Sep 23 2023

The Alco Black Beast will challenge the Port Jefferson Hill again next Saturday


Due to the rainy weather today, the 2023 Port Jefferson Hill Climb has been postponed to next Saturday, September 30, 2023. The good news is the Alco Black Beast will challenge the mighty hill for the fourth time.

Enjoy,

Howard Kroplick



2022 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

The Alco Black Beast successfully climbed the Port Jefferson Hill in 2022, its third consecutive run since 2015.

Congrats to Rob Laravie and the Port Jefferson Conservancy for one of the best automotive events on Long Island!

Black Beast 2022 highlights are below. Video clips courtesy of Dr. Meredith Jaffe and Greg Oreiro. Images courtesy of Gram Spina, Dennis Spina and Dee Oreiro.


The Alco Black Beast team: Howard, Greg O. and Dave Baum

Howard and his trusty mechanician Greg O.

Howard and his former vice-president Christine Wallace go for a ride.

The 70 2022 participants.


Port Jefferson Hill Climbs: 2010, 2015 and 2021

2010 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

The Alco Black Beast overheated near the start line.

2015 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

Successful run!



2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

Successful run!




Comments

Sep 25 2022 Art Kleiner 8:47 AM

Great job!  What a racing team!

Sep 25 2022 al velocci 12:19 PM

Howard, Looks like you and Greg really enjoyed yourselves. It’s great that you are helping to keep Long island automotive history alive.


Long Island related automotive

Sep 25 2022 Jonathan B. Richards II 12:29 PM

Good Sunday Morning, Howard,
I wonder how many of your readers/viewers are aware of an early automotive hill climb event which has taken place sporadically since 1909 at Newport, Indiana. Here is a link to Wikipedia with some brief information. This years event will take place this coming weekend. I attended the event with my young family in 1969 and have fond memories of the day. The uphill grade in Indiana appears to be more severe than that of the Port Jefferson Long Island event but is much shorter. We always enjoy your Sunday blogs. Stay safe and be well. Jonathan B. Richards II at Chesterfield, Missouri. THE LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Antique_Auto_Hill_Climb

Sep 25 2022 Steven Vilardi 11:22 PM

It takes a gentleman to control the beast!

Sep 26 2022 Mark Schaier 4:47 AM

Another brass era car that entered in the event was a 1911 Hupmobile 20 owned by Parker and Gwen Ackley of Fairfield CT. In the photo taken by me at the 2019 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance they are on the right side. Last year event the Hupmobile conked out part way up the hill, was able pull over. Parker explained the carb. needed some adjustment and something else. So, this event he went up the hill but stopped again, OH NO! afterward he explained, had pick up his Gwen been taken photos then continued on the whole way back. Asked where’s your trailer, nope, use the Ferry nearby and a short drive to and from Fairfield. NICE!

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Sep 26 2022 Art Kleiner 12:57 PM

Jonathan, Thank you for the info. on the early and current Newark IN Hill Climbs.  I’m including the link to the website so others may take a look.  https://www.newporthillclimb.com/

And here is an article from the July 2, 1910 edition of the Greencastle Herald discussing the second hill climb to be held in Newark.  There is a mention of the first climb being held the previous year.  Thanks again for your comment.

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Sep 26 2022 Jonathan B. Richards II 2:11 PM

Dear Mr. Kleiner:  Thank you so much for your response to my Comment yesterday on this wonderful blog. Your post of today confirms a great deal of the known history of this early automobile event at NEWPORT , Indiana which goes back to 1909. The newspaper article from the Greencastle, Indiana GREENCASTLE HERALD from July of 1910 is a marvelous find and shows your skill as an automotive archaeologist. I know the town of Greencastle very well. It is a beautiful college town just off the old U.S. 40 and had a Ford dealership which had been one of the early Indiana dealers circa 1909-1910. From that dealership I ordered and purchased a “company car” for my then employer. I should have checked out their parts bins as I suspect they had a treasure trove of old Ford parts stashed up in the rafters. My apologies to readers but at 86 years of age my old mind wanders back to what seems in retrospect to have been a more sane and understandable time. Best wishes, Jonathan Richards.

Sep 27 2022 Art Kleiner 7:01 AM

Jonathan,  I very much appreciate the kind words that you’ve written.  Thanks for your interest in vanderbiltcupraces.com and if there’s any other information I can provide you let me know.  I found these photos of Greencastle on the Putnam County Historical Site - thought you might like to view them if you haven’t already.
Art

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Sep 27 2022 Jonathan B. Richards II 5:29 PM

Hello again Mr. Kleiner:
Thanks for posting these three photo images at Greencastle , Putnam County , Indiana. Based on the automobiles in the second and third images I would guess the Sinclair station at about 1941 from the Ford parked at the far left pump. The street scene would appear to be about 1954 or possibly 1955 based on the cars parked round the Court House Square. Note the GM brand hearse parked at the right curb. Possibly a Flxible bodied Buick combination coach. Carefully examined photo images can tell us so much of the past. BYW the college at Greencastle is DePauw Universary , a well respected liberal arts college. Be well, Jonathan B. Richards II at Chesterfield, M:issouri.

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