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The Penn Central was born amid great
expectations and promises on February 1,1968 by the merger of the
New York Central System into the Pennsylvania Railroad on that date. Neither railroad had been forced through the trauma of bankruptcy and reorganization. With incompatible computer systems ,signal systems, operating styles, and personalities at the top, the new railroad remained essentially two in operation though it was one in name. |
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Welcome to our Penn Central WebSite
Here's a preview of some of the exciting projects we have put together for you: Our feature article: The Story of Penn Central Penn Central Reference Material Why Did Penn Central Fail? Decline of Intercity Passenger Service Penn Central on the Stock Market Penn Central Amtrak Stock Poughkeepsie Bridge, Cedar Hill versus Selkirk Head End Equipment on Penn Central Harsimus Branch Penn Central on the Lake Ontario Shore Story of the Lost Box Cars Penn Central Map Derailment in 1976 New England Gateway, The New "Alphabet Route" Take a quiz on Which One of These People Hurt New York City the Worst? We hope you enjoy your visit to our WebSite. We offer a wide range of great sites. We have a great "Portal to the World", excellent weather, reference, golf and tourist sites. As well as great WebSites on trains run for the President of the United States (and for Royalty too). We are not "FLASHy" like many WebSites, but we offer you, among other things authentic railroad history material. Much of this material is not available elsewhere on the Internet. It was painstakingly collected over many years from such sources as Yale University. We never knowingly link you to any WebSites that contain a virus, collect your personal information, or are those machine-generated sites rampant with "Ads by Google". For some of our material, there is a small nominal charge. You can talk back to us on our BLOG and see our eBay Store too. |
| If you're searching for awesome deals on cheap hotels, stop your search at the website AllStays.com. Their searchable directory can help you find pet friendly hotels , truck stops for your RV, and even four star hotels nearly anywhere in the country. Finding good hotels can be hard, but it doesn't have to be with the hotel and vacation website, AllStays. |
| Harsimus Branch |
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The Pennsylvania Railroad Harsimus Branch Embankment carried freight across six blocks of
downtown Jersey City to the Railroad's Harsimus Yards, located on the Hudson River directly
across from Manhattan Island. The embankment, which fronts and runs parallel to Sixth St.,
consists of six segments, each approximately 400 feet long and 100 feet wide
Constructed in the period 1901-1905, the Harsimus Branch Embankment was a major component of the once predominant railroad landscape of Downtown Jersey City. It was connected to the Pennsylvania's Main Stem by an elevated, two-track line from which it branched near the Waldo Ave. Yard. This freight line connected to a spur of the New Jersey Junction Railroad just before reaching the embankment, allowing Pennsylvania waterfront freight to be moved north at the base of the Palisades to other rail systems. Night and day, steam powered locomotives chugged upon it above the streets of Jersey City. Heavy traffic continued into the early post World War II period. Much of the cargo was produce and cattle headed for slaughter at waterfront abattoirs. Soon after World War II, competition from trucking and containerized shipping rendered much of Jersey City's railroad infrastructure superfluous. Operated less intensely after the demise of the Penn Central by Conrail, the embankment carried (if only to reverse direction) lengthy diesel powered "piggy back" container trains as recently as the early 1990s. |
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Ask K.C. your railroad questions Click on a question to answer; or ask your own, then hit "ASK K.C." 
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Other Sites You Might Like: * What changed in railroad ownership between 1950 and 2000? * Not So Long Ago * Robert Young * John Barriger, an amazing man who proposed many new ideas * Complete Railroad Index * Travel Reservations |
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Cheese Pound Cake Bread Pudding Cake |
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About Our President About Our Company About Small Business |
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| Grand Central Terminal and the New York City Subway |
This page is our gateway to New York City. Find out about the
New York Central Railroad's
Grand Central Terminal.
Explore the fabulous
New York City Subway System. Learn who
Robert Moses. was and his impact on New York City.
Understand
New York City transit planning,
West Side Freight Line (the "High Line") and
St Johns terminal. The
New Haven Railroad and the
Long Island Railroad reached into New York City. Did you know the
Lehigh Valley Railroad even went into New York City (by ferry).
Learn about the
Jenney Plan to bring commuters into New York City and finally explore
mysterious track 61 at Grand Central Terminal
with its relationship to
Presidents of the United States.
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| What's a "Chicago Bypass"? |
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Why do we need a "Chicago Bypass"?
