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New York Central's Early Power Vol 2 1831-1916 Staufer Hard Cover
New York Centrals Early Power Volume 2 1831-1916 By Alvin Staufer
351 Pages
Hard Cover
Copyright 1967
New York Central & Hudson River
Boston & Albany
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Indiana Harbor Belt
Big Four
Michigan Central
Toledo & Ohio Central
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie
The subject of this book is early locomotives on the New York Central Lines. However, we have found it impossible to isolate them from their creators or the imposing physical obstacles that obstructed the actual building of the railroad. Probably the most difficult aspect of writing things of an historical nature is to project one's self back in time. Are we qualified, sitting here surrounded by twentieth-century comfort and convenience, to discuss and pass judgment on pioneer railroad builders? The advantage of historical retrospect is immense, and we have used it, we feel, with fairness. Our historical sketches are brief, as others have written the history of the Central. We include them only to give depth and interest to the rest of our story.
We have dealt with the ruling forces that molded the New York Central to its present form. Almost every nineteenth-century industry had its king. They were, of course, good and bad in varying degrees. Much has been said about Centrals kings, the Vanderbilts, but this much is certain; they were basically builders, not manipulators.
It is doubtful if there exists a more complex corporate structure than that of the New York Central System. Reason was, "it just grew," and as it spread westward it picked up already existing railroads, some very large by any standards. So in a sense, this book is a motive power study of many smaller railroads.
Researching early locomotives is a most fascinating and yet frustrating pastime. Photography was in its infancy and prints (if they existed at all) have long since been destroyed. Engines were small and relatively simple to build so most any machine shop could, and usually did, give it a try. As soon as a new development or invention came into use, existing locomotives were altered and rebuilt to suit. So, in many cases where we are led to believe we are discussing a -new" machine, it may be in actuality an older job that has been upgraded. There are also mysterious gaps of information, that is, an early railroad would trumpet their first engine high and low and then almost ignore those that followed. In any event we have done our best with the shreds of evidence that have survived.
Rare old photographs are presented pretty much as is. Please forgive their many imperfections such as poor quality, tears, smudges, and even hand-written notes. Any attempt to retouch them would detract from their historical value and charm. Too many pictures will be "cluttered" with people, but here again, we should be thankful, for it was they who were the subject and not the old locomotive that just happened to be in the background. Personally, we enjoy seeing the men who ran them, along with yard masters, clerks, local hang-arounds, and the ever present kids.
The text in most cases will be brief, discussing locomotives in groups and subclasses. About 10,000 steam locomotives are covered in the span of this book, and any attempt to blanket specifics would be a mountainous maze of data and numbers. Rather, we have tried to place our emphasis on the why and how rather than the what.
We have established an approximate cut-off date in this book of 1916. The identity of subsidiary lines had pretty well diminished by then. After that there followed an onslaught of newer and more modern iron horses, Locomotives of that period (after 1916) are fully covered in the companion volume to this one. Steam Power New York Central, Volume 1, 1916-1955, by Alvin Staufer, 1960.
We have endeavored to do justice to this immense task.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
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