1868, on January 22, 1879, and again on December 1, 1885, the latter time changing its name to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, formalizing the use of West End in the line's name. Before that time, the original steam dummy cars, which consisted of a locomotive and passenger car in one railroad-coach-type frame, were replaced by conventional steam locomotives pulling unpowered coaches.[citation needed]
Trolley line (1893–1947)
Powerhouse
The Atlantic Avenue Railroad gained control of the West End in January 1893,[7] leased it on May 8, 1893,[8] and began to electrify it immediately without the permission of the town of New Utrecht.[9] Effective May 21, 1893, the Atlantic Avenue extended its Fifth Avenue Line (which was electrified March 14, 1893[10]) along the West End's trackage to the Union Depot at 36th Street, where West End trains were subsequently terminated.[11] Electric trolleys began running on the West End Line from the Union Depot to Coney Island on November 18, 1893,[12] and soon from the 39th Street Ferry.[13] The Nassau Electric Railroad leased the Atlantic Avenue, and thus the West End, at midnight at the end of April 4, 1896,[14][15] implementing its universal five-cent fare between Downtown Brooklyn and Coney Island.[16] In late May the 86th Street Line was placed in operation, using the West End trackage from Bath Beach to Coney Island.[17][18] Some West End cars were extended over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row in Lower Manhattan on February 15, 1898.[19] The Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad and Atlantic Avenue Railroad were consolidated into the Nassau Electric Railroad in July 1898.[20][21]
BRT control paved the way for the line to be connected to the elevated system, and, on December 19, 1900, trolleys between 36th Street and Bath Beach were replaced with elevated trains from Park Row in Lower Manhattan; the line beyond Bath Beach to Coney Island was part of the 86th Street Line.[25][26] Trains operated by third rail power over the Fifth Avenue Elevated to a ramp at 37th Street, and, from that point, trains raised trolley poles to operate using overhead wire to Bath Beach.[27] A new bridge over Coney Island Creek was built to allow heavy elevated trains to run to Coney Island,[28] and this service, from Park Row to Coney Island, began on July 13, 1902, for ten cents.[29][30][31]
^Reports of Decisions of the Public Service Commission, First District of the State of New York, 1922: "The Bay Ridge and Sea Beach trains were operated to their respective destinations by the New York Consolidated Railroad Company, but the West End trains were operated by that company only as far south as 38th street. From that point south, they were operated by The Nassau Electric Railroad Company."
^"New Line to Bath Beach". The New York Times. June 24, 1916. p. 7.
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