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Joined
Jul 8, 2015
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NYC/Queens
On 281, left NYG on time AM-1 82653 new seatcovers and carpet DM 708 (old paint) crew notified us of delays due to CSX heat restrictions, but we have just pulled over between 188 and 190 to get new orders rescinding the restrictions. Underway again.
 
Thanks for taking us along...

Do you happen to recall what track you departed NYG from? Just curious...
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Thanks for taking us along...

Do you happen to recall what track you departed NYG from? Just curious...
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I second this. I'm probably going to do some rail fanning at NYG this weekend. But since I have never seen any Amtrak train operate to Grand Central before, in the meantime I'm tiding myself over with all the info I can get!
 
24....they have a small waiting area in the Stationmasters's office area, across from Zaro's. (just after 35) gave us the track number about 20 mins ahead of departure time. for anyone interested we made BFX about 40 mins down. Uneventful trip, car was clean, everything worked and it was the coldest car in the set. Sitting in my hotel room thawing.....Well. I am here for an Ice Hockey meeting......They put in the new DD coffee makers, and using the 14 oz cups, the LSA is constantly making coffee. It is another example of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" Very good coffeemaker as far as consistency & temperature, but with only 2 pots plus the decaf pot, the LSA struggles to keep up because he constantly has to make coffee. The who likes what brand of coffee is an entirely separate topic with lots of strong emotions, but that is not relevant to this point.
 
Grand Central is a spectacular building, one of the great public spaces in NYC. But at the risk of angering some folks, as far as getting in a train, I'm not sure I care. At 9 AM, it is a very crowded place, with people running in all directions to exit the station or get to the subway. Because it is normally just a commuter station, it has no real area for passengers waiting for a train, and while it has good services, you may not be able to use them because there is nowhere to leave your bags. The platform areas, while somewhat wider, are still dingy I will continue to show the terminal off to any visitors from out of town, it is a gem, but as far as Amtrak service, even though NYP is at the opposite end of the beauty scale, I rather go there. Could those issues be addressed to support a permanent operation, of course. But beyond one or 2 Albany round trips a day, what would it actually bring to the table that makes sense ?
 
One alternate place to wait, is in the connected Grand Hyatt lobby. So long as you don't fall asleep in their seats, they don't bother you. And they have very nice, clean restrooms up on the conference room floor.

So apparently they are not using the loop tracks to turn the Amtrak trains...just "push-pull" operation?
 
Because it is normally just a commuter station, it has no real area for passengers waiting for a train
Didn't they used to have plenty of benches in either Vanderbilt Hall or the Main Concourse? I think they removed them in the mid 2000s, but could be wrong. Either way, a place to sit is sorely needed.
 
Since they no longer have (regular) long distance service, the station is used mainly by commuter's who have no need for a waiting room. For the few that still do, they do have that small area by the stationmaster's office. The former waiting room had its seats removed, since they were mainly occupied by homeless. Now they use that space for exhibition's and sometimes private functions...

There are also plenty of seats and tables in the lower level food court...
 
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They sort of encouraged us to use the area at the Stationmaster's office so it would be easy to let everyone know when the departure track was available, and point folks in the right direction. That way no one would miss their train because they didn't catch the announcement, or were in too distant a part of the station.
 
If you are there while they are open, the Oyster Bar is a great place to eat.
 
As railiner said, if one descends one level at Grand Central Terminal, one finds an assortment of eating establishments (counters, mostly, with some full service restaurants), and, I would estimate, about 400-500 seats, all available to the general public with no purchase necessary, and some in very nicely decorated areas. Actually this is where some of the benches (pews) from the old waiting room have ended up.

When I lived in NYC and we had a blackout below 34th Street in Manhattan, everyone affected went up to this area in GCT to recharge their electronic devices.

Anyone waiting for a train at GCT can use this area for seating, with our without purchase. Obviously, at lunch, it gets very crowded.

visitors-to-the-dining-concourse-on-the-lower-level-of-grand-central-GKTXA4.jpg

You can see one of the old benches just right of center, and the corridor leads up to the Oyster Bar.
 
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My favorite place that Grand Central used to be "Dishes," which was in the lower level and was open from I think 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. They had a wide variety of meals and snacks, including hot paninis, pastries, and made to order smoothies. That place was amazing, but somehow it closed down a year or two ago.
 
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