Click on any doctor above to see why. |
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| See the Railroads of the Adirondacks too!!! |
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The Global Highway: Interchange to Everywhere A portal to the World. The Global Highway leads everywhere! Follow it to wherever you might want to go. We have something for everyone! |
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Google Earth© Consultants Google Earth© streams the world over wired and wireless networks enabling users to virtually go anywhere on the planet and see places in photographic detail. This is not like any map you have ever seen. This is a 3D model of the real world, based on real satellite images combined with maps, guides to restaurants, hotels, entertainment, businesses and more. You can zoom from space to street level instantly and then pan or jump from place to place, city to city, even country to country. Google Earth© is a tool that could be useful in your business. If you have a travel agency or real estate business, there are many applications. Google Earth© presentations can be done on your computer or be sent to a prospective client. U Buy Vacations can help you prepare presentations in Google Earth©. We offer professional consulting in creating Google Earth© applications. Contact us today! See some examples of our work If you have "GOOGLE EARTH©" installed on your computer, you can "fly" these routes with these "PLACEMARKs" |
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Penn Central It officially started March 19, 1962 when a merger petition went to the Interstate Commerce Commission and took until February 1, 1968 to become real. It was the merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central into the "Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company" (hereafter called "PC" or "Penn Central"). It started with 19,286 route miles; assets of $4 billion; revenues of over a billion dollars; 4,202 locomotives; 194,656 freight cars; and 4,937 passenger cars. The two railroads did things differently and always had. New York Central was the Water Level Route while Pennsylvania Railroad crossed the Alleghenys. NYC liked 4-6-4's while PRR championed 4-6-2's. NYC was gray while PRR was tuscan red. NYC opted containers while PRR went piggyback. If one reasoned mergers, PRR should have taken over Norfolk & Western while NYC took Chesapeake & Ohio/Baltimore & Ohio. These didn't work so NYC & PRR decided to join - like jilted lovers on the rebound. Alfred Perlman had become president of the Central in 1954 when Robert R. Young took over the road. He was an REGISTER to see full story. |
| VISIT OUR TICKET BOOTH We can find you tickets for all the great music, sports and cultural events. We have the best prices and most availability of any ticket seller> |
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| REFERENCE |
| Penn Central Railroad Online! |
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List of Connecticut Railroads List of Illinois Railroads List of Indiana Railroads List of Massachusetts Railroads List of Michigan Railroads List of New York Railroads List of Pennsylvania Railroads List of Ohio Railroads List of West Virginia Railroads |
| Penn Central Hauls the Coal! |
| Chip Syme's Penn Central's Valley Division |
| Penn Central Home Page |
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Penn Central Transportation (NOT an actual corporation, but is part of a model railroad) |
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Pennsylvania Truck Lines (NOT an actual corporation, but is part of a model railroad) |
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Penn Central locomotive rosters |
| Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society |
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All about the Penn Central
A great e-book! |
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See our poster and brochure about a fan trip on the New Haven RR in 1937.
It ran from NY City to Bridgeport, Danbury, Poughkeepsie, Maybrook, and
Campbell Hall to Warwick NY. The brochure contains a description of the
route including the big bridge in Pok plus a map.
The fare was $3.50 round trip.
How much would you pay to ride that trip today ? |
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| This article appeared August 1990 in the CALLBOARD of the Mohawk and Hudson Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. |
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If you've found this site useful, please link to us so that others can benefit and enjoy |
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WebSite Advertising We offer a low cost advertising program where your ad is featured on several of our Web Pages for only $50/year. Contact us today. Click on "Open House" |
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Anybody remember the story of the "lost PC box cars??? They were taking boxcars from large railroads, repainting them and assigning new numbers. They were presumably counting on the larger railroad losing track of their cars. It all revolved around a little railroad called the Lasalle & Bureau County. Penn Central was the unwitting source of most of these cars; they looked like old NYC 40-foot box cars, primarily. It took place in 1971. The whole episode didn't cover much time, as far as I can tell, and the Equipment Registers I have from that era don't seem to have anything. The scheme seemed to revolve around a "repair shop" located on the LS&BC and owned by another, related corporation. This company contracted with PC to "rebuild" boxcars. Once the cars arrived, a fair percentage of them were deemed to be "un-repairable". PC was notified and the company offered to scrap the cars out for a fee. These "un-repairable" cars (they actually were quite servicable) were then hastily restenciled for LSBC and put back on the road, earning car-hire charges for the new owners. The game was over when one of these cars was damaged and came to a PC shop for repair. The original car number was discovered stenciled on the underbody. Oh yes ... the La Salle and Bureau County's nickname? LSBC = Let's Steal Box Cars! |
| Amtrak's Secret Business |
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| What ever happened to my Penn Central stock? |
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Penn Central gobbled up the stock of New York Central, Pennsylvania and New Haven Railroads.
