Railroad History

Railroad History
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Over many years I have written numerous articles about railroad history.
What I realized was that I had no one central place where someone could go and find everything I have.

This WebSite is divided into several major sections:

New York Central Railroad

Connecticut, New Haven Railroad, and New England

Chicago and the Midwest

West of the Hudson and Around New York State

Other Areas of Interest

Links to many interesting railroad-related sites.
Of interest to the railroad manager, railfans, advocates of super railroads, railroad historians.
Index of many railroad-related articles published over many years.
How to order these items from us.
The one source to go to for railroad history.

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Your order is sent to you as an electronic copy as hard copy is only available as a special request.

Railway Post Office service ended on June 30th, 1977 when Conrail Trains 3 and 4 made their last runs between Washington and New York and New York and Washington. This ended 113 years of continuous service. It began on August 28th 1864 on a run between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa on the C&NW Railway. The New York-Washington service started Oct 15th 1864.

The term "x-man" originated in the 1864-1977 Railway Post Office (RPO) era. One clerk, who was the last to exit the RPO car at the end of its run, was assigned to look at all distribution cases, overhead boxes, bins, as well as along the rack area, for any mail matter than may have been accidentally been left unnoticed.

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New York Central Railroad Section

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] New York Central Hudson Division / 20th Century Limited
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Ride between Albany and New York on the New York Central Hudson Division with the author and learn some fascinating facts about this historic rail route. Brewster to Grand Central. Local freight on the Hudson Division. Tarrytown to Grand Central. 20th Century Limited and name trains in the Empire Corridor.

A most interesting period in the history of the New York Central was well-chronicled in its in-house magazine. Excerpts from 1919-1931. A 1921 article in "Transportation World" by Charles Frederick Carter provides the basis for an historical sketch of the New York Central. George H. Daniels was the road's General Passenger Agent for many years and ranks as one of the greats of American advertising. His article on "Health and Pleasure" popularized the Thousand Islands.

Harmon was a New York Central-created community and came into existence because it was a logical point to be the outer limit of the electric zone.

New York Central's Putnam Division.

Robert Young and the New York Central Railroad. Find out what happened to Penn Central stock!

Tunnels on the New York Central. New York Central Pictures.

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[Add to Cart] [View Cart] New York Central Railroad's West Shore, Adirondack & St. Lawrence Divisions
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Sharing the Water Level Route with the New York Central was the West Shore; first as a competitor; later a subsidiary. The Catskill Mountain Branch of the New York Central connected with the West Shore at Kingston, NY. It was once the Ulster & Delaware. The Wallkill Valley Branch.

Webb's Wilderness Railroad opened up the Adirondack wilderness. Although educated as a physician, William Seward Webb built two hundred miles of railroad and opened up the Adirondack wilderness where others had failed. New York Central tracks reached into the Adirondacks. One line even went across the Canadian border to Ottawa. Montreal: big city to the North. Joint Winter Olympics for Montreal and Lake Placid? The 643-mile Rome Watertown and Ogdensburgh became a part of the New York Central in 1891. As late as the mid-1950's, most of the RW&O was still in service. Special Research Section on the Lake Ontario Shore Railroad

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Grand Central Terminal and the New York City Subway System
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In April 1987, the former New York Central office building was designated a landmark. Other buildings in the area have played an important role in the development of New York City. An electrical fire in 1986 knocked out the signal tower which controls the lower level of Grand Central Terminal.

Article based on a column by NEW YORK NEWSDAY reporter Jim Dwyer. A look at what has gone wrong with the subways since 1940. New York City's Transit Museum held a panel discussion on the merits of various types of subway maps. To kill an hour in New York City, try a subway ride. New York City Subway Tunnels

Also stories about the NYC marine fleet and detective Moe Holstein. Begun in 1846, the New York Central's West Side Freight Line was the only freight railroad directly into Manhattan. Read all about and see pictures of St Johns Freight House.

Grand Central ownership.

Connecticut, New Haven Railroad, and New England

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Old Railroads of Connecticut and the Connecticut Railfan
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From 1844 to 1967, the New Haven RR was a force in New England. Well over a century ago, the Farmington Canal was converted to a railroad. Eventually it became a part of the New Haven. Naugatuck Line to Winsted. Abandoned railroads in Connecticut. Coverage of Central New England, Naugatuck, Boston, Hartford and Danbury Line.

The Essex Steam Train; New steam comes to Essex. A Great tourist railroad in Connecticut. Story of the 'Pullmans on a hill'

Special section: New Haven Railroad Bridges along the Shore Line

Great section on the railroad stations of Connecticut! There are many train stations in Connecticut. Some have been rebuilt. Some are no longer used and have been converted to other uses. Some have restaurants in them or close by. This is the most extensive source of information on the Internet!!!

The name for a famous bar car was "V:XI-GBC" for the departure time which was 5:11. RPO's on the New Haven. New York City freight. Railroad path between Norwalk and Pittsfield. Naugatuck Line to Winsted. The saga of a short line serving Middletown, Ct. Coverage of Central New England, Naugatuck, Boston, Hartford and Danbury Line.

New section on New Haven Railroad signal stations, State Line Interchange of New Haven and New York Central railroads; Bridgeport, Connecticut and railroads; New Haven railroad speeds and trackage rights.

Some great New Haven pictures! Great story about a ride to Choate from New York City.

George Alpert, last president of the New Haven Railroad.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] High-Speed Rail, Electric Railroads and the Trolley
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History of electrified railroads throughout the United States.

All about the trolley and electric railroading in Connecticut. The Connecticut Company was the biggest and it was owned by the New Haven Railroad. Even today, there are two trolley museums.

The electric freight railroads of New Haven and Bridgeport. The Connecticut Electric Railway / Connecticut Trolley Museum

Motor cars on railroads, mostly GE. See some New Haven Railroad Electric Pictures.

Ridership on New York State's high-speed rail system will continue to rise even if no improvements are made.

An attempt to match or better a bus trip from Delaware to Old Saybrook which appeared in the NY TIMES.

Travel over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Washington. Electrified railroads.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] New England Railroads
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Once upon a time there was a Boston & Maine Railroad. All about the Boston & Maine railroad. Where it went; when it was built; what happened to it.

All about railroads in Boston. Railroads in Newport, Rhode Island. Railroads on Cape Cod.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Alphabet Routes and Connecticut Freight
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New England Gateway, The New "Alphabet Route". All about the freight railroads that serve Connecticut and New England. Other "Alphabet Routes" that existed.

A listing of Connecticut towns and what railroads serve them for rail freight.

Chicago and the Midwest

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Chicago is the Nation's Railroad Capital and Midwest Railroads
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In the late 1940's Chicago was the nation's railroad capital, today Chicago is freight, commuters and a greatly-reduced number of intercity passengers. Chicago Rail Fair of 1948.

The last interurban: The Chicago, South Shore & South Bend. Chicago passenger stations. Elgin Joliet & Eastern.

Read all about a proposed transit line from the South Bend airport to Notre Dame University and downtown South Bend.

Short biography of Oris P. and Mantis J. Van Sweringen two brothers from rural Ohio built a railroad empire when railroads were more critical to American transportation.

The New York Central (Big Four) ran into Benton Harbor from Niles up until about 1980.

West of the Hudson and Around New York State

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Railroads West of the Hudson River and Anthracite Railroads
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The Mighty O&W, A 1950's perspective of the New York, Ontario & Western. Some pieces of this railroad that was lost in 1957 are still used by other lines.

The New Haven's Maybrook Line and connections to other railroads: Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, New York Central, Lehigh & Hudson River, Lehigh & New England, Erie, Ontario & Western, Lehigh Valley.

New Jersey's Answer To Tehachapi. Route that the Sealand container trains take from Buffalo to New York.

I've got an old stock certificate from the Warwick Valley Rail Road Company which became the Lehigh & Hudson River RR.

The L&NE carried both anthracite and cement; but declines in the traffic caused the parent Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to abandon the still-solvent road in 1960.

The Southern New York Railway: Interurban electric between Oneonta and Mohawk Valley. Railroad connections in Oneonta with the New York Central and the Delaware and Hudson.

The Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western were merged on October 17, 1960. See the outcome of this merger and its impact on history.

Chartered in 1853, the Lehigh Valley opened from Easton PA to Mouch Chunk (since renamed Jim Thorpe) by 1855. It had begun in 1846 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad. Nothing was done until 1851 when financing was secured from Asa Packer. The idea had been to break a canal monopoly on anthracite held by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Railroads Around New York State
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One August I went on a trip mostly in New York State. While I only rode on one train, saw a great deal of rail history. Special Articles on Utica, Mechanicville and Ballston Spa.

The American Museum of Electricity (What! You never heard of it?) stored its collection on the old Troy & Schenectady Railroad.

1920's story about how the Delaware & Hudson Railroad helped develop the region it served. How coal played a role in the history of the D&H. D&H Sales Offices. D&H to North Creek.

Railroads through the region East of the Hudson from Albany to Connecticut. Includes the rail junction of Chatham (New York Central, Boston & Albany and Rutland ) and the New York Central Harlem Division.

The New York Central's Castleton Cutoff, Hudson River Connecting Railroad, and the Selkirk Yard.

