A Special Message!
To our Railroad Museum of Long Island Family,
. Welcome to our thirty-fourth Season at the Railroad Museum of Long Island! This is a banner year for railroading celebrations on Long Island and the RMLI is planning an “Over the Top” Season.
. It is the 190th Anniversary of “our” railroad, the Long Island Rail Road. Created on April 24, 1844 the LIRR celebrates 190 years of operating under the same Charter and the same Corporate Name on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
. The Railroad Museum of Long Island celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the LIRR Allan Herschel G-16 Park Train that operates at Riverhead RMLI. On April 22, 1964 this park train began carrying visitors at the LIRR Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair near the Shea Stadium-Willets Point entrance to the Fair.
. We also celebrate the 180th Anniversary of the “First Train to Greenport – July 27, 1844.” It took the LIRR ten years to build the mainline from the foot of the East River at Brooklyn, NY to the harbor at Greenport, NY. Plan to celebrate with us at Greenport on July 27, 2024 as we unveil a William G. Pomeroy Foundation – New York State Historic Marker to commemorate the Historic Greenport Transportation District and the first train to the Greenport Terminal.
. And to wrap up the Summer, plan to join us at Riverhead on Saturday and Sunday, August 24 & 25 for the return of the Riverhead Railroad Festival! With the sponsorship of our Suffolk County Legislator, Ms. Catherine Stark and the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning we are pleased to reintroduce the ever popular Railroad Festival to our friends and visitors!
. Please watch for news and our 2024 Events Schedule at: www.rmli.org on our Facebook page and in future issues of our member newsletter, The Postboy.
I look forward to greeting you at the museums this year,
Don Fisher, President
RMLI on News 12 East End Show
ANNOUNCING
the 50th Anniversary – Long Island Wine Country Tank Car
Lionel SKU #24-01030
. Fifty years ago in 1973, Alex and Louisa Hargrave planted the first Long Island vineyard just half a mile west of Cutchogue’s LIRR Station. Soon after, pioneering investors, grape-growers, and winemakers followed suit. Today, fifty-seven wine producers are dedicated to the pursuit of making exceptional world renowned Long Island wines.
. On this, the Fiftieth Anniversary of Long Island Wine Country, the Railroad Museum of Long Island proudly celebrates our “Old-World” vitis Vinifera grapes, “Grown on Long Island,” with a finely detailed “O Scale” collectible tank car built by Lionel. The decorated Unibody tank is supported on a metal frame with diecast trucks, end platforms, safety railings and stamped metal sides.
. This will be a very limited edition collectible, received only by those who order and pay for the car on or before Monday, October 23, 2023. Your order enrolls you in our “RMLI Collectible Car Club” and you will receive future announcements about the cars we produce for our Museum’s club members. Remember, this is a one-time offer for this particular tank car, after October 23rd no more orders will be taken and this car will not be re-issued. These cars are not available in stores!
Download your Wine Country Tank Car order form HERE!
Your collectible car purchase will not only bring you a highly detailed Lionel scale model, but will help sustain the all-volunteer Railroad Museum of Long Island. Your purchase supports our education and restoration programs, care for our collections and the development of new exhibits, and importantly, the care, maintenance and operation of the Historic Lionel Layout.
Riverhead Railroad Festival 2018
“Steam Up LIRR 39”
Challenge Coin Fundraiser
. Challenge Coins have a long history of being used as awards or tokens of identification. The “Steam Up LIRR 39” Committee is pleased to offer this Challenge Coin to you as a fundraiser toward restoration of LIRR G5s Engine 39. Only three hundred 1¾” Onyx coins have been minted and this design will not be offered again.
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. On one face, the coin recognizes the partnership of the Railroad Museum of Long Island and the Strasburg Rail Road Company to “git ‘er done!” The other face gives a nod of thanks to you, our supporter, and features the historic Keystone and #39 of the LIRR’s parent company, the Pennsylvania Railroad. If you look closely, the celebrated keystone rests within a spoked driving wheel from the historic engine.
. This is an outstanding memento celebrating the history of steam railroading on Long Island and the restoration of the G5s #39. It is a beautiful coin to be displayed in your home or office and if you subscribe to the lore of the Challenge Coin, carry it with you always and never be caught unawares of a challenge! Order your coin today with the linked order form. It will be mailed to you First Class USPS in its own plastic jewel case for safe keeping.
Download your Challenge Coin order form here
. Thank you for considering this important fundraising effort.
“Steam Up LIRR 39” PS-1 40’
HO Scale “Blue Boy” Boxcar
by Bachmann
The Railroad Museum of Long Island is pleased to announce a VERY SPECIAL, “Silver Series” Bachmann HO scale commemorative car. All funds raised from the sale of this car will go toward the restoration of Long Island Rail Road steam locomotive #39.
“Steam Up LIRR 39” PS-1 40’
HO Scale “Tuscan Red” Boxcar
by Bachmann
The Railroad Museum of Long Island is pleased to announce a VERY SPECIAL, “Silver Series” Bachmann HO scale commemorative car. All funds raised from the sale of this car will go toward the restoration of Long Island Rail Road steam locomotive #39.
Click here to order on our Online Store
ALL ABOARD!
Welcome to the Home Page of the Railroad Museum of Long Island, known also as RMLI, (pronounced RimLee). Come, explore the website and take a ride through Long Island railroading history.
Created in 1990, our Mission continues to this day: “Dedicated to the restoration, preservation and interpretation of the history and artifacts pertaining to the railroads which participated in the growth of Long Island, its communities and industries for the entertainment, edification, and good of present and future generations.”
The Museum maintains facilities at Greenport, L.I., N.Y. and Riverhead, L.I., N.Y. and is officially recognized by the New York State Education Department. The RMLI serves primarily the communities of Suffolk County. Our visitors and patrons also come to us from Nassau County, New York City, from across the United States and throughout the World!
The RMLI established itself at Greenport in the historic 1892 freight house of the Long Island Rail Road. “Greenport, (the Eastern terminal of the Long Island Rail Road Main Line from Brooklyn since 1844), was the reason for the LIRR.” The approximately 3.8 acres that make up “the yard,” including the passenger station, railroad dock, turntable and the Museum, appear on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Museum building has been lovingly restored by our members and volunteers and displays the Museum’s permanent collection of railroad artifacts as well as being host to annually changing exhibits.
The RMLI’s Restoration Site & Visitor’s Center is located on the historic property of the Corwin & Vail Lumber Company and also occupies land that made up the Long Island Rail Road “Riverhead Yard.” Riverhead, the County Seat of Suffolk County, is at the apex of the North and South Forks of Long Island. Here is where we maintain and exhibit our collection of historic rail cars and locomotives and invite our visitors to “be interactive” with our Museum. You can ride the Long Island Rail Road miniature park train from the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair, climb inside a 1960’s LIRR caboose, activate the eighty-three accessories on the Historic Lionel Layout and watch scale model trains operate on two indoor train layouts and one outside garden railway.
Although the Museum does not operate an excursion train ride, we are located on the Long Island Rail Road Main Line and we encourage our visitors to travel between our two museum sites on the LIRR “Greenport Scoot” on weekends, once each day, from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Step back in history on your ride through the North Fork. Experience a Long Island steeped in agriculture with farm views from your coach window reminiscent of the 1930’s and 40’s. Tickets are available from your conductor on the train. Click on our “Visiting Us” link for details.
Now, roam through our website, see who we are, where we’ve been and what we are doing. Please “experience Long Island railroading” with a visit to our all-volunteer Museum on a Saturday or Sunday between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends, bring the entire family! Please follow us on Facebook and visit this sight frequently for Museum news and updates.
(Extended Saturday openings at Riverhead: the first Saturday of April through the Saturday before New Years Eve. All Museum sites are closed for maintenance from January through March. Exception: Holiday Open Houses the first and second full weekends of December.)