Locomotive No. 35 is one stop closer to getting to its new home/Railroad Museum in Oyster Bay. The Town of Oyster Bay held a public hearing on Jan. 19 to consider making the Long Island Rail Road Station and the LIRR Turntable in Oyster Bay, town landmarks.

When that happens - the town will have a place that needs a centerpiece and that could be Locomotive No. 35, but negotiations between the town and the county are not complete - there's a glitch in the system. Nassau County owns Locomotive No. 35 and is willing to give it to the Town of Oyster Bay. The county is waiting for the town to make a formal request for the locomotive said Ed Smitts, NC historian. "It would move the project on," he said. "We can't do anything formally until we are asked. The county executive can't do anything until requested."

He said a summary proposal was sent to the town in the fall. He then sent further information to the town, answering some of their questions - but nothing is happening as yet.

One of the issues the town is considering is insurance. Steve Torborg, co-chair of the Locomotive No. 35 Restoration Committee said at the present time the volunteers working on the engine are covered by Nassau County. The Town of Oyster Bay has a policy of having local groups provide their own insurance even though the town is self-insured.

Mr. Smitts said there are problems when you are the possessor of 71 feet of equipment. There is not only the problem of insurance for people working on the locomotive, but also for people interested in looking at it. You need a general liability on any county property - actually for any large liability, he said. Once the town accepts the locomotive, the county will be out of the picture - it will be out of their control, he said.

"We have been discussing different parameters," said Mr. Smitts, "but there is no specific proposal. They have to make the policy decision."

That there is a glitch in the system is shown by the town's view of the issue.

A town spokesperson said, "We are actually waiting for the county to determine what they call the legal status of Locomotive 35 - which means how do they transfer it to the town. The county attorney's office is working on how to do the title transfer to the town."

The spokesperson said, the town does want the locomotive.

The Locomotive No. 35 Restoration Committee recently made a proposal to the town saying they would like the town to provide the electricity, water and garbage removal for the site. The town is looking into what those costs will come to. Then they will determine who would pay for what.

After all the parts are in place - and a plan is made, it has to go for town board approval.

The LIRR has said they are willing to turn over the building and the turntable to the town. The same structures the board is currently considering for town landmark status. Added to that incentive, there is the possibility of getting financial help from the MTA for the renovation of the station house.

Things are still in the talking stage, but, the MTA is interested in having a LIRR Museum located on Long Island. Mr. Smitts said the MTA is in its formative review stage of making a proposal to take over a railroad station to be turned into a LIRR museum. Currently they are weighing the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. "There are no formal requests as far as I know," he said. Things have been said verbally, but nothing has been put in writing since no final decisions have been made.

The MTA is interested in three possible sites: Oyster Bay, Oakdale and Riverhead. Oakdale appears to have already lost out because of its location.

"Dave Morrison, the LIRR branch manager would like to see it here," said Steve Torborg, as he spoke at the December meeting of the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce. He said as soon as Riverhead received the information they responded. "If the town doesn't jump on it, they won't get it. If they don't want to pay the bill for restoration - this is a rare opportunity," said Mr. Torborg.

His group hoped they would be celebrating in Oyster Bay for the holiday season in 1998, but they missed a great opportunity, but not for lack of trying. A local property owner was interested in donating land to the group, but the deal didn't take shape.

Locomotive 35 is presently located at and near the Cradle of Aviation Museum at Mitchell Field. The volunteers have donated 20,000 volunteer hours in rehabilitating Locomotive 35 in their machine shop, welding shop and carpentry area.

Over the past three years the Locomotive 35 group has raised about $50,000 through donations, being at the Oyster Festival, at rail fan shows and events. "When we get here (in Oyster Bay) we will go for grants. That will give us more than enough to repair the train," said Mr. Torborg. The group holds weekly work sessions on Saturdays with people working all day long at Mitchell Field. "No one's afraid of getting dirty," said Mr. Torborg.

The group includes boilermakers, welders and carpenters and others who work on history and publicity. They have access to other skilled professionals, said Mr. Torborg. They have a great bank of willing workers and even have suppliers who give them things at a discount.

Mr. Torborg said, "Once we are established at our Oyster Bay location we will do whatever construction work we need to have done and all at a minimal cost."

People work on the project for the love of railroading. "We take pride in what we do."

When the group initially got involved in restoring Locomotive 35, they had to find it. "All the parts were scattered throughout the county. We relocated them by scouring the area and got 98 percent back." They found parts in county closets.

The proposed Locomotive 35 site in Oyster Bay will hopefully also have three cabooses on display. They were originally created as the office space for the conductor of the train. From his position at the end of the car, he could look out and check the condition of the equipment up ahead, to see if any of the equipment was malfunctioning.

They will have Caboose No. 50 on site. "It's not the prettiest, but it's unique," he said. "It has no windows or doors." It came free of charge and was loaded up with parts! "If it comes to Oyster Bay, it will come by rail."

A second caboose, this one with a red cupola has no floor and needs a considerable amount of work.

A third caboose is waiting in Branford, Connecticut. The 1920 wooden car has been used as a "motel" for volunteers at the trolley museum. It comes with a price tag of $7,500. One of their members K.C. Madden is in charge of fund raising.

Today, Locomotive 35 is packed into two trailer tractors, at Mitchell Field, ready to come to Oyster Bay. The county says they have until June to move out. Mr. Torborg said the county is willing to move them. Everything is hanging on the county and the town working out the details of the switch of ownership.

Mr. Gulotta has a present for the Town of Oyster Bay, and Mr. Venditto just has to ask for it. If Locomotive # 35 doesn't find a home there is the possibility that it will end up in Riverhead where its future will be very iffy. They already have its sister engine, #39, that they have been working on for about 25 years. The volunteers for #35 have been working for 10 years and are closer to completion - but only if they find a new home.