But what ever happened to the company and the stock? Is it worth anything?
Ever hear of American Premier Underwriters? REGISTER to see full story. |
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Please register to see the full-length story
It is available as both "html" and Microsoft WORD |
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| Click HERE or on map above to view. |
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Traveling in Europe? You will want to see DISNEY PARIS. Stop by and see our Reservations Center. |
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Signal Stations of the New Haven Railroad |
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Includes New Haven speed limits and trackage rights Also sections on Bridgeport and State Line interchange Click here or on picture to see full story. |
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Derailment in 1976 Almost 100 years old, the tower in Matteawan, New York was badly damaged by a train derailment. Notice the Penn Central truck at far right. After the accident the tower was removed completely so that only the markings of a stairway show on the factory wall. The ND&C RR (Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad) established an operation that survived through good times and bad for over 25 years until it was absorbed into the Central New England Rwy and later became part of the New Haven RR. Still later 11 miles of the old ND&C line became part of the ill fated Penn Central, next Conrail, then the Housatonic RR and currently Metro North. After many years and many different names, these tracks are still in service and owned by Metro North MTA. There is no regular train service on this “Beacon Branch” but they are keeping the line open for possible future use. To see more about this historic rail line, once a part of the Central New England Railway in New York State and the New Haven Railroad, click here |
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Victoria Station was a restaurant, not a railroad station. Other railroad-related restaurants in Connecticut: Yankee Silversmith Inn / Restaurant has the "Silversmith Parlour Car", an old coach or dining car which serves as part of the dining room. Right on Rt 5 in Wallingford, off the Wilbur Cross Pkwy. The car at the Yankee Silversmith restaurant in Wallingford CT was originally a Philadelphia & Reading coach. It later was purchased by the Belfast & Moosehead Lake, and from there it came to Wallingford I think during the 1960s. Pizzaworks in Old Saybrook is housed in the former Saybrook freight house (relocated slightly from a different track alignment years ago). They have trains running around and part of the old canopy/platform visible inside. Amtrak station is about 20 feet north of the restaurant and the platforms 20 feet south. Trains go flying by at nearly 100 mph. In Cromwell CT there is a seasonal ice cream stand in an ex Amtrak, exx PC, exxx PRR steel caboose, no number available. Find out more on the train stations (and former stations) of Connecticut. |
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| See another "Alphabet Route" that used the Ontario & Western to connect Maybrook to the DL&W and Lehigh Valley. |
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There is no "brrreeeport" in Connecticut, but there are plenty of towns
that are served by freight railroads. Search them out! |
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Why did Penn Central fail? 1.) PC was forced to pay $125 million for the bankrupt New Haven, which had a negative cash flow. 2.) PC was required to operate well over one half of all the passenger service in the US, which by that time had a monstrous negative cash flow. Amtrak only partly relieved this in 1971, as PC was still saddled with commuter service in the New York and Philadelphia areas. 3.) Freight rates and abandonments were rigidly regulated, preventing PC and others from adapting to market conditions. 4.) The "red" and "green" teams were more interested in "oneupmanship" than creating a viable enterprise. No thought had been given prior to the merger, for example, on compatibility of computer reporting systems. |
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Traveling in Europe? You will probably need to make a FERRY RESERVATION. Stop by and see our Reservations Center. |
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| Peoria and Eastern Railway (P&E) Company |
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| Old certificate from the Peoria & Eastern Railway |
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See our special section on
New Haven Railroad Bridges along the Shore Line
Purchasing this section, also gives you: New Haven Railroad history from 1844 to 1967. How the Farmington Canal was converted to a railroad. Naugatuck Line and other abandoned railroads in Connecticut. The Essex Steam Train and when new steam came to Essex. Story of the 'Pullmans on a hill' |
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P’tit Train du Nord |
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| Canal Line today through New Haven |
| Connecticut's Farmington Canal was converted to a railroad by 1848. The road was named the New Haven & Northampton, but has always been called the Canal Line. The road's first terminal in New Haven was between Temple Street and Hillhouse Avenue. Click Here or on any of the pictures to read about its history, present and the future | ||
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Which One of These People Hurt New York City Public Transit the Most? Click on the picture to find the correct answer. If you get the wrong answer, you will still see a good story! |
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Troop Train Photo Album
Cost is $9.99 Photos of a trip from Texas to New York City (World War II) as an armored division brings its equipment and troops to the port. |
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See our new page featuring excerpts from the New York Central Lines Magazine |
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| Rail Site Crossreference |
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