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Other Areas of Interest

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Troop Trains, Circus Trains, POTUS and Other Special Trains
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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.

The circus and the circus train has always fascinated small children and grown-up railfans alike. Circus transportation has changed significantly in the last forty years. The second greatest show - that of moving the circus by rail, begins even before the last performance begins.

Budd announced the RDC (Rail Diesel Car)in 1949. Some are still in use.

Includes some great pictures of railroads in snow!

All about trains run for the President of the United States (POTUS). In 1990, George Bush visited Connecticut to campaign. His visit closed parts of three Interstate highways and disrupted thousands of commuters and other travelers. Should he have taken the train?

Special bonus: 1939 Royal Tour.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Commuters, Car Culture and the Jenny Plan PLUS Railroad Mergers
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Most railroad passengers today are commuters. Taxpayers underwrite part of this cost and the ride is now more comfortable and the future more secure than ever before.

Many ideas have been brought up over the years to ease commuting problems from New Jersey. One of the most interesting was a 1935 proposal by L. Alfred Jenny which consisted of a modern electrified railroad connecting the various New Jersey railroads and bringing these lines into a new passenger terminal in mid-Manhattan.

Public Support of Private Railroads. The greatest economic factor of the 19th Century was the railroads. Public money helped them then and it could help them now.

A real story for this era is how General Motors, Ford and Chrysler reshaped American ground transportation to serve their corporate wants instead of social needs.

Railroad mergers have taken place right from the beginning of railroading. The two peak periods for mergers have been the 1920's and the 1960's. Because of the Transportation Act of 1920, the ICC engaged Professor William Ripley of Harvard to develop a tentative plan for railroad consolidation.

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.

The break-up of Conrail to CSX and Norfolk Southern is just really a continuation of a drama that has gone on for about the last 80 years.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] New York City Transit Planning and the JFK Express
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Plans for better transit in the metropolitan area. An analysis of a early 1960's Ford Foundation study of commuting into Grand Central and what might be done to improve it. Some unique ideas and far ahead of its time.

Developed early on in the history of aviation, JFK International, LaGuardia and Newark airports were intended to only be accessed by automobile.

Did you ever wonder who messed up the mass transit system in New York City? An in-depth look at Robert Moses and his life.

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[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Western U.S. Railroads
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Union Pacific -- the railroad established by Congress and Abraham Lincoln to span the continent - is in the middle of a very tough period. A 1996 merger with Southern Pacific to form the nation's largest railroad caused what regulators call an unprecedented breakdown in rail traffic through the heart of America that has lasted more than 10 months.

Railroads in Denver.

All About San Francisco and the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART).

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Eastern U.S. Railroads
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Long Island Railroad - Route of the Dashing Commuter. The MTA Long Island Rail Road is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. It is also an old railroad, rich in heritage.

Story of Railroads and Mass Transit Around the Nation's Capital in Washington DC.

Commuter Rail in Philadelphia.

[Add to Cart] [View Cart] Head End Equipment: REA, RPO, Express PLUS Amtrak's Secret Business
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Head End equipment, in the heyday of passenger service, was a big part of the railroad's operations. Head end included Railway Express Agency and the post office's RPOs (Railway Post Offices). We have text and pictures not found elsewhere on the Web.

Amtrak operates commuter trains for several local/regional transportation authorities, but they don't publicize this at all. Find out more about this profitable operation in a time when Amtrak looses all kinds of money.

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.

REFERENCE

World Freight Railroad Links

Links to railroad and model railroad sites

Railway Preservation

Railroad Resources from Rayden-Tron

New Jersey Junction Railroad

Tunnels and Bridges

Railroad Training Programs

Railroad Radio

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All Things Trains	by king5021
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You will want to see DISNEY PARIS.
Stop by and see our Reservations Center.

All-time list of railroad names in New York State

Some interesting things about New York State Railroads, mostly New York Central Railroad

Home to everything you ever wanted to know about railroad history West of the Hudson and Around New York State railroad, history in Chicago and the Midwest. Links to many railroad resources. New York Central railroad history. Railroad history of the New Haven Railroad and New England. Of interest to the railroad manager, railfans, advocates of super railroads, railroad historians. The one source to go to for railroad history.

Railroads Around New York State

Buried Treasure

The Albany County Clerk has a New Archive of Albany Photos of the 1930s & ‘40s. Right now, there is a brief show online, but eventually they will have 2,300 images online. Until they establish a system of granting permission to use the images, you can use this link. The photos will be searchable by keyword. They are hoping to link with a vendor who can provide archival quality photographs at a modest charge.

No, the picture above is not one of them. I got it when I was consulting for AC Delco.

Click here or on picture above to see.

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