Grand Central Terminal and the New York City Subway System

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We hope you enjoy your visit to our WebSite. We offer a wide range of great sites. We have a great "Portal to the World", excellent weather, reference, golf and tourist sites. As well as great WebSites on trains run for the President of the United States (and for Royalty too). We are not "FLASHy" like many WebSites, but we offer you, among other things authentic railroad history material. Much of this material is not available elsewhere on the Internet. It was painstakingly collected over many years from such sources as Yale University. We never knowingly link you to any WebSites that contain a virus, collect your personal information, or are those machine-generated sites rampant with "Ads by Google". For some of our material, there is a small nominal charge. You can talk back to us on our BLOG and see our eBay Store too.

Click here or on picture to see GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL.

Click here or on picture to see NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY.

VISIT OUR GOLF PRO SHOP We have the largest selection of clubs and other golf accessories.

DO NOT MISS OUR GOLF OUTLET

Grand Central...A Station in Time When Grand Central Was Younger Interesting photo essay from the New York Times. Turns out these photos have been on display near the food court for the past year or so.

I loved those roll signs over the hallway leading to Lexington Avenue and accessing the gates for tracks 11 through 19. There was a roll sign over the hallway for each track and some of the destinations were still on them right up to the time that Metro-North went to a new system back in the 90's maybe. Cape Cod, Winsted, Portland, Maine, Vermont points and many bygone destinations.

Mysterious Track 61 Grand Central Terminal Track 61, which FDR used to sneak in and out of Grand Central and hide his disability (he had severe polio) from the public. Was Track 61 used other times by Presidents? Matt Lauer of NBC put on his best play clothes May 8 2008 to examine “The Mystery of Track 61? on the Today show. Lauer went 30 feet below the Waldorf to investigate the secret train track that has intrigued urban explorers for decades. Lauer ended up with a nice 7-minute segment, with some commentary from colorful Metro-North spokesman Dan Brucker and Brooklynite historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. He spoke about not only the phantom track, but the mysterious bulletproof freight car still located under the Waldorf that played some sneaky role in presidential security. "His armor-plated Pierce Arrow car would drive off the train, onto this platform and into the elevator, and it would bring him and his car into the hotel garage,'' Metro-North Railroad spokesman Dan Brucker said while offering a rare tour of the long-unused station. "He could take the presidential train back to Hyde Park without ever leaving the building.'' This story gets taller and taller anytime someone tells it. The Grand Central Palace, the railroad's heating and power facilities and Adam's Express Co. occupied the area between 47th and 50th Streets and between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue . They were torn down in 1929. In 1931, the Waldorf-Astoria completed its 40-story hotel on the site. Except for a small basement, the Waldorf-Astoria is directly over the tracks and the two platforms for the powerhouse and Adams Express. The track 61 platform was of course never used or intended to be used in regular passenger service, and it was not even built for the hotel; it just happens to be there. A stairway and a freight elevator run from the platform to a street entrance on 49 St. The freight elevator is not original and was probably built after the power house was torn down. There is also another stairway exit, without an elevator, on the 50 St side of the hotel building. So it amounted to a private railway siding underneath the building. Guests with private rail cars could have them routed directly to the hotel and take a special elevator directly to their suites or to the lobby. The baggage car ( "bulletproof freight car") was left by Penn Central for worktrain service and the MNCX reporting mark was painted on the car in 1984 in North White Plains shops (not by the Secret Service). Also on the level: In 1965, the platform was used for one of Andy Warhol's underground parties. (I found this out from a museum in Mouans Sartoux, France) In 1946 the American Locomotive Company's 6000-horsepower Diesel-electric locomotive that was headed to Santa Fe RR system to be used between Chicago and Los Angeles, was exhibited on the Waldorf's private siding beneath the hotel.

Tramway de Nice: New for 2007

The Tramway de Nice was designed to serve most of the population of Nice, France, as the vity of over 900,000 people is situated along a seaside, the line does not have to traverse it. Instead it was drawn as a U shape, passing through the centre.

The tramcars of the Tramway de Nice are unique and have been specially designed to blend in with the Niçois architecture. A standard 5 car 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge tram measures 35 m but extra carriages may be added, bringing the length to 45 m. The tram is 2.65 m wide and may carry 200 passengers at 18 km/h compared to 11 km/h by bus.

Are the trams noisy?
No. Noise created is maximum 70 decibels at 40km/h. This is much quieter than any large vehicle such as a bus.

Find out more on public transportation in Nice and the French Riviera.

Click on pictures at right to enlarge. Find more about the new Nice,France Tramway

The Global Highway:
Interchange to Everywhere
A portal to the World. The Global Highway leads everywhere! Follow it to wherever you might want to go. We have something for everyone!

Head End Railway Express and Railway Post Office On passenger trains, railroads operated lots of equipment other than sleepers, coaches, dining cars, etc. This equipment was generally called 'head-end' equipment, these 'freight' cars were at one time plentiful and highly profitable for the railroads. In the heyday of passenger service, these industries were a big part of the railroad's operations, and got serious attention. We have text and pictures not found elsewhere on the Web.

Former New York Central Railroad Headquarters

This impressive building was the headquarters of the New York Central System. Read more about the Helmsley Building and see a review of the Helmsley Building.

Click on map to see full size or print

Signal Station "F" in Grand Central Terminal
This picture was from my grandfather

Read more about Grand Central's Signal Stations

Here's a more modern picture of how trains are controlled now.

VISIT OUR TICKET BOOTH We can find you tickets for all the great music, sports and cultural events. We have the best prices and most availability of any ticket seller.

NY Central 20 Century Limited along the Hudson

New York Central 20th Century Limited along the Hudson

This was probably the all-time most famous train

Bruce Wolfe collection, courtesy of Bernie Rudberg

In 1947 a trio of EMD E units are powering the 20th Century Limited southbound along the banks of the Hudson River. This train had just thundered through Beacon and was heading for the engine change at Harmon. Since these diesel engines were not welcome under the streets of Manhattan, an electric engine would pull the limited the rest of the way into Grand Central Terminal.

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Find out more about vacations in Nice, France	Find out more about vacations in Mexico City	Find out more about vacations in Philadelphia	Find out more about vacations in Saint-Tropez	Find out more about vacations in Montreal and the Laurentian Mountains


Find weather around the World . Temperature and forecasts for hundreds of cities. See adverse weather conditions. Upcoming storms, snow, tornados, hurricanes. Check out our special weather forecasts for the French Riviera!!! Visit our Travel Reservations and Information Center and see our CRUISE section. Make Hotel Reservations as well as rental cars and airlines. Book a ferry from Nice to Corsica. Rent Vacation Homes.

See Antibes, plus Biot, Juan-les-pins, Golfe-Juan, and the Vauban Fort

Antibes was a Greek fortified town named Antipolis in the 5th century BC, and later a Roman town, and always an active port for trading along the Mediterranean. Today it's an attractive and active town, popular with "foreigners" from Paris and the north of France, with non-French, and with the local population.

See Menton and it's surrounding area

Thanks to a beneficial subtropical microclimate (316 cloudless days a year), winter is practically unknown in Menton. Therefore, you can enjoy a beautiful sea and the nearby sunny mountains all year round. Menton is on the borders of Italy, the Principality of Monaco and the Comté de Nice.

See Beausoleil.

Beausoleil is a neighboring town of the Principality of Monaco. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea just above Monaco and has a beautiful year-round climate. Beausoleil is situated between the beaches and the winter sports area of the Alps.

Ominous Weather on the Mediterranean Sea.

The sea is always beautiful at Nice, France - even when a storm is approaching.

Just Around the Corner by Bertrande H. Snell

Bertrande H. Snell, author of the following article, a native of Parish, Oswego County, N.Y., was a telegrapher all his working life. For many years he was employed by the New York Central Railroad, and for 33 years was a telegrapher for Western Union in Syracuse.

Bertrande Snell commenced his writing career with the Syracuse Syracuse Post-Standard in 1945 and continued it until shortly before his death in 1949. His columns were primarily of a reminiscent or historical nature, which included railroad stories.

If you like his column, we have more.

Syracuse Post-Standard, Nov. 16, 1946

Just Around the Corner
By Bertrande

Traveling south from Corning, you come to Lawrenceville, Pa., which is in Tioga county. Bordering this on the south is Lycoming county, where I spent the years between 1905 and 1917.

Pine Creek, which in many places approaches the dignity of river, rises in Tioga county and flows through the Lycoming hills to empty into the mighty Susquehanna near Jersey Shore. Lycoming county yields to none in the matter of scenery. Its mountainous terrain, heavily wooded and freely interspersed with swift moving brooks - known as "runs" - make it a veritable paradise for fishermen and hunters.

I was working as railroad telegrapher at Slate Run, a few miles south of Wellsboro, when, in 1907 the last run of logs went down Pine creek to the Susquehanna and thence to the big boom at Williamsport. It was a grand sight to watch those millions of logs go bumping down the river, while the lumberjacks in the red-and-blue shirts stood in the swift water to their waists and kept the line moving with their peavies. And the way those lads could ride the logs was something to remember.

Slate Run village was just a straggle of houses and shanties along the river bank and under the mountainside. In my time there was a big lumber mill there, owned and operated by Weed & Co. of Binghamton. This enterprise took care of the logs cut by some eight or 10 camps, scattered through the uplands in a 50-mile area.

A narrow-gauge railroad penetrated the fastnesses for some 25 miles and brought the logs down to the mill. Here were 200 mill-hands, a big "company store," a church, and three - count 'em - three hotels. Each hotel boasted a big dance hall and seldom a Saturday night went by without at least one big dance - generally two.

Along about 7 p.m. of a Saturday, Ben Wolfe would get out his battered brass trumpet, walk to the end of the river bridge and cut loose with a blast that could be heard clear to Cammal, six miles down the track. then would come on the run, Lafe Tomb, the organist; Steve Tomb, fiddler, and old "Rat," the caller, closely followed by the majority of the other villagers, and away they'd hike to Ben's big barn-like hall.

In a few minutes the "doin's" would start - and if they kept it up until four in the morning, whose business was that?

All those I have mentioned above have long since crossed the big bridge, from whose other side there is no return - and:
The town an' all has gone to smash
an' th' folks are scattered far;
But there's many a ghost that walks the hills,
where the rottin' log-camps are;
An' there's many an echo, far an' faint,
that broods on the ripplin' run
An' whisper low of th' long ago
an' th' days o' foolish fun.
Ol' Steve is dead an' his fiddle
hangs neglected on the wall,
An' th' summer days have passed away
an' we mourn in th' naked fall -
But I'd like to be back in ol' Slate Run
in nineteen-eight or nine
To hear Steve play that fiddle,
fer he surely played it fine!

To our village came on occasion, Billy Larkin, cook in "Mode" Archer's camp 20 miles up the mountain side. Billy would work faithfully and ceaselessly for three or four months; then, when the spirit moved him, he'd grab is "turkey" and foot it down the slope for Slate Run, where he would spend the better part of a week imbibing the strenuous liquor of those parts. Billy would have $200 or $300 dollars in his poke on arrival - and of course, not a cent when he went back up the mountain.

Billy was never very articulate, even in his cups, but he had a certain routine which he repeated incessantly while lapping up the booze which his dollars caused to flow freely. He's been dead these many years, but i confess I'd love to hear him repeat just once more that silly rigamarole of his:

"My name is Billy Larkin - a cheap skate from Buffalo - that's me. Goodness, godness, Ignes Agnes; it's two sides up an' two sides down an; keep 'er there in the company's notch - Ow's chances for another drink?"

Our most resplendent citizen during those days was Patsy Delaney, who has become a tradition among lumberjacks and river men. He was champion longroller of the world for many years. He had traveled to London, To Stockholm and to Canada, giving exhibitions in the art of riding logs through the swift currents. He was a little man, strong, wiry and absolutely fearless, and when he grabbed his peavie and jumped for a log - any long - that bit of timber was conquered then and there. All his movements were the graceful ones of an athlete and his reaction of brain and muscle were lightning-quick.

After his barnstorming trip to Canada and Europe, he never did much actual logging - or any other kind of work for that matter. he much preferred to strut around in his "stage" clothes, both for his own enjoyment and that of spectators. He was a grand eyeful those days; with his chamois-skin trousers, his four-colored skirt made of the finest Swiss wool, and his luimberman's pea-jacket with the real-silk lining and the solid good buttons. On his feet were a pair of "short boots' made in Russia of the finest calfskin, and the inch-long caulks on their soles heavily gold plated.

Patsy prided himself that he could "cuss" in 12 languages and dialects for an hour and 30 minutes without repeating himself. And I have reason to believe that he could do even better than that.

Ballad of the Lumberjack

Oh, the lumberjack was a hard-bit man
And a hard-bit man was he,
In the days when the big pine forests ran
In their solemn majesty.
From the edge of the gorge where the Pine Creek Flows
Through dim, unmeasured tracks,
And the woods rang out with the sturdy blows
Of the double-bitted ax.
Oh, the lumberjack was a careless man,
But a mighty man was he;
And little he cared how brief his span
So that his life were free.
Oh, the lumberjack was a hard-bit man
And a hard-bit man, you see -
But hunt me out in the world, if you can,
A better man than he!

Traveling in Europe?
You will probably need to make a FERRY RESERVATION.
Stop by and see our Reservations Center.

Grand Central Terminal

See more historic photographs of Grand Central Terminal, New York's subway system, marine rail operations in New York Harbor and the New Haven Railroad.

Hotel Commodore
Part of Grand Central Complex
New York City
Now Grand Hyatt Hotel
From postcard found in
St. Joseph, Michigan
Was one of several hotels
owned by the
New York Central

Grand Central Terminal from my postcard collection.

Many of my postcards can be found on eBay


Some middle of the night pictures of Grand Central Terminal. Courtesy of Wayne Koch.

Which One of These People Hurt New York City Public Transit the Most? Click on the picture to find the correct answer. If you get the wrong answer, you will still see a good story!

New York City Subway Tunnels
Find out all about them!

The New York Central Railroad

See some historic photographs of the New York Central Railroad. First-generation diesels! Passenger and freight runs. Much more!

Garbage Trucks

GOURMET MOIST from Kingly Heirs
The most delicious pound cake you have ever tasted.

Gourmet Moist Pound Cake from Kingly Heirs

Our cake is a cream cheese pound cake.
Just add eggs and oil.
Light, fluffy, creamy
A most lucious cake surrounded by a sugary crust

Order some today!

JWH Rapid Response Temporary Housing
On site containers become residential accommodation, offices and much more!

Services we provide are:
Transportation to your site.
Site preparation for your portable shelter.
Assembly of your portable shelter.
Subsequent enhancements or moving of your portable shelter.

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