New York Central

Flap description: New York Central tells the story of an amazingly long-lived and vigorous railroad that grew from 16 miles of track between the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers into a far-flung network that stretched as far west as Chicago. Along its shining rails raced the Twentieth Century Limited - the train that became a byword for speed and luxury and raised rail travel to a new stature in American transportation history. The rich and famous strolled down the Century's red carpet to enjoy every amenity that the New York Central could provide, including fresh sole and strawberries for breakfast, valets, barbers and boutonnieres. But it is also the story of the frantic mergers and consolidations of the late nineteenth century, the cut-throat competition between the great railroad barons, the disastrous wrecks of the railroad's early days, and the historic distrust between the state capital of Albany and New York City, a law unto itself. Nevertheless, despite the roadblocks posed by venal politicians, and fierce competition from both the Erie Canal and the state turnpike, the New York Central flourished for well over a century - until the decline that led to its merger with the equally troubled Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968. Profusely illustrated with rare and colorful photographs, New York Central is a valuable addition to the history of America's romance with its railroads.