Vanderbilt Cup Races

Shoulda linked Art Huneke’s ARRT’S ARRCHIVES great page on the electerification tests: <https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/newpage1.html>.  Detective work much like on our own LIMP.  [By the way, if you haven’t yet, you should also see his LIMP/VCR pages: <https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/MOTORPKY1A.html>, <https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/MOTORPKY1Br.html>, and <https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/limp2.html>]  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #43 Solved : A 1955 View of the Motor Parkway in Levittown Looking West

Don Capps
I have enjoyed the Vanderbilt Cup site virtually since its inception. Given that the topic area that I have focused upon for some years now, American automotive contests until the end of 1920, tends to be somewhat thin on the ground for the most part, your site is certainly a treasure.

Again, my congratulations for your excellent work on keeping the legacy of the Vanderbilt Cup alive—not to mention the LIMP.

Best regards,

Don Capps
President, SAH

From Society of Automotive Historians Honor VanderbiltCupRaces.com with the E.P. Ingersoll Award

OMG!  Some LIRR/PRR historian *I* am!  Fantastic find!  Thanks, Frank, Brian, and Ernie!  Lotsa!!!!  Sam (the chastened), III

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

Here I am in my ‘think tank’ again : ). Upon viewing a closeup aerial ( below ), the wing walls of these bridges were literally touching each other like the sketch shows. Thought both bridges were demolished at the same time, but the 1950 aerial below shows the Meadowbrook Club Bridge still in use. The gates on the east ( sketch ), may be associated with the Mitchell Gardens Complex.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Removal of the Roosevelt Field Motor Parkway Bridge

The twin bridges! They weren’t so ‘twin’ after all. Great details here Art. The original LIMP bridge to the east (1909-1940’s) was slightly longer than the latter Meadow Brook Polo Club bridge (1920’s-1940’s). If I read this correctly it looks like the shorter Polo bridge was first to go in ~1944. It appears there was a slight grade uphill as you headed east, but flat under the Polo bridge. and the height clearance of the LIMP bridge was only 11’0”, restricting travel for most modern day tractor trailer heights of 13’6”. As noted, the abutment walls were saved under the dirt below but I doubt they survived the MSP onslaught.
I stand corrected! These two bridges were swapped on the online LIMP map. Correction updated.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Removal of the Roosevelt Field Motor Parkway Bridge

Very interesting maps and documents. I note that it appears that the Trotting Association must have purchased some property near the bridge from Nassau County between the 1938 closing of the LIMP and 1944. Makes me wonder how many parcels both Nassau and Suffolk sold within 10 years of taking title. Who were the buyers? That could be the subject of future investigations and blog posts. Thanks for the good work Art?

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Removal of the Roosevelt Field Motor Parkway Bridge

Ernie - I believe the image below, a little further west from Newbridge, shows the catenary run from Garden City. Interesting stuff!

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

Sam III, below explains the location of Frank’s image. If you zoom into Frank’s image, the windmill is seen on the Ladenburgh property.

From Mystery Foto #43 Solved : A 1955 View of the Motor Parkway in Levittown Looking West

WOW! There were so many more posts back then. Almost all (if not all) were still standing in their original place, 32 years after closing. Fantastic post(s), Howard
!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!~~~~!

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

Thanks for sharing!  Always good to get a refresh.

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

These images are excellent! More than glad Mr. Conroy offered his research to you, Sam III. He knew this fell in good hands. Note - the ‘today’ comparison image of Wheeler Bridge #2 is LIMP view west to Springfield Blvd.

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

Frank Femenias picture of the New Bridge Road overpass has several details that I particlarly like. Peeking above the left side embankment is first a square old style rail road crossing sign. Also there are two poles with a single cross-arm off one side of the pole only; these are used for an overhead power wire.

In 1908 the Pennsylvania Railroad electrified this portion of the Stewart line from Garden City to test various ways to power electric trains. This was important as they were building Pennsylvania Station in NYC and needed electric engines there.

Source: http://arrts-arrchives.com/newpage1.html

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

Hey, folks; Frank F. posted one of the most iconic views of the LIMP, showing next to nothing but the touring car, the open plains, and the ubiquitous construction water pipe at left.  It’s SO iconic that I use it on my main LIMP page!  But on looking again, I see a busy skyline, with a hill dead ahead, a steeple{?}, woodlands, and somethng off to the right [a spot? - a bird? - a plane? - Sup—- (no, Jor-El was on Krypton and Kal-El hadn’t even been born yet!)].  It could (should?) be a mystery photo in its own right and may well have been one, but, worse yet, I can’t find the story of this pic.  HELP, please.  Also, in Frank’s 1950 view directly above, there’s that gas holder and the Curtiss stacks {or what?}.  Hey!  That’s no 1950 view; there aren’t any of the WWII-era buildings along Stewart Ave., especially the Marine Corps center.  I vas dere, Cholly, ‘way back then - I’m sooo old!  :·)  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #43 Solved : A 1955 View of the Motor Parkway in Levittown Looking West

Good information all around.  Love that last pic, Frank!  I just obtained my latest FOIL request back from the NYSDOT regarding the building of the Wantagh State Parkway in the area for a future blog post.  Here’s two from 1936 and 1952 showing the outline of the borrow pit.

Pete M. - I see you’re on Grace?  I’m on Norman just north of you.  Want to compare notes sometime?

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

Great historic reference by all! Thank you Howard and everyone for your contributions.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

Look at that, the answer was (and still is) there for all to see.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit

1950 rare view of the Motor Pkwy just south of Roosevelt Field, heading west towards the Garden City lodge. Photo likely taken from the top of the Roosevelt Field bridge.

From Mystery Foto #43 Solved : A 1955 View of the Motor Parkway in Levittown Looking West

Art, Your welcome. Like you I was also impressed how quickly the bridges went up. With regard to the Central Ave./LIRR bridge their was an additional concern.  Supplying the steel and erecting the same at this location was by the Miliken Bros. of Brooklyn who the year before in 1907 had declared bankruptcy. Two of the girders they supplied were 110 feet long each. I wish I could have seen how they managed to raised these to the 24 foot height mandated by the LIRR. They were paid $4,561.25 for their efforts.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Removal of the Central Avenue/LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Oops - typo.  Sorry.  “Banking”, NOT “backing”.  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Kolumn:Update-Historical Markers for the Long Island Motor Parkway & Vanderbilt Cup Races

The 1 acre property is in Levittown, where the electric substation is on Newbridge Rd, but the station has grown today to 7.5 acres. Dunno the reason for purchase but three possibilities;
1. The lot was included with a RoW property purchase just to the north (unlikely).
2. The lot was purchased to serve as an intermediate fuel service/tire change station during the races (more likely).
3. The lot was purchased to serve as a parking facility for race spectators observing from the top of the Newbridge Hotel, on Newbridge Rd just to the north, a favorite viewing site for the races (most likely).
By 1936 the lot was already being used as a substation while the LIMP was still in operation (see below). 
Anticipating this week’s answers. The stress is wearing out my timing chain. Hurry up!

PS.  Check out the steepness of the Newbridge Rd bridge below! It reminds me of the bridges still standing in Queens on the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: One-Acre Property Purchased by the Motor Parkway for a Borrow Pit