The Station At Citigroup Center

Sadly, after 21 years, apparently due to economic downturn, this will be the last year that Citigroup will display "The Station," a miniature train exhibit in the lower atrium of the Citicroup Center building at 53 St. and Lexington Ave, in midtown Manhattan. The free exhibit will close January 2, 2009. All photos enlarge when clicked on

From the designer's website:

"The Station is the brainchild of Tony Award nominated Broadway scenic designer, Clarke Dunham, himself an avid model railroader. He sees in the exhibit an opportunity for folks to experience the nostalgia of a bygone era and to give them the chance to view that experience through a child's eyes, as he experienced Railroads on Parade and its model railroads at the 1939 New York Worlds' Fair as a three year old child. Together with his artist wife, Barbara, the Dunhams recruited over fifty artists and craftspeople to bring this amazing exhibit to reality. Even twenty years later. they are still thrilled by it all."

I went to see the exhibit today and found it charming! The detail was exquisite.

16 individual trains run on four tracks on three levels around the whole perimeter of the display.

The trains are in three different scales. The large trains on the bottom step are in O-Scale. On the next level up are S-Scale trains and on the level above all the trains are in HO Scale. The effect is one of "forced perspective" with each level of trains appearing to be further back that the one in front of it.

There are more than twenty-five separate animated action scenes around the perimeter, which show fictional upstate New York areas going about daily life through the four seasons.

The scenes show pastoral areas, farms, towns, state fairgrounds, a mill, a logging operation, a resort and ski area. All the sights and sounds that could have been a part of the upstate New York during the 1945 to 1955 era.

There is even an elaborate lighting system which changes the scenes from day to night every three and a half minutes. The street lights and lights in the houses come on, the billboards light up, and there is even a movie playing on the outdoor drive-in theater screen -- see the third photo below.

The Station delighted all the children who came to see it today, and I couldn't help but feel sad that future generations would not be able to enjoy it.

It's definitely worth a visit if you come to midtown Manhattan this holiday season! Check the website for hours of operation and days open.