A visit to the Oyster Bay Railway Museum offers the chance to go back in time and experience vintage train equipment.
“The mission of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum is to increase public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the role of the railroad in our heritage and to increase public understanding of rail technology and its impact on Long Island life,” according to its user information.
Locomotive #35 served as the seed. Employing the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement and designed specifically for the demands of commuter passenger service, it was able to accelerate large trains from most stations on its line. After 27 years of service, it was retired in 1955 and replaced by more efficient diesel-electric locomotives. Although it was donated to Nassau County and displayed in Salisbury (later Eisenhower) Park, it deteriorated and deteriorated and was acquired by the museum in 2006.
“The museum maintains two locations: the Presidential Railroad Station, a historic landmark, operating under an agreement with the City of Oyster Bay, and the Display Yard, under an agreement with the MTA,” its brochure continues.
Passengers traveled between the Long Island and Manhattan stations between 1923 and 1974 in one of the latter facility’s exhibits, the Class P-54 coach, nicknamed “Ping Pong” because it provided a rock back and forth and thus , a harder ride than the heavy wooden one. cars that eventually replaced it.
Car #7433, salvaged from the junkyard and now on display, is believed to be the last of its kind preserved with original seats and equipment.
A pair of cabooses is also on display.
Consisting of a steel frame and wood body, the N52 Class #12 Caboose was built by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1927 at a cost of $17,880, and was later used as a sleeping quarters by Shore Line Trolley volunteers. Museum in Connecticut before the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum acquired it.
The N22 Caboose #50 class, built by the International Railway Car Company in 1956 and sporting its original orange and black paint scheme, is devoid of the standard dome or bay window. Looking more like a boxcar, it boasts a post-restoration oak floor.
Two GS-1 25-ton, four-wheel, chain-drive diesel locomotive switchers, also on display, hauled other locomotives and railcars to and from stores between 1958 and the early 2000s. Designated “Dashing Dan ” (#397) and “Dashing Dottie” (#398), were affectionately known as “Dinkys”.
Other exhibits include an Alco diesel booth from the 1964 World’s Fair and three motorcycle simulators: an electric M1 and M7 simulator and a diesel DE/DM simulator.
Its vintage turntable from 1903, recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was used to turn steam and later diesel locomotives as they arrived at Oyster Bay for the return trip west. It served the Long Island Railroad until the mid-1980s.
The Oyster Bay Railroad Station, built in 1889 and located in the city across from the rail yard, was both a passenger terminal and Theodore Roosevelt’s eastern terminus when he traveled to his “Summer White House” on Sagamore Hill. It served as the origin and destination of his frequent trips to Washington, among other destinations.
“Beyond Roosevelt’s use, the station served faithfully, adapting to the many changes over the years that affected both the Long Island Railroad and the village of Oyster Bay,” according to the museum’s brochure. “Sadly, over time, the building lost its two platform canopies and underwent many interior design changes, but also retained its unique ornate charm and fixtures. From the oyster shell inlays and detailed wooden roof supports right down to its dormers and led glass windows, the structure has stood the test of time.”
Parts of its original exterior have been fully restored to its original appearance. In 2005, the station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Glimpses of the era can be gained through its interior exhibits. These include an Oyster Bay Railroad diorama, a ticket booth, a 1925 Long Island Railroad map, a Lionel model train layout, a quarter-inch scale model of the Oyster Bay Station, and the “The Las Vegas” model. parts of a steam locomotive”.
“The Oyster Bay Railway Museum”, according to its own description, “was incorporated in 2006 and is made up of members and volunteers from all walks of life. Men and women of all ages and diverse backgrounds share a common goal, that is, to preserve our local railroad history so that future generations can experience the Long Island Railroad of yesteryear.”
A visit serves to demonstrate that you have achieved your purpose.
