The 1960s and 1970s were hard on all American railroads, but nowhere were the challenges more severe than in the Northeast. In Northeastern Railroading Before the Fall, Brian Solomon examines the web of forces that drove a region-wide crisis: rising commuter deficits, declining online industries, vanishing passenger and express traffic, and restrictive regulations — all culminating in the catastrophic rise and fall of Penn Central. Each railroad met its fate differently. Giants like the Pennsylvania merged and foundered. Anthracite roads like Reading and New England carriers like the Boston & Maine struggled to survive. Some fell into bankruptcy; others were ultimately saved by the formation of Conrail. Told through hundreds of color photographs, this is the authoritative account of a pivotal and dramatic chapter in American railroad history. Pages: 224Size: 8.25 x 10.75
