Visionary Railroader: Jervis Langdon Jr. and the Transportation Revolution [Hardcover]

Visionary Railroaderchronicles the life of a key figure in the history of rail travel in the United States. As president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Jervis Langdon Jr. had the opportunity to put progressive concepts into practice.

In 1964, Langdon took charge of the Rock Island, and by the time he left in 1970, he had spearheaded major improvements for this struggling carrier. The same year, he became lead trustee for the bankrupt Penn Central and three years later assumed the presidency. From his role in passing the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 to his work on creating the quasi-public Conrail,Visionary Railroaderexamines the impact of Langdon's active life with clear text, unique representations of media of the day, and select family photos.

President Bill Clinton has groused to friends that history will never rank him among the greatest presidents because he never had to confront a major war or an economic catastrophe during his tenure. Barack Obama will have both and, with it, the chance to go down in the annals as a monumental goat or savior. And so it is, as well, with industry. As Clemson University historian H. Roger Grant writes, when the American railroad industry imploded in the '60s and '70s, Jervis Langdon Jr. was well positioned as president of the Rock Island and later the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads to play a role in national rail reorganization. Like other successful captains of industry, the challenge of fixing a broken organization trumped material gain for Langdon, as was evidenced when he joined the board of the troubled Delaware & Hudson. As one of 'Jerv's boys' from the B&O, Bill Collins, D&H vice president for administration and strategic planning, put it: 'Jervis did not come for glory or for coin.' Langdon's proven track record, so to speak, made him a logical choice to become lead trustee for the bankrupt Penn Central, whose presidency he took over three years later. He was instrumental al#-