The Indiana Rail Road Company is an extraordinary success story 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. The company was reborn as a robust, profitable carrier and has become a new model for the American regional railroad.
The Indiana Rail Road Company is unique among chronicles of these small railroads. It draws together a historical perspective, as well as a detailed narrative of the business aspects of rehabilitating the rail line and transforming it into a profitable enterprise. The book also touches on a variety of subtopics, significantly the application of new technologies to manage costs and improve productivity. The Indiana Rail Road Company pioneered the most significant of these in the United States.
Contents
Foreword by Jim McClellan Acknowledgments Introduction
1. The Rise and Rationalization of the Main Line of Mid-America
2. A Time to Build
3. The Postmodernist Empire Builder
4. Life along the Railroad
5. Trestles and Tunnels
6. Run It Like a Business
7. Growing Pains
8. Rebuilding a Relic
9. It's About Results
10. A Day in the Life of the Indiana Rail Road Company Appendix: Up and Down the Line Notes Index
Anonymous
Posted August 2, 2006
While the title would have you thinking it's either for rail enthusiasts or business/economic reading, it's much more than that! This informative book not only gives you the history surrounding my favorite railroad company, but includes anecdotes about the local folk in the towns and villages along the line that played into the railroad's development. It also includes insights into the company's president, Mr Tom Hoback. It's packed full of outstanding photos, including many of the line's highpoints the Unionville Tunnel, the Shuffle Creek Viaduct, and of course, the mammoth Richland Creek Viaduct (aka Tulip Trestle). Whether you're a rail fan or not, this book is a great read! Go on, buy it!!
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Overview
The Indiana Rail Road Company is an extraordinary success story 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. The company was reborn as a robust, profitable carrier and has ...