Behind the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, New York, reside three abandoned PCC trolley cars, a section of forgotten track, and a short length of mangled overhead trolley wire. These trolleys are all that remains of the now-defunct Brooklyn Trolley Museum, a plan for running trolleys through the streets of Red Hook as part of a "rolling museum." Tracks were laid along the waterfront, overhead wire strung, and several trolley cars were procured. Unfortunately, the plans fell through for a number of reasons, and the cars were left to languish.

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 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (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 primer, 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. The deteriorating trolley cars are a sad reminder of what could have been a worthy addition to New York's array of public transportation as well as a major boost for the often-overlooked neighborhood of Red Hook.