On Saturday and Sunday, historic train cars from all over the country for the "Grand Centennial Parade Of Trains," to celebrate Grand Central Terminal's centennial. And these train cars are some of the most famous, like an observation car from the 20th Century Limited!

The parade of trains, which is free, runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 11 and 12, and there are many events—see here. There's a model train show, “Railroadiana” antiques and collectibles event, plus MTA Police Department K-9 Unit Presentations and a Guinness Book of World Records event for the "World's Tallest Track." And, of course, there will be trains at tracks 34-37. Here are some of the highlights:

• The 20th Century Limited “Hickory Creek” - Built in 1948 by Pullman Standard, this sleeper-observation lounge car was part of the New York Central Railroad’s 20th Century Limited, which is widely considered the most famous train in the world. The 20th Century departed daily from Grand Central Terminal and was synonymous with first-class service, speed and comfort. With Hickory Creek as a backdrop, the 20th Century was christened at Grand Central in 1948 by Dwight Eisenhower and actress Bea Lillie, with a champagne bottle filled with water from the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Michigan, symbolizing the railroad’s “Water Level Route.”

• Montana - The Montana was built in the Milwaukee Road shops as a tap lounge for the streamlined 1947 Olympian Hiawatha, which ran between Chicago and Tacoma/Seattle. The car was retired from regular assignments in 1955 and converted to a business car. Later, it was leased to the Wisconsin Central and then operated on steam excursions. It’s now in private ownership.

• FL-9 Locomotive - Unique to the New York, New Haven and Hartford lines (and eventually operated by Metro-North), these dual-power locomotives were designed specifically for operation into Grand Central. Essentially diesel-electrics, they could pick up power from the electrified third rail when operating through the tunnel into the Terminal, thus eliminating exhaust fumes. The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors built these locomotives from 1956 to 1960.

• Phoebe Snow Cars -These cars were built in 1949 as tavern-lounge observation cars for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western’s Phoebe Snow train. The train was named for a promotional character who always wore white clothes to promote its clean-burning coal fuel; with these cars, it ran between Hoboken and Buffalo and later, under the auspices of the Erie Lackawanna railroad, to Chicago. These cars currently serve as MTA Metro-North Railroad’s two inspection cars.

• MTA Metro-North’s M8 - This contemporary car is the newest equipment used by Metro-North Railroad in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The M8s debuted in early 2011 and are the most technologically advanced commuter cars in the country. Customer comfort and experience is enhanced with roomier seats, larger windows, better lighting, and more advanced communication options than previous cars. The vibrant red color echoes the historic colors of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, a predecessor to Metro-North.

And here's a look back at train travel from Grand Central Terminal in the late 1950s—via North by Northwest: