1962 View of the Future of Train Travel in the US

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Rover

Rover

Conductor
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
1,502
Location
N. Texas
This is from a 64 page booklet (5 1/2" x 8 1/4") published by the American Geographical Society, from the series "Know Your America Program" published in 1963 by Nelson Doubleday, Inc.

The title of this booklet is "The American Railroads" by John C. Weaver, Dean Graduate College, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Nebraska.

At the end of the booklet is a section titled "Today and Tomorrow."

Nearly ninety percent of the total revenue earned by the railways is derived from the hauling of freight, and no other region in the world gives origin to a volume of railroad freight comparable to that of the Northeast United States.

The dominating termini of transportation in this section of our country are Chicago and New York.

Within this per-eminent axis, by far the heaviest traffic movement over any single route in the nation is along the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad between New York and Pittsburgh.

Although the American railway system has reached maturity, the days of rapid change and pioneer development are far from ended. In 1962 the railroads spent almost a billion dollars on plant improvement, and in future years they plan to spend about 1 1/2 billion dollars each year to provide a modern and competitive plant.

New high-speed, low gravity passenger trains are appearing, and an already 90% Dieselized system is beginning to look forward to the use of atomic power in the propulsion of locomotives.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not so far-fetched....

Indian Point nuclear energy plant + P32AC-DM locomotives = "Atomic Powered Locomotive"
default_wink.png
 

Latest posts

Back
Top