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Author Name: Thomas W. Dixon, Jr.
Title: Chesapeake and Ohio for Progress - The C&O at Mid-20th Century, 1948-1963
Seller ID: TL203
This is the first new C&O history book in many years, and it covers the period that interests most people right now, the transition years from the end of WWII until the B&O affiliation. This is the period of Robert Young's innovations in the 10 years following the way, and the era when C&O really came into its own as a major American railroad under the presidency of Walter J. Tuohy. During this time C&O touted its allegiance to steam and built the Steam-Turbine-Electrics, then abruptly switched to diesels. This is when C&O was at the forefront of passenger train innovation and thinking, placed the largest order for passenger cars to a single builder ever, then retrenched and began discontinuing trains. This is the time when Russell yard was the largest railroad facility owned by a single railroad in the world, when export coal, steel-mill coal, and steam coal made C&O a gold-plated powerhouse. Also this is the time when C&O and mascot Chessie were household names in America and perhaps as recognizable as Union Pacific and Sante Fe. This was when C&O bought the best freight equipment and introduced many new concepts to its fleet. This is the era when The Greenbrier Hotel became even more C&O's showpiece and playground. This was when C&O was so well-endowed with cash that ic could acquire B&O and then reequip and rebuild it. This was when C&O finally absorbed the Pere Marquette and became almost as big a shipper of merchandise and auto/auto-parts as it was a coal hauler. C&O was on the build in every aspect while much of American railroading was in decline. In short this was a great era of expansion and development, innovation and experimentation, all accompanied by one of the most aggressive and effective advertising programs in railroading.
This book doesn't try to comprehensively treat every aspect of the C&O in this great time, but it touches on most areas, using as a foundation the very excellent and comprehensive text written for the November 1954 issue of Modern Railroads magazine, which explained and explored every aspect of C&O at that time from management style and administration down to new diesel shops and freight cars. This is then expanded by additional text about the steam-diesel transition, the freight and passenger equipment fleets, the stations and buildings, and operations of freight and passenger trains, and even the famous Lake Michigan, Detroit River, and Newport News-Norfolk car ferries and floats. Historians will like this snapshot view of what the C&O was doing and how it was doing it in these critical years which laid the groundwork for the CSX of today, and modelers will appreciate the data and great 200 plus black & white and color photos of structures, signals, equipment, steam and diesels, and operations in this period upon which most of today's modeling is based. Retail $34.95
Price = 26.50 USD
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