STATE FAIR EXHIBIT
Open: During the New York State Fair (Last 2 weeks of August thru Labor Day) and during select events
Directions: From Syracuse, take I-690 west to the State Fair/Solvay exit.
The Central New York Chapter, NRHS, maintains a display of historic railroad locomotives, passenger cars, and cabooses at the New York State Fairgrounds. The cars are open for visitors every year during the 12 days of the New York State Fair, and sometimes during select events at the fairgrounds (Empire Expo Center).
Volunteers are on hand to answer questions while visitors can view the restored historic equipment. The permanent display includes the James E. Strates Shows Pullman-observation "Syracuse;" D&H coach #229, the "CJ Brierley;" Long Island MU coach #1149; B&O combine #1302; and Operation Life Saver car OLS-1. The display also includes Former Amtrak/Pennsylvania Railroad electric locomotive GG-1 #926
; two New York Central cabooses; and the chapter's Lackawanna-painted E-8 diesel locomotives. Click to other pages on our Web site to view more information on this equipment.
Some historical notes of interest: The D&H coach (left) was named for the railroad's senior conductor when the car served on The Adirondack during the 1970's before Amtrak took over operation of the train. Built in 1916, the car was the oldest coach in regular D&H service when it was donated to the CNY Chapter in 1968. The D&H ended up leasing it back for use on The Adirondack in 1975 due to equipment shortages.
The B&O combine (right) was once part of that railroad's National Limited. The rest of the train is on display at the B&O Museum in Baltimore, MD.
The cabooses on display represent the wide disparity of equipment used by the New York Central. The wooden #19144 was a design the railroad adopted in the late 1800s and continued building into the 1920s. These 19000-series cabooses were used on local freights almost to the end of the NYC in 1968. This caboose was purchased to become a hot dog stand, and later a clothing store in DeWitt.Chapter member Bob Newman bought it and restored the caboose before donating it to the CNY NRHS.
The Long Island multiple unit (MU) coach (right) once ran with other coaches on electrified tracks into New York City. This one was built in 1930 and retired in 1971. It was acquired by the Chapter in 1975.
The Strates car (left) was built by Pullman in the late 1920’s as a 3-bedroom, 1-drawing room lounge buffet solarium car and was named the "Palm Lane." It served many years on the Illinois Central from Chicago to Florida. It was purchased in 1956 by James E. Strates Shows and converted to the private living quarters for the Strates family while traveling with the carnival. It was retired and donated to the Chapter in 1972 after it was filled with water during a flood in Wilkes Barre PA.
The "Operation Lifesaver" car (left) was originally a New York Central coach. It was then converted to a "rider" car for mail trains. Next it was converted to an
instruction car for NYC employees taking brake classes. It was acquired by the "Operation Lifesaver" group and converted to a display car.
Also at the State Fair exhibit is a fiberglass nose piece for a Rohr Turbo Train. It was originally built as a spare. But, when the Turbos were rebuilt, the spare nose piece became surplus and was donated to the "Operation Lifesaver" group, which donated it to the CNY Chapter NRHS for display.
Volunteers are on hand to answer questions while visitors can view the restored historic equipment. The permanent display includes the James E. Strates Shows Pullman-observation "Syracuse;" D&H coach #229, the "CJ Brierley;" Long Island MU coach #1149; B&O combine #1302; and Operation Life Saver car OLS-1. The display also includes Former Amtrak/Pennsylvania Railroad electric locomotive GG-1 #926; two New York Central cabooses; and the chapter's Lackawanna-painted E-8 diesel locomotives. Click to other pages on our Web site to view more information on this equipment.
Some historical notes of interest: The D&H coach (left) was named for the railroad's senior conductor when the car served on The Adirondack during the 1970's before Amtrak took over operation of the train. Built in 1916, the car was the oldest coach in regular D&H service when it was donated to the CNY Chapter in 1968. The D&H ended up leasing it back for use on The Adirondack in 1975 due to equipment shortages.
The B&O combine (right) was once part of that railroad's National Limited. The rest of the train is on display at the B&O Museum in Baltimore, MD.
The cabooses on display represent the wide disparity of equipment used by the New York Central. The wooden #19144 was a design the railroad adopted in the late 1800s and continued building into the 1920s. These 19000-series cabooses were used on local freights almost to the end of the NYC in 1968. This caboose was purchased to become a hot dog stand, and later a clothing store in DeWitt.Chapter member Bob Newman bought it and restored the caboose before donating it to the CNY NRHS.
The Long Island multiple unit (MU) coach (right) once ran with other coaches on electrified tracks into New York City. This one was built in 1930 and retired in 1971. It was acquired by the Chapter in 1975.
The Strates car (left) was built by Pullman in the late 1920’s as a 3-bedroom, 1-drawing room lounge buffet solarium car and was named the "Palm Lane." It served many years on the Illinois Central from Chicago to Florida. It was purchased in 1956 by James E. Strates Shows and converted to the private living quarters for the Strates family while traveling with the carnival. It was retired and donated to the Chapter in 1972 after it was filled with water during a flood in Wilkes Barre PA.
The "Operation Lifesaver" car (left) was originally a New York Central coach. It was then converted to a "rider" car for mail trains. Next it was converted to an instruction car for NYC employees taking brake classes. It was acquired by the "Operation Lifesaver" group and converted to a display car.
Also at the State Fair exhibit is a fiberglass nose piece for a Rohr Turbo Train. It was originally built as a spare. But, when the Turbos were rebuilt, the spare nose piece became surplus and was donated to the "Operation Lifesaver" group, which donated it to the CNY Chapter NRHS for display.