Down By the Station By Ken Foust

When does a toy become a work of art? For mass produced items, it seems like a contradiction, but many celebrated artists made copies of their works as often as someone ponied up money. Andy Warhol said: “Art is whatever you can get away with,” and he became quite wealthy proving it. And while no two collectors are likely to agree on what the greatest toy ever made was, there are certain pieces that everyone can agree are something special. Where toy railway accessories are concerned, my choice for top honors goes to the 1910 – 1912 version of the Ives “Grand Central Station.”

As you’d expect from its name, the Grand Central Station was the largest one the Ives ever produced, measuring 22″ long, 10″ wide, and 9″ high. Adding the glass canopy and the platform increased the width to 17″ and the height to 11″. And for those who wanted the ultimate, you could even buy a canopy with two identical Grand Central Stations facing each other!

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