It is impossible to understand all the leases, bankrupties, mergers etc: just too many! But all those criminal managers did not succeed in taking over the B&M: someone discovered the strange and illegal financial ways of the owners of NH.
Thieu, nothing that the New Haven owners and their predecessors did was illegal....perhaps unethical, secretive, and arrogant, but not illegal. Regards the B&M, I have two books that refer to the same manipulative processes carried out by its owners during the same time period. Also, I have seen references to the same actions being carried out by the New York Central, Pennsylvania, Erie, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and many others, so it was hardly limited to just the New Haven. You will notice all of the afore-mentioned companies have gone bankrupt and no longer exist....I believe that they ultimately received what they deserved. BTW, both the New Haven and B&M corporations were held by the same parent holding company after about 1930. Furthermore, Patrick McGinnis was the President of both from the late 1940's until the early 1960's, first the NH, then the B&M.
Hank- Actually, neither of the GN, or NP was bankrupt. Neither was in any bad financial conditon. Quite reasonably profitable. It was more a merger to increase profitability, through shaving duplicated services in many overlapped areas. I believe than unethical is an excellent word to describe the RR barons. Nothing new back then. Nor even today, for that matter. mg: Boxcab E50
Agree....Though the Enron scandal was caused by criminal manipulators, not opportunists.....:angry: BTW, sorry about my assumption about NP and GN.......:embarassed:
Sorry, my English fell short on explaining what I exactly wanted to say. I used the first words I could think of ;-) But leaving the NH was not his own choice: they threw him out. The only good thing he did was the McGinnis paint scheme, I think. I really like the B&M version!
I grew up during B&M's Maroon & Gold years, so my opinion is that McGinnis did nothing good for the B&M, except depart. Note that I am not specific as to how he departed......:angel:
I know the link is no longer working, but I would be interested to see what you originally had posted for the CNE here in Dutchess Co!!
DCER1452, You can check this book out on Google Books:Ulster County Railroads Check to see if a local library has The Central New England Railway books by R.W.Nimke. It is a three book series. Does any of this help? Scott
I did not know that link was not working. Those files are indeed up for viewing. Look here: https://train-orders.com/TOUR/C/CNE/CNE.html
I model the present day Housatonic RR in N-scale. The HRRC is located in NW Connecticut and MA. An important part of C.N.E. history has been preserved in Canaan, CT. The C.N.E. and the original Housatonic RR crossed each other in Canaan, CT. The Housatonic and C.N.E. built the Canaan Union Station at the diamond to serve both railroads, prior to both being taken over by the NH. Part of the C.N.E. right of way is still in use to this day, by the modern Housatonic RR, in order to serve Specialty Minerals. So, as a result, part of that C.N.E. right of way also lives on my layout. During the time frame I am modeling, the diamond was still in place where the lines crossed, but there was only a stub of track on the west side of the HRRC trackage. In the first photo below, the former C.N.E. trackage goes from lower right to upper left, where the old NH caboose is stored.
Frustratingly, a knothead arsonist (or arsonists) destroyed a large portion of the station some twenty years ago. Amazingly, it has since been rebuilt.
The arsonists were juveniles and were prosecuted. Thankfully the station was rebuilt and now houses a museum and brewery.
