Long Island Rail Road New York World's Fair 1939-40 New York World's Fair 1964-65
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LIRR 1939 WORLD'S FAIR |
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The site of the 1939-40 N.Y. World’s Fair was, for years, swamp land as well as the dumping ground for the Brooklyn Ash Removal Co. and was, for all intents and purposes, a garbage dump. Each day about 110 loads of garbage were dumped into Flushing Meadows. During the Great Depression, my mother and her siblings, who were born and raised in nearby Corona, used walk to the dump site and crawl through holes in the fence to collect pieces of unburned coal from the dumped ash and clinkers to bring home for the family’s personal use. The advent of the Fair and its construction on this vast site, greatly improved the looks of the surrounding neighborhoods, provided much-needed employment for many during the construction and operational period and, I’m sure, improved property values as well. Today, after two World’s Fairs, it remains a public park site. (Dave Keller data) USA Scott #853 April 1, 1939 Trylon and Perisphere |
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1939 NY World's Fair map |
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Note: The lead track to the exhibit (and the exhibit tracks) were indicated on the Emery map (below) as NOT electrified and this photo shows no third rail and it parallels the Port Wash branch. |
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The map (left) is dated 1939 a year before the Board of
Transportation came to be and took over the subways, trolleys and busses. The 6th
Ave EL is gone, but the other three Manhattan ELs, as well as all the Brooklyn
ELs, are still with us. The map also shows the Yonkers Branch of the New York Central and the New York Westchester and
Boston. There was a ferry from 39th Street, Brooklyn to Staten Island.
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"FAIR" interlocking cabin, located on the west end of the northernmost platform (low level) of the World's Fair Station - View looking east - May, 1940 (Dave Keller archive and data) |
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MU electric train at station - N. Y. World's Fair - View looking west - 1939 (George E. Votava collection / Dave Keller archive and data) |
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Track and interlocking Diagram of "FAIR" Cabin and the World's Fair station as it appears in employee timetable #13, effective June 23, 1940 (Dave Keller archive and data)
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RAILROADS ON PARADE |
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As part of the 1939-40 N. Y. World's Fair "Railroads on Parade" exhibit, we see the restored NYC&HRRR (New York Central & Hudson River Railroad) 4-4-0 #999 "Empire State Express." Built in 1893 by the N. Y. Central's West Albany shops, the locomotive was intended to haul the road's Empire State Express train service. Originally built with 86" drivers, it broke a world speed record on its run to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago the same year. As a point of trivia, the engineer on that famous run was Charlie Hogan and Ben Baptist his fireman. Ben later became an engineer on the Long Island Rail Road, making his career there. He lived into his 90s. The #999 proved
impractical in normal service as the large diameter wheels slipped and the
locomotive needed a push to get started. Around 1898 the tall driving
wheels were replaced with the then-standard 70" drivers used with American
class (4-4-0) locomotives. Around 1920, the engine was given a new,
stronger boiler and a new tender. Relegated to short line service and "milk
runs" it was retired from service in 1924 and restored, keeping the 70"
drivers, newer boiler, tender, and was displayed at various exhibitions
between 1927 and 1952. It was eventually donated by the New York Central RR
to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry where it was cosmetically
restored and is presently displayed indoors. Archive/Info: Dave Keller |
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B&O 2-6-0 # 600 "J. C. Davis" is on display on October 15, 1939. The locomotive appears to be missing its stack. Beyond it is NYC&HRRR #999 and DL&W camelback #952. (Dave Keller archive and data)
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LIRR conductor George Christopher photographed DL&W 4-4-0 camelback #952 as it was in the process of being prepped for display in early 1939. (Dave Keller archive and data)
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GN 4-4-0 #1 is in the process of being prepped for display along with a couple of vintage railroad cars. A tender is loaded atop a flat car at the right. (George Christopher photo, Dave Keller archive and data)
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Here's a grouped view of locomotives on display on May 12, 1940. From left to right are GN 0-4-0 "Minnetonka,", NYC streamlined J3 (4-6-4) #5454, NYC&HRR 4-4-0 #999 "Empire State Express," and B&O 4-6-0 #117 "Thatcher Perkins." (George E. Votava photo, Dave Keller archive and data)
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PRR S1 (6-4-4-6) #6100 is being placed on a
dynamometer car to allow a moving display of the driver wheels. This
mechanical display was held at set times throughout the day between the
hours of 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm daily. At the far right is SAL diesel #1939.
