Blending meticulous research with
vivid storytelling, this book provides insights into the unique
circumstances of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the challenges and
triumphs it faced during its final decade of operations. This book dives
into the Lehigh Valley's financial struggles, industry and regulatory
changes, and the various proposed alternatives to the eventual 1976
merger of six railroads that reshaped the American rail system. With
over a year and a half of academic research in historical collections,
original Lehigh Valley Railroad documents, and interviews with
historical figures, author Rudy Garbely highlights the railroad's
changing operations, its key players, and the socio-economic factors
that contributed to the Lehigh Valley's decline. Through the lens of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, Garbely further examines the larger financial,
operational, and political challenges that plagued the region's rail
industry and ultimately led to the necessity of Conrail.
From the transition to Conrail to the lasting impact of its legacy, Garbely offers both a tribute to and a critical examination of
the Lehigh Valley's waning years while providing a broader
understanding of the transformation of American railroading in the
1970s. The text is supplemented with multiple appendixes,
including Lehigh Valley Railroad financial documentation and a
locomotive roster. This book is an essential read for all
railroad historians, industry professionals, and anyone interested in
the dramatic transformation of U.S. railroads during one of the most
turbulent periods in their history.
This is a revised and reformatted version of Garbely's book Lehigh Valley: The Final Years, 1965-1976,
which was released in 2013 and has been out of print for several years.
Many of the photos originally published in that book have been
reprinted by other publishers in the intervening decade, so this title
contains just the revised and updated text from Garbely's book in a
smaller 6"x9" format.
