This is a biography about a Train station really a terminal because it is the beginning and end of the line for trains that pass through it. I use the word biography loosely because a biography usually refers to people not places but Grand Central definitely has a life of its own. Walk into it and you can actually feel the pulse of the building. Well maybe it is more the collective pulse created by the masses of people that course through it on a daily basis.
The Park Avenue Tunnel was built in 1875 and was used by three railroad companies. By 1902 44,000 people used the station per week which totals 16 million people per year. That is mind boggling. That is an amazing number of people for the time.
In 2013 the terminal is expected to service a million passengers and 21 million tourists. That is a lot of humanity flowing through the massive structure. And you don’t necessarily need to board a train. You can shop, catch a meal or people watch even if you never plan to leave the city.
When the first train lines were built, no steam engines were allowed beyond a certain point so carriages with horses were used for that portion. The “trains” were literally horse powered. These horse powered carriages would stay in service until 1917. Later the line would have six wood burning stream engines. What started as a seven mile track would end up to be 131 miles north and then connect the last 22 miles toward Albany.
Grand Central Station really began to take the shape we see today once the electric engine replaced steam. Steam was messy, hot and spilled out into the air above. Once electric was introduced the area above the tracks became prime real estate. Also the Grand terminal with its waiting rooms and fancy restaurants was born. Aside from the impressive space within, there are little gems like a hidden spiral stairway and a place where if you whisper you can be heard across the room. It is a magnificent building with a fascinating history and was central to the growth of Manhattan and its Burroughs.
The book details the history really well
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