Bare light bulbs were meant to show off the wonders of electricity and the Vanderbilt’s new electric railroad.
Reed & Stem, while the prominent Beaux Arts aesthetic was put forth by Warren & Wetmore. While Reed & Stem’s design contained a concourse type area, Warren & Wetmore enlarged it considerably. Beaux Arts style build- ings are typified by an immense focal point — in this instance Grand Cen- tral’s main concourse. The room stretches 275 feet by 120 feet, with a ceiling 125 feet high. Painted in gold on the cerulean ceiling is a massive mural designed by French painter Paul Helleu, featuring a starry night sky and stylized constellations (said to be viewed as if in the heavens looking down at Earth). At the center of the room is the information booth, crowned with a bronze and opal clock. Though not yet completed at open- ing, eventually the Grand Central’s front facade featured a 1500 ton statu- ary group designed by Jules Coutan, featuring gods of Roman mythology. Mercury, standing with an out- stretched hand, was said to represent the
“glory of commerce,” and was
flanked by Hercules and Minerva, rep- resentative of “moral and mental ener- gy.” The design was completed with a massive clock
face made of Tiffany
glass. Clearly the New York Central was building an elegant showpiece that would be unrivaled by any other.
A city within a city
Although the amazing architecture and design made Grand Central a bril- liant train terminal in its own right, what happened within its walls made it truly grand. Grand Central has never been just a train station — it has been the home to an array of restaurants, shops, and newsstands, and even a home away from home for the traveling
Tracks to be removed for ESA
117
113 115
107 109 111
105
101 103
GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
Madison Ave. Yard
114 116
108 110 112
106
102 104
UL UL
PARK AVE.
Former
ABOVE: Kodak’s “Colorama” advertising dis- play once dominated the West Balcony, and in 1992 featured a Metro-North train skirting the Hudson River. JOHN FASULO Gleaming bare- bulb chandeliers and sconces can be found throughout the terminal. EMILY MOSER
public. The amenities and services of- fered within have always morphed to keep pace with society, and what was needed at the time. When prim and proper
ladies and gentlemen used
Grand Central, there were private waiting rooms staffed by maids to help travelers change into their finest clothes
before stepping out for the evening. One of the world’s largest bar- ber shops was located within the Ter- minal, with a separate manicure and hairdressing parlor for the ladies. Dur- ing wartime thousands and thousands of soldiers were moving through the station daily. The Terminal hosted a Red Cross canteen, and one of the bal- conies was converted into a lounge for service men. And when luxury long-dis- tance trains like the 20th Century Lim-
LIRR Passenger Concourse
MADISON AVE. Footprint of new
ited and the Merchants Limited were at their peak, you could pass the time un- til departure by watching newsreels in the 242 seat Grand Central Theatre.
GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL LOWER (SUBURBAN) LEVEL
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
LEXINGTON AVE. 34 FEBRUARY 2013 •
RAILFAN.COM Illustration by Otto M. Vondrak ©2013 Carstens Publications, Inc. Not an official map. Not all tracks shown.
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