Re: (rshsdepot) PD Tower - Patchogue, NY

[luckyshow_@_mindspring.com]

you know it is very sad on Long island, in the last few years they destroyed the oldest LIRR station in East Williston, one of the South Side stations in a backyard in Rockviulle CEntre, I guess theyw ill forcably remove the Hewlett one if we are lucky, they destroyed the little cute switch house on Franklin in Garden City..and take Patcheogue, they already took out its identity by destroying the big mill, there was a surviving old gas pump on the sidewalk, now gone...there is almost no awareness and even less caring for landmarks, everything will all look alike eventually and be so dull that no one will give a toot if it is demolished....For my purposes, I would just cover this leaning deteriorated structure in soem kind of plastic for future generations who might have more heart and soul

- -----Original Message-----
>From: I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com
>Sent: Aug 23, 2006 8:36 AM
>To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net
>Subject: (rshsdepot) PD Tower - Patchogue, NY
>
>From today's Newsday.
> 
>Bernie Wagenblast
> 
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> 
>Historic LIRR tower is demolished
>  
>
>
> 
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>ps;rg=ur;ref=newsdaycom;pos=1;tile=1;sz=160x600;ord=99268055) BY BILL BLEYER
>Newsday  Staff Writer
>
>August 23, 2006
>
>One of three remaining historical  wooden Long Island Rail Road signal towers 
>was demolished yesterday in Patchogue  after village officials determined 
>that restoration would be too  expensive.
>
>The "PD" Tower, built in 1912, was seriously deteriorated and  was no longer 
>needed.
>
>Preservationists were upset about the demolition,  but conceded that there 
>was probably no practical alternative. "They used to  refer to it as 'The 
>Leaning Tower of Patchogue,'" rail historian David Morrison  of Plainview said. "It 
>would've taken a lot of money to restore it."
>
>LIRR  spokeswoman Susan McGowan said "a new, automated signal system was 
>installed ...  May 8th and the tower was no longer needed."
>
>Patchogue officials had  contacted the railroad about taking over and 
>maintaining the tower, but were  deterred by the cost. Mayor Paul Pontieri said 
>contractors estimated the cost of  stabilizing the tower at up to $30,000. "New 
>foundations would have had to have  been put in ... and nobody was coming forth 
>with money," he said.
>
>In  addition, Pontieri said, "because it sat on railroad property, we 
>wouldn't be  able to use the building." And he said moving the tower to another 
>location  wasn't feasible either.
>
>According to Morrison, "Patchogue was the last  location on Long Island where 
>train orders were 'hooped up,' when they put a  train order on the end of a 
>hoop and the tower operator holds it up and the  engineer grabs the order. So 
>it's a quite significant chapter in railroad  history that has closed."
>
>Morrison said the remaining two towers were in  Locust Valley and in Fresh 
>Pond, Queens. The first was restored to serve as a  police booth, and the second 
>serves as a railroad office.  
>Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
>
>=================================
>The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
>railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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