From age 2 (1946) until 22 I resided in Suffolk, County, LI. First in Lake Ronkonkoma, then Blue Point, and lastly Brookhaven. All 3 towns at one point had LIRR stations. My affinity for locomotives with keystone number plates and Belpaire boilers can be traced to the LIRR. On summer Sundays the LIRR would have several G5's "hot" for late afternoon/early evening runs back to the city from Ronkonkoma, NY . After Catechism class I sometimes would ask dad to take me to the ready tracks that lead off a Y just west of the Ronkonkoma station. On more than one occasion the duty hostler invited me up into the cab of a G5. At 6 years old the sights, sound and smell of active steam locomotives were impressions indelibly formed in my young mind. My last sight of an active Long Island steam locomotive was very brief. One afternoon (I believe 1954) I was playing Little League baseball on a field next to LIRR tracks in Blue Point NY. Standing in the outfield I heard the whistle of a steamer running light westbound toward the city. The smoke (and smell) floated over the field. I'm glad no one hit a ball my way as my focus was not on the game.
|
|
