GCT Upper Level Tracks 11, 13 & 14

This topic came up on another message board, the platform tracks on GCT's Upper Level and how they were, apparently, expanded over the years.

On an Upper Level track diagram on page 148-149 of the William Middleton book, "Grand Central, World's Greatest Railway Terminal," the first track (easternmost by compass, northern by railroad direction) shown as having a passenger platform is Track 16. The diagram is from the collection of Herbert Harwood and is undated. In the area east of Track 16, starting at the far east end, Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are the Loop tracks; there is a crossover shown from Tk 3 to Tk 4. Tracks 5-9 are stub end tracks without platforms. Tracks 10 and 13 are on either side of "Express Co. Platform." Track 11 stub ends at the north end (compass direction) of the express platform, at about 45th Street. There is no Track 12 shown. Presumably the area Track 12 would've occupied was taken up by the express company platform.

Apparently the tracks available for passenger use were expanded over the years, presumably sometime between 1921 and 1939.

In a 1921 Electric Division ETT there are no passenger-carrying trains shown departing any Upper Level track east of Track 16, the first track to show a passenger platform in the undated Middleton diagram.

However, by 1939 things had changed. Now three tracks east of Track 16 were in use, Tracks 11, 13 and 14.

In the 1939 ETT passenger trains shown departing Track 11 are 75 to Poughkeepsie, 1019 to Chatham and Y386 to New Haven. On Sundays there were six trains scheduled to depart Track 11. In a 1960 ETT there are two weekday trains shown departing Track 11, Y348 to South Norwalk and Y332 to New Canaan. On Sundays 917 to Chatham used Track 11.

In 1939 the ETT shows three weekday trains -- Y372 to New Haven, Y302 to Stamford and 69 to Poughkeepsie -- and one Saturday and four Sunday trains departing Track 13. In 1960 the ETT shows five weekday and one Sunday train departing Track 13.

The 1939 ETT also shows trains originating on Track 14. On weekdays there were two trains, Y356 to Danbury and Y342 to New Canaan. In 1960 Y56 to Springfield, Y362 to New Haven, 95 the Dewitt Clinton and Y144 "Berkshire," are shown departing Track 14, all weekday trains. In neither year were any weekend train shown departing from Tk 14.

There were no passenger trains shown departing Track 15 in any years.

None of the 1939 and 1960 trains departing 11, 13 and 14 show any restrictions as to carrying passengers in the Special Instructions.

Interesting research Tommy. I find it interesting that there were passenger trains leaving from Tracks 16 & 17 in 1921, as this makes me wonder how these tracks were marked for the public in light of the fact that Tracks 1-17 (for the public) were on the lower level until the opening of the Graybar Building later in the 1920s.

PC1100 wrote: in light of the fact that Tracks 1-17 (for the public) were on the lower level until the opening of the Graybar Building later in the 1920s.

Where did you come ujp with this one?????
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:

PC1100 wrote: in light of the fact that Tracks 1-17 (for the public) were on the lower level until the opening of the Graybar Building later in the 1920s.

Where did you come ujp with this one?????
Noel Weaver

I didn't come up with it Noel. Apparently that's the way it was MANY years ago. I guess it goes to show that the only thing that is constant is change and with it a lot of things get lost to time (unless they get rediscovered as happened here). There was a discussion related to this topic on the Metro-North forum. Check this out:

PC1100, I'm sure Noel will weigh in on this here for himself. I would simply characterize him as a "non-believer" with regard to that gate numbering issue as evidenced by other internet discussions he engaged in (I started a lively one a couple of months back on a New Haven forum).

Doctored photos? Optical illusions? Movie sets? You decide. Not sure if Tommy Meehan has any input on this, but I was wondering if his knowledge of GCT history might shed some light on the mystery of the lower level gates.

Mike I appreciate the vote of confidence but I really don't know too much about the single-digit Lower Level track gates.

It's actually very confusing to me.

A November 1912 NY Central ETT showed the Upper Level with twenty-two tracks in service with the highest number 30, including Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11. (Also Tracks 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30.) The ETT shows departing trains on all of these tracks.

The Lower Level was in service by November 1912 and the track assignments shown in the NYC ETT are mostly the same -- 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110 -- as the ones in use today. (Not completely the same because they also show trains departing Lower Level Tracks 130, 132 and 134.) But again, this is from an employee timetable not a public one.

The gentleman who gave me this information, Jack Shufelt (a former NYC employee who said he didn't mind my using his name), said the same track numbers were in use in the ETT issued in February 1913 after Grand Central's Main Concourse and Park Avenue entrance had been opened to the public.

What I wonder about is the Graybar Passenger. The lower numbered (easternmost) platform tracks on the Upper Level, the gates are located in the Graybar Passage. When GCT formally opened in February 2, 1913 the Graybar Passage didn't exist. The temporary Lexington Avenue Terminal was in service until February 1, 1913. That terminal occupied the space that the Graybar Passage (and the Graybar Building) occupied after 1927.

What happened on February 2nd 1913? The Lexington Avenue Terminal (LAT) went OOS but how about the tracks? Note on the photo below (dated June 1909) the in-service LAT tracks (on the left) are at a lower elevation than the new upper Level tracks. The tracks on the east end of the Upper Level are at a lower elevation today. Are those LAT tracks, incorporated into the new terminal? Could the photos -- maybe some of them? -- showing single digit track gates actually be the old LAT tracks with new track gates?

As my old Boss used to say, "I dunno!"