Grand Central Depot was finished in the Second Empire style and patterned after the Tuileries Palace in Paris.


ABOVE: The first Grand Central Depot was constructed in 1871 and followed the style of the


city’s grand hotels. HARPER’S WEEKLY,


AUTHOR’S COLLECTION RIGHT: The development of electric traction would make the vast under- ground complex possible. New York Central entered the electric era in 1906 with a fleet of locomotives designed by General Electric and constructed by Alco. ALCO HISTORIC PHOTOS


While the Commodore certainly had


the foresight to build Grand Central in what eventually became a highly desir- able midtown location, the facility was not quite up to par with the rapid growth of the railroad. In 1885 the train shed was expanded and re- arranged, contributing seven more tracks to the Depot, and was used for incoming traffic. Five miles north in the Bronx, a new coach yard was con- structed in Mott Haven, which would serve as facilities for repair, cleaning, and storage of equipment.


The second Grand Central


Before long, the earlier expansions were not enough to ease the overcrowd- ing at the Depot. Not only had Manhat- tan continued to grow, the areas well north of the city had flourished into suburban towns, home to many rail commuters. Five hundred trains were moving through the Depot daily, neces- sitating the railroad to embark on an


30 FEBRUARY 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


major overhaul in 1898. After renova- tion it bore a new name as well: Grand Central Station.


Though the core structure of the now-named Grand Central Station re- mained the same, three additional sto- ries were added to the building facing 42nd Street, and the brick exterior was covered with imitation stone. The three separate waiting rooms for each rail- road were merged into a single consoli- dated waiting room, and rows of new ticket windows were constructed. The train shed was again expanded, and it was separated from the waiting rooms


by 12,500 square foot concourse. Grand Central Station had a short lifespan, as it didn’t take long to find that even these newest upgrades were not enough. The chaotic, sprawling complex of tracks serving Grand Cen- tral took up many city blocks, and resi- dents complained of the constant smoke, soot, and noise from the steam locomotives. New York Central’s young chief engineer William J. Wilgus real- ized that a radically new solution was required. In his mind, the concept for a revolutionary new Grand Central was already taking shape, though tragic


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