Pennsylvania Station

[Shock Control]

Bumping this thread.  What an incredible loss this was, but I guess you have to lose some things to appreciate what is left.  Boston's equivalent was the destruction of the West End neighborhood, which became a textbook example of how not to do urban renewal. 

[kenny dorham]

I do realize there were A LOT of train stations lost in the last 50 years, but probably not too many on the scale of Penn in NYC.?

At least some of these old treasures manged to exist as a hotel, or some type of mixed commercial use. There is an ongoing effort in Buffalo to save and retain their station.....no doubt there are others.?

In a wicked bit of bad luck, Pennsylvania also demolished their beautiful home station in Philadelphia...didn't they.?

[Shock Control]

kenny dorham

In a wicked bit of bad luck, Pennsylvania also demolished their beautiful home station in Philadelphia...didn't they.?

30th Street Station?  That is still there, and that is where the Market Street Bridge is, with the marble eagles from Penn Station.

NP:  The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra, conducted by Gunther Schuller, Atlantic (mono).

[Deggesty]

Shock Control

 

 

kenny dorham

In a wicked bit of bad luck, Pennsylvania also demolished their beautiful home station in Philadelphia...didn't they.?

 

 

30th Street Station?  That is still there, and that is where the Market Street Bridge is, with the marble eagles from Penn Station.

NP:  The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra, conducted by Gunther Schuller, Atlantic (mono).

 

I think he is referring to the station on the east side of the river--the use of which by through trians involved a backup move.

[kenny dorham]

Was it Broadway, or just Broad maybe.?

It was a BIG, kind of Gothic place. They tore it down in.....1953-54.? Some time in the early 1950's i believe.

[timz]

Broad St Station closed April 1952. It was a dead-end station-- dunno when the last "through" train went there. 1920s?

[Shock Control]

Thanks!  I did not know about that station. I will have to look it up!

NP:  Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Natural Black Inventions:  Root Strata - Atlantic (stereo)

[timz]

Might as well check the Wikipedia article

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_Station_(Philadelphia)

[Shock Control]

timz

Might as well check the Wikipedia article

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_Station_(Philadelphia)

Just did.  I don't think it was particularly an architectural marvel, but I still hate to see old buildings go.

NP:  Ella and Louis Again - Verve (mono)

[Shock Control]

Just watched the PBS American Experience show about Penn Station.  It was excellent, but most of the show centered upon the construction and demolition.  There was only a short segment on the 50 or so years of its operation.  It clocked in at 54 minutes.  They could have doubled the length and it wouldn't have bored anyone.

[aegrotatio]

Shock Control

It clocked in at 54 minutes.  They could have doubled the length and it wouldn't have bored anyone.

 

There is shockingly little information online about day-to-day Old NY Penn Station operations.  Conquering Gotham deals with the design and building, some operations and improvements, and the demolition. The Late, Great Pennsylvania Station is another.

 

"Penn Station, New York" by Louis Stettner is a new edition worth checking out.

 

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

There was a book about Penn Station from 2007:

https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Gotham-Building-Station-Tunnels-ebook/dp/B000Q9J01K 

There's a quote - I'm sure I've posted it before:

“One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat.”

Next: "That’s the famous quote by the immortal Vincent Scully about Penn Station, where demolition started fifty-one years ago today. But stay tuned—some interesting things are starting to happen, and they’re not the things you’ve been reading about." 

From: http://blog.massengale.com/2014/10/29/like-a-god/ 

- PDN. 

[Overmod]

timz

Broad St Station closed April 1952. It was a dead-end station...

Here are a couple of aerial views of the trainshed layout:

These are from the Wired New York blog discussion on Pennsylvania station.

 

[Miningman]

Wow. Gives a great perspective on the whole operation. Pure railroading, plain and simple yet complicated and mysterious. 

Also shows the power, importance and monies the PRR once held.

[Flintlock76]

The PRR was powerful in its day allright.

There's a story, maybe it's apocryphal, maybe it's not, but the story goes that decades ago the Pennsylvania state senate used to close its sessions like this...

"As the Pennsylvania Railroad has no pressing business for us or concerning us, I move we adjourn!"

Is it true?  Wouldn't surprise me if it was!

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

New book coming out on March  11, 2019:

"New York's Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark" by Paul M. Kaplan, The History Press. It's available from Amazon (of course). 

I found some others, but not enough time to post them tonight.

- PDN. 

[kenny dorham]

Some great Info and Photos in these last few posts.....Thank You

[alphas]

One of the Navy officers in one of the Penn Station WWII photos could be my father but can't quite tell for sure.    It really looks like him, the rank shown on his arm is correct, and he used Penn Station all the time during WWII whenever he travelled from/to NYC to Philly while his assigned ship was in port.