This year, the Friends of Locomotive #35 used the WaterFront Center as the location for their annual meeting on April 12. That was because of ongoing construction work being done at the Oyster Bay railroad station that is necessary to stabilize the structure. The members met in the classroom at the DEC building on West End Avenue. The building houses the WaterFront Center, the Oyster Bay Sailing School, the Christeen as well as the local office of the Department of Environmental Concerns.

Friends of Locomotive #35 Board Chairman Ben Jankowski said the best news to report was that the lease of the turntable, in progress since 1999, has now been accomplished and the group is now a tenant at the turntable property which means grading and planting now can begin. (See the article on the first work session of the group, on this page.)

The station building is in the process of being transferred from the MTA to the Town of Oyster Bay and, through the town, to the Oyster Bay Historical Society which will oversee the museum. Mr. Jankowski said the blue tarpaulin is covering the roof, currently in deplorable condition, and was placed there to prevent water damage from the many existing leaks. He thanked the anonymous individual who generously arranged for a no interest $4500 loan for emergency repairs. The much needed work on the roof was to commence April 21.

Mr. Jankowski said there is $50,000 in block grant money available, thanks to the efforts of County Executive Thomas Suozzi and Legislator Brian Muellers, for which the group will apply. He cautioned that the application would be only for a portion of the available amount but was confident that the request would be accepted and some money would be granted.

He said in January of this year the various Long Island rail museums held a summit meeting at Oyster Bay's Fiddleheads seafood restaurant to discuss their common problems and goals. He said people in the entertainment industry, many of whom make their homes on Long Island, will be approached for donations as well as will some members of the Oyster Bay Historical Society under whose jurisdiction the Friends of Locomotive 35 fall.

Supervisor John Venditto was thanked for his help and support. A 40 foot steel New Haven box car built in 1944 and fitted out with interior shelves has been obtained and can currently be seen at their former Mitchel Field location. A 50-foot baggage car has been promised to the group by the LIRR.

President Steve Torborg thanked the presence of visitors from the Twin Forks chapter of the NRHS.

Mr. Torborg thanked the members who had assisted in setting up the meeting room and providing refreshments and emphasized the need of volunteers regardless of their skills. He said helping hands are always welcome as there are many, many tasks that need to be done such as cleaning up, painting, metal work, carpentry, etc. There are many tasks that require no mechanical skills whatsoever such as assisting with publishing the newsletter and brochures, mailings, manning booths at shows and at the Oyster Festival, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18 and 19. This year there will be only one food booth for the group, last year they had two booths. Mr. Jankowski said, this was the group's major fund-raising effort and all who could volunteer for both days, one day, or even a few hours were needed and would be welcomed.

Mr. Torborg spoke of the need to project a professional appearance and keep a safe working environment at the new site as it is in a much more visible location than the Mitchel Field one was. He proudly noted that throughout its history the group has never had a reportable injury at its work site and he wanted to maintain that record. Time spent doing work on behalf of the group, whether at home, at the work site or some other location should be reported by telephone, mail or e-mail so proper time records can be maintained. In line with the new professionalism Mr. Torborg mentioned that all who wished to volunteer, whether an existing member or newcomer, must now fill out a formalized "Volunteer Application" which has the headings of the Oyster Bay Historical Society and the Friends of Locomotive #35, Inc.

The Stony Brook show of the previous weekend was cited as an example of the need for volunteers to unpack and set up the booth before the show, man it during show hours, take down the booth and pack up once the show ended. The show turned a small profit which would have been larger had the weather been better, said Mr. Torborg.

Jim Muhr gave a summary of the status of the equipment saying that caboose #12, was in very good shape. (It was at the TOB DPW yard in Syosset, and was scheduled to be moved to Oyster Bay shortly.) The World's Fair diesel cab is in fairly good shape but the observation car, except for the roof, is beyond repair. The work to be done at Mitchel Field will be to consolidate and prepare materials for the move to Oyster Bay.

Dave Morrison, former Oyster Bay LIRR line manager reported on a tour of Long Island stations that he conducted recently. He thanked Gary Farkash for his help and assistance in covering some of the lines that he was not familiar with. He was pleased to note that several members of the New York City Transit Museum attended the tour and he hoped that there would be a mutually beneficial relationship established. For want of a better name Mr. Morrison called April 26 "Pot Belly Stove Day on the Oyster Bay Branch!" At 10 a.m. there was a dedication ceremony at the Roslyn station for the restored stove. At 11 a.m. there was a similar ceremony held at the Sea Cliff station for their stove. Concluding, he mentioned the forthcoming book Long Island Rail Road Stations of which he is the co-author. It will consist of 200 postcard views of stations covering the period 1906-19 and will retail for $19.99 when it becomes available on July 1.

The names of Oyster Bay residents John Specce and Tim Wright were submitted for election to the board of directors. Mr. Torborg spoke of Mr. Specce's willingness to help and actively participate in furthering the goals of the group. When a crossing shanty was acquired the problem of where to store it arose. Mr. Specce saved the day by having the structure moved to a location safe from vandalism until a more permanent site becomes available. Mr. Wright has been an active member since joining two years ago. His background is in the setting up of shows for the music industry. Since there were no other contenders for the two vacancies both men were elected by a motion made and seconded from the floor.

Mr. Jankowski said they have had great difficulty in obtaining grant money from the state, to date. He did not know if this was due to the fiscal crisis or some other reason but, since the funds are federal, he did not know why the state should hold them up. Private sources for funding have been approached but the response from that quarter has not been encouraging.

A fund has been set up at the Oyster Bay Historical Society to help repay the loan for the roof restoration project. Checks should be made out to OBHS-RR Station Fund and mailed to: Oyster Bay Historical Society, P.O. Box 297, Oyster Bay, NY 11771.

On Saturday, April 12, the Friends of Locomotive #35 Inc. held their first ever work session at their new Oyster Bay worksite, the soon to be home of the Railroad Museum at Oyster Bay.

The work session began at 9 a.m. and ended around 4 p.m. with some 20 volunteer members of the group digging in to make the site a bit more presentable. Piles of dirt and debris were sorted through, separated and leveled. Surplus railroad brake shoes and switch stands left by the LIRR were relocated for future use and fencing was repaired at the entrance to the site. At the turntable, railings were reinstalled along the walkway and weeds and trash were removed from the pit. The electrical motor was also removed in the hopes that we can find someone able to rebuild it. All in all it was a very busy and tiring, but productive day for those in attendance.

It should be noted that this would not have been possible without the assistance of our supporters. Thanks to the staff of Supervisor John Venditto and his belief in our project, we were provided with a 30-yard dumpster to dispose of the seemingly endless amount of junk and garbage on site. The town has also promised fencing around the property and additional lighting for security that will ensure the site remains safe and secure. Also, a special thanks to Director Tom Kuehhas and the Oyster Bay Historical Society under whose direction our group functions in Oyster Bay. Tom even stopped by in the afternoon to lend his support to the members.

Last, but by no means least, a very special thank you goes out to Mr. Bob Izzo, a local contractor and resident. His business is located across the street from the site and he proved his being a good neighbor as well as a supporter of our efforts by donating his services and equipment in the form of a heavy duty payloader. It was plainly evident that without his assistance, the members' successful efforts would not have been possible.

While in most respects this first work session was "mere baby steps" in the overall creation of the museum, to their members as well as their new neighbors it was a real shot in the arm to be working at their new home.

Anyone interested in joining their efforts or making a donation may contact them at:

Friends of Locomotive #35 Inc.

PO Box 335

Oyster Bay, New York 11771

You can also contact them on the web at www.lirr35.org