Erie Lackawanna: The Death of an American Railroad, 1938-1992

by H. Roger Grant

This 50-year saga of the "Weary Erie" goes far beyond describing in brilliant detail the turbulent last decades of a colorful, spunky, and innovative railroad. As the author vividly shows, the Erie possessed an uncommonly interesting history. For a brief time, it was the longest rail artery in the United States, hailed as "the most stupendous engineering feat ever attempted in America." It pioneered many innovations even after its opening in 1851, notably with the use of the telegraph for traffic control. The present volume also tells us much about what happened to American railroading, especially in the East, during this technological change, government over-regulation, corporate mergers, union "featherbedding," uneven executive leadership, and changing patterns of travel and business. Step by step, the author reveals how the problems faced by the Erie became so numerous and complex that financial collapse and liquidation were inevitable results. Throughout, the author draws on the abundant records of the Erie and Erie Lackawanna and on dozens of interviews with employees, bankers, lawyers, and industry official who cooperated in telling the story of the Erie's last years "the way it was." The book is illustrated with 45 photographs and drawings and 4 maps.

Genres: American History, Railways

310 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

H. Roger Grant (1943/1944 – November 17, 2023) was an American railroad historian and author.

Reviews

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a history of how and why the Erie Railroad went bankrupt in 1938, reorganized, merged with the DL&W Railroad, almost went out of business, became dominated by the Norfolk & Western Railway, went bankrupt again and, finally, became included in Conrail. Author Grant really put into text the struggles of the Erie Lackawanna Railway and other railroads in the Northeast US during the 1960’s.