Greenport Express railroad back on track, but chugging along a new route
Visitors boarded the Greenport Express miniature railroad for its grand opening Saturday. Credit: Randee Daddona
Joe Cherepowich, of East Marion, treasured Sunday afternoons with his grandkids riding the Peconic County Miniature Railroad in Greenport until it shuttered in 2012.
Before Cherepowich died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, his wish was to revive the nostalgic attraction the late Frank Field ran in his backyard for decades.
“He kept telling me, ‘Carry on with this project,’ and I said, ‘Don’t you worry, we will get that train running,’” Cherepowich’s daughter, Heather Walker, recalled.
On Saturday, Walker, 51, fulfilled that promise as the railroad now called the Greenport Express chugged along a new route on its maiden voyage through Greenport’s Moore's Woods. The Rotary Club of Greenport partnered with Greenport Village to reopen the miniature railroad, an effort that took $1 million and nearly a decade to complete.
“The train was in everybody’s heart,” said Rotarian Rich Israel, of Greenport, who chairs the group’s train committee. “It’s been a tradition in our village and would be a shame to have lost it.”
Field, a retired mechanical engineer for the Long Island Rail Road, opened the ride on his Webb Street property in 1985, entertaining generations of children before closing it down in 2012. Field died of COVID-19 in 2021.
Cherepowich, a Rotarian, crusaded to save the train, which the group bought from Field in 2017. The club raised nearly $1 million in donations, materials and services to complete the restoration, outfitting the train with a new engine, rewired electrical system and new brakes, plus a fresh coat of royal blue paint. It's now nicknamed the Joe Cherry Choo Choo in memory of Cherepowich.
The train set was built in Indiana in the late 1940s by what became the Allan Herschell Co., according to Don Fisher, of Southold, who volunteers at the Railroad Museum in Riverhead and worked on the restoration.
“They’re beautiful, historic, simple machines,” Fisher, 70, said. “The history and memories are so rich.”
In addition to a new track, the Rotary also built a 2,200 square-foot station house with a ticket window, boarding area, restrooms and a community room near existing ballfields and a skate park off Moores Lane.
The train can hold 18 adults or 36 children and travels under a canopy of oak and maple trees across a small bridge and behind the half-pipe at the village skate park along its quarter-mile route.
Rides are $5 and include two loops, which last about 10 minutes.
To bring the miniature train back to Greenport, volunteers took inspiration from a childhood tale: “I think I can, I think I can,” as they faced permit delays and supply chain disruptions.
The project needed approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation since the track runs near freshwater wetlands. It drew criticism from residents and environmentalists concerned about cutting down trees and disturbing habitats. Plans were redrawn several times to reduce environmental impacts, Israel said.
Israel, 67, said the ride will build on other attractions in town, including the carousel in Mitchell Park.
“Greenport is that kind of family-oriented place,” he said.
Greenport Village will operate the ride as it does for the carousel in Mitchell Park, according to a 10-year agreement approved by the village board in 2021.
Revenue from the ride will be used for maintenance and repairs, and the agreement allows the Rotary to hold two fundraisers at the train each year.
One, Walker said, will be on Halloween — a nod to Field, who went all- out when it came to decorating for the holiday.
“We always ended Halloween night on the train and went for the last ride after trick-or-treating,” she said.
Walker said her dad would be “so excited” to see the train running again, bringing back old memories and helping families create new ones.
“It means so much,” she said. “We want the village to be proud of it and hope it’s something that can be around for many generations."
Joe Cherepowich, of East Marion, treasured Sunday afternoons with his grandkids riding the Peconic County Miniature Railroad in Greenport until it shuttered in 2012.
Before Cherepowich died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, his wish was to revive the nostalgic attraction the late Frank Field ran in his backyard for decades.
“He kept telling me, ‘Carry on with this project,’ and I said, ‘Don’t you worry, we will get that train running,’” Cherepowich’s daughter, Heather Walker, recalled.
On Saturday, Walker, 51, fulfilled that promise as the railroad now called the Greenport Express chugged along a new route on its maiden voyage through Greenport’s Moore's Woods. The Rotary Club of Greenport partnered with Greenport Village to reopen the miniature railroad, an effort that took $1 million and nearly a decade to complete.
“The train was in everybody’s heart,” said Rotarian Rich Israel, of Greenport, who chairs the group’s train committee. “It’s been a tradition in our village and would be a shame to have lost it.”
Field, a retired mechanical engineer for the Long Island Rail Road, opened the ride on his Webb Street property in 1985, entertaining generations of children before closing it down in 2012. Field died of COVID-19 in 2021.
Cherepowich, a Rotarian, crusaded to save the train, which the group bought from Field in 2017. The club raised nearly $1 million in donations, materials and services to complete the restoration, outfitting the train with a new engine, rewired electrical system and new brakes, plus a fresh coat of royal blue paint. It's now nicknamed the Joe Cherry Choo Choo in memory of Cherepowich.
The train set was built in Indiana in the late 1940s by what became the Allan Herschell Co., according to Don Fisher, of Southold, who volunteers at the Railroad Museum in Riverhead and worked on the restoration.
“They’re beautiful, historic, simple machines,” Fisher, 70, said. “The history and memories are so rich.”
In addition to a new track, the Rotary also built a 2,200 square-foot station house with a ticket window, boarding area, restrooms and a community room near existing ballfields and a skate park off Moores Lane.
The train can hold 18 adults or 36 children and travels under a canopy of oak and maple trees across a small bridge and behind the half-pipe at the village skate park along its quarter-mile route.
Rides are $5 and include two loops, which last about 10 minutes.
To bring the miniature train back to Greenport, volunteers took inspiration from a childhood tale: “I think I can, I think I can,” as they faced permit delays and supply chain disruptions.
The project needed approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation since the track runs near freshwater wetlands. It drew criticism from residents and environmentalists concerned about cutting down trees and disturbing habitats. Plans were redrawn several times to reduce environmental impacts, Israel said.
Israel, 67, said the ride will build on other attractions in town, including the carousel in Mitchell Park.
“Greenport is that kind of family-oriented place,” he said.
Greenport Village will operate the ride as it does for the carousel in Mitchell Park, according to a 10-year agreement approved by the village board in 2021.
Revenue from the ride will be used for maintenance and repairs, and the agreement allows the Rotary to hold two fundraisers at the train each year.
One, Walker said, will be on Halloween — a nod to Field, who went all- out when it came to decorating for the holiday.
“We always ended Halloween night on the train and went for the last ride after trick-or-treating,” she said.
Walker said her dad would be “so excited” to see the train running again, bringing back old memories and helping families create new ones.
“It means so much,” she said. “We want the village to be proud of it and hope it’s something that can be around for many generations."
Full steam ahead
- The Greenport Express miniature railroad opened Saturday.
- The Rotary Club of Greenport raised nearly $1 million to revive the train, an homage to another mini railroad that operated in Greenport from 1985 to 2012.
- Rides are $5 and the attraction will be open weekends. Check villageofgreenport.org for schedules.
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