Steinway Railway Company of Long Island City, N.Y.

Late 19th century efforts to bring mass transit to Q

This uncommon prospectus of the Steinway Railway Company was issued in 1893, the year following the company’s organization. At the time of publication, Steinway controlled about 26 miles of track across Long Island City and was soliciting investment through a bond issue in order to expand its operations. Major draws were its modern infrastructure (including a new 3,000 hp power plant), its widespread network (allegedly preventing other interurbans from gaining a foothold), and geographic location, with easy access to Brooklyn, New York City, and North Beach. The hopes of annexation into a Greater New York are also mentioned.

The back page presents a map of the system. Double-tracked lines are noted as such, whereas the New Franchises are shown with single dotted lines. The Long Island City & Newton Line and the Brooklyn City Line are colored in green and blue, respectively. Ferry routes are also noted – the Queensboro Bridge crossing the East River would not be completed until 1909. Operations of the Steinway Railway Company were short-lived. In 1896, it was acquired by the New York Central, though pieces were sold off and eventually absorbed into the Queens Surface Corporation. As of July 2026, only one copy is listed in WorldCat databases, at Yale University Library.