Vanderbilt Cup Races

Looks like Merrick Avenue bridge at the Meadowbrook Lodge Entrance looking north (the telephone poles still stand there). I believe the economy race was to see how many miles per gallon different cars including taxis would maximize in efficiency.

Identify the Motor Parkway bridge and the orientation of the photographer. Provide a rationale.
The Merrick Ave parkway bridge in Westbury/East Meadow looking North.

What was the New York Economy Contest? When was it held in 1909?
A 1 gallon fuel contest sponsored by the New York Automobile Trade Association on May 8th 1909

What was a major finding in the 1909 New York Economy Contest?
The efficiency of motor vehicles

Bonus: Identify the automobiles in the photo.
Franklin, winning at a distance of just over 36 miles.

I need to correct my earlier guess. Please disregard it.

This is looking North through the Massapequa Road bridge. I was even able to match up patterns in the concrete of the right side bridge abutment and confirm it.
My guess stands for the Franklin, winner of the contest at just over 36 miles.

Fantastic Foto Brian, haven’t seen this one before. This could be the bridge that once crossed Merrick Ave (Whaleneck Road) in Westbury. Photographer is facing north, cars heading south, Old Country Road is straight ahead past the bridge, Stewart Ave is behind the camera. The Franklin auto in front is right at the dirt entrance of the Meadowbrook Lodge on the left, just before the pole. Not sure if the parked auto participated in the contest but other models included Thomas, Renault, and Buick.  Eisenhower Park today is on the right, Micro Center on the left after the bridge. There is another photo similar to this one that show fewer crossarms on the poles. Try squeezing today’s Merrick Ave traffic through that opening!

NY Economy Contest: May 1909?, sponsored by the New York Automobile Trade Association as part of its second annual automobile carnival, a one gallon efficiency contest. Don’t know what they found but cars in 1900 were getting 8mph @ 35mpg.

Howard, sending attachments and looking forward to this week’s answers.

I think we’re looking north along Massapequa - Hicksville Road as it goes under the LIMP because it’s the only bridge I could find with LIRR tracks just south of it and the telephone poles on the west side of the road. The NY Economy Contest was a one gallon gasoline efficiency test which was run as part of the 2nd. annual Automobile Carnival sponsored by the NY Automobile Trade Association. The carnival ran from April 26 to May 1, 1909. I don’t know what the finding was but I’ll guess the obvious: the heavier the car, the more gasoline it used to cover the same distance. I think the car in the foreground is a Franklin and the other could be an Apperson.

Hicksville Road looking north under the LIMP bridge.
Poles running north along west side of Hicksville Road,
Pole on this side of bridge part of main lines running parallel to LIMP.
The Economy Contest provided that each vehicle be given one
gallon of gas and track how far it got.

Hello to all. I hope this Mystery Foto captured interest. When I came across this image, the bridge was described as a RR bridge. That’s no RR bridge. We all know a LIMP bridge by now lol.

*Identity of LIMP bridge/Orientation of Photographer/Rationale:  Initially, 2 pkwy bridges came to mind ( Wantagh Ave and Massapequa Hicksville Rd ). I believe it’s the Massapequa Hicksville Rd Pkwy bridge, photo looking north. The oldest image I’ve seen ( so far ) of the Wantagh Ave Pkwy bridge is dated 1935. There is a pole line on the W/S, but not Telegraph type ( it may have been in the earlier 1900’s ). The 1935 image is facing north as well, but there’s a curve seen in the distance. I don’t see this curve in the Mystery Foto. And there’s a telegraph/utility pole just S/O the Pkwy bridge in the Mystery Foto. There’s no pole in view just S/O the 1935 Wantagh Ave Pkwy bridge. So Massapequa Hicksville Rd fits best.

*NY Economy Contest? Date it was held in?:  It was a friendly ( I think ) competition amongst different auto manufacturers. Each auto was filled with 1 gallon of fuel. The auto that traveled the furthest distance was the winner. Every auto competing had a SEALED FUEL CAN for their return trip “home”. An OBSERVER accompanied the contesting driver to ensure that the SEALED FUEL CAN remained SEALED until the auto completely ran out of fuel. An additional auto kept up with the competing auto, also. This additional auto would record the distance of all competing autos. I believe this contest was in May 1909.

*Major Finding in this Contest?:  No answer for this. I’m sure some of you will know.

*Identify Automobile Makes?:  Not sure. I’m fairly sure that the auto in front approaching the Central RR tracks is competing, the auto just beyond is ready to record the distance of the competing auto.    Good Luck to All,  BDM

Could it be Carman Avenue Bridge looking west? 

The Economy Contest was part of the 2nd New York Automobile Carnival originally scheduled to be held the week of April 26, 1909.  Due to bad weather certain events were pushed back and the Economy Contest was held on May 7, 1909.  This was a contest to determine “whether the quantity of gasoline a car consumes is a large or small factor” (source - NY Times, May 7, 1909) on a per car mile and ton mile, with prizes awarded for the latter. 

Also measured how far one gallon can of gas would take a loaded car.

The initial finding was that the cost of transporting eighty-eight people (seven tons) would be approximately one and one half mills per mile per person.

Second entry for the bridge - Merrick Avenue

The location of the photo is on Wantagh Ave. looking north towards the LIMP Wantagh Ave. bridge (#42).  You can observe the power/telephone poles on the left hand side of Wantagh Ave which are in the photo taken on 5/24/35.  You also can observe the tracks of the LIRR Central branch in front of the bridge.

The New York Economy Test was a one gallon efficiency test sponsored by the New York Trade Association as part of it’s 2nd annual automobile carnival.
The automobiles pictured in the photo are (1909?) Franklin’s.

The mystery Franklin car wins the J.W. Willy’s Cup with most points, in a 4 cylinder air cooled engine carrying 5 passengers, covering 36.6 miles on one gallon of gas over Long Island roads. What route was used for the contest? A Cadillac traveled the furthest with 42.2 miles, but lacked the points to win.

Second thoughts, it can’t be Merrick Ave, the poles are different, and it’s not Carman Ave. Out of time so wild guessing with Newbridge Rd looking north

From Ariejan Bos
This photo was taken during the New York Economy Test, held on May 10,
1909 on the roads of Long Island. The photo shows the winning Franklin (with no.1) after having passed under what could be Merrick Avenue bridge (I’m not 100% sure, because the electricity poles differ from the ones, which were present at the time of the construction of this bridge). The other car on the side of the road (also a Franklin) is a press car. A description of the test is being given in an article in Motor Age of May 13, 1909.

Ugh! I can’t believe I can figure this bridge out. Fantastic Foto Brian!!!

Now that it’s not a Mystery no more, I came across this image on the “Detroit Public Library Digital Collections” website. Decided to search: “Railroads,NY” to possibly come across images of the LIRR/LIMP together. This image was described as “Autos passing under RR bridge”. Like I said in my first comment….That’s no RR bridge! Hope you all had fun with it.  BDM

Amazing observation by all! This conclusion is truly amazing!!

Great pics and facts!