Grand Central's Engineer

Grand Central's Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan (The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science) by Kurt C. Schlichting (Author). Few people have had as profound an influence on the historical past of the New York Metropolis as William J. Wilgus. As chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, Wilgus conceived the Grand Central Terminal, the town’s magnificent monument to America’s Railway Age. Kurt C. Schlichting here examines the exceptional profession of this innovator, revealing how his tireless work moving people and items over and underneath Manhattan Island’s surrounding waterways perpetually changed New York’s bustling transportation system.

After his Herculean efforts on behalf of Grand Central, essentially the most sophisticated construction venture in New York’s historical past, Wilgus turned to solving the town’s transportation quandary: Manhattan-the financial, industrial, and cultural hub of the United States within the twentieth century-was separated from the mainland by two main rivers to the west and east, a deep-water estuary to the south, and the Harlem River to the north.

Wilgus believed that railroads and mass transportation provided the reply to New York Metropolis’s sophisticated geography. His ingenious concepts included a freight subway linking rail amenities in New Jersey with producers and shippers in Manhattan, a freight and a passenger tunnel connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, and a belt railway interconnecting sixteen private railroads serving the metropolitan area.

Schlichting’s deep passion for Wilgus and his engineering achievements are evident within the pages of this fascinating work. Wilgus was a real pioneer, and Schlichting ensures that his brilliant contributions to New York City’s transportation system will not be forgotten.

This e-book which describes the building of Grand Central and a lot of NY transit reads like a who's who of the early 20th century. The maps and pictures are actually fairly something. As one concerned with NYC transportation it gave me new insights into the history of my city and its transport web.

I loved this ebook! I have adopted NYC as my second home. The element, the analysis concerned simply great. A must learn for anyone who has ever walked thru Grand Central or traveled the trains or tunnels. Dr Schlichting brings the story of an enchanting historic figure to life. 

Grand Central's Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan (The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science) 

 Kurt C. Schlichting (Author)

296 pages

The Johns Hopkins University Press (March 14, 2012)

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