This sounds like fun!
This coming Saturday, July 25, the Long Island Rail Road will celebrate its 175th
anniversary with a one day excursion that will depart from LIRR’s Atlantic
Avenue station at 8:12 A.M. and return at 8:42 P.M.
The special train will
travel the entire length of the main line to Greenport, on the North Fork, with
stopovers there and at Riverhead to enjoy local attractions. According to the
LIRR’s press release:
Rail and history buffs will certainly enjoy this LIRR Getaway as will the
casual rail rider. The “175th Anniversary Train” will travel along the Main
Line of the LIRR from the urban and suburban areas of Queens and Nassau
Counties to the rural, farming areas of Eastern Suffolk County’s North Fork.
Knowledgeable docents from the Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter of the
National Railway Historical Society will be onboard the train to answer
history-related questions.Stops will be made at the Railroad Museum of Long Island in Riverhead and
Greenport. At the Railroad Museum in Riverhead, there are various exhibits,
locomotives and rolling stock on display along with a gift shop. The Railroad
Museum in Greenport is housed in a restored LIRR freight house including
exhibits highlighting the human side of working on the railroad.Tour participants can get lunch on their own and stroll around scenic
Greenport Village and check out the sights including the nearby East End
Seaport Maritime Museum (housed in the former LIRR ticket office) and the
restored 1920’s era carousel. There’s also time to take a trip from Greenport
to Shelter Island and back on the ferry.
Tickets for the excursion, which include round trip rail fare and museum
admissions, are $40 for adults and $30 for children 5-11. They must be purchased
in advance at an LIRR ticket office. More information is available at the LIRR’s website.
There is also an exhibit celebrating the LIRR’s 175th anniversary at the New York Transit Museum's entrance at Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. The
Museum is open Tuesday through Friday 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. and Saturday and Sunday
noon to 5 P.M. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 3-17.