Patchogue Advance, April 9, 1959

Mastic Remaining Survivor of Bay Area's RR Stations

MASTIC - With the dust settling after re-assignments and transfers that followed the recent closing of 15 Long Island Rail Road stations, many a railroad agent is getting accustomed to a new environment.

Not so for Ronald Chapman, the former agent at the Center Moriches station who has landed just the job he wanted:  heading the tiny but busy Mastic station "next door" to Center Moriches, the only one that now remains open between Patchogue and Westhampton Beach.

In addition to handling ticket sales and train-dispatching at the station (where seven daily eastbound and seven westbound trains stop) Mr. Chapman is in charge of handling freight at the Yaphank, East Moriches, Center Moriches, Brookhaven and Camp Upton stations.  The Upton station handles deliveries to Brookhaven National Laboratory.

In his work, Mr. Chapman is assisted by three men -- Arthur Peterson and John Atkinson, both clerk-operators, and Quillie Free, porter, an old-timer at the aging Mastic Station -- which, Mr. Chapman says, is high up on the list for renovation.

The former Mastic Agent, Thomas Bieselin, is now assigned to the Southampton station.

Even though the Mastic station is the only one to remain open in the Patchogue to Westhampton Beach stretch, Mr. Chapman points out trains will stop at the Center Moriches and Bellport stations, which are closed.  The Mastic office is open from 5:30 a. m. to 8:30 p. m. Mondays through Fridays.