4683 Moynihan Train Palace

 

In 1927, Margaret Ann Moynihan gave birth to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the perfect New Yorker in Norman, Oklahoma. Her son, “Pat,” to everyone, died 76 years later in Washington, DC. He was still the perfect New Yorker.

 

In the interim, he earned a bunch of college degrees, was easily elected to the United States Senate while hardly campaigning. He served presidents of both his Democratic Party and the Republicans. He wrote his own newsletters, fine and elegant.  And he spoke like a hesitant, mumbling, fumbling politician who needed a translator and even then was tough to understand.

We all -- Democrats and Republicans -- knew he was a Great Man and didn’t understand a word he muttered.

 

Now, because of his efforts, his name greets the 21st Century with a railroad station built over the course of years and at a cost of more than one billion dollars. 

 

The Moynihan Train Palace doesn’t require on-time service and doesn’t offer GPS service to find your track.

 

The Moynihan Palace shoehorned in next to New York City’s most important post office, named for another one-man colossus born elsewhere, James A. Farley (1888-1976) originally from Virginia. 

 

It sits across 8th Avenue west of Penn Station.  It is a thing of beauty.  And it has a skylight much like the original Penn Station, the one that served up late trains and dirt before they built an arena and office tower on top.

 

That Penn Station achieved architectural sainthood, especially after it was torn down.  That skylight grimed up over decades before they tore it down.  The new one will too.  But it’ll take a while.

 

Meantime, riders of three furiously busy railroads will get a bit of elbow room before being packed into the Metroliner to Washington, the 11:41 to Montclair or the 5:52 to Oyster Bay.

 

So... a thing of beauty, at least for now. But you can count on certain things happening in and about the Palace.

 

--Confusion and misdirection will reign supreme at least until mid-March.

 

--The doughnuts will be stale. The beer will be warm. Both will be overpriced.

 

--Not every track can be accessed, so you may have to (shudder) enter the main floors of the station.

 

--Ancient tracks -- and that’s all of them -- will develop (a) signal problems, (b) switch problems and (c) that wonderful old railroad catchall, equipment problems.

 

--The two guys ahead of you at the ticket vending machine will not know how to work it.

 

--The guy ahead of you at the ticket window will argue with the clerk or not know where they’re going or how to describe it.

 

And one thing you can count on like gravity: the 6:46 will leave Penn Station and/or arrive at Babylon late.

 

I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®

Any Questions? wesrichards@gmail.com 

Wessays (™) will be available each Tuesday and Friday starting this week.  That’s a railroad-esque reduction in service.

© WIR 2021