ISBN: 025333702X

[EAN: 9780253337023], Neubuch, [PU: Indiana University Press], History|United States|General, Transportation|Railroads|General, Transportation|Railroads|History, Transportation|Railroads|… More...

[EAN: 9780253337023], Neubuch, [PU: Indiana University Press], History|United States|General, Transportation|Railroads|General, Transportation|Railroads|History, Transportation|Railroads|Pictorial, Travel|General, BRAND NEW, A Sampling of Penn Central, Jerry Taylor, The Penn Central occupied center stage during an especially depressed period in U.S. railroading in which the operative word was bankruptcy. In existence for just over eight years, Penn Central was a typical example of undercapitalised railroad operations - steadily deteriorating track structure, increasingly unreliable train service and precipitous decline in revenues. The brevity of its existence narrowed the opportunity for coverage of its operations. It only existed from the New York Central/Pennsylvania merger on February 1, 1968, until the formation of Conrail on March 1, 1976. This book fills an information-void with its 208 wonderful photographs taken between 1970 and 1972.The photos, with their detailed captions, portray the 5,000-plus miles of PC's Southern Region, an especially volatile region. It was here in the Midwest that the Pennsylvania and New York Central lines overlapped most abrasively. Redundancy was rampant and called for intensive planning and capital projects to connect some of these lines and discard others so as to realize maximum operating efficiencies.Despite the railroad's financial difficulties the region seethed with ferment right from the start - some of it productive and some disruptive. Jerry Taylor, who had left the Penn Central shortly after the 1968 merger to become Vice President-Operations of the Long Island Rail Road could not stay away from his first love. He had first joined the New York Central Railroad in November of 1952. Beginning as a trainee, Taylor had held various staff positions on the railroad, including supervisor of motive power distribution.He was transferred to line supervision in 1962, and rose from assistant train master to general manager of the Southern District / Region in Indianapolis in 1967. (He resigned from the Penn Central in 1969 but, always an amateur photographer, he found himself drawn back to the Southern Region during his vacations, to document the trials of trying to merge the Pennsy and the NYC. Never intended for wide distribution, "A Sampling of the Penn Central" delves deeply and honestly into all the merger-related activity, setting forth the pros and cons and illustrating the tangible results of the various projects." A Sampling of the Penn Central" is more than just a photographic documentation of the difficulties of the merger: every nook and cranny of this vast region is explored in detail, with four maps provided to enable the reader to stay oriented. Major terminals - Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis - are thoroughly dissected, for it was at those locations that make-or-break operations were conducted. Perhaps most important of all, "A Sampling of the Penn Central" gives author Jerry Taylor the opportunity to reflect on those hectic days. With the benefit of almost 30 years distance his new introduction helps the reader understand the successes and failures of those most crucial days for the nation's premier railroad.<

2000, ISBN: 025333702X

[EAN: 9780253337023], Neubuch, [PU: Indiana University Press, United States], Brand New Book. The Penn Central occupied center stage during an especially depressed period in U.S. railroad… More...

[EAN: 9780253337023], Neubuch, [PU: Indiana University Press, United States], Brand New Book. The Penn Central occupied center stage during an especially depressed period in U.S. railroading in which the operative word was bankruptcy. In existence for just over eight years, Penn Central was a typical example of undercapitalised railroad operations - steadily deteriorating track structure, increasingly unreliable train service and precipitous decline in revenues. The brevity of its existence narrowed the opportunity for coverage of its operations. It only existed from the New York Central/Pennsylvania merger on February 1, 1968, until the formation of Conrail on March 1, 1976. This book fills an information-void with its 208 wonderful photographs taken between 1970 and 1972.The photos, with their detailed captions, portray the 5,000-plus miles of PC's Southern Region, an especially volatile region. It was here in the Midwest that the Pennsylvania and New York Central lines overlapped most abrasively. Redundancy was rampant and called for intensive planning and capital projects to connect some of these lines and discard others so as to realize maximum operating efficiencies.Despite the railroad's financial difficulties the region seethed with ferment right from the start - some of it productive and some disruptive.Jerry Taylor, who had left the Penn Central shortly after the 1968 merger to become Vice President-Operations of the Long Island Rail Road could not stay away from his first love. He had first joined the New York Central Railroad in November of 1952. Beginning as a trainee, Taylor had held various staff positions on the railroad, including supervisor of motive power distribution.He was transferred to line supervision in 1962, and rose from assistant train master to general manager of the Southern District / Region in Indianapolis in 1967. (He resigned from the Penn Central in 1969 but, always an amateur photographer, he found himself drawn back to the Southern Region during his vacations, to document the trials of trying to merge the Pennsy and the NYC. Never intended for wide distribution, "A Sampling of the Penn Central" delves deeply and honestly into all the merger-related activity, setting forth the pros and cons and illustrating the tangible results of the various projects."A Sampling of the Penn Central" is more than just a photographic documentation of the difficulties of the merger: every nook and cranny of this vast region is explored in detail, with four maps provided to enable the reader to stay oriented. Major terminals - Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis - are thoroughly dissected, for it was at those locations that make-or-break operations were conducted. Perhaps most important of all, "A Sampling of the Penn Central" gives author Jerry Taylor the opportunity to reflect on those hectic days. With the benefit of almost 30 years distance his new introduction helps the reader understand the successes and failures of those most crucial days for the nation's premier railroad.<