Episode 7 of The Gilded Age opens with George Russell (Morgan Spector) showing off the model for his new revolutionary train station in the center of New York City, Union Station, designed by Stanford White, played in The Gilded Age by John Sanders. Funded by the deep-pocketed Russells and designed by the same architect who designed their house, Union Station would make it easier and more grandiose than ever to travel to New York City.

Not only that, but Union Station would be lit up with Thomas Edison’s brand-new lightbulb technology. By bringing electricity and central stations into The Gilded Age, the creators are finding new ways to place the Russells at the center of New York’s growth. But in reality, both the timelines and people involved were very different.