Stephen Quigley, Long Island Rail Road history buff, dies at 73

Whether it was showing off the 19th century Bellmore grade crossing operator’s shanty that he preserved in his backyard, or telling the story of Charles “Mile-a-Minute” Murphy, who, in 1899, kept pace with an LIRR train while riding behind it on his bicycle, nothing made Stephen Quigley light up like sharing Long Island Rail Road history, friends said.

“When you visited his house, all through the house there was railroad memorabilia, lanterns and trains,” LIRR historian David Morrison said of Quigley. “It was a passion.”

Quigley, a revered railroad historian and train buff, died in Hauppauge unexpectedly on Oct. 9 at the age of 73.

Quigley's love of history, and of trains, dated back to his childhood days playing with a Lionel model train set in his family's New Hyde Park home, his wife Christine, said.

"His father built a train layout on a piece of wood, so he could put it underneath his bed. And then it progressed to when I first met Steve. he had a three-bedroom ranch, and one bedroom was a train layout. The whole room," said his wife of 35 years. "He liked trains."

After graduating Chaminade High School in Mineola, Quigley earned a bachelor's degree in history from St. John's University. Although he held various jobs, including in retail management and as a real estate appraiser, Quigley was known best for his work preserving and sharing Long Island’s rich railroad history.

For nearly 20 years, he served as president of the Long Island Sunrise Trail, the local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. In the role, he maintained the group's website, organized meetings, and published a monthly newsletter, “The Semaphore."

Quigley was especially in his element when organizing historical railroad tours, like the July 27 excursion from Penn Station to Greenport commemorating the LIRR’s 190th anniversary. On board for the trip was LIRR president Robert Free, who called Quigley “a prominent voice for the preservation of railroad history on Long Island.”

“He was extraordinarily knowledgeable and always ready with useful information as we celebrated past achievements and traditions,” Free said in a statement. “His passing comes as a shock and he will be dearly missed.”

Quigley also served as vice president of the Babylon Town Historical Society, helping secure grants to put up cast-iron historical markers at train stations in the town, organizing displays at museums, and each year setting up an elaborate holiday model train exhibit at Babylon’s Old Town Hall.

“He and my husband would spend six weeks setting it up so they could spend five weeks playing with it,” Babylon Town Historian Mary Cascone said of Quigley. “He had his dad’s 1920s train set that he would bring in and run for a little bit . . . He had such a passion that you couldn’t help but be drawn in by it.”

Talking to Newsday in 2019 about the LIRR’s 185th anniversary, Quigley marveled at how far the railroad had come since it was chartered in 1834, and expressed excitement about the history yet to be made, including with the opening of the Grand Central Madison station.

“I hope . . . to be still be around on the 200th anniversary of the railroad,” Quigley said. “We’re definitely going to celebrate it big time.”

In addition to his wife, Quigley is survived by his son, James, of Islip. He was buried Tuesday at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.