"Change at Ozone Park" found in NJ

Finally got a copy of this great book on the subject of the Rockaway Branches. Oddly enough, I had to go to New Jersey to find a copy! It was a miserable day weather wise, and with nothing else going on I decided to venture over to the Liberty State Park Railroad Festival (which sorta replaces the now defunct Hoboken Festival). It was a saaaaad place: few vendors and only TWO layouts!

I found the book in a box of various books marked '$10 each'. Boy, was I as happy as a clam. I seem to recall that it's currently hard to find and might be outta my price range on Ebay. And it's hard to believe that it was published less than 20 years ago.

Another great book to look for is "Change at Jamaica" done by a NYTimes writer back in the 50's. Hilarious! Ride east to the middle of the book and "change" to the reverse side and read back to the middle. I have a copy but know nothing of its existance elsewhere or on Ebay, etc.

I saw the book at the show. I have to say; the show wasn't so good due to the lack of vendors there and not a lot of merchandise in the first place.
I would like to see the Hoboken festival return, but with transit's attitude about 9-11, I don't think so. Hard to believe that I went to the 2001 festival. That was the last time I got to see the towers up close.

when was the 2001 festival, must have been before 9-11

The 2001 festival was on September 9th. I was there.

It's unfortunate about the Hoboken Festival, and the affects on it after 911.

I think the Hoboken Festival would've faded away even w/o 911 because the railroading hobby as a whole is losing it's ol' timers and there isn't alot of youngsters out there getting involved in the hobby to fill that void. From what I was told, the last several years of the Hoboken shows were a mere shadow of their heydays of the and 80's and 90's.

At least the State of NJ had the wherewithall to see to it that there is some event to celebrate the state's rich railroading history. The Liberty State Park Railroad Festival was created really to highlight the history of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (hence the use of the old terminal there). However, with the demise of the Hoboken Festival, it has become a more general railroad show -- which isn't a bad thing because there tends to be something there for everyone.

I was always told "Change at Jamaica" was written by a Conductor> Love to get a copy