O.K. Here’s what I’ve got for your information, dating back to Bob Emery’s maps of November, 1958.
The Evergreen branch curved off the Bay Ridge branch just north of the Queens/Kings County line at a spot referred to as “Cooper Avenue Junction.”
It proceeded northwest with some sidings for warehouses and factories at Decatur, Covert and Halsey Streets. The old B&QT trolley line ran along Halsey St. and the trolley frogs crossing the LIRR tracks were still visible as of November, 1958.
For some reason the track was shifted so it dipped at Cornelia St. then went back to the regular alignment beyond Cornelia St.
At Putnam Avenue was the start of the “Evergreen Yard” at Evergreen freight station, identified as “E-6.” The Evergreen freight office was a small, square block building. I have a photo of it taken back in 1956 when a fan trip was run up the branch with the Budd RDCs. The Evergreen Yard consisted of a private siding and two team tracks, stubbing behind the freight office mentioned above.
The tracks crossed Palmetto Avenue and something unusual happened: Instead of the crossing gates being across the street to protect the tracks, the gates were all across the tracks, protecting the streets!
The rails went under the Myrtle Avenue EL at Gates Avenue, at the old site of Ridgewood station in much earlier years, and continued along with an occasional siding. There was one between Gates and Linden. There was one between Grove and Menahan. There was one between Stockholm and DeKalb.
The unusual arrangement of the crossing gates ended at Nimrod St. After that were only the old diamond crossing signs which were later removed.
Between Jefferson Street and Flushing Avenue there were some more sidings and factories. The B&QT trolley ran along Flushing Avenue. On the northwest side of Flushing Ave was the Varick Ave Yard, a rather substantial yard with a number of team tracks and sidings. It consisted of a passing siding which allowed access to the 7 team tracks, the house track and 4 tracks stubbing against the Bushwick freight house which was located along Varick Avenue.
Also along the Varick Avenue side of the yard was located the LIRR’s freight shed along with some other warehouses.
There was a traveling overhead crane that straddled two shorter sidings paralleling Varick Avenue. There was also a scale track and scale house on the other side of the main, opposite the team tracks.
The Varick Avenue yard was removed in 1963 and the LIRR freight houses along Varick Avenue were torn down.
The tracks then continued across Johnson Avenue, crossed over Varick Ave, and connected into the LIRR’s Bushwick branch.
That was the extent of the Evergreen branch.
Dave Keller