(George Christopher photo, Dave Keller archive)
"Railroads at the NY World's Fair 1940"
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PRR S1 #6100 - World's Fair Dynamometer Car -1940 |
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SAL diesel #1939 is being prepared for display. It was positioned outside the site of the General Motors building and the building was built behind it. Shortly after being on display, the Seaboard required the use of their locomotive for train operation, and this unit was replaced with a similar-looking diesel for 1940. (George Christopher photo, Dave Keller archive)
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The V&T's little 2-4-0 #21 "J. W. Bowker" is being prepared for display in this 1939 view. This little locomotive was used in the Hollywood motion Picture "Union Pacific" starring Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck, which aired on May 5, 1939. (George Christopher photo, Dave Keller archive) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Freshly painted freight cars for display at the “Railroads on Parade” exhibit are being delivered to the World’s Fair site. This view is at the newly-built World’s Fair station, June, 1939 (Dave Keller archive and data) | ||||||||||||||||||||
LIRR Rotary Snow blower #193 with wooden tender on display 6/30/1940 (Votava-Keller) | ||||||||||||||||||||
1938 blueprint scans of the
"proposed" enlargement of |
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Corona Meadows Yard blueprints 7/30/1938 view NW Collection: Art Huneke |
This view looking north
shows DD1 units #344 and #351 double-headed and laying up with an extremely
long Fair train in the expanded Corona Meadows Yard. Many World's Fair trains were
double-headed in the A-B/A-B combination of DD1 head-end power due to the
increased length of the trains run. This yard was enlarged in 1938, and platforms, water and power added, for the purpose of accommodating the laying-up of increased numbers of scheduled trains providing service to the Fair. (George E. Votava collection / Dave Keller archive / Bob Emery, Art Huneke and Dave Keller data) |
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World's Fair Timetable - 9/17/1939 |
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LIRR 1939 WORLD'S FAIR LIONEL LAYOUT |
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LIRR 1964 WORLD'S FAIR | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Opening Day April 22, 1964 - 1/2 Fare Ticket World's Fair - Bayside World's Fair tickets back stamped with dater die #4 Archive: Brad Phillips
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Ticket half fare between NY Penn and World's Fair - Form 1½-BHS Archive: Brad Phillips |
Ticket between NY Penn and World's Fair - Form 1-BHS Archive: Brad Phillips
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Ticket "World's Fair" and Elmhurst Form 1H Archive: Brad Phillips |
Note: Sold prior to the Fair Opening |
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Ticket half fare between World's Fair and Elmhurst 9/18/1965 Form-LH-262 Archive: Brad Phillips |
Ticket half fare between World's Fair and Elmhurst 9/18/1965 reverse Form-LH-262 Archive: Brad Phillips |
NY World's Fair Station token booths - Flushing Meadows, NY view N 9/26/1965 Archive: Dave Keller |
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Ticket one day round-trip with exchange coupon for World's Fair admission |
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LIRR 1964 WORLD'S FAIR PAINT SCHEMES |
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1964 World's Fair multiple MU Unit Paint Schemes Before the fair, the LIRR painted three MU cars and most likely at least one P72 diesel car in experimental paint schemes. The MU train shown has blue-striped T72 #2840 in blue stripe, numbers and lettering. It is alongside an MP72T in an orange stripe. One motorized trailer, MP72T #2648 was given an orange stripe, lettering and numbers with "Ride the LONG ISLAND Travel Easy" slogan above the letter board and windows and placed before the LONG ISLAND lettering. I don't believe it got the full slogan that the Zip cars and one train of earlier MP72-class Pullman-Standard cars of earlier manufacture (1955) received. This photo shows both cars #2840 and #2648 and the car to the left (not shown) may very well be the red striped #2502 since all three cars ran together." There was also a control motor with red stripe, lettering and numbers with orange ends and it was numbered #2502. The red, blue and orange striped cars ran together in the same train for a short period of time on several different electric branches as a test to see what scheme was most popular and to no apparent surprise, the orange won out. One steam or diesel car, P72 #2920, wore a blue stripe for a time but it had the normal white standard condensed gothic lettering with a white number board with red numbers. I know of no other diesel car painted experimentally but of