Building Grand Central Terminal (Images of Rail)

This book provides an overview of Grand Central Terminal and its two earlier versions from the 19th-century, something I did not know had existed. If you want to learn about the history of this railway terminal and the Vanderbilt wealth that created it, I highly recommend a read! It was also interesting to see some of the Vanderbilt details present throughout the station today and other unknown facts like the original carriage entry and rock-crystal walkways through the large glass windows. I used this book as a guide when I passed through the station.

The book does an excellent job exploring the social history, tragedy, architectural origins and previous onsite stations that influenced the construction of GCT. The grand vision of Mr Vanderbilt and his impact on the development of Manhattan was very interesting and was a detail not often covered in most books on GCT...learned a lot! The book also devotes a chapter to suburban railroad stations and power houses all built by the GCT architects to link with the new terminal in Manhattan, i.e., the Yonkers station incorporated many architectural features and furniture from GCT becoming a diminutive version of the main terminal. I highly recommend the book!

While the title and cover photo suggest this book concentrates on the actual construction, this book takes a much broader view. There are pictures of the Vanderbilt mansions, mausoleums and the Croton Aqueduct which are somewhat peripheral to the title. There are even excursions to Paris and London. So, photos of the construction of GCT are truly in the minority. The later chapter cover suburban stations on what is now the Metro North system. If you're interested in a general overview, this book may be for you. But this is not the book if you're trying to learn more about Grand Central Terminal's construction and development.

Very interesting for anyone that like train terminals

A book about general architecture very little about about Building Grand Central Terminal, the engineering of which was a Tour de Force.Very disappointing from the usually excellent "Images of Rail"

Building Grand Central Terminal is a great depiction of the history, origins, construction, and earlier structures of the terminal. The book takes you back to the historic details of the architecture during the 19th and 20th centuries in New York County and the Hudson Valley. The images of the railway, terminal, and buildings are exceptional and well taken and convey how the railway system revolutionized mass transportation and commerce. The historic details for each image are finely written and signifies the importance of each construction site. I highly recommend purchasing and reading this book!

Brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Very enlightening, wonderful photographs, and great history on the subject and the family responsible for its construction. Highly recommend!