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The View from Greenport
by Don Fisher written August 2003 for the
Winter Edition of the RMLI PostBoy
Once in awhile lightning will strike twice in the same place!
Last August, while I was working around your Greenport Museum, a young man approached me and asked if the Museum was open. It wasn’t, being a Monday, but I was ready for a soda break and you never know when you can make a friend for the Museum. I offered to let him have a look around while I went in for a cold drink.
Once inside, Mark, from Delaware, spoke about the Dashing Dan sign we have displayed on the north wall. He told me a story about his dad being the model for the now famous LIRR logo. I found it interesting that the railroad used their employees as models. After viewing the Museum, Mark left a donation and told me he’d tell his dad about our Museum and Dashing Dan on the wall.
This year on May 19th, I had the opportunity to chaperone my daughter Evelyn’s fourth grade class on a field trip to the Museum. Dressed as a railroad engineer, I walked from the school to the Southold train station with the class and rode to Greenport on the “Scoot”, telling them stories and answering their questions about the railroad. Once in Greenport, the class went first aboard a “tall ship” tour and I repaired to the Museum to open up and get ready for their return.
While setting out the signs alongside JAWS and the #14 Caboose, a man and woman approached me and asked if the Museum was open. I explained that we were preparing for a closed tour, “but come on in and look around if you like.” As soon as they entered the building, the gentleman, Eugene, headed for the Dashing Dan logo hanging on the north wall! Sure enough, he is THE “Dashing Dan!” We talked of his son Mark’s visit and how he and his wife were up to Long Island from Florida and had to stop by and see the display. We spent time looking at the Parlor Car exhibit, Gene identified many of the men and women seated in the public relations photo shown within the display. All of the models were LIRR employees! Using employees of the railroad was a cost effective way to populate the photos.
Gene began his career as a Ticket Agent for the Long Island. He reminisced about his relief work at the Greenport passenger station, covering vacation and sick days for the regular Agent. He was working in marketing and public relations when he was selected from the office staff to pose for the “new” Dashing Dan logo. He had no idea how ubiquitous Dashing Dan would become, morphing into the “Weekend Chief” for the Montauk bound “Cannonball” train-set and leading to the creation of the Dashing Dottie logo.
As I said, lightning does, (and remarkable meetings do), strike twice. What are the odds of one Museum volunteer, being in the same place twice, almost a year apart, meeting two men, on days when your Museum is normally closed, to learn the historic story of
Dashing Dan and then meet the “Real McCoy?” You, gentle reader, be the judge of that question!
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Railfan Extra on "Setauket"
turntable 4/68
Archive: Dave Keller
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North Dock Track View East
PNC #1702 in 1975
Photo: Tim Darnell |
Photos: 05/07/1978 CSX Mike
Composite: Steve Lynch
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"... I saw an article at one time on the last
Greenport Scoot, and it was early March, 2000 to which it used the old
equipment. It used 259 as the Geep, and 167 as the HEP with 2 coaches (259
only Geep with the Canadien 5 chimer horn). After as late as December 20,
1999, Port Jeff never saw the old equipment again as when I rode train 2023
from Ronkonkoma on the 19th, train 611 (The express highball to Hunterspoint
from Port Jeff) had 167, 5 cars, and a Geep. That was supposedly the last
run from Port Jeff using the old equipment...."
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"... I saw an article at one time on the last
Greenport Scoot, and it was early March, 2000 to which it used the old
equipment. It used LIRR GP38-2 #259*, and LIRR FA #167 HEP, with 2
coaches After as late as December 20th. 1999 Port Jefferson I
never saw the old equipment again, as when I rode LIRR train 2023 from
Ronkonkoma on December 19th, train 611 (The Express Highball to Hunter's
Point from Port Jefferson) had LIRR FA #167, 5 cars, and a Geep. That was
supposedly the last run from Port Jeff using the old equipment...." |
Greenport 
