Vanderbilt Cup Races

I ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING MR. SHELBY WHEN HE WAS AT ATLANTIC CITY SEVERAL YEARS AGO YEARS KEVIN APPEL TOOK A PICTURE OF HIM SIGNING MY GLOVE BOX DOOR I HAVE A COPY OF THIS ON THE DISPLAY BOARD FOR MY 1967 SHELBY GT 500. I HAVE NOT SEEN FORD V FERRARI YET.  THE L. I.  MUSTANG & SHELBY CLUB WENT TO SEE IT A FEW WEEKS AGO AS A GROUP TO SEE IT

From The Day We Met Carroll Shelby

Al, the ladder-like contraption between the tents is probably an extensible platform used to reach up to the catenary supports and wire.  If so, it was the first “tower” car (more modern version attached).  Frank F. - re your “white shirted man” carrying “posts” - you see far more there than I can.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

No, Art; I refer to the straight top of a concrete abutment or wing wall appearing just above the ground, much as the Transverse Road “Mayan Ruins” do.  It is/was solid, not broken, perhaps 10-15’ long, more or less parallel to the guard rail, and behind you in your view to the west, further S/E, closer to NHP Road.  That “brick” (block) wall seems to be protection for the tree; nothing to do with the LIMP, and far more recent (there’s nothing growing in the crevices).  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The New Hyde Park Road Motor Parkway Bridge Abutment

Great article! As you know these can be addicting in trying to collect them all.

From Special Guest Post by Meredith Jaffe: Boyd’s Crystal Art Glass Tucker Figurines

Here’s a view across the Northern State looking west from the area explored and a piece of rock with rebar.

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The New Hyde Park Road Motor Parkway Bridge Abutment

I took Sam’s advice and visited the area he highlighted.  Found a curved wall of bricks on the northern side of the southbound New Hyde Park Rd. exit (were you referring to this, Sam?) along with some auto-related relics from a more recent age.

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The New Hyde Park Road Motor Parkway Bridge Abutment

Howard, Regarding the photo of the work train, My guess is the two white objects are tents probably used by railroad workers. Is that a ramp in an elevated position between the two tents?  Steve, The cement posts that replaced the original cedar posts were first installed around 1921.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Well, I “shoulda knowed” the location LIMP-wise but the car ‘s sure NOT on a bridge!  East “of”, not “on”.  Next, the train is highly-unlikely to be dropping off supplies, nit with tents up; it’s a base for the electification crew and the timbers in the foreground are ties for the track.  It’s fabulous that Bill has, and is sharing, the scrapbook with us; thanks.  However, while the S&W car may well have been a white Buick, the car Willie or his personal photog. used when the long-missing bound construction photo album <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy0.html#limpbklt> was shot was a black touring car (someone on the Island ought to go to the Hempstead P. L. and check further).  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Great photo and guesses. Is the white shirted man going to carry all those bridge guardrail posts by himself? He’s carried two to the roadside and back tracking for more.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Looking southeast from Jerusalem Avenue Levittown towards the snake turn at Bloomingdale Road.  Train holding equipment to build bridge or water pump station.  Joe Tracey in Locomobile road testing the new pavement.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Very interest article about a fun collectible.

From Special Guest Post by Meredith Jaffe: Boyd’s Crystal Art Glass Tucker Figurines

Sorry to seem to be demeaning of Boyd’s work but these cars look just like the hollow ones I remember as holding candy dots when I was a kid ca. 1940 (although they probably were NOT Tuckers).  Sam, III

From Special Guest Post by Meredith Jaffe: Boyd’s Crystal Art Glass Tucker Figurines

OMG!  I may not know as much as I should about the LIMP but I sure know a LIRR work train when I see one and look carefully at the enlargement.  Betcha that’s the 1908 PRR five-mile test electrification being erected east of Hempstead Crossing with 11,000 volt A.C. catenary, with 70# rail, and divided into 11 sections, with the first and last being for acceleration and braking (all per Art Huneke).  As to the auto, it’s unusual for being white and so may well be Willie’s 1900 23HP Daimler Phoenix “White Ghost” (see 02 Sp 2010 blog); the photographer’s usual car was black.  Can’t make out what’s on the horizon.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Great Image. Sorry to say I have no idea but the desolation Long Island when my father was a toddler is just so striking…

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Location - LIMP East Meadow( Levittown) looking east with the LIRR central branch
                  branch to the south
Purpose of train - Pennsylvania RR electrification test section used for
                  the electrification of Penn station in 1908.  The train appears to
                  be a work train possibly being used for installation of posts and
                  fencing for the railroad.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Not a clue. It’s not the LIRR Central RR in Fresh Meadows. It’s not the LIRR Oyster Bay Branch out of Mineola. It’s not a passby at Creedmoor Hospital. Maybe it’s near and next to the LIRR in Nassau Co., although I don’t see enough room for Stewart Ave between the RR and the Motor Parkway to be built. But what about the long U-bend in Nassau County heading east and west near the Central RR.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Great find Art. I like to see how properties have been acquired through the years.

From Mystery Foto #3 Solved: The Links Golf Course's Private Opening on the Motor Parkway in Searingtown

No ideas to contribute toward the answers…but I am excited to see more of these scrapbook photos…

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

We see the LIMP making a turn away from a railroad. The only place I know of such a turn would be looking east from the bridge over Newbridge Road in what is now Levittown. This is about a half mile from my home.

Several items in the image agree with this:

1) the turn from the LIRR (Stewart Branch) only occurs in two places: Newbridge and Dead Man’s Curve. As this is a gentle curve that rules out “dead man’s curve.”

2) The left hand side of the LIMP shows a building embankment for the Newbridge overpass. No such bridge was built at Broadway.

3) In 1908 the Pennsylvania (then owner of the LIRR) electrified the Steward line as a test track for the impending electrification of Penn Station in NYC.  These poles can be seen in an image of the Vanderbilt Race in 1908 on page 58 of “The Long Island Motor Parkway” (Arcadia) looking the other way.

Also see: http://arrts-arrchives.com/newpage1.html

The train is interesting. Looks like a work train, either installing or removing the trolley type overhead electric wire. From the timeline I would say installing.

I have no ideas about the car. It does appear loaded with several barrels, perhaps to support the LIRR work or some other inspection function. It may well be the photographer’s car.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Some of the adjacent railroad data: 

That was adjacent to the LIRR’s old Central Branch between Garden City and Farmingdale.  Here’s some info from Art Huneke’s LIRR Site Arrts-Arrchives.com.
The steam railroad chose this site to test future use of electric power on the LIRR and Pennsylvania Railroad here.  The test wires were probably being constructed in the photo in 1908.
—-
IN 1908 FIVE MILES OF TRACK EAST OF HEMPSTEAD CROSSING
WERE ELECTRIFIED WITH 11,000 VOLT A.C. CATENARY

THE TEST TRACK HAD 70 LB. RAIL WITH NEW TIES AND GRAVEL BALLAST AND WAS DIVIDED INTO ELEVEN SECTIONS.  THE FIRST AND LAST SECTIONS WERE FOR ACCELERATION AND BRAKING AND HAD WESTINGHOUSE STANDARD WOODEN POLE BRACKET CONSTRUCTION OF THE SINGLE CATENARY TYPE.
ON THE OTHER SECTIONS WERE TESTED A VARIETY OF STEEL BRACKET POLES, STEEL STRUT AND SPAN WIRE SUPPORT BRIDGES,  SINGLE AND SECONDARY CATENARY CONSTRUCTION WITH SINGLE AND DOUBLE TROLLEY WIRE.
ALSO TESTED WERE VARIETIES OF HANGERS AND STEADY STRAINS.  THE
TESTS WERE CONDUCTED FROM OCTOBER FIRST UNTIL DECEMBER FIRST.

https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/newpage1.html

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A Never Before Published Photo from the Newbridge Road Motor Parkway Bridge