|
Images of Rail Railroading In Conneaut Ohio By David Borsvold
Images of Rail Railroading In Conneaut Ohio By David Borsvold
Softcover 127 pages
CONTENTS
Introduction
1.The Nickel Plate Road
2.The New York Central
3.The Bessemer & Lake Erie in Conneaut Harbor
4.Traction: Trolleys and Interurbans
5.Historical Images of Conneaut
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
Conneaut, Ohio has been a fascinating "hot spot" in railroading history. Three of the most renowned railroads of the twentieth century were important parts of life in this small city, located in the extreme northeast corner of Ohio and on the shores of Lake Erie. Conneaut today is a quiet town best known for fishing, boating, and scenic lake views, but decades ago it was full of piercing steam locomotive whistles, the clang and bang of railroad backshops, and the boom of heavy industry.
The Nickel Plate Road, the New York Central, and the Bessemer & Lake Erie each played a distinct and different role in Conneaut's growth, economy, and history. The building of the Nickel Plate's Conneaut roundhouse and yard in 1882, and the opening of the first rail connection from Conneaut Harbor to the steel mills and coal mines of Western Pennsylvania via the Bessemer route a decade later, caused a small town to grow rapidly in population and employment. In the era when dozens of passenger trains per day ran on the New York Central's mainline between New York and Chicago, Conneaut's location directly on the Water Level Route meant that local residents could travel virtually anywhere in America by rail, whenever they chose.
The photographic images collected here represent several decades of mainline railroading at its finest. The aim of this book is to include enough detail to be of interest to hard-core railfans, while not requiring in-depth knowledge for the general reader. Its scope in time has been restricted to approximately 1880-1970 with an emphasis on the mid-twentieth century before the Nickel Plate and the New York Central disappeared in mergers. There would certainly be plenty of interest in the post-merger Conneaut operations of Penn Central, Norfolk & Western, Conrail, CSX, and Norfolk Southern, but focusing on the earlier decades allows for the inclusion of more photographs of steam power, passenger service, depots, traction, and other elements that have vanished from the local railroad scene. Many of the photographs come from the collection of the Conneaut Historical Railroad Museum, a nationally-known institution that occupies the century-old New York Central depot and has preserved a large collection of memorabilia relating to the NKP, the Central, the B&LE, and many other railroads. Visiting the museum on a hot summer day, with cool breezes blowing in from the lake and long highspeed freight trains roaring past the building every few minutes on the CSX main line, is an exhilarating experience regardless of whether or not one is a railroad fanatic.
While most of these images show railroad or harbor scenes, a number of photographs of Conneaut itself have been included as well to give a sense of the town that grew up next to the rails.
The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.
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.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
