To the average commuter on the LIRR during the middle of the twentieth century there is probably nothing that symbolized their hours spent riding the rails more than the inside of a Ping-Pong coach. The P-54 coach as it was classified was designed as a lightweight coach to replace the wooden fleet. The light weight and truck design also resulted in the rough ride that earned the cars their nickname. An interesting feature of the cars is that the were made to be converted from steam hauled to electric with relative ease. They served the LIRR faithfully for an impressive 60 years!
When the last were retired in 1974 many found homes on tourist railroads. Subsequently, none were saved by any preservation group on Long Island, leaving a major gap in telling of the story of the LIRR. In the recent past a few opportunities have come up to rectify this. Such oppotunities included the car on the Long Isalnd Expressway and the batch of cars in Boonton, NJ. Unfortunately the cars that were available had been gutted or significantly altered and all suffered badly from corrosion thus making thier salvage and restoration cost prohibitive.
Recently the Knox & Kane tourist railroad in western Pennsylvania closed its doors for good and sold off its equipment. A scrap metal dealer bought a good portion of the rolling stock, including three Pings. Thanks to our friends from Island Rail LLC we were put in contact with the scrapper and arrangements were made to inspect the cars. For cars that are notorious for rotting out, these are remarkably solid, a testament to the care and maintenance given by the Knox and Kane. One car in particular, T-54 #7433, is in remarkably good shape and still retains its original seat frames and classic round windows.
While we are fairly picky when it comes to adding rolling stock to our collection, this car was simply too good to pass up and the odds of finding another car in as good of shape are very slim. After an inspection trip by the OBRM we have purchased it for inclusion into the museum. This car is a very important acquisition and in reality, we had planned for such an acquisition in our long range plans in the hopes that such an opportunity might arise. The cost of purchasing, transporting and restoring the coach are considerable but we feel that the collection would not be complete without it. As it stands now the car should be delivered to Oyster Bay in March/April of 2009.
Naturally, we are seeking donations toward this cause. For all those impassioned lovers of the ping-pong and those wishing to ensure the continued preservation of the LIRR's rich history, here in your chance to make a difference. Please consider sending a tax-deductibe donation to us and mark your check's memo box
"PING PONG". Donations may be sent to: OBRM, P O Box 335, Oyster Bay, New York 11771.
We want to give big thanks to Island Rail LLC for all of their support and for being a corporate sponsor of the project. We will keep you updated as things come together. Meanwhile, feel free to forward your questions and concerns to us at
LIRR35@aol.com.
Steve Torborg, Trustee
Oyster Bay Railroad Museum
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