In his silhouetted figures at the Scarsdale and Hartsdale stations, Tom Nussbaum directly acknowledges and celebrates those most likely to view his artwork there: commuters and railroad workers. At the Hartsdale station, 21-one life-sized figures are placed along the center of the open space between the two train tracks. In addition, monumentally-scaled people made of iron are seen in the station's track bed, busy working: guiding trains, keeping the track in good repair and throwing switches. Nussbaum says, "My approach to this kind of figurative work reflects an on-going interest in American folk sculpture of all kinds, especially whirligigs and weather vanes." (See Scarsdale for the other work in the series.)

Tom Nussbaum is known for a variety of work including drawings, paper cuts, prints, sculpture, children’s books, animations, functional design objects, and site-specific commissions. His sculpture and works on paper have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the United States. He has completed over forty site-specific commissions located in a variety of public settings including public plazas, train stations, schools, hospitals, and environmental centers. Nussbaum is also known for his design objects that are valued by collectors. Nussbaum has been a visiting artist and lecturer at colleges and universities and has served on many peer review panels and juries. He has been awarded two New Jersey State Individual Artist Fellowships and is a three time MacDowell Colony Fellow. He currently works from his studios in East Orange, NJ, and Burlington Flats, NY.