The Mineola, officially car 3344 on the IRT roster, was built in 1904 and displays the finest craftsmanship of the gilded age. Having languished in a field for many decades before being rescued by the museum in the 1970s, the car arrived minus trucks, compressor, switchgroup, brake system, in short, anything that had scrap metal value. Although the wooden body is damaged in places, the opulence of this parlor car is still quite evident nearly 100 years after its construction.

Over the years, the museum has acquired replacements for many of the missing mechanical components. The big obstacle continues to be the extent of woodwork restoration required, and the expertise needed to do this, which today only a few craftsmen in the country possess. Major outside funding is being sought with an eye on the possibility of having Mineola in displayable condition by October 27^th, 2004, the 100^th anniversary of the opening of New York's first subway.

Bill Wall towed the car out of the barn and into the daylight on August 17^th so that the film crew could take interior and exterior shots. The reaction of the crew was certainly worth filming in and of itself as they marveled at this historic "lost and found" gem.