The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
GRAND CENTRAL CHANGES.
PASSENGER ACCOMMODATIONS AND
OFFICE ROOM TO ne ED.
Will Cost n MilIiOu-No More Ground Space
Taken. and Trnnis VIII Not ne Interrupted
-LarFeat wnItiuE Room In tho World

VIII Cost n Miniou-No More Ground space
Taken. and Trnnis Will Not ne Interrupted
-Larreat wnItluE Room In tho WORLD
Three Railroads Concentrate Their Trnnic.
Alterations have been begun on tho Grand
Central station which it is expected 1t will take
a year to complete at a cost OF nearly a million
dollars. The result will be a marked change in
the external appearance OF the building. In
creased accommodation for the passengers car
ried by the three railroads using the station,
and such an enlargement OF tho upper portion
OF the structure as to permit of all the offices of
the New York Central. Harlem. and New Haven
roads being concentrated under one roof.
The roofs Of the building on Vanderbilt ave-
nue.. the ground floor OF which is now occupied
by tho New York Central and Harlem pas.
senger rooms. and OF tho extension on
Forty.second street, where the New Haven
waiting rooms are, are to be raised and three
new stories erected on each face, increasing
tho height of the building TO six stories.
This part OF tho work is 10 be finished
before the coming OF winter. Tho brick work Of
the exterior will be cover d with cement stuCCu.
initiating rough gray stone. The towers in tie
roof will be replaced Ly dpmes at the corners VI
tho BUILDING and in tho middle OF the Wander
bilt avenue side.
The inner wall. toward the tracks OF ths
southern part Of the building. will be moved
some distance up tho train shed, leaving room
on the Forty-second street end for n vestibule
IS feet wide opening into a waiting room and
ticket Office 100 feet wide by 900 long. This
will be the largest general waiting room in the
world. that of the Illinois Central Railroad at Chi
cago, now the largest, being only 100 by l5ofeet.
The room will be used by all three railroads in
common. There will be twenty or more ticket
windows at the end Of tho room nearest the car
shed. u staircase will lead from it to the corridor
connecting the station with the elevated road.
AMI smaller waiting rooms. toilet rooms. a
women's room. and smoking room are connected
with it. Taken altogether these rooms will
have an area Of over $4,000 square feet, more
than double the area used for the purpose in the
present three stations.
The side OF the station on Vanderbilt avenue
now occupied by tho New York &c ntral and
Harlem passenger rooms will be 81 ven up to the
outgoing baggage. The incoming ba ggage Mil
be dealt with as it is now, at the opposite side OF
the building on Depew place. A tunnel running
under the tracks viii connect the twu baggage
stations, ard at each track there will be an ele-
vator 20 hit the baggage trucks from the tunnel
to the platform.
Al the east side Of the large waiting room
there will be n covered cab stand. The sidewalk
opposite tho entrances will also be covered with
glass ularGuises.
Perhaps the greatest convenience that pas.
sengers will derive from the new arrangement
SOHitS tlOul VIC SutlSe lnhl VIII ~" fihle IN Tic
great car shed. While passengers ny express
trains will be landed as before at the present
inward platforms next to Dcpcw place. local
and suburban trains can run into the main
station, discharge their passengers, ana wait
on the same track Cor their outbound load.
This will greatly relieve the cramped car
yard. save time, and simplify the running OF
trains. The concentration OF the whole passcn.
ger business of the three roads, too. with only
one set o! ticket offices and baggage rooms. will
put an end TO a great deal OK confusion and
t.0uble for oul going passengers.
The architect in charge Of the Improvement
Is Bradford l. Gilbert Of this city.