Railroad Siding Waldorf Astoria

A waldorf astoria employee works amid audio relics from the 1930s.

Railroad siding waldorf astoria.

It s unfortunate that one of our favorite secrets of new york city turns out to be a fable but track 61 is still an important landmark for presidential history as it was used to transport presidents and high level military and government officials to the waldorf don t forget every u s. Was age 21 by metro north commuter railroad of cutting down two levels. The new york times of 8 september 1929 carried a story titled new waldorf gets own rail siding that states. Track 61 secret siding or forgotten platform.

The new waldorf astoria hotel to be erected in the block bounded by park avenue lexington avenue forty ninth and fiftieth streets will have a private railway siding underneath the building it. Waldorf astoria hotel new york new york current designed by the renowned hotel architects schultz weaver the 47 story hotel was the largest in the world at the time of its completion. Robert deitchler bloomberg the most cutting edge amenity that the waldorf astoria offered when it opened in 1931. Siding used by roosevelt to hide his paralysis found beneath new york hotel track 61 was built alongside grand central for vip guests to the astoria.

President since herbert hoover in 1931 through barack obama stayed in the waldorf astoria s. The arrangement is made possible because of the fact that the new york central tracks pass directly beneath the block which has been obtained by the hotel waldorf astoria corporation from the new. The secret railway under the waldorf astoria. One of the reasons for the very existence of the waldorf astoria is it s location above the storage yards for grand central terminal grand central station refers nowadays only to the subway station if it weren t for the bold ten year move beginning in 1903 when f d r.

The waldorf which was built on top of the new york central railroad tracks from 1929 to 31 is supported by steel columns placed between the tracks.