Vanderbilt Cup Races

The train wasn’t slowing down, on the contrary: it was even speeding “to make time for Hicksville” as can be read in the Automobile Topics article.

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

Looks like it was as much fun as last year Howard. Sorry I missed it this year. The “Cruise to the Show” in East Meadow wasn’t nearly as good as the Hemmings event. Hopefully I’ll get up there next year. Congrats on your win!
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From Howard Kroplick

Hemmings does a great job! Very well-run concours and lots of fun.

From Highlights from the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours D'Elegance

We love the shows at SAM.  Have attended many but we were/are in Warsaw, Poland visiting the kids so this SAM / Hemmings show was one we had to miss.  Congrats on the 3rd place!

From Highlights from the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours D'Elegance

Appears they were all ejected. Amazing all survived. Wow! Train slowing for the station was in their favor. Something went wrong here even with early warning of the RR Xing.

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

I want it to stay up too. The last thing we need is to have more of our sacred stuff destroyed

From Status Report: The Ezekiel Smith Farmway Bridge on Maxess Road in Melville Updated: 10/16/2016

I use to work right around that area at the USPS,off of 110,passed it every day,if only I would have known then what I know now,I could have researched it little more and maybe have gotten some remnants,without getting caught doing it,that’s if I could get to it

From Status Report: The Ezekiel Smith Farmway Bridge on Maxess Road in Melville Updated: 10/16/2016

Didn’t even notice the railroad tracks.  I didn’t look very good did I?

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

Thank you for these wonderful posts about Motor Parkway. I have lived off Motor Parkway in Ronkonkoma for years and never knew which house was the toll house. Now, thanks to you,  I know!

From Then & Now Update: Ronkonkoma Lodge (1923-2012)

Wild guessing, looks like an accident with a LIRR train, not auto. Judging by the wreck I don’t believe there were any survivors. Looks like a train station/platform/semaphore in the rear. This accident may have triggered the beginning for RR crossing gates.

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

That painting is as good as any SI cover!  It’s October, lots of mud, slippery surface and sliding cars (e.g. don’t try this at home commercials), might’ve just rained. 

And the crowd loves it.

From Helck Family Collection: December 1944 Esquire Article "Robertson Comes Through"

This might have been one of the reasons the races were stopped,that’s what makes it historical.That’s all I can get out of this one

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

Great article/photos. The foreign cars appeared invincible. Robertson’s 1:48 tire change was a remarkable feat by itself, no doubt carefully orchestrated, I wonder if they left the tools behind and just ripped out of there! Now fifty dollars to view the races from your parked car in 1908, what does that translate to today? And the spectator’s three hour+ train ride back home from Levittown to L.I.C. via LIRR. Priceless stuff guys. Thank you again for this portal back to the past.

From Helck Family Collection: December 1944 Esquire Article "Robertson Comes Through"

Why is this accident considered historically significant? - Howard says so.
When, where and how did this accident occur? - When the driver tried to beat an LIRR train to the crossing and lost.
Who was the driver? - Some poor schnook.
Link the driver to William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. - http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_39_a_historic_accident_in_westbury
Identify the automobile - a total wreck.

You really SHOULDN’T post this one!  Might that have been one of the first (if not the very first) fatal train-vs.-car wrecks on LI?  The state of the steering wheel makes it highly unlikely that the driver/chauffeur survived and the condition of the car makes a speeding locomotive collision almost certain, flipping the car over the station platform alongside.  Can’t wait for the dénouement.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

Horrors!  Rank heresy!  I have always loved Peter Helck’s paintings and visited him in Boston Corners but never questioned his accuracy.  It seems to me, now, though, without resorting to a microscope and calipers, that the painting shows the balloon tires he had on the car, not the thinner ones used back during the race.  Anyone?  Sam, III

From Helck Family Collection: December 1944 Esquire Article "Robertson Comes Through"

Great article and photos. Captured the excitement of the time.

BTW, are those holes in the ground in front of the grandstands supposed to be for servicing the cars? Maybe this is where we got the term “pit lane”...

From Helck Family Collection: December 1944 Esquire Article "Robertson Comes Through"

I Googled my question about the Smithsonian, and they don’t seem to have anything like what I described.  Seems to me that a L.I. museum (VANDERBILT??????!!!!) would be ideal for such an exhibit.

From Helck Family Collection: The Only Known Existing 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race Flags?

If they don’t, the Smithsonian ought to have a display about the races.  Those flags would be a part of such a display.  A vintage race car, some life-sized dummies dressed up as spectators (male and female), incl. a man holding one of those flags, and all of them positioned in front of a huge photo blow-up of spectators watching one of the races with cars going by.  It would look so great.

From Helck Family Collection: The Only Known Existing 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race Flags?

Just a guess. First horseless carriage fatality involved accident with a train.

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

First racer to be hit by an LIRR train?

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update

From Ariejan Bos:

It took me some time to realize that the remains of the wrecked car belonged to a 1901 or 1902 Mors. After that the search became rather straightforward. What we see are the remains of Fournier’s Mors, which was struck by a train in Westbury, Long Island on Thursday, October 30, 1901. It was recorded as the first ever train-car collision, at least in the USA. It was a serious accident, as the car had 6 occupants of which 3 were seriously, though not fatally injured. As you can read in the article from Automobile Topics William Vanderbilt Jr., whom they had met shortly before, had warned Fournier already for this apparently dangerous crossing.

As always thanks for all the wonderful stories and images posted on your website! And of course congratulations with the donation of the Peter Helck Collection to your archive, in my opinion a very valuable and important addition.

Regards,
Ariejan

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved:The First Documented Automobile Railroad Crossing Accident in the USA Update