Special Features: Abandoned PCC Trolleys in Red Hook

Behind the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn reside three abandoned PCC trolley cars, a section of forgotten track, and a short length of mangled overhead trolley wire. This installation was in place for a planned trolley museum in Red Hook that unfortunately failed to materialize, leaving the vehicles to rot next to the waterfront.

I went down to Red Hook in October 2006 to photograph the trolley cars and infrastructure still in place. Two of the PCCs apparently hail from the MBTA in Boston, as they feature large "picture windows", left-side exit doors, and interior MBTA-style "no smoking" and priority seating notices. They have been repainted in traditional Brooklyn green and silver livery, although the red paint from the MBTA days can be seen in places. The origins of the third PCC, closest to the gate at the end of Van Brunt Street, are unknown. This car currently wears a coat of white paint, which has been subject to a major onslaught of rust.

All three cars have been heavily vandalized; the exteriors are marred with random scrawling, and a good number of the windows have been smashed. 12 photos can be found below: