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Updated on Oct. 22, 2009
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Welcome to the Official Website of the
Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter
of the
National Railway Historical Society
Click
here for the Nat'l. Railway Historical Society Website.
The 2010 LIRR calendar is now available- see below to order your copy.
FOR LONG ISLAND RAILROAD 175th ANNIVERSARY
EVENTS
-see below-
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
at 8:00 p.m. in Babylon at our usual location at Christ Episcopal Church.
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Recent past meetings: if you couldn't attend, this is what you missed out on . . .
Ron Ziel was our guest speaker at the October meeting. He showing a video which depicted the relocation of LIRR G5 #35 from the Stony Brook Museum to Mitchell Field. He graciously signed copies of the many books he has written over the years for our members.
At the September meeting, Dave Morrison kicked off the new season with his LIRR presentation which highlighted LIRR stations of the past some of which are now gone. It has been shown to numerous other organizations and libraries around LI.
Neil Moran made his annual trek to L.I. for the June Chapter meeting.
He led us up to the Canadian Rockies in 2008 to follow the CP Hudson
on it's excursion from Calgary to Vancouver through some of the most spectacular
scenery in the world.
The special guest for May's meeting was rail historian and photographer,
Al Roberts.
He provided us with a nostalgic look back at the NYNH&H RR (New Haven)
during the Penn Central era.
His book-"Trackside around the Big Apple 1964-1973 with Al Roberts",
is still available from Morning Sun Publications.
The
monthly meeting is usually held at the Christ Episcopal Church in Babylon,
Long Island. Guests are invited to attend.
Please, come on down- you won't be disappointed!
Please check this website for any changes to meeting dates due to dangerous weather conditions.
CHAPTER STORE -PART I
The 2010 Long Island Railroad calendars are in stock and are ready to be shipped. Get yours at the next meeting.
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175th Anniversary of the Long Island Railroad Apr. 24, 2009
The officers and other members of the chapter have published a softcover
book to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the LIRR, it is a soft-cover book
with LIRR historical articles and photos and is now available by mail order.
The price is $17.99 which includes shipping and handling. NY State residents
please add $1.55 sales tax. Copies are running out so please order now. Members
can get them at a discount at the meetings.
Mail a check or M.O. payable to:
NRHS-LIST
P. O. Box 507
Babylon, New York 11702-0507
The Chapter is offering a beautiful collectible kerosene lantern by Adlake
(licensed by the M.T.A.)
to comemmorate the LIRR's 175th anniversary.
The lantern is brass plated with an etched (1834 Ariel logo) red globe
with LIRR on the brim.
The price is $150 + NYS tax. There is a discount for Chapter members.
Only 50 were produced. The initial order was sold out, so we ordered
an additional 30 lanterns-once these are gone-that's it. We are now down to
the last 5.
Send your order in now with your info to the above address.
________________________________________________________________________
LIRR 175th Anniversary
A wonderful caboose art display is currently being featured in the Gregory
Museum in Hicksville. George Wybenga, who has been drawing and painting
caboose's from L.I.
as well as from around the United States, has his artwork featured on display
until the end of August in the Museum.
It is located at 1 Heitz Place Hicksville, NY 11801. Admission $5 -free for
Hicksville residents.
The NYC Transit Museum in Brooklyn has a notable display about
the LIRR 175th Anniversary among other interesting exhibits.
This exhibit features the beautifully restored LIRR hack (caboose) # 60. It
is well worth the effort to get in to Brooklyn to see it.
It is located at Boerum Pl. & Schermerhorn St. in Brooklyn, NY 11201
Click here for all info:
NYC Transit Museum
GENERAL CHAPTER INFORMATION
The Long Island - Sunrise Trail Chapter of the National Railway Historical
Society is a group of dedicated railroad enthusiasts who gather regularly
for companionship and fun to preserve and enjoy Long Island's significant
contribution to railroad history, as well as all other aspects of railroading.
The Chapter has monthly meetings at which slides and movies of the Long Island
Rail Road and many other railroads are shown and news of local railroad groups
and items related to railroading are discussed.
The Chapter was instrumental in preserving Long Island
Rail Road steam locomotive #35, built in 1928 by the Pennsylvania Rail Road's
Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania as a Class G5 "Ten Wheeler"
4-6-0, and moved to Oyster Bay on Aug 01, 2002. It was one of the two last
steam engines to run in regular revenue service on the LIRR, and the LIST
Chapter supports continuing efforts to restore the engine and return it to
active service for tourist use.
