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Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City

Kurt C. Schlichting

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Description for Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City Paperback. More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral. Num Pages: 264 pages, 176, 82 black & white illustrations, 6 black & white illustrations, 82 black & white half. BIC Classification: 1KBBEY; 3JJ; AMG; HBJK; HBLW; TBX. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 254 x 178 x 16. Weight in Grams: 454.
Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America's Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city's most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York's network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars. Its soaring Grand Concourse still offers passengers a majestic gateway to the wonders beyond 42nd Street. In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean ... Read morefeats of engineering that lie behind its construction. Schlichting begins with Cornelius Vanderbilt - "The Commodore" - whose railroad empire demanded an appropriately palatial passenger terminal in the heart of New York City. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet-cramped and overburdened - soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived of a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Grand Central became a monument to the creativity and daring of a remarkable age. The terminal's construction proved to be a massive undertaking. Before construction could begin, more than 3 million cubic yards of rock and earth had to be removed and some 200 buildings demolished. Manhattan's exorbitant real estate prices necessitated a vast, two-story underground train yard, which in turn required a new, smoke-free electrified rail system. The project consumed nearly 30,000 tons of steel, three times more than that in the Eiffel Tower, and two power plants were built. The terminal building alone cost number 43 million in 1913, the equivalent of nearly number 750 million today. Some of these costs were offset by an ambitious redevelopment project on property above the New York Central's underground tracks. Schlichting writes about the economic and cultural impact of the terminal on midtown Manhattan, from building of the Biltmore and Waldorf-Astoria Hotels to the transformation of Park Avenue. Schlichting concludes with an account of the New York Central's decline; the public outcry that prevented Grand Central's new owner, Penn Central, from following through with its 1969 plan to demolish or drastically alter the terminal; the rise of Metro-North Railroad; and the meticulous 1990s restoration project that returned Grand Central Terminal to its original splendor. More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral. Show Less

Product Details

Format

Paperback

Publication date

2013

Publisher

Johns Hopkins University Press United States

Number of pages

264

Condition

New

Number of Pages

264

Place of Publication

Baltimore, MD, United States

ISBN

9781421411927

SKU

V9781421411927

Shipping Time

Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days

Ref

99-1

About Kurt C. Schlichting

Kurt C. Schlichting is the E. Gerald Corrigan '63 Chair in Humanities and Social Sciences at Fairfield University and a professor of sociology. He is author of Grand Central's Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan, also published by Johns Hopkins.

Reviews for Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City

Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels... [His] book will deepen anyone's appreciation for New York's most magnificent interior space.
Eric P. Nash New York Times Book Review Schlichting writes with deep understanding of Grand Central's engineering feats and artistic qualities.
Tom ... Read moreLewis Wilson Quarterly His study peels away our contemporary expectations and experiences and reveals the layers of history and acts of men that served as the foundation for this great structure.
Amy G. Richter H-Urban, H-Net Reviews Drawing heavily from the papers of William J. Wilgus (chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad and the genius behind plans for the smoke-free electrified rail system) and other primary-source material, the author combines railroading, structural engineering, architecture, and business history in a very readable text... [An] in-depth treatment of design and architecture. Library Journal The most detailed account yet of one of the most important events in the history of 20th-century architecture, railroad development, and city building. Choice Ably tells the story of the New York rail system's most active and visible symbol: the architectural and engineering masterpiece, with its grand public concourse, in the heart of Midtown.
William Mitchell New Scientist Kurt Schlichting's book is a fitting record of the history of New York City's central landmark, if not a national treasure.
Paul Malo New York History Kurt Schlichting's history of New York's Grand Central Terminal gathers many actors and events into a clearly written and amply illustrated narrative of American commercial initiative... In his detailed accounts of the fiscal, stylistic, and engineering decisions that went into the creation of especially the second Grand Central Terminal, Schlichting clearly shows both how energetic and talented all of the people involved were and how dramatically they altered this central portion of New York City.
Amy Slaton Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians [A] compelling story.
Carol Poh Miller Technology and Culture A great read... represents railroad history at its best.
David J. Mrozek The Michigan Railfan This biography was a pleasure to read and perhaps even more important was a well balanced presentation.
David Mrozek The Michigan Railfan Show Less

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Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City

Kurt C. Schlichting

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