course, there were the two cars with what I call the full "World's Fair with slogan" paint scheme. And as I mentioned, there was a 10-car train of the earlier MP72 cars that got the full WF with slogan paint job to augment the new fleet of Zip cars or MP75s which also wore this scheme; all were used in World's Fair service. This train--no one seems to be quite sure what its makeup was--most likely was a control motor at the end, then three motorized trailers, and one trailer and then a second consist of the same cars, which adds up to10 cars but this is only a guess. Since the LIRR ran trailers (unpowered or unmotorized cars) in a 3:1 ratio, each of the two trailers in this train would probably be placed between the motorized trailer cars, making this consist a 2500 car, 2600 car, 2800 car, 2600 car, 2600 car, 2600 car, 2800 car, 2600 car, 2600 car and a 2500 series cars. But I can only guess on this and we have no information on what cars wore this scheme. While I'm not sure of the exact timetable, the LIRR dumped the red version, but in the spring of 1962 the railroad used the blue stripe on its parlor cars purchased from the PRR; I think it was around the same time that the two other blue cars (2920 and 2840) were also running in LIRR trains. All the cars painted in experimental colors (not orange) were eventually repainted. Just about all the cars with slogans were hastily repainted beneath the window with two large Dashing Dan heralds placed at each corner; remember, the car number was in gray letters in the orange stripe between the vestibule and window. As far as I know, only one Zip car, control motor #2536, was totally repainted in the simplified World's Fair scheme (now with no slogan) but it was not given Dashing Dan heralds. The new, larger heralds were much larger than the narrow orange window stripe applied to these cars and later, an edict came down from the MTA to discontinue the use of Dashing Dan on all cars as well as The Weekend Chief heralds on parlor cars. This was in the mid to late-1960's, but I'm not sure exactly when. The MTA did not like the Dashing Dan herald at all. This certainly was quite a colorful era on the LIRR. Info: Mike Boland |
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BELOW THE WINDOWS: “DASHING DAN” LOGO AT ONE END OF CAR AND WORLD’S FAIR LOGO AT OTHER END OF CAR Research: Dave Keller |
CHARCOAL GRAY BODY, ORANGE STRIPE AT WINDOWS WITH “RIDE THE LONG ISLAND TRAVEL EASY” ABOVE THE WINDOWS. |
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Pullman Standard car ad for the 1964 World's Fair LIRR MP75 delivery |
MP75 #2536 c.1966 Archive: Mike Boland |
MP75T new cars Dunton 1963 View SW Photo: Gene Collora |
MP75T new cars Dunton 1963 Dunton Electric Car Shop inspection building at far right Photo: Gene Collora |
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P72 #2831 Hempstead 2/27/1966 Photo: George E. Votava |
P72 #2932 Archive: Mike Boland |
MP75C #2527 c.1966 west of Woodside Photo: Gene Collora Archive: Mike Boland |
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P72 #2814 Port Washington 11/26/1965 Archive: Mike Boland |
MP75C #2535 Hempstead 2/27/1966 Photo: George E. Votava Archive: Mike Boland |
P72 #2937 Port Jefferson 8/8/1965 Photo: Norman E. Kohl Archive: Mike Boland |
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After the World's Fair was
over, the "Your Thruway to the Fair Gateway" was painted out but the "Travel
Easy . . . " was left in place above the windows for many years afterwards. LIRR #2648 Babylon grade crossing elimination view SW 1/07/1969 Photo: James Gillin |
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MU REA car pulling electric train past the temporary World's Fair station which was in service during the start of construction - 1962 (W. J. Edwards photo / Dave Keller archive and data)
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General order #1127 adding "W" stops to World's Fair trains effective April 21, 1965. This general order appears in employee timetable #10. (Dave Keller archive and data) |
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1964 World's Fair MU Double Deck Special | ||||||||||||||||||||
MU Double Deck #1318 World's Fair Special at World's Fair Station 1964 Archive: Dave Keller |
MU Double Deck #1318 World's Fair Special Banner at World's Fair Station 1964 Archive: Frank Griffin |
LIRR # 1318 MU Double Decker - World's Fair, NY 1964 Archive: Dave Keller |
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There's a picture in Scott Hartley's New Haven book of that train (the
General and a passenger car) on the approach to the Hell Gate Bridge
on May 30, 1964. It was moving under its own power to the 1964-65 NY
World's Fair. Info: Wayne Koch At Fremont, a LIRR engine and crew tied
on to the passenger car and pulled the outfit on to the LIRR tracks and
where it went from there, I am not sure. I followed the move in my
automobile from Oak Point and got some movies of the move as well.