Chapter members were also involved in the restoration of the business car
Jamaica, on display next to the Wantagh Historical Society's preserved
LIRR station on Wantagh Avenue north of the new Wantagh station.
The chapter does provide grants for local rail museums and other railroad
related preservation work.
N.R.H.S. membership information and forms can be
found here:
Join
the N.R.H.S. !
It's a lot easier to join if you come down to our Chapter meeting. You can
fill out an application and submit it there.
Many of the rail trips put together by the officers of the Chapter are for its members only.
Join now so you don't miss out on future events.
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The SEMAPHORE
We publish a monthly newsletter,
the SEMAPHORE, with meeting notices, previews, and recapitulations,
historical vignettes and feature articles, reminiscences by old-time railroad
employees, and railroad modeling information.
However, as you all know the previous editor has recently retired and will
soon move upstate.
Many thanks to member Steve Torborg who has graciously volunteered to take
on that task.
The Semaphore format will change slightly but will continue without
interruption.
In the near future, we will attempt
to offer the Semaphore in electronic form to be downloaded (virus-free!) from
this website by way of a password available only to members which ultimately
may result in a lower Chapter membership fee to those who opt for
the electronic version. Many other organizations are now doing this and it
translates to us offering full color photographs. more content, no printing
and mailing costs and delay and less clutter for your spouses to complain
about.
Archived LIRR Semaphore Articles (Thanks go out to Steve Lynch): http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/semaphore/semaphore.htm
CHAPTER STORE -PART II
The new 2010 Long Island RR calendars are now ready. They will be available at the October meeting.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening
of the original Pennsylvania Station in N.Y.
The Chapter will produce a calendar to commorate this historic anniversary.
The brass LIRR 175th anniversary lantern is still available (only 5 left!). You can get yours at the next meeting.
The 2008 NY & Atlantic Railway calendars are
still available at any Chapter meeting or by mail. We have LIRR calendars from
other past years as well. The Chapter also has its latest book for sale at
the meetings and by mail order.
The L.I.S.T. Chapter is proud to announce that we
have a new book about the CHAPTER SPONSORED TRIPS
They can be purchased at the meeting for $4.00.
The N.Y. Connecting Railroad
New York Connecting Railroad. This fine book
is still available for sale but supplies are limited.
The retail price is
$35.95 + tax and shipping for non-members.
It will be available at the chapter meetings and directly by mail-order.
Click below for a printable mail-order form. 
L.I.S.T. Chapter members can still get their copy for $27 only at the monthly
meetings.
Congratulations to authors Bill Thom and Bob Sturm for putting together this
fantastic new book. The descriptive content is fascinating, and the quality
of the photos is supurb. This is a must-get book if you haven't already done
so especially if you are a fan of NY City's railroad history and it's development.
Living in Brooklyn for 27 years basically always near the Bay Ridge branch
I am particularly fond of this stretch of track from Bay Ridge Yard up and
over the Hell Gate Bridge into the Bronx. Too bad I'm too young to remember
any of the NH or PRR equipment which pounded the rails there. This book however,
provides a fascinating look back into the activity on the branch. This book
has it all- it covers the development, building and operation of the NYCRR
with plenty of detailed maps and diagrams. (Director/Webmaster-Kevin Katta)
Most of our trips are open to the public--but LIST members get first crack
if tickets are limited.
Also, members will be able to purchase tickets at a reduced price.
PAST CHAPTER RAILFAN
TRIPS:
SIRT FANTRIP held Sat. June 28, 2008
Staten Island Rapid Transit - Staten Island Railway - Now retired ALCO S-1's (including ex-LIRR #407)
Consist: R-44s pulled by SIRT ALCO S-1's 821 and 407 plus two hacks.
The round trip excursion ran from St. George Terminal to Tottenville, Staten Island. A tour of the former B&O Clifton Yard Shops was included. Two SIRT cabooses were used for the trip back to the terminal.
Click here for:
SIRT: Staten Island Rapid Transit photos and information at NYC Subway.org
This is a great website for SIRT photos and description of the entire system.
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NY & ATLANTIC-BAY
RIDGE BRANCH EXCURSION
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Farewell to the
LIRR M-1's
On Nov. 4th, 2006, the chapter sponsored the "Farewell
to the LIRR M-1's" excursion from Jamaica station.
