Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thank you, Art! I’ll have to check your website out.
Robert, I pass the Maxess Rd one almost daily. I also service a customer that has the old Clody Farmway bridge on their property 😊
Now I know based on maps part of the Melville section is under the Newsday property but I’m curious if it was demolished or just paved/planted over. There’s going to be major construction in that area once they move out this coming fall.

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Lindsay, glad you’ll be doing some exploring!  Been doing it myself since 2004 and i used Sam’s website to get started (thanks Sam for a great primer).  Since then I’ve built my website which you should check out, especially the individual pages under the “more” tab for details on specific areas.  The pages about the tours I have given might also give you some ideas as to what you may want to do.  I gave an acquaintance from Chicago a 5 hour tour this past spring and if you like I design something for you and your boyfriend and will accompany you if you want.  Just let me know.  My e-mail is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

Main thing is to get started as several spots that were previously available are now inaccessible due to development (i.e., parts in Levittown near where I live where homes have been built over the roadway - actually where the Vanderbilt Cup Race Grandstand was) and in Garden City where Raymond Court meets the Parkway where while there are still lots there several posts were removed during a home renovation. 

My sebsite:
https://www.freewebs.com/limparkway/

Just be courteous and careful.  While treking through Deadman’s Curve in Bethpage on a Sunday morning around 7:30 once I heard some dogs barking and then a guy approached me and asked why I was snooping around in back of his property.  I explained and he told me his backyard butts up against Deadman’s Curve and several times he found real estate developers taking pictures and wanting to know if the property was for sale.  He doesn’t want any homes encroaching on his property so he was not too friendly to them.  But to me he was fine.  That was about the worst of it.  Another time in the Bagatelle section I ended up wandering onto a tree farm and some workers came out in a truck.  I explained and they were friendly and directed my off the farm. 

Best time to go explore is in the late winter when the thickets are not so bad (just about getting past that time now). 

Good luck and let us know how you make out. 

Art

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

The building still stands on Jericho turnpike, across from Chaminade School in Mineola.  The roof top automobile wind directional hints of motor parkway.

From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: The Former Jondol Service Station on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola

Great update shots of the LIMP Sam and Dave! I’ve yet to see that fence north of the OCR bridge but yes, Old Courthouse Road once terminated northward at I.U. Willets Road. Beyond that fence I believe it’s now backyards on private property. But there is a section north of these properties that is barren, likely NSP property. begging for exploration. I’ve added this to the “To Do List”.

From Sam and Dave’s “Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day”- #2 Manhasset Hills

Lindsay,

The Maxess Rd location in Melville is super easy in both directions. You can easily spot the blue history sign marker on the east side of Maxess in between Duryea Road and Ruland Road.

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

I was driving through the area on April 10, 2019, and I saw the historic marker sign, so I pulled over to see what it was for. Once I saw the embankment, I knew it was the LIMP. I took a few pictures.

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

I’ll never forget the Madonna Heights section, Frank lol. Having dog treats handy is a good idea!

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Lol’s, Dave. Those insulators will be there for years to come. Flooding beneath that bridge must have always been an issue. Remember large gravel being laid there by LIPA, but it’s never ending. Just realized your image with the gates is the ‘north dead end’ of Old Courthouse Rd ( which continued north to IU Willets Rd in the far past ). Nice job with your youtube video!

From Sam and Dave’s “Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day”- #2 Manhasset Hills

Dave - Sending Howard Bethpage overlay attachments. I keep getting “exceeded file height/width size” errors when sending pics via the comment section. Am I alone with this error?

I should’ve sent these a while ago. This is what Wayne and I found separately. Note the alignment on most of today’s streets vs the 1950 aerial. This is as close as I can get. Dead Man’s Curve #2 was real!

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Doubt it, Frank.  TWO customized narrow-track bikes?  Unlikely.  Reed Martin gussied up both the deDion (yes - French - 1883-1953) and the Orient (at right, below) alike.  Here are comparison shots together, plus two other deD-B trikes with normal track like the Orient.  I’d put my money on the LIAM bike being Martin’s Vandy bike.  Sam, III

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Howard, Reducing the toll rate in 1933 was a little bit more complicated. The 40 cents toll took effect on December 12, that year. Prior to that there was also a 50 cents toll on Sundays only from the Hillside lodge to the Meadow Brook Lodge as far back as 1927. There was also a 20 cents toll for a short period of time from the Mineola Lodge to the Hillside Lodge that went into effect shortly after the Northern State Parkway opened up the entrance/exit at Jericho Tpke. which was located about a quarter mile from the Mineola Lodge.  The 40 cents toll was modified on Nov. 1, 1936. From that date forward that rate was good only between the western terminus and the Mineola Lodge. On that date the toll was raised to 75 cents to traverse the entire parkway. Between April 1st and April 19th, 1938, the last day tolls were collected, 76 automobiles paid the 40 cents rate and 577 paid the 75 cents rate. Al.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

Thank you all so much for the input! I’m super excited to start exploring!

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Awesome trike indeed and very interesting! This French? company may have produced various models. This trike compared to the one on Sam’s site (not the custom Vanderbilt version) has no foot pegs on the fork, the tires slightly smaller, and chain ring on the pedals slightly larger. Both front brake mechanisms appear the same, compressing the top of the tire under the head tube, but can’t make out the rear brake for beans. Too much stuff going on back there. The Vanderbilt version appears to possess a leather Brooks saddle, but never seen one with that suspension gadget underneath. Only the best! Thanks everyone for posting.

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Lindsay - a second thought if I may - following up on what Dave and Frank suggest, start with the Old Bethpage Village bridge, then walk the segment east from 110 along the southern boundary of the Postal facility, and next see the old abutments off Maxess Road.  That should, in one easy half-day, readily accessible in the Melville area, give you a flavor of what lies ahead.  Sam, III

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Mike,  There is a website with Bridgehampton SCCA photos and results; you can Google it.
Dave Nicholas has a great site http://www.barcboys.com  1950s-60s racing NE-SCCA

I’ll bet the Watkins Glen research center would have results for your Dad, too.

If he got down to Vineland, South Jersey region I can help.  Do you know the car make & color?  What years he raced?

Good luck with your search!
GaryC

From Archives: 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

S. Berliner III, Yes, that trike is awesome….

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Hi ALL:  In regards to the truck with the snow plow on it,  the object on the back of
the truck in all probability is some sort of box, crate or tank holding and carrying an
unknown weighted product for more traction in the plowing process.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

Frank Femenias

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

David Stephan

Separately from my guess about your Mystery Foto #14 (an easy one that even I could get), I wanted to ask you if you know what the object is that is behind the truck?

At first, I thought it was part of the truck which made for one strange-looking truck. However, when I examined your grainy photo with a Photoshop filter, it seemed to be something behind the truck as lighting density and contrast was different. In the attached, I can see clearly the open part of the truck (“dump”), which I partially highlighted in blue. The object to which I refer is bounded on the top and right by my yellow line.

Just curious, especially as I have enjoyed your speculations about a kiosk that might have been at/near this entrance.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

This sign was once located in Fresh Meadow, Queens at the beginning of the Motor Parkway’s western end, on today’s Horace Harding Expwy service road and about 100 ft. east of Peck Ave under the pedestrian overpass. Photographer was looking almost directly at the sign facing northeast. Photo was taken sometime after 1933 when the toll was reduced to $0.40 until the parkway’s closing (1933-1938).

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&ll=40.74231236285762,-73.78016421002314&z=20

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows