Car Heating in GCT

Was there ground steam lines? I'm really asking about restrictions for running the steam generators. I'm sure they would have produced copious amounts of carbon monoxide.


What was the procedure?

Not only ground steam, but ground air and a 220 volt 3 phase outlet for any car to be plugged in.
it was dirty job plugging in and unplugging the charge lines under platforms

A properly running, oil fired steam generator does not produce copious (or any other) amounts of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide, yes. All the New York Central and New Haven passenger engines had oil-fired steam generators. No, they were not run continuously, but would be up and running before the train departed, and would be turned off upon the train's arrival.

Believe normal operation was for train to be preheated and fireman to start boiler on exiting tunnel.
One MNCR superintendent got demoted for testing boilers in GCT, as fumes were constantly ending up in PanAm (metlife) building.

Normal operation also included not operating diesels in the tunnel or terminal, but that didn't stop the New Haven from doing so on occasion.

The steam boilers smoked harder than a EMD 567 and created so much heat it did damage to anything under roof of terminal.
The Timetable had strict instructions on where to turn Steam generator off and where it could be started.
as for Diesels there was no timetable instructions on not running in diesel.

Good points presented. Don't have a NYC Time Table to study up on, but I have no reason not to take your word for it.

But, not totally surrendering, I still stick by my "copious amounts of carbon monoxide" comment.

Under normal conditions and abnormal conditions as well we did NOT run steam generators in Grand Central Terminal. Normally the fireman would start the steam generators immediately after the diesel engines were started upon leaving the tunnel at 97th Street. If we encountered problems with third rail operation we would start the diesel where and when we felt it necessary but even then we did not start the steam generator until past 97th Street. The trick was to get the generator going and steam turned back in to the train before we stopped at 125th Street so the fireman could be back in the cab with the engineer if he was needed to relay a hand signal from the conductor or to provide a lookout if the platform was on the fireman's side. After the MG sets were disconnected on the FL-9's the steam generator ran off the battery and it would take too much battery juice especially if the diesels had not been started up as yet as the battery needed all of its juice to start up the diesel. .
Noel Weaver

If you don't like the carbon monoxide comment, then go down in your cellar, and disconnect the exhaust pipe from the furnace, to the chimney. Let me know how you make out!