This rail trip was a final salute to the M-1 electric MU's and covered a portion
of the Main Line, as well as the Far Rockaway, Long Beach, and Port Washington
branches. The train stopped at Penn Station to allow riders to take a lunch
break. the train then continued to the West Side Yard where riders detrained
and photographed the yard and equipment. The excursion also ran out to Garden
City and up to Clinton Av.
Here is LIRR M-1 # 9609 in the lead at West Side Yard.
The M-1 consist is on the ladder in VD yard with # 9609 in the lead. Photos by Chapter member Leigh Bedia.
More LIRR video can be found here: YouTube Video- LIRR Farewell to the M-1'sIn the past, the Chapter has sponsored rail trips around Long Island and elsewhere in the Metropolitan New York area. Some of the most famous trips have been those to the Long Island Rail Road facilities, dinner trips to Montauk and Greenport, and off-island trips on LIRR trains or Metro-North to such distant points such as Danbury, Norwalk and Waterbury Connecticut and to Grand Central Terminal, Poughkeepsie and Harmon Yards in New York. Photo run-bys take place and food service is usually arranged.
At each meeting, we usually hold a raffle for railroad-related
memorabilia. Donations of RR items are welcomed.
Refreshments now available during entire meeting. Guests and potential members
are always welcomed at our monthly meetings.
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The Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is incorporated as a non-profit 501(C)(3) educational organization. It was founded in 1966 to serve the Long Island area. Membership in the Chapter also provides the full benefits of membership in the national organization, including a splendid bi-monthly magazine, the National Railway Bulletin.
_________________________________________The Chapter meets at 8:00 p.m. on the third Friday
of every month (except July and August) at the
Christ Episcopal Church, basement
hall at
S. Carll Avenue and Prospect Street, Babylon (Long Island), New York.
The Church is located one block south of the big brick village hall
/firehouse/courthouse on West Main Street (a.k.a. State Route 27A, Montauk
Highway, or Merrick Rd.), in Babylon Village off S. Carll Avenue, and only
3 blocks south of the west end of the Babylon station of the
Long Island Rail Road.
Please check this website for any
changes to meeting dates due to dangerous weather conditions.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Long Island is 120 miles long; the west end (Brooklyn and
Queens) is in New York City and is primarily served by the (Metro) New York
Chapter (no Website). The far east end, eastern Suffolk, Riverhead and beyond,
is primarily served by the
Twin Forks Chapter.
The Chapter's email address is: LISunriseTrail@yahoo.com
Our mailing address:
NRHS-LIST
P. O. Box 507
Babylon, New York 11702-0507
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LINKS
SECTION
THESE HAVE ALL BEEN CHECKED AND ARE ACTIVE:
Special thanks to Sam Berliner III for previously
hosting the chapter's site and for providing outstanding content.
Here is a link to his information packed website: Sam
Berliner III's Railroad Website
N.H.R.S.- Twin Forks Chapter: www.twinforksnrhs.org
Caboose Art -by George Wybenga: www.cabooseart.com/
Long Island Live Steamers: www.trainweb.org/lils
Railroad.net: Message Forums, Photos and News: www.railroad.net/
The Long Island Railroad Forum & Discussion Board: LIRR.thermomods.com/index.php
LIRR Photo Site- Locomotives and Rolling Stock: www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=LIRR
So, do you want to know more about the Long Island Railroad and its history?
The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum: www.oysterbayrailroadmuseum.org/
Railroad Museum of Long Island (in Riverhead & Greenport): www.rmli.us
Steve Lynch's excellent LIRR historical Sites: www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrcontents.htm
NEW! Here's John LaBoda's
website with in-depth information and photos about LIRR Parlor and other passenger
cars:
http://www.trainweb.org/passengercars/Indices/L2.htm
. . . (Click on "Home' to view other RR's on his site)
LIRR, NY Connecting RR, Steve Lynch and Dave Kellers Archives, Modeling LIRR: www.trainsarefun.com A must see for hardcore LIRR fans.
Art Huneke's LIRR History Site: www.arrts-arrchives.com/
Long Island RR History Site: www.lirrhistory.com/
LIRR Abandoned Spurs: www.trainweb.org/AbandonedLIRR
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This site is always under development. Suggestions
are encouraged and welcomed.
Check back weekly. Thank you for visiting.
Webmaster- Kevin Katta -email me-
