Re: (rshsdepot) "450-Ton Locomotive at the Waldorf-Astoria"

["JIMBEAR" <ribear_@_cox.net>]

Well, Paul, the New Haven was a special case. Patrick McGinnis was
flamboyant (and a bit crooked -- after the NH dumped him, he went
to the Boston & Maine and got involved in a kick-back scheme that
landed him in federal prison) and given to hair-brained schemes. He
certainly didn't help the NH during its decline, but he didn't kill it. He
just speeded up the end. The NH went into its final brush with bank-
ruptcy in 1961, and was forced on the Penn Central in 1968. The NH's
biggest problem was that far more than any other railroad, it relied on
passenger, express, and mail business to bring in revenue (in terms of
passenger miles, the NH was No. 3 in the US, right behind the NYC,
and PRR - amazing when you consider that its main line was only 229
miles from NYC to Boston).  The loss of revenue from the decline in
passenger traffic, the decline in express business,  and the transfer of
the US Mail service to the airlines doomed the NH. Even the very best
management team would probably not have been able to save it.

Jim.



- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul S. Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>
To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 11:02 PM
Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) "450-Ton Locomotive at the Waldorf-Astoria"


> I guess this is why this railroad went bottom up, was this typical of other
> railroads in the 50s?


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