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Author Reynolds, William, 1820-1911.

Title European capital, British iron, and an American dream : the story of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad / by William Reynolds ; edited by Peter K. Gifford and Robert D. Ilisevich
Edition 1st ed
Published Akron, Ohio : University of Akron Press, 2002

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Description 1 online resource (xviii, 258 pages) : illustrations
Series Series on Ohio history and culture
Ohio history and culture.
Contents Railroad or no railroad, 1851-1857 -- From Ohio to New York, 1858-1859 -- Building the road, 1860 -- Challenges and more challenges, 1861 -- Difficulties continue, 1862 -- Pressing on, 1863 -- Finishing the job, 1864
Summary The Atlantic & Great Western Railroad was one of the earliest and largest east-west railroad projects in the United States. It was the dream of American builders William Reynolds of Pennsylvania and Marvin Kent of Ohio. By using the non-standard six-foot gauge, these men helped construct a trunk line connecting the Atlantic tidewater with the Mississippi River without break of gauge. Money for the construction came principally from European investors, like Don Jose de Salamanca of Spain, while Great Britain furnished the iron. A strong English support group included James McHenry, Sir Samuel Morton Peto, and the brilliant engineer, Thomas Kennard. This American-European enterprise represented an unique example of intercontinental cooperation in railroad history. Reynolds was the first president of the Pennsylvania and New York divisions of the A & GW. This published history is the first published source on this important railroad. With a memorable talent for detail and authority, Reynolds demonstrates how difficult it was to build a railroad against a backdrop of the Civil War. The lack of capital and resources, the scarcity of labor, the control of the oil market, and the endless struggle against hostile public opinion and fierce competitors like the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central posed challenges that were not easