All Aboard for Grand Central Ride

Modesty seems rare in a world where Kreskin is “Amazing,” San Diego is “America’s Finest City” and Starbucks’ sizes start at “tall.”

But they weren’t kidding when they named New York’s train terminal Grand Central. And few could argue with the title of tonight’s Learning Channel documentary “The Greatest Train Station: Grand Central Terminal” (6 p.m.), which offers a one-hour look at the landmark’s history and inner workings.

Built in 1913, Grand Central set new standards for luxury and innovation. With its curved sky ceiling, marble and brass fixtures and a ramp system that kept pedestrian traffic flowing, it was ornate yet functional. With its shops, restaurants, even tennis courts, it was almost a city within a city.

“The railroads wanted you to believe that this was something like you’ve never seen,” said James W. Rhodes of the architectural firm that oversaw the recent restoration. “Part of their advertisement was, ‘It must be seen to be believed--the greatest civic achievement of all time.’ All that’s true.”

Along with footage of the original construction, the show looks at the 10-year face lift finished in 1998. Almost every inch of the 49 acres needed attention. The impressive (if astronomically incorrect) sky ceiling, for instance, was covered in decades of soot and grime, which workers removed with soap, water, cheesecloth and elbow grease.

Another major chapter in the terminal’s saga was the 11-year preservation fight that ended in 1978. The railroads that own the terminal wanted to tear it down, but angry citizens prevailed.

One observer calls Grand Central, which now employs 1,000 and accommodates 500,000 users a day, a “visual reminder of a bygone era.” It also shows us how well things still can be done.