The Town of Wallkill Historical Society provided a room full of local history buffs a comprehensive program, covering the history of the Maybrook Railroad May 11 at the Circleville Church.

The date of the program was also significant, as it was held three days after the 40 anniversary of the fire that destroyed the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, which in effect destroyed the Maybrook Railroad terminal.

The room was filled with approximately 40-people, all of whom seemed to hang on the words of the days two presenters, Robert Sandboothe and 94-year-old museum president Tony Marano.

Sandboothe, also a leading voice at the museum, opened the program with impeccably researched facts about the railroad, the fire and Maybrook’s broader history, as well as vivid personal memories of long-gone businesses.

“The name of Maybrook didn’t come along until 1925,” Sandboothe said. “Around that time the name was changed from Orange Junction to Maybrook.”

Sandboothe also walked attendees through an oral history of some of the bigger businesses that either found their start or a long-term home in Maybrook. Those businesses include Johnston’s Toyota which was founded in Maybrook, and Yellow Freight which as been in town since 1980.

Regarding the bridge that burned in 1974, turns out it too had a great history as relayed by Mr. Sandboothe. “The bridge was built in 1871 and was eventually used heavily by the Central New England Railroad, which was built in 1910,” Sandboothe said. “New Haven Railroad took that over and then doubled its size,” In fact, they had lights and phones before village offices did.”

At its peak, the Maybrook yard was the biggest yard east of the Mississippi River and at its apex employed 1500 people between the years of 1930-1960. The yard saw 54-trains in and out daily in 1943 and even saw Barnum & Bailey circus trains.

Tony Marano, had a 41-year career working at various area railroads and yards from 1946-1987 shared several personal recollections of that bygone era.

“I can recall H06 trains, heavy trains of steel of 90-100 cars,” The WWII veteran said. “Those used to go down the O&W line, which was gone by 1957.”

Marano also shared some of his experiences with ice houses which were a major business and necessary utility for trains carrying perishables such as food long distances prior the ice makers.

I remember chopping ice as a young boy in the 1930s, for the bars in Maybrook,” Marano said. “I also remember the ice houses they would contain 17 350 lb. blocks of ice at a time.”

Reflecting on the 1974 fire that destroyed the Poughkeepsie Bridge and in effect the Maybrook terminal Marano recalled - “fires were a common occurrence in those days but they were controlled by watchers and watermen,” Marano said. “That is until they were done away with.”