I don't know if I ever posted about "track 61." A number of years after 9/11, I was in NYC. My first stop (later night) was to see grand central station. I parked a few blocks away, went down a regular stair case that brought me to a tunnel (no trains, just for people.) Part way down, there was a door on the side, and for some reason, I pulled on it.
It opened and I went down a set of stairs. Now things were obviously not very used. And quiet. I kept going along, and there were murals on the walls (I still think I have pictures of those.) And then there was a double door on the side, and I pulled and entered. Now I was in a very grungy area. Black soot covering the roof- exposed concrete and steel girders. Materials everywhere- a garbage train on the one side, a very old (as it turns out pullman freight car) on the other.
I was taking pictures, and I think I knew it was not really supposed to be public. I saw somebody coming down the platform, and I kept walking towards them. They disappeared, and I kept taking pictures until a police K-9 unit showed up asking me why I was there, and how I got in. I told them I walked in and they had the dog searching for (presumably) bombs. They checked it out and concluded that somebody left a door unlocked that should not have been.
They made me delete the pictures, and let me go after some questioning. I didn't know WTF that was about until years later when I saw a feature on "track 61." I immediately recognized the old blue pullman and the elevator in the middle of the platform. And then I realized that it was still being used as a presidential escape track from NYC at the time- and was probably quite secret. I wish I had all of the pictures- and I should look for the tile murals as I'm not even sure if that part was supposed to have been public (if memory serves, it was just on the "outside" of the double doors- but seemed to be abandoned and there were no people around in that area.)
Anyhow- while I don't have my pictures, you can see some here. Or you can google NYC track 61.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-york/amazing-track-61-ny/
