ID the location?

This is a throw-back special:

Mike Boland has ID the cars as follows: From left to right, that's a high-roof PP70 coach and former chair car), MBM62 4209 and then a string of flat-roof or clerestory roof cars--probably MP54A 1632, an MP54A1 4100-series car, and a motorized MP54T or MP54AT as well as other cars in the distance. Saved for LIST-NRHS?

This is 1970, but where are we?

cross referencing Emery's area maps and descriptions of the cars being "in Babylon on the Howell's Siding", i believe this is taken from the area immediately around Cooper St in Babylon

I believe that is signal bridge 5 in the background and Hendricksons in the foreground at Babylon, east of the tower looking east.

Perhaps here, photo view E from location #15 Emery 7/1958 MP36-37:

BTW: The reason it is termed Howell's Siding?

Definitely Babylon, because the power lines are a dead giveaway. The bottom four wires, and the fact the poles are made out of I-beams. It was taken from the parking lot of a building addressed as 1 John Street just to the East of the John Street-Cooper Street T-Intersection. That signal bridge is still there, and Route 231 is in the background.

MattAmity90 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:50 pm Definitely Babylon, because the power lines are a dead giveaway. The bottom four wires, and the fact the poles are made out of I-beams. It was taken from the parking lot of a building addressed as 1 John Street just to the East of the John Street-Cooper Street T-Intersection. That signal bridge is still there, and Route 231 is in the background.

Good deal, MattAmity! Emery's older location #15 on his map! Why is it termed Howells' Siding??

Steve - The picture shows the LIST-NRHS cars in Babylon after they were retired by the LIRR.
There are 11 cars in the picture on the siding - where Union Boulevard begins eastward with the
undergrade bridge just to the left out of the picture. The Babylon Post Office is adjacent behind
the photographer by about 1/2 block...MACTRAXX

LIST cars in the photo: Semaphore 9-1972 page2 NRHS-LIST Rolling Stock at Babylon

what did end up causing most of these to be scrapped?

I can only think of two which did not get the ax, those being the #200 doubledecker and the B60 baggage.
What killed these cars? Leaky windows for one, humidity inside the car bodies, some vandalism, age, lack of heat, exposure to the variations
in climate, and let's be honest - too many cars to maintain. I don't think it's fair to blame preservationists for the loss. In an ideal situation, they would have been stored indoors, dried, painted, and operated. We preservationist try to save everything we can from the old times, but resources to accomplish that include time, money, and dedicated muscle power. Don't blame LIST or RMLI of the losses.
Hindsight tells me the railroad might have offered the monitor roof Rockaway, a monitor combine and coach, a clerestory coach, and a doublececker. Those alone would have been an overwhelming task to preserve. As far as other steam coaches go, a pair of P54's, the B60. Even these would need a secure, dry place for storage.
It was a great effort, but it was probably doomed from day one.

Everyone: - After looking at LIST Semaphores from 1970-1971 the cars for preservation were placed on
the Howells Siding in Babylon during the Spring of 1971. The June 1970 issue had a "Request List" of cars
that LIST proposed to the LIRR for preservation which were:
A - Steam Cars (by number):
1 - P54D - American Car and Foundry Co. - 1927 - Ping-Pong, 2x2 seats
385 - P54B - Pressed Steel 1918 - Main Line, 2x2 seats
810 - P70A - ACF 1912 - Last ex-LIRR High-Roof Parlor
832 - P70C - ACF 1917 - Ex-LIRR Low-Roof Parlor
7616 - PB57 - ACF 1927 - Ping-Pong Combine
7716 - B60B - ACF 1928 - Balloon Roof
B - Electric Cars (by number):
200 - T62 - PRR 1932 - First Double-Decker
(any) 1100 series - MP54A1 - ACF 1930
(1 of) 1211, 1213, 1214 - MB62A - ACF 1910 - Motor Baggage
1623 - MP54AT - ACF 1913 - 1 of last 3 of original design
1677 - CT54A - ACF 1913 - "Rockaway" only MU Club Car
4209 - MB62 - ACF 1910 - Last RPO Car
4388 or 4395 - MPB54 - ACF 1913, 1914 - Last two Combines
7921 - P54D - ACF 1915 - Modernized in October 1964

This LIST of requested LIRR equipment can be compared to the subsequent September 1972 list...
As RG notes many factors took their toll on the preservation of this historic equipment by LIST...
MACTRAXX

Google Maps.

The recommendation of specific cars to be preserved was generally made by Bob Sturm, working with Bob Michelle and Win Boerkel. They were chosen to be representative of the fleet with consideration given to the most robust of the survivors.

There was hope that some secure and indoor place for storage would materialize. Unfortunately as years went by, each successive MTA Chairman expressed little interest in preserving the cars.

Along with those mentioned, among the regular maintainers of the collection who volunteered virtually every Sunday to arrest the decay and secure the cars were Ed Koehler, F. Rod Dirkes, Jim Gillen, Ray Kenny, Ed Gloeggler, George Lind, Art Lubitz and many others. Fifty years have passed since then.

I'm sure Bob would be happy to tell the story to anyone seeking more information.

Can someone who recalls the Collection share some insight on this proposed plan/hope to have this collection under cover/indoors?

This is the first I’m heating of that.
I recall a letter form the MTA c1970s saying that they’re not a preservation museum. (Yet the run the NYCTM)

Where did this whole thing go afoul? Clearly there was good intent. And a generous collection was salvaged. This collection would be the dream of many organizations to have this yet it all failed.

I’m figuring that the LI hustle to you die life style just to pay your bills don’t help with the volunteer concept.
But what happened? Why couldn’t they get a something?
Why didn’t they take the insulation out of these cars to help at minimum stabilize them?
Was LIRR hostile towards their efforts early on, or later. If later when did this begin?
I was not here for any of this. Fortunately I did see
A Very few of these cars before RMLI cut them up due to their serious state of decay.
What do you guys think the LI preservation groups are doing now is good and bad? Today it’s like picking the scrap abs building a car out of it as there’s little left.