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Train work chugs along in Wantagh

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With the Wantagh Preservation Society’s open house two months away, work is progressing on the historic train car on Wantagh Avenue in the hope of opening at least part of it to the public.

Preservation Society Vice President Bob Meagher has been spearheading an effort to restore the inside of the 1912 parlor car, once part of the Long Island Rail Road’s Cannonball Express that ran from Penn Station to Montauk. Donated to the society in 1972, the train sits on the grounds of the Wantagh Museum, adjacent to the building that was once the community’s train station.

Last month, work wrapped up on a new retaining wall around the 80-foot-long, 50-ton train. A 200-foot concrete wall was built, replacing old, rotting railroad ties. Meagher said that the concern was that the train could topple if a new wall wasn’t built. “Eventually, it would have eroded, and the whole train would have tipped over,” he said. “We had a need for it. The county agreed there was a need for it.”

Nassau County, which owns the property, provided the Preservation Society with a $24,000 grant. That money was used to pay for the work, which was done by Nicolino Construction, of Freeport.

“We are so excited that we don’t have to worry about the train plummeting into the parking lot anymore,” added Preservation Society President Karen Chowske, who said the old retaining wall was built when the train was first brought there 43 years ago. She added that pieces of it were breaking away, and it was infested with yellow jacket nests, which became a nuisance for visitors.

Construction started with a three-foot-deep trench. Footings were poured, a steel-reinforced concrete wall was built, and a rounded cap topped it off. “It’s pretty much the way you would build a basement,” Meagher said. “It was fascinating to watch how they built the whole thing.”

Between the wall and the train, rocks were put down to keep weeds from growing. Meagher said the rocks are just like the ones along active train tracks. “Now it looks like a railroad ground,” he said.

Meagher said that while some members of the society wanted to keep the same look with a wall made of railroad ties, concrete was chosen to avoid a repeat of the problem in the future. “This wall will be there for 100 years,” he said.

Nicolino Construction also built concrete steps to the back door of the train, replacing an old wooden staircase and walkway.

While the work was being done outside, Meagher and his volunteer, Lester Orlich, were continuing to restore the inside of the train car. Since April, they have been scraping paint, rebuilding wall frames, installing windowsills and flashing, and replacing rotted sections of floor.

Their goal is to have the front room — the solarium — and the three staterooms completed in time for the Dec. 13 holiday program, so visitors can go inside. The three staterooms were private sleeping quarters when the Cannonball Express operated. Restoring the kitchen at the back of the car will likely be next year’s project, Meagher said.

“When something is 102 years old,” he said, “it’s never finished. But I’m hoping people will at least be able to come in.”

The Preservation Society, which raises money from two yearly yard sales and private donations, is paying for the work. In May, Wantagh Inn owner Mike Dunphy added to the effort, presenting the organization with a $2,500 check.

Chowske noted that next year is the 50th anniversary of the museum, and a big celebration is planned for September. The goal, she said, is to have the train finished so guests can walk from front to back.