There are, of course, many stories as well as myths about American presidents. A little-known myth is that of Track 61, a railroad that was supposedly built especially for U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. What exactly is this story about?
Waldorf salad
New York City is a city originally founded by Dutchmen in the seventeenth century. Many local names recall this. Think of the boroughs of Harlem (Haarlem) and Brooklyn (Breukelen) or Wall Street (formerly Walstraat) and Coney Island (Coneynen Eiland).
In the middle of Manhattan, where the Dutch once inhabited New Amsterdam, is the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. This hotel, which has no Dutch origins, hosted a party in March 1896. At this occasional ball, the introduction of the “waldorf salad” took place. This salad includes walnuts, hence the name.
Track 61 in New York City
In the interwar period and during World War II, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt regularly visited the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, enjoying, among other things, the famous Waldorf salad. Right below the hotel, in the Grand Central Terminal, is a hidden train track called Track 61. By now, this track is out of use. But according to a persistent myth, Track 61 was built especially for Roosevelt. This is because the president suffered from polio and was able to reach the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel via Track 61 unseen and unobtrusive to fill his stomach.
Thus, the track was not built specifically for Roosevelt. Track 61, along with Track 63, served to transport freight to a steam power plant located on 49th Street at the time. In 1929, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bought up the rights to the tracks. The New York Times reported shortly thereafter that the rail lines would be used to quickly transport guests to the hotel. One of these guests was Roosevelt.
However, only one source is available that can prove that the railroad was used by Roosevelt, namely a 1944 report. On Oct. 21, 1944, Roosevelt used the railroad during a campaign stop in New York City. Despite this being the only documented use of the track, President Roosevelt became synonymous with Track 61, referred to in myths as the “presidential railroad”.
