E6s with a PRR tender 09/21/1936. 
Photo: Robert Emery  Data: Dave Morrison

Oyster Bay Turntable

Oyster Bay Turntable 02/1992
 Photo: Steve Torborg
See more at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Equipment

LIRR RS3 #1560 Oyster Bay turntable Photo/archive: Art Huneke

The Oyster Bay turntable

The turntable now in the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum’s yard is actually the second turntable at this location. The LIRR reached Oyster Bay in 1889, having been extended from Locust Valley . That 50' turntable had been in Locust Valley since 1869 and after 20 years, it was moved with the expansion of LIRR service to Oyster Bay in 1889.  A four stall enginehouse was built in the same year. The turntable was located northwest of the engine house. In 1904 the old turntable was torn out and a new 70 foot long turntable was installed north of the engine house as an air operated unit until an electric motor was installed in 1932. In this connection, see the sketch below drawn by the late LIRR Conductor Bob Emery, whose collection of maps, drawings and photographs is at Stony Brook University

General Notice 1-48, Effective 2/15/1983, Turntable Track, Oyster Bay, out of service. Info: Jeff Erlitz

Originally it was a 2 phase 208 volt. Currently re-wired to 3 phase 240 volts which is a current standard. It’s only 60 HP and works very well.  Info: Gary Farkash
See more at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Equipment

FM CPA24-5 #2402 on Oyster Bay turntable 3/14/1953 (Faxon-Keller)

The turntable restoration now at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum’s yard. 07/27/2008 Photo: JJ. Earl  

JJ. Earl (l) and Mark Smith (r) 07/2008

.Oyster Bay turntable - view W 2/1973 Photo: Steve Rothaug

Turntable Controls - Oyster Bay 8/21/1973 (Madden-Keller)

The engine house lasted until it was demolished on August 4, 1929 .  No engine house was built afterwards.  There is only one known existing photograph of the  Oyster Bay engine house. Collection: David Keller

The 1904 turntable was originally powered by a pneumatic motor.  The turntable operator would hook up a hose from the air compressor of a nearby steam locomotive to the turntable motor, which then could be operated by air pressure.  Railroad historian Art Huneke has an LIRR 1945 Depreciation document showing that the Oyster Bay turntable was electrified in 1932.  It was operated by electric motor until it was taken out of service sometime in the 1970s.  The photo, taken by John Krause on August 12, 1948 shows steam locomotive #29 being turned on the Oyster Bay turntable. 

The Oyster Bay turntable, is in the planning stages of a full restoration. For the years that this turntable was in operation, it was basically open to public view.  Engineers such as the late Cecil Craft would often allow eager kids to ride on the front running board of his steam locomotive from the station down to the yard and then he’d allow them to stay on the locomotive while it was being turned on the turntable.  In fact, the LIRR made it a policy to allow children to view the turntable operation.  In LIRR Transportation Notice #1330 issued on August 3, 1965 the LIRR employees were advised as follows:

“Oyster Bay Turntable * Station Agent will meet group [school children from Queens Public School #40] and conduct tour of Oyster Bay facility where they will witness the turning of Engine #516.  Crew should be advised to delay the turning of Engine a few minutes to allow the group to get down to the turntable.  110 containers of milk at 10 cents each…”

Significant to this article is a photo that appeared in the Summer 2002 Freeholder article on the history of the Oyster Bay Train Station.  That photo shows school children at the Oyster Bay turntable in the mid 1950s. Collection: Arthur Huneke

Another photo that shows a field trip of school children at the Oyster Bay turntable c.1953-54. Collection: Gary Frakas

LIRR C420 #201 approaching the turntable
1970 - Photo/Archive: John Schaub

Note: Bunk House at left.

Letter when cleaning up my office inside the Oyster Bay ticket office during the late 1990s. It has been damaged, but I guess that adds an air of authenticity to the document.

The letter had the ticket validator stamp on the reverse side 8/05/1965

The top of the letter has a pencil-hand-written note: "...Small girl injured while boarding train at Union Hall Street.  Fell between train and platform..."  Archive: Dave Morrison

The 3 phase-240 volt power comes in from the provider to our circuit panel where an independent circuit goes to the TT lockout panel box where the ground and 3 power conductors go up to the top of the pole. These wires are then strung across the top of the TT bridge arch (4 wires).

The 3 power and 1 ground wires are tapped to provide a connection into the non-moving brushes which send power through the 4 moveable brass circular rails. These rails are insulated from each other and each one has a stud at the very top where individual wire conductors are connected to send power from the collector box at the top of the arch down through one leg of the arch directly to the motor.  At this point, the motor is connected to the control stand by wires underneath the stand.

The motor has a series of wires which then get connected to the resistor bank to enable forward and reverse drive. Info Gary Farkash