# U. S. Custom's Office at Grand Central Terminal?



## railiner (Sep 20, 2014)

Reading the recent thread on the Maple Leaf made me recall the small US Custom's Office that was located just inside the gate to Track 34, at GCT. Does anyone know what it was used for?

Surely they did not allow passenger's to travel that far from the Canadian border to be inspected?

The only thing that I can imagine, would be that perhaps they would let someone that was inspected at the border, proceed on to New York City before paying their custom's duties at that point...anyone know?

Edit: Or possibly for sending or receiving baggage or packages "in bond", or something like that....?


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## ehbowen (Sep 20, 2014)

railiner said:


> Reading the recent thread on the Maple Leaf made me recall the small US Custom's Office that was located just inside the gate to Track 34, at GCT. Does anyone know what it was used for?
> 
> Surely they did not allow passenger's to travel that far from the Canadian border to be inspected?
> 
> ...


Caveat: I don't know for sure; this is just speculation. But I think that it is quite possible that they would have allowed first-class sleeper passengers to be inspected upon arrival in NYC, with the Pullman Company staff keeping them "in bond", as it were, from the time of border crossing to arrival at GCT. Especially when the alternative was rousting them in the middle of the night at the border; back in the day, remember, Pullman was THE WAY to go for the rich, famous, and the wannabe's. Border crossing formalities were MUCH simpler, and there was no TSA (obviously).


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## NS VIA Fan (Sep 20, 2014)

railiner said:


> Edit: Or possibly for sending or receiving baggage or packages "in bond", or something like that....?


I’m guessing that's correct......It’s where checked baggage from Canada was brought up from the train to be claimed by passengers and examined by Customs.

In a similar situation.....I have a CN Timetable with a note that says hand baggage is examined by Customs at the border but for passengers travelling on the International Limited to Chicago.....they can claim their checked baggage at the US Customs office in Dearborn Station.


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## railiner (Sep 21, 2014)

NS VIA Fan said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > Edit: Or possibly for sending or receiving baggage or packages "in bond", or something like that....?
> ...


Yeah, that makes sense...you're probably right. So I suppose that those traveling to smaller stations shy of Chicago, would not have that service....they would have to carry it with them, or perhaps claim it at Port Huron and recheck it......


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