Annual train show has zoomed back into Grand Central Terminal (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex
Grand Central Terminal
Shuttle Passage next to the Station Masters’ Office
Through January 15
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am — 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am — 6:00 pm
Admission: free
212-878-0106
www.mta.info
www.grandcentralterminal.com
holiday train slideshow
The Transit Museum’s eighth annual holiday train show in Grand Central is, as always, a sheer delight. Created by Lionel and TW Design, the display features such city monuments as the Empire State Building (complete with King Kong), Philip Johnson’s AT&T/Sony building, and Grand Central itself, surrounded by a gaggle of little shops. The streets around the buildings and the lighted Christmas tree are filled with shoppers, cabs, policemen, buses, and commuters, all preparing for the holiday season. There’s also some cool track work going on, as well as a special dockside delivery. At the back of the display, Santa and his reindeer fly over a snow-covered mountain as the North Pole Central roars on. Finally, along the walls, the museum has reached into its permanent collection, pulling out such gems as the 1928 Pocahontas, the 1938 Broadway Limited, the 1954 Emperor Chief, the 1975 Hiawatha, the 1927 American Legion Limited, the 1929 Lone Scout and the 175th anniversary M7 commuter train set. Part of the fun of the Holiday Train Show is that it turns everyone, no matter what age, into a little kid again, their eyes wide with joy. And while in Grand Central, be sure to see the laser show on the main concourse ceiling, depicting skiing trains, the Statue of Liberty, whirling snowmen, constellations coming to life, and plenty of ski jumpers and boarders.