Global InformationNew York Central Railroad information
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 A map of the New York Central system in 1918 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York Central Building, New York City |
| Key people | Cornelius Vanderbilt Owner (1867-1877) & President (1869-1877) Chauncey Depew President (1885-1898) & Chairman of the Board (1898-1928) |
| Founders | Erastus Corning John V. L. Pruyn Chauncey Vibbard |
| Reporting mark | NYC |
| Locale | Illinois Indiana Kentucky Massachusetts Michigan Missouri New Jersey New York Ohio Ontario Pennsylvania Quebec Vermont West Virginia |
| Dates of operation | May 17, 1853 – January 31, 1968 |
| Successor | Penn Central Transportation Company |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 11,584 miles (18,643 km) (1926) |
The New York Central Railroad (reporting mark NYC) was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midwest, along with the intermediate cities of Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Rochester and Syracuse. New York Central was headquartered in New York City's New York Central Building, adjacent to its largest station, Grand Central Terminal.
The railroad was established in 1853, consolidating several existing railroad companies. In 1968, the NYC merged with its former rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad, to form Penn Central. Penn Central went into bankruptcy in 1970 and, with extensive Federal government support, emerged as Conrail in 1976. Conrail was broken-up in 1999, and portions of its system were transferred to CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway, with CSX acquiring most of the old New York Central trackage and Norfolk Southern acquiring most of the old Pennsylvania trackage.
Extensive trackage existed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and West Virginia, plus additional trackage in portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. At the end of 1925, New York Central Railroad operated 11,584 miles (18,643 km) of road and 26,395 miles (42,479 km) of track; at the end of 1967, the mileages were 9,696 miles (15,604 km) and 18,454 miles (29,699 km).[a]
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