Open For Business: The First 25 Years (1929-1954)

In 1929, from its opening in June to just before midnight on Dec. 31, New York Central ran 91,420 passenger trains in and out of its new Buffalo train hub. At the height of its operations, the New York Central Terminal, which was designed to handle 3,200 passengers an hour, would handle over 200 trains and 10,000 passengers daily.

For 50 years, the Central Terminal would stand as a symbol of Buffalo’s resilience and opportunity. It survived the Great Depression, which struck the country mere months after the new Terminal opened. It brought people to Buffalo for new jobs and new lives.

Ultimately, the Central Terminal was always more than a train station – it was a connective force, linking friends and families, and Buffalo to the rest of the world. It connected people from near and far, and welcomed notable figures, from movie stars and musicians to activists and U.S. presidents. Herbert Hoover. Franklin Roosevelt. Harry Truman. Dwight Eisenhower. All four of them came to the Central Terminal at one time or another. A few interesting details … Hoover was here on Aug. 16, 1935. An exciting thought, until you find out he slept through his train’s stop here! As for Truman, rumor has it that the Central Terminal is where he gained the nickname, “Give ‘em Hell” Harry!

Black musicians came to jam at the Colored Musicians Club. Legends of the stage and silver screen walked the floors of the Passenger Concourse. Cab Calloway. Marilyn Monroe. The Three Stooges. Judy Garland. Frank Sinatra. George Burns. Jean Harlow. So many others.

Photo courtesy of the New York

Central System Historical Society.