Hear What's Missing at the Port Authority Bus Terminal

Where there once was music, there is now absence.

Where the sculpture used to be — and will be again, according to the Port Authority

(Kate Hinds )

Artist George Rhoads' "42nd Street Ballroom" is an 8-foot cube that's a cross between a mousetrap and a Rube Goldberg machine. But because it relies on balance and precisely weighted components, it's proven tricky to maintain. According to a 1995 New York Times story, "it has been moved, diminished and yes, broken, many times."

A few years ago, the sculpture — which was installed in 1983 — stopped working all together, and attempts over the years to repair it on-site were unsuccessful. Now, the Port Authority is taking steps to fix it.

In August, the Port sent the sculpture 2,400 miles west to Tuscon, where a company called Creative Machines will perform a $125,000 overhaul to get it working again.

In a letter to the Port, Rhoads wrote: "it gives me great satisfaction that another generation of visitors will be able to enjoy the sculpture in its original setting."

The Port Authority says the sculpture is expected to be back in place in its North Wing home by the end of this year.

You can see (and hear) the sculpture in happier days below.