Illinois Central Railroad
In an east-west world, the Illinois Central carved out a niche by running straight down the gut of a nation, from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. In this illustrated history, Tom Murray recounts one of the nation's greatest railways, from its inception in antebellum America right through its 1999 acquisition by Canadian National.
In its first half-century, Illinois Central boasted associations with key players like young Illinois attorney Abraham Lincoln and up-and-coming financier E. H. Harriman. In the early twentieth century, IC undertook a massive electrification project in Chicago and, thanks to conservative management, avoided bankruptcy during the Depression. Against the backdrop of such figures and events, Murray presents a history of the railroad that billed itself as the "Main Line of Mid-America." In addition to exploring the historical context against which the IC was formed, Murray examines its motive power and rolling stock, acclaimed passenger operations and crack freight services, the players who guided IC through nearly 150 years, competitors, and the routes and facilities that made up the system.
Wonderful photography from collections and photographers around the nation represent every corner of the railroad's operations in the Midwest and South. The result is a fitting tribute to a railroad whose spirit is today kept alive by a new generation of railroaders working the same rails under a different banner.
Hardback with dust jacket, 22x28cm, 160 pages, black & white and colour photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780760322543
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