Railroaders without Borders A History of the Railroad Development Corporation [Hardcover]

For over 25 years, the creatively led Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) has rejuvenated a series of down-and-out and even defunct railroads. Launched in 1987 by Henry Posner III, this investment and management company has demonstrated that it is possible both to have a conscience and to earn a profit in todays railroad industry. With ventures on four continents, RDC has created an admirable record of long-term commitments, respect for local cultures, and protection of the public interest. H. Roger Grant presents a firsthand look at this unique business operation and its triumphs and disappointments.

H. Roger Grant has brought his considerable research and writing skills to the story of a unique and exotic present-day railroad enterprise that spans an area from the American Great Plains, to the Andes, to the Zambezi River, and the Baltic Seawith postscripts in Colombia, Germany, and France.?Keeping up with the Railroad Development Companys multiple management and rail acquisition venturesincluding all their inevitable political, cultural, and operational challengesis not easy, but Grant handles them deftly and clearly. Some of those ventures were successful, some not, but each invariably makes for fascinating reading.

H. Roger Grant is Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon Professor of History at Clemson University. He is author of over 30 books, including The Louisville, Cincinnati & Charleston Rail Road: Dreams of Linking North and South (IUP, 2014), Railroads and the American People (IUP, 2012), Iowas Railroads: An Album (with Don L. Hofsommer) (IUP, 2009), and Visionary Railroader: Jervis Langdon Jr. and the Transportation Revolution (IUP, 2008).

A Trains Magazine Notable Railroad Book of 2015This book will undoubtedly appeal to readers interested in railroads but also to anyone intrigued by the study of business. Outstanding photographs and maps add visual interest. Overall, the author's wide-ranging research, extensive command of railroad history, andlC/