The little museum that can - the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum - opened its Preview Center to the public on Saturday, Feb. 2. It was already a magnet for children and adults.

Inside its new location at 102 Audrey Avenue, in Oyster Bay, (a half block south of the original LIRR Oyster Bay Railroad station and train yard that they are renovating to become the museum), is the preview center with interactive exhibits for children (and grown-ups), historical photographs and renderings of what the future OBRM site will look like.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, standing under the red wooden sign saying, The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, OBRM President John Specce said they are previewing what will be at the restored station house. At the new center, they are offering educational programs that are what the museum sees as their mission.

Mr. Specce greeted board members Judy Wasilchuk, Jerry Lalonde, Steve Torborg, Gary Forcash, Josh Stoff, Patricia Aitken, Ben Jankowski and elected officials including Legislator Judy Jacobs, Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker and Elizabeth Faughnan; Tracy Kay from the TOB Parks Department and Assemblyman Chuck Lavine.

Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs said she enjoyed the informative and entertaining exhibits displaying the history of the Long Island Rail Road and its significance to Oyster Bay. As part of its plan to develop the museum complex, the original 1889 Oyster Bay Station will be restored, inside and out, to its early 20th-century appearance. Oyster Bay is one of the more important railroad stations as it served as a presidential railroad station under Theodore Roosevelt in the first years of the 20th century. Most of the station will be left as open space so historical and educational exhibits can be installed. However, the ticketing area will be restored to what it once was, as a commuter, or even President Roosevelt might have seen it.

There to help open the new center were many of the museum volunteers including George Mutari, who came with his family. Mr. Mutari is typical of the volunteers who have been working on the restoration of the museum's collection of trains. He has done welding, carpentry and electrical work on the World's Fair car and Caboose #50. His wife Debbie said, "He's the jack of all trades."

President Specce said Leon Daitz is one of the most senior members of their volunteers. "He does everything," he said. Mr. Daitz has worked on the World's Fair car and Caboose #50. He is retired from the Nassau County Department of Public Works where he was in charge of the sewer maintenance warehouse in East Rockaway, and was an equipment operator (payloaders) and a truck driver. Mr. Daitz didn't start out as a rail fan, he liked model trains, "until I met Steve Torborg," the first president of the Friends of Locomotive #35, he said.

Mr. Daitz admitted, "I used to play on Locomotive #35 when it was in Salisbury Park. I always wanted to be a train engineer."

Mr. Specce said their youngest volunteer is Steven McKeon who said, "They got me from Barry Tech, a BOCES school. I'm a welder." He is very proud of his profession. Welding is an art. Aircraft and shipbuilders put their initials on their welding. Their work is examined thoroughly and even X-rayed to make sure the weld is strong and there are no cracks, said Mr. McKeon.

Board member JudyWasilchuk said some kids from BOCES are doing welding for the OBRM. "I spoke to Mr. Clark at BOCES who said that they are getting kids with high academic averages who want to have skills they wouldn't have the opportunity to learn elsewhere - such as welding and culinary skills." Providing a place where BOCES students can learn is another asset of the OBRM.

Young Nickolas Martone was busy turning the gears at one of the exhibits. His parents, Michael and Jane Martone brought their three children to see the Preview Center.

"We took the train from Glen Head to come here," said Jane Martone. "We've lived on Long Island all our lives and commute on the LIRR. It's comforting to hear that train whistle. We heard they were opening the train museum and decided to come."

"I came for the music," said dad Michael Martone. He enjoys the many songs written about railroads. "My son Mike likes trains, and my Uncle Tim was a rail fan. We want to take a scenic train trip one day," he added.

Four-year old Jack Croke was working the piston that made a train whistle work. He brought his dad, Tim Croke, of Locust Valley to the event. "I'm an engineer," said Mr. Croke, and laughed adding, "A mechanical engineer." He said of Jack, "He loves trains and has lots of them."

Newest OBRM board member Pat Aitken, their secretary, was pleased with the public's response to the Preview Center opening. She said, "We had a huge turn-out. Thankfully they didn't all come at one time. There were lots of happy faces. The kids really seemed to enjoy the interactive exhibits. I was pleased. I think it is going to be a very family-friendly place. And also, there is a lot of history of interest to all concerned. I think it is good."

Judy Wasilchuk, OBRM trustee said, over 300 people came to the preview. "They were all ages, you name it. There was a kid who goes to St. John's Prep, who knows so much about trains. He said his school has an HO-gauge train in their library. I'd love to see it. My dad always had HO trains in the house. That was his hobby."

Ms. Wasilchuk has been to train museums all over the country. "I've been to Detroit, to the Ford Museum, and train museums in Chicago, Missouri, Sacramento, one south of San Francisco, and the Strassburg Museum in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, as well as others.

"As a kid we rode as many trains as we could. The Boone Railroad in Iowa, takes you over a river in old cars without sides. They stop on the bridge and you can see over a large expanse and it is pretty scary. At the Missouri State Railroad Museum they have a "Big Boy" locomotive. You can't imagine how large it is. It's incredible.

"It helps me that my brother and one of my cousins loved to go to railroad museums. In Sacramento there is a railroad museum where there are two or three cars connected. When you step onto them, you feel the sensation of being on a moving train, while not in motion. You can even hear the clickety clack. There is a dining car in the Sacramento Museum and you have to make reservations to eat there.

"We were out in Montauk after Christmas at the Riverhead Railroad Museum. I've been into trains my whole life. I was not even 2 years old when I rode the railroad and ate in the dining car. My grandfather worked in the shops, and a couisin did too, before going to college.

"My cousin's wife's father was a conductor on the City of New Orleans. She gave me a whole bunch of her father's memorabilia: pay stubs, routing schedules. Eventually we will get material like it from a lot of other railroads for the museum's library/collection."

Ms. Wasilchuk truly enjoys trains. She said at another museum near Strassburg, "They have a pink and purple Lionel train for the girls. I don't know if it sold. In that museum, they had cabooses that people could stay over in, like at a hotel. Steven (her husband) and I wanted to try it, but we haven't yet. We had other learning vacations to go on with the kids."

She has been enjoying her time with the OBRM. She and "We were very excited with the turnout for the wine tasting at the Sagamore Yacht Club in the fall. We got a wide cross section of the community who came out to support the museum."

She added, "We are currently planning on the second annual wine tasting."

The museum had its official opening on Wednesday, Jan. 30 to which many town officials came. "It was a nice intimate evening with about 30 to 35 people here to meet the executive board," said one of the group's founders, Gary Farkash. Assemblyman Rob Walker presented the group with a proclamaition.

Their next event will be on Feb. 27 when the public is invited to participate in a meeting to further a community vision of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum to be held at the Doubleday Babcock Senior Center, 45 East Main Street from 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting is being conducted as part of the New York State Department of State Quality Communities Program and hosted by the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, the grant award-winner. The purpose of the grant is to fund the planning and design of the public plaza, access and a pedestrian-friendly streetscape of the area surrounding the museum - in a location that provides a vital connection from the waterfront to the downtown. For further information call 887-4294 or visit online at www.OBRM.org.