Passenger Trains > Some unfortunate news on GCT "behind the scenes" tours

It appears that the MTA's media relations director, Dan Brucker, has been suspended for giving unauthorized versions of the official "behind the scenes" tours he gave of Grand Central Terminal. I took the official tour a couple times. Although he sometimes embelished the history of the terminal, his enthusiasm for the place was obvious and infectious, and the places showed were fascinating places that are hard to see. It's a real shame that it ended this way. And the "ISIS" angle of the Post's story is nonsense; there would be far easier ways to do worse damage than anything you'd see or learn on this tour.

http://nypost.com/2017/04/17/grand-central-guide-suspended-for-giving-off-limits-tours/

This is indeed sad news. His tours were an adventure. 

 B&OBill

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Times Square and GCT are prime ISIS targets. Don't know if ending these tours will do anything about though.
MTA Museum store stopped selling Peter Dougherty's "Tracks of the NYC Subway" editions (detailed track maps with signals) as they were afraid of security.

Dougherty's book is a treasure. Essential info for any serious subway fan.

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Was there any difference between the "official" guided tours and the "extra" tours allegedly done? Any special vetting of the participants or security going along with the group?

The complaint seems to be about "unauthorized" tours. Which I could see being a problem if they did not stick to the script (so to speak). Or just the liability issue of having people touring off the books.

Nice to know that nonsensical paranoia is still alive and well. If the ppl in charge had any confidence in their ability, they wouldnt be paranoid. IMHO

Yes, I suspect this is actually about the liability issue if something happened to one of the unsanctioned participants (which seems a legit concern - it's a somewhat potentially dangerous tour). I suspect the (unnamed) MTA person quoted made the ISIS comment off the top of his or her head, and the Post (as is its wont) chose to amplify it to fit a TERORISM - OMG! narrative.

Terrible news ... his tour was fascinating (whether embellished or not!).  We were privileged to participate in one of his tours when LARail took several cars to the 100th anniversary of GCT in 2013.

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You could carry some dangerous stuff in a bag like the gentleman in the last picture has.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> You could carry some dangerous stuff in a bag like
> the gentleman in the last picture has.

Yes, and you could do a lot more damage with it (and carry a suitcase full of it, for that matter) in the main waiting room or on a train or in any number of other public places where you aren't being supervised as part of a tour.

I realize terrorism is scary, but that doesn't mean we have to stop acting rationally or behave like frightened mice.

I suppose they could have a bomb dog sniff everyone before such a tour.

CofSF Wrote:
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> Terrible news ... his tour was fascinating
> (whether embellished or not!).  We were
> privileged to participate in one of his tours when
> LARail took several cars to the 100th anniversary
> of GCT in 2013.

I hope what I'm seeing in your pictures is some sort of preserved historical equipment setup and not part of the GCT active infrastructure. Open-air knife switches, indeed!!!

Ray

Up into this century, I would be sent to a 1913 vintage electric utility substation that had open knife switches. They were in an area where only authorized personnel were likely to set foot, but just for added safety, one of the operators put a sign next to the largest switch reading "You touch, You fry" with a skull & crossbones to get the point across.

As recently as 2005, there were several small (pop 5,000 or so) towns in upstate NY where the entire electricity supply for the village was routed through an unprotected knife switch.  Literally, you could turn the town on and off just like a Frankenstein movie (or James Cagney in the electric chair, take your pick).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/17 06:17 by march_hare.

DNRY122 Wrote:
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> Up into this century, I would be sent to a 1913
> vintage electric utility substation that had open
> knife switches. They were in an area where only
> authorized personnel were likely to set foot, but
> just for added safety, one of the operators put a
> sign next to the largest switch reading "You
> touch, You fry" with a skull & crossbones to get
> the point across.


The power plant at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn is quite original and well worth a visit...

Is this the guy that has perpetuated the long standing lie, about FDR's "secret" car down in the back corner of GCT?

DNRY122 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Up into this century, I would be sent to a 1913
> vintage electric utility substation that had open
> knife switches. They were in an area where only
> authorized personnel were likely to set foot, but
> just for added safety, one of the operators put a
> sign next to the largest switch reading "You
> touch, You fry" with a skull & crossbones to get
> the point across.

I was in an IRT (NYC subway) substation a few months back. The open knife switches were retired a decade or so ago with the rotary converters (but both still work), but the very much live and uninsulated 600V bus lines run about a foot above your head through various walkways (it's a floating system, so touching one of them should be OK, but still...).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/17 11:08 by mab.