Vanderbilt Cup Races

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

The photo was taken in the winter of 1934.
Toll was reduced to 40 cents in 1933.
The “photo op” occurred sometime in Feb 1934 after a large snowfall.
As per N.W.S. data base Feb 1934 had significant snowfatotaling 27.9 ” out of a seasonal total of 52”. It was heaviest Feb snowfall in the entire 1930’s. 
The sign was a futile attempt to increase traffic after the opening of the NSP the previous year.
The sign was at the Queens terminus of the parkway on Springfield Blvd .
The snow clearing in front of the sign was to make the sign visible.
Maybe the family of the lodge keeper was sent out to clear the snow from the billboard sign and entrance& exit ramps.   
The electric lights on the sign connected at the toll house.
Of course the 50 miles for 40 cents was a misnomer. Total length was approx. 47 miles to the eastern terminus.:
Maybe photo appeared in local newspaper. If I knew how to search archives I would look their too. Anyone want to give this frustrated historian a few tips please e-mail me .I would love to continue the conversation.
The truck is also for another post.

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

I believe the Vanderbilt Cup was also awarded at some of the early races at Bridgehampton and that my Dad, Walter Luftman, probably raced in some of them in the early ‘60s. Does anyone have any records pertaining to this? I’d love to see them.

From Archives: 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Looks like the Horace Harding entrance sign.  Probably about 1937 when the toll was reduced to 40 cents and before the parkway closed in 38.  Truck looks like a Model A.

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

This sign was located at the western terminus of the LIMP in Fresh Meadows at Nassau Blvd. ( Horace Harding Blvd). Judging by the shadow of the light fixtures, I believe the photographer was facing east. Since the cost of a one-way ticket was reduced to 40 cents in 1935; there’s snow on the ground; the LIMP closed in April, 1938; this probably limits the date to between 1935 and the winter of 1937-38. As to the truck, no clue. Looking forward to the answer.

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