One of the pictures there (and immediately below) shows
a W/B new LIRR control cab bi-level going hard by
immediately to the south.
After marching for loco #35 in the 2000 Oyster Bay parade on the Fourth of July, I stopped by the new OB yard and caught DM30AC #502 at the WEST end of a train {???}:
{The Oyster Bay station is actually "Edwardian"!}
Since Friends of Locomotive #35 which will set up and staff the rairoad museum planned for the old Oyster Bay train station, has no plans (drawings, that is, not ideas) for the 1902 structure, I think I'll document it* the way I did Sea Cliff and East Williston. Until I do, suffice it that the building is 100 years old, it was Teddy Roosevelt's home station, and we (#35 and the Oyster Bay Historical Society had a grand celebration on Saturday, 07 Sep 2002, replete with the "Colonel", himself!
TR liked to ride trains (not that he had much choice) and would talk with the crew and give them silver dolllars:
(photos courtesy OBHS via D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
This is supposedly the original 1889 frame station at Oyster Bay (I'm not convinced - it's too grand and the layout somehow just doesn't look right to me):
(photo courtesy OBHS via D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
There's a great shot of TR, as V.P. in 1901, sitting on a bench at the southwest corner of that building, waiting for a train, on page 245 of NEWSDAY's "LONG ISLAND - OUR STORY" (1998).
Here's how the Colonel arrived, and was picked up, at the station in Oyster Bay; driven in great style and with great dignity by Joe Washington, his driver (shown):
(photo courtesy OBHS via D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
Now, we see el Presidente about to leave the station and on his way:
(photos courtesy OBHS via D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
Here are a bunch of photos by Dave Morrison (who was the Oyster Bay Branch Manager until his recent retirement) of the 100th Anniversary celebration. We start with Teddy (portrayed by Jim Foote of neighboring Sea Cliff) timing the almost-punctual arrival of the early afternoon train, greeting the crew (no silver dollars, but he DID give out seegars), and hamming it up in the cab:
[Thumbnail images - click on the pictures for larger images.]
The train is No. 6506, the 12:14 pm from Penn Station scheduled in to Oyster Bay at 1:36 pm (it ALMOST made it!) with DE30AC #420 on the point; Teddy/Jim is shaking hands with Engineer Richard J. Bianchi while Conductor Steven S. Stochla (left, red buckle) and Assistant Conductor (a.k.a. Brakie) Donald G. Maltby (center, gold buckle) look on.
Next, we have the celebration itself, inside the waiting room (looking at the west wall), with TR declaiming, with TR introducing Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto (who spoke very nicely, indeed), and with Vince Seyfried, noted LIRR historian, telling the story of the Branch and the station (clutching an excellent reference work - his compendious History of the LIRR, Part Six, with his finger in Chapter VI, "The Oyster Bay Extension"!
(Wonder how he found out about that invaluable book?)
(cropped from 07 Sep 02 photos by D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnail images - click on the pictures for larger images.]
{that's I in the red #35 tee-shirt on the left, #35's founder Steve Torborg in one on the right,
with Cathy (Mrs.) Torborg facing at left}
That hideous green tile will come down, as will the drop ceiling; the original soaring arches are still there above that and the original woodwork under the falsework. Dave dug through the east wall and found the original fireplace (no mantel, though - but it will be recreated).
Dave sent around this image of the fireplace from an old postcard (plus a closeup he sent with it):
(postcard courtesy of D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
Sucker trick! It's from the D&H station in Cooperstown, New York, NOT Oyster Bay; I got so excited I posted it before I finished reading Dave's message!
Now, we still have to square away the discrepancies about whether or not that old structure is really the 1889 structure, renovated in 1902, and the two chimneys on the earlier building with the porte cochère! The track layout had to have changed to accomodate the different shed arrangements, also.
* - I measured and photographed the station on 21 Sep 02 and put the dimensions and photos up on LIRR page 7 and page 8.
While we're on the Oyster Bay Branch, the old Roslyn Station, which was picked up
bodily and moved a hundred yards or so south, now has a new old stove; the Roslyn
Historical Society and various railfans, including Dave Morrison, former manager of the
Branch, found, restored, and emplaced a cast iron pot-bellied stove virtually identical
to the one that originally graced (and heated) the Roslyn station. Here it is as
found, as restored, and as emplaced:
(Photos courtesy of and ©: D. Morrison - all rights reserved)
{Third photo corrupted; to be replaced}
Dave and Gary Farkash of Loco #35 found this 1892 photo of the old Oyster Bay
Station before it's 1902 renovation@ at the Queensboro Public Library
on 17 Nov 2003; Dave made the image his 2003 Christmas card:
[Thumbnail image; for full picture, click on image.]
(Image courtesy of D. Morrison - all rights reserved;
greetings removed by SB,III)
In those days, one could actually see the Bay from the station; this view is looking
toward the west. Something's wrong here; where are the sheds?
@ - "Renovation"? I thought it was completely rebuilt from the ground up!
The ca.-1870 Bushwick Freight Terminal came down on or about 01 May 03, with a whimper or a roar or both; some of the debris spilled into the street and was barricaded. John McCluskey sent this "grab shot" he took on 06 May 03 (cropped top and bottom, only):
(Cropped from 06 May 03 photo by and courtesy of and ©: J. McCluskey - all rights reserved)
For a "before" picture, see Charles Woolever's Existing RR Stations in New York State site.
Wantagh Station
Running down to Massapequa on 11 May 02 to check (unsuccessfully) for remnants at the site of the Frank Buck Zoo, I drove down Wantagh Avenue and took these shots of the relocated and restored old Wantagh Station and its accompanying 1912 LIRR parlor/solarium/business/observation car, the Jamaica:
(11 May 02 photos by and ©: 2002 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
These are lovingly cared for by the
Wantagh Museum and the Wantagh Preservation Society (new URL 06 Feb 05).
(06 Feb 05)
Now, here is a picture cropped slightly from a mildewed old, contemporary photo I'd
forgotten I had of LIRR #1040, the VW Rail Bus inspection car, which had a tiny turntable bolted
underneath on a hydraulic jack; one drove up to a crossing, jacked the bus up, spun it
90° by hand, dropped it onto the rails on its teeny Hi-Rails, and awaaaaay we
went (I'm told it may actually survive - in private hands)!
(Photo from collection of S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
More on this and possibly others
now
on LIRR page 9.
(21 Jan 05)
[this page was separated out from my RAILROAD, LI Rail Road, and LI Railroads pages;
you might wish to see them also.]
THUMBS UP!
THUMBS UP! - Support your local police, fire, and emergency personnel!
S. Berliner, III
To contact S. Berliner, III, please click here.
of this series of LIRR pages.
To tour the Long Island railroads pages in sequence, the arrows take you from the previous page to the LIRR index, to the first LIRR page, and on to pages 2 and up, then to the other LI railroads page, and lastly to the LIRR Historical Society page.
© Copyright S. Berliner, III -
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005
- All rights reserved.
Return to Top of Page
times since the counter was installed.
