Grand Central's Engineer

William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Grand Central's Engineer by Kurt C. Schlichting, Johns Hopkins University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kurt C. Schlichting ISBN: 9781421406954
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Publication: May 1, 2012
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Kurt C. Schlichting
ISBN: 9781421406954
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication: May 1, 2012
Imprint:
Language: English

Few people have had as profound an impact on the history of New York City as William J. Wilgus. As chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, Wilgus conceived the Grand Central Terminal, the city’s magnificent monument to America’s Railway Age. Kurt C. Schlichting here examines the remarkable career of this innovator, revealing how his tireless work moving people and goods over and under Manhattan Island’s surrounding waterways forever changed New York’s bustling transportation system.

After his herculean efforts on behalf of Grand Central, the most complicated construction project in New York’s history, Wilgus turned to solving the city’s transportation quandary: Manhattan—the financial, commercial, and cultural hub of the United States in the twentieth century—was separated from the mainland by two major 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 answer to New York City’s complicated geography. His ingenious ideas included a freight subway linking rail facilities in New Jersey with manufacturers and shippers in Manhattan, a freight and 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 in the pages of this fascinating work. Wilgus was a true pioneer, and Schlichting ensures that his brilliant contributions to New York City’s transportation system will not be forgotten.

Praise for Schlichting's Grand Central Terminal

"Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels."—New York Times Book Review

"His study peels away our contemporary expectations and experiences and reveals the layers of history and acts of men that served as the foundation for this great structure."—H-Urban, H-Net Review

"The most detailed account yet of one of the most important events in the history of 20th-century architecture, railroad development, and city building."—Choice

"In his detailed accounts of the fiscal, stylistic, and engineering decisions that went into the creation of... Grand Central Terminal, Schlichting clearly shows both how energetic and talented all of the people involved were and how dramatically they altered this central portion of New York City."—Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

"Ably tells the story of the New York rail system's most active and visible symbol: the architectural and engineering masterpiece, with its grand public concourse, in the heart of Midtown."—New Scientist

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Few people have had as profound an impact on the history of New York City as William J. Wilgus. As chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, Wilgus conceived the Grand Central Terminal, the city’s magnificent monument to America’s Railway Age. Kurt C. Schlichting here examines the remarkable career of this innovator, revealing how his tireless work moving people and goods over and under Manhattan Island’s surrounding waterways forever changed New York’s bustling transportation system.

After his herculean efforts on behalf of Grand Central, the most complicated construction project in New York’s history, Wilgus turned to solving the city’s transportation quandary: Manhattan—the financial, commercial, and cultural hub of the United States in the twentieth century—was separated from the mainland by two major 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 answer to New York City’s complicated geography. His ingenious ideas included a freight subway linking rail facilities in New Jersey with manufacturers and shippers in Manhattan, a freight and 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 in the pages of this fascinating work. Wilgus was a true pioneer, and Schlichting ensures that his brilliant contributions to New York City’s transportation system will not be forgotten.

Praise for Schlichting's Grand Central Terminal

"Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels."—New York Times Book Review

"His study peels away our contemporary expectations and experiences and reveals the layers of history and acts of men that served as the foundation for this great structure."—H-Urban, H-Net Review

"The most detailed account yet of one of the most important events in the history of 20th-century architecture, railroad development, and city building."—Choice

"In his detailed accounts of the fiscal, stylistic, and engineering decisions that went into the creation of... Grand Central Terminal, Schlichting clearly shows both how energetic and talented all of the people involved were and how dramatically they altered this central portion of New York City."—Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

"Ably tells the story of the New York rail system's most active and visible symbol: the architectural and engineering masterpiece, with its grand public concourse, in the heart of Midtown."—New Scientist

More books from Johns Hopkins University Press

Cover of the book Remembering the Crusades by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Public Policy Writing That Matters by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book The Faculty Factor by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book The Traumatized Brain by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book The Science of Navigation by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Living with Schizophrenia by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Higher Education and Silicon Valley by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Manly Meals and Mom's Home Cooking by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Building Washington by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Distraction by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book That Swing by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book China's Rising Research Universities by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Crisis in an Atlantic Empire by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book Science and Technology in World History by Kurt C. Schlichting
Cover of the book The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook by Kurt C. Schlichting
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy