Vanderbilt Cup Races

Congratulations on your win Howard! Long island was represented well at the Hemmings Concours, and fellow Classic Car Club of America members Jerry Beard of Massapequa had his 1937 Lincoln V12 convertible victoria with body by Brunn there, and Joe Cannazzario of Seaford had his 1934 Lincoln V12 roadster with body by Dietrich there as well.

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

Identify the touring car: 1925 Martin Wasp
Who owned this automobile?: Henry Dodge
Name the Hollywood star who purchased one of the 12 touring cars for $5,500?: Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
Where is this automobile located today? Bennington, VT. Musuem

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

Identify the touring car
-1924 Martin-Wasp Touring car

Who owned this automobile?
-The 1924 6-cylinder, was restored/re-created by collector Henry Marvin Dodge using a rolling chassis and spare parts purchased from Karl H. Martin in 1953.

Name the Hollywood star who purchased one of the 12 touring cars for $5,500?
-Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

Where is this automobile located today?
-Benington Museum in Benington Vermont

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

Thanks Ariejan again, nice detective work. Using Chuck’s link above I found an earlier train/auto wreck at same crossing in 1906. This horrific accident had no survivors. Puzzling is that four years later, no bell or guardsman was stationed at this busy crossing.
http://www3.gendisasters.com/new-york/21832/westbury-ny-train-wreck-may-1906

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

As an addendum to my earlier answer I have now found who owned the Martin Wasp on display at the Bennington museum in Vermont.
It was the collector, Henry Marvin Dodge.

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

Wow Howard,one thing I know is that you should have this car.I think it tops the Chryslers Chrysler,even though it’s not one of one.The mystery is why don’t you have it or get it? What a beauty,a show pleaser and winner.

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

The car shown is a 1924 Martin Wasp on display at the Bennington Museum in Vermont. Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was the celebrity who purchased one of these after viewing one in an auto show in NYC around 1920.
Could not find who the owner of this one was.

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

I was lucky enough to grow up in a small town mansion built in 1917 (much smaller than Gold Coast mansions but still pretty amazing for where it was) in Scranton, PA, in the ‘Hill’ section, among a row of homes that were probably built mainly by coal mine owners.  Well built, a great exterior, an even better interior that still brings me great memories - along with my father’s favorite antique cars, one of which, a 1926 Packard 243 Touring, is now on Long Island in my very ordinary high ranch home in a very normal suburb!  😊  I grew up with a great appreciation for beautiful homes and antique cars, and steam locomotives!

Two of the great things about Long Island are those great homes still preserved, and the great antique cars still preserved.  Always nice to hear about either.

Ron

From From the Grace Holloway Family Album: Photos of the Old Westbury Home Built by Driver Foxhall Keene

I can almost hear the black beast now!

From From a Lodgekeeper's Family Album: A View of the Massapequa Lodge

And it was not a train, by the way, it was only the locomotive, which was supposed to pick up the train in Hicksville.

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

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!
___________________________________________________
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"