New York Central Railroad

New York Central Railroad
Map
A map of the New York Central system in 1918
Overview
HeadquartersNew York Central Building, New York City
Key peopleCornelius Vanderbilt
Owner (1867–1877) & President (1869–1877)
Chauncey Depew
President (1885–1898) & Chairman of the Board (1898–1928)
FoundersErastus Corning
John V. L. Pruyn
Chauncey Vibbard
Reporting markNYC
LocaleIllinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Ontario
Pennsylvania
Quebec
Vermont
West Virginia
Dates of operationMay 17, 1853 – January 31, 1968
SuccessorPenn Central Transportation Company
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length11,584 miles (18,643 km) (1926)

The New York Central Railroad (reporting mark NYC) was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midwest, along with the intermediate cities of Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Rochester and Syracuse. New York Central was headquartered in New York City's New York Central Building, adjacent to its largest station, Grand Central Terminal.

The railroad was established in 1853, consolidating several existing railroad companies. In 1968, the NYC merged with its former rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad, to form Penn Central.[1] Penn Central went into bankruptcy in 1970 and, with extensive Federal government support, emerged as Conrail in 1976.[2] Conrail was broken-up in 1999, and portions of its system were transferred to CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway, with CSX acquiring most of the old New York Central trackage and Norfolk Southern acquiring most of the old Pennsylvania trackage.

Extensive trackage existed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and West Virginia, plus additional trackage in portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. At the end of 1925, New York Central Railroad operated 11,584 miles (18,643 km) of road and 26,395 miles (42,479 km) of track; at the end of 1967, the mileages were 9,696 miles (15,604 km) and 18,454 miles (29,699 km).[a]

  1. ^ "Michigan's Railroad History 1825 - 2014" (PDF). Michigan Department of Transportation. October 13, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "About N.Y.C." NYCSHS – New York Central System Historical Society. June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2024.


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