Taking the Train to See the Trains
Posted in Holiday Train Show on November 19 2010, by Plant Talk
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
My nephews, like millions of other peoples’ nephews, are obsessed with trains. Obviously, I cannot wait to bring them here to the Garden this year for the Holiday Train Show, and I’m promising them a full-on train adventure.
We’ll start at Grand Central. I have been living in New York for nearly 12 years, and I still think Grand Central is one of the city’s most awe-inspiring public spaces. I pass through its great hall every morning and I still love it. I love the silence of people’s footsteps on the marble. I love how streams of people can pass through it at full steam and almost never run into anyone else (though the proliferation of iPhones and BlackBerrys seems to be endangering this). I love the ceiling. I love the dining concourse. I love the trains and the platforms and the conductors. If only all transportation options in New York were still this glamorous! (I’m looking at you Penn Station … ).
We’ll hop on the MetroNorth Harlem Line, chug through the tunnels and spring into daylight in Harlem. I bet they’ll love crossing the Park Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River (I know I do) and into the Bronx. Once we’re in the Bronx, there’s plenty to look at as we travel the short distance to the Botanical Garden Station, directly across the street from the Mosholu Gate entrance. From there we’ll marvel at the beautiful Garden-Scale trains and buildings made of natural materials in the Conservatory (where I bet my stepsister and I will gawk at the fantastic glasshouse and gorgeous plants as much as at the trains and buildings), then maybe we’ll catch a performance of Tootle, or the Little Engine That Could puppet show. And since I’m an indulgent aunt, I’ll probably buy each of my favorite little guys something from the Shop (I’m a sucker for my nephews) and a yummy snack at the Garden Café.
And then, it’s back to the city. One of the cool things about the Botanical Garden Station is the heated, glass enclosed walkway that takes you over the tracks to the inbound platform. There are six sets of tracks at our station; three heading north and three heading south. Generally the local trains run on the two outer tracks, with longer-haul trains running on the four inner tracks. I’ve seen, more than once, young Garden visitors and kids from the neighborhood camping out in the walkway, just marveling as the trains pass underfoot (especially the fast moving, diesel-powered long haul trains that need to operate under their own power above Southeast). During heavy commuter times, one of these powerful monsters passes by every few minutes. It’s definitely a thrill!
Taking the train to see the trains is a fantastic way to bring the Train Show to life. It’s wonderful to stand on the platform in the crisp air: train horns echo down the tracks, the city glitters off in the distance, the moon overhead, and the holidays fast approaching. It really is the very best time of year.
The Holiday Train Show opens to the public tomorrow, Saturday, November 20 in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and we highly recommend buying your tickets ahead of time. And, if you can, visit on off hours. Peak hours can be a little hectic.
And now I ask you: Do you have any questions about visiting he Train Show or how to get here on the train? Please feel free to leave a question or comment below, and I’ll do my best to help you out!
Photos 1, 3 and 5 by Ivo M. Vermeulen. Photos 2 and 4 by Ann Rafalko.
