Fascinating stories of New Jersey's rich railroading history

In Tending the Garden State, Charles Harrison tells the story of the state's rich agricultural history from the time when Leni-Lenape Indians scratched the earth with primitive tools up through today. He recalls New Jersey's rural past, traces the evolution of farming over the course of the twentieth century, and explains innovative approaches to protecting the industry.

The Indiana Rail Road Company is a story of extraordinary success among the scores of independent short line and regional railroads spawned in the wake of railroad deregulation. Christopher Rund chronicles the development of the company from its origins as part of America's first land grant railroad, the Illinois Central, through the political and financial juggling required by entrepreneur Tom Hoback to purchase the line when it fell into disrepair. Reborn as a robust, profitable carrier, the INRD has become a model for the new American regional railroad. This revised edition, with a new foreword by acclaimed author Fred Frailey and four new chapters, brings readers up to date on Tom Hoback's amazing railroad adventure.

Among the grand antebellum plans to build railroads to interconnect the vast American republic, perhaps none was more ambitious than the Louisville, Cincinnati & Charleston. The route was intended to link the cotton-producing South and the grain and livestock growers of the Old Northwest with traders and markets in the East, creating economic opportunities along its 700-mile length. But then came the Panic of 1837, and the project came to a halt. H. Roger Grant tells the incredible story of this singular example of "railroad fever" and the remarkable visionaries whose hopes for connecting North and South would require more than half a century—and one Civil War—to reach fruition.

The behind-the-scenes story of the five-year legal battle over a railroad bankruptcy and the formation of Conrail, as told by a lawyer on the case. What happened when the US government stopped investing in railroads and started investing in highways and air travel? By the late 1970s, six major eastern railroads had declared bankruptcy. Although he didn’t like trains, Howard H. Lewis became the primary lawyer for the Reading Railroad during its legendary bankruptcy case. Here, Lewis provides a frank account of the high-intensity litigation and courtroom battles over the US government’s proposal to form Conrail out of the six bankrupt railroads, which meant taking the Reading’s property, leaving the railroad to prove its worth. After five grueling years, the case was ultimately settled for $186 million—three times the original offer from the US government—and Lewis became known as a champion defender of both the railroad industry and its assets. “Should be required reading in every law school, especially for students who aspire to become corporate attorneys . . . valuable insights into the creation of Conrail.” —Rush Loving, Jr., author of The Men Who Loved Trains “For the railfan, you’ll receive an insider view of this historically important period and a better understanding of how and why Conrail came into being and what it meant for rail transportation.” —Model Railroad News

Northern New Jersey is one of the most densely populated places in the nation, but it is constantly defined by its relationship to New York City. In this insightful study, longtime North Jersey resident James Marcum asks why, looking well past the false stereotypes to a distinct regional culture and fascinating history. How did North Jersey become what it is today, and even more fundamentally, can we define its boundaries? Is it essentially suburban? What characterizes the region and its people? Join Marcum as he explores these and other issues to come to a better understanding of one of the most intriguing and diverse corners of the Garden State.

Explore the rich history of the legendary railroad that spanned the American Midwest in this beautifully illustrated volume. Beginning operations in the mid-nineteenth century, the Rock Island Line served farms and small-town America for more than 140 years. One of the earliest railroads to build westward from Chicago, it was the first to span the Mississippi, advancing the frontier, bringing settlers into the West, and hauling their crops to market. Rock Island’s celebrated Rocket passenger trains also set a standard for speed and service, with suburban runs as familiar to Windy City commuters as the Loop. For most of its existence, the Rock battled competitors much larger and richer than itself. When it finally succumbed, the result was one of the largest business bankruptcies ever. Today, as its engines and stock travel the busy main lines operated by other carriers, the Rock Island Line lives on in the hearts of those whom it employed and served.