The Bessemer and Lake Erie railroad, 1869-1969, [signed] [first edition]

Handsomely done history issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bessemer and Lake Erie R. R., this volume traces the growth of the railroad from its modest start in 1869 as a short line serving a single coal mine in Mercer County, PA to its status as one of the last surviving independent Class I railroads in the US. The railroad served as a direct route between the Pittsburgh area and the Lake Erie ports of Conneaut, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania. With rosters of steam and diesel locomotives, (including road switchers), gas rail cars, freight cars and passenger cars. The author provides a detailed background on the transportation problems in northwest Pennsylvania in the early days, the rise of the canals and railroads, and the gradual development of the Bessemer and Lake Erie, including the outsized role of Andrew Carnegie. With oversized foldout sheet in back, one side showing gradient profiles for railroad and the other showing map of all predecessor lines. Decorative end papers show system map. Cover portrait by Howard Fogg. 184 pages with bibliography and index.