Info: Noel Weaver The coach is obviously later than 1860 vintage. This combination toured the country for several years. I got a picture of it on display at Richmond, VA in 1960. This picture was taken on the eastbound LIRR track at Woodside. Several fans also got pictures of the General on the Hell Gate Bridge! Info: Henry Raudenbush |
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The Fare Token came inserted in the cover of
a twenty-two page booklet entitled "Through the Years With The Long Island
Railroad Company (1834)". The booklet had a hard cover and the token was
under a plastic wrap and inserted in a hole in the hard cover and it was
possible to view both sides of the token. I purchased mine through the mail
and never used the token and don't know what fare the token was good for. I
suspect the LIRR was expecting folks to keep the token and not actually use
them much like a commemorative stamp in a stamp collection. I still have the
original envelope it came with these items as contents: 1. "Through the Years With the Long Island Rail Road Company (1834)" 2. "Travel Easy" Map of the Long Island Rail Road 3. Promotional brochure claiming the LIRR was the best way to get to the Fair; a twelve minute air conditioned ride from Penn Station 4. Brochure about attractions at the Fair 5. Booklet entitled "The Long Island Rail Road at a Glance" 6. Four photos of LIRR equipment including a photo of a 1903 Brooks Camelback ten wheeler 7. Six small "The Route of the Dashing Commuter" decals Courtesy: Bill O'Connell |
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World's Fair daily pass - Tour Guide 8/18/1965 Archive: Richard Glueck |
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Worlds Fair student book covers 1964 |
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LIRR Receipt for World's Fair token between Penn Station and Fair - 1964 LIRR Promo pin button: "I Traveled Easy to the Fair" |
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World's Fair timetable 5/16/1965 Archive: Kevin Wong |
May service note Archive: Kevin Wong 1965 Worlds Fair LIRR Official Guide Of The Railways |
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All the information extracted from the Official Timetable (above) and converted into a file unabridged with no omissions. The frequent schedules are very clear: some trains running less than 10 minutes apart, showing the southern tracks/platforms at the Willets Point Station (unused since the closeout of the World's Fair in 1965) were used for frequent shuttle service between Manhattan and Flushing Meadows. This is among the last editions prior to the establishment of the MTA (originally MCTA) as a quasi-independent state agency and public takeover of LIRR in late 1965. At press time (May 1, 1965) the World's Fair had been open as of Wednesday, April 21, but the 1965 World's Fair schedule (and summer 1965 schedules) appeared on Sunday, May 16. The schedules here are those in effect as of May 1, 1965 (winter/spring 1965 schedules effective September 1964 or December 15, 1964). Research: Kevin Wong |
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8" x 8" Sign |
World's Fair Commemorative Booklet cover |
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St. Louis Car Company's R36 World's Fair cars were delivered in 1964 for #7 train service along the NYCTA's Flushing Line. They are shown here at the TA's Willets Point station which was the transit's stop for the New York World's Fair. In the background is visible Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. |
M1 MU electric train pulling a railfan extra at Shea Stadium station on April 20, 1969. After the fair closed, the railroad station was renamed and put into use for train service for New York Met's games at Shea Stadium. (W. J. Edwards photo / Dave Keller archive and data) |
"Speaking of Fairs" brochure |
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Olmsted Center World's Fair Administrative Offices | ||||||||||||||||||||
Olmstead Center west of Shea Stadium Station satellite view |
Olmsted Center World's Fair Administrative Offices, View N c.1961 Archive: Dave Keller |
Olmsted Center - NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation |
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Here is
what I have found, and I think I can identify the location. Looking
at the satellite view, Note the building with a white-bordered black roof,
close beside the LIRR tracks. That is a LIRR substation (put in in
1960-61, not one of the classic ones), I think that the camera
location was on the LIRR roadbed, west of the substation, and about in
line with the head end of the eastbound train in the first attachment.
In the distance, two levels of el tracks are visible. The higher
one is the structure on Roosevelt Ave. Below it, just in line with
the lamppost is the structure for the ramp from the IRT main line down to
the yard. That sort of ties down the location. The buildings
in the foreground must be the Olmsted Center. Attached is a Park
Dept description of the history of that center. Evidently, at some
time after your picture was taken, more temporary buildings were added to
the center. About 2016, there was to be a reconstruction of this
center, but a NY News article notes that that project has stalled. I
have added a picture looking in along the driveway from Shea Road toward
the substation. My guess as to lamppost is that it was put up at an
entrance from the driveway into the Center to help LIRR access to the
substation, but it seems to be gone now. |
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The Official World's Fair Coloring Books | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Long Island Exhibit by the
Long Island Rail Road Photos/Archive: Brad Phillips except as noted |
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LIRR Information Center 1964 World's Fair 9/25/65 Photo: George Votava Print: Gene Collora Archive: Mike Boland |
World's Fair LIRR Exhibit sign 9/18/65 |
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1964 Worlds Fair Souvenir ticket World's Fair Division of the LIRR Honorary Commuter 1964 Collection: Dave Morrison 1964 Worlds Fair Souvenir ticket World's Fair Division of the LIRR Honorary Commuter 1965 |
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World's Fair LIRR Miniature Train Ride Depot 9/18/65 |
World's Fair LIRR Miniature Train Ride at FAIR Tower 9/18/65 |
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LIRR World's Fair Exhibit Ad 1965 Archive: Kevin Wong
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World's Fair LIRR Miniature Train Ride 6/24/64 LIRR issued 25¢ admission ticket to the 1964-65 World's Fair mini-train ride (left)
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World's Fair LIRR Dashing Dan on Tower 9/18/65 |
World's Fair LIRR Miniature Train Ride Photo: George Votava Archive: Mike Boland
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World's Fair LIRR - FAIR Tower 6/24/64
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The public restroom doors at "FAIR" interlocking cabin showing "Dashing Dan" for the men's room (left) and "Dashing Dotty" for the women's room. 05/16/1965 (Makse-Keller) |
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World's Fair LIRR platforms views east 9/18/65
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World's Fair LIRR employee quarters 9/18/1965 |
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World's Fair LIRR platforms view west 9/18/1965 |
MU trains at NY World's Fair Station Flushing Meadows View E 6/1964 Archive: Dave Keller |
World's Fair Station 8/1964 Photo: Jim Gillin |
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World's Fair LIRR station view south 9/18/1965 |
World's Fair LIRR gates 9/18/1965 |
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As the day is done, and the Sun ends its daily journey, so too does the Fair come to end; October 17, 1965. Note: When the 2nd World's Fair closed in 1965, the station this time was left standing, and renamed "Shea Stadium" as the LIRR's station stop for the NY Mets games at Shea.
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M1 Railfan-Extra Shea Stadium Station 4/20/1969 (Edwards-Keller) |
Ticket between NY Penn and Shea Stadium - Form 1-B H Archive: Brad Phillips |
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WORLD'S FAIR 1964 LIRR PAVILION 2014 50th Year Celebration - Modeled |
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From the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum (OBRM): Saturday, June 7th 2014, OBRM
hosted their 50th anniversary celebration of the 1964 NY Worlds Fair. On
display was a huge treasure trove of LIRR memorabilia from the Fair, as well
as various select pieces from the collection of Jerry & Susan Jacobs. Their
collection is very eclectic. Revealed was our new display of the actual LIRR
Pavilion in 1/4 inch scale which included the operating G16 model train. For
those of you who remembered the fair, this surely made you misty eyed. |
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"Remembering the 1964 World's Fair at the Railroad Museum" OBRM Oyster Bay Guardian - page 1 Archive: Gary Farkash
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"Remembering the 1964 World's Fair at the Railroad Museum" OBRM Oyster Bay Guardian |
Model recreation of 1964 World's Fair LIRR exhibit Overview of the 1/4" scale model display |
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Fair Tower rest rooms featuring Dashing Dan/Dashing Dottie |
LIRR model of mini-train ride at the station |
View Info Center mini-LIRR train ride ticket booth at far left |
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Models from the 1964
World's Fair LIRR HO Model Exhibit |
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Custom painted Athearn Passenger Car |
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Motorized unit and Passenger Car |
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Motorized unit chassis |
HO LIRR #2233 model motor |
HO LIRR #2233 model motor chassis and shell |
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Athearn undecorated model viewing the non-painted/unseen backside |
HO LIRR #8900 model |
HO LIRR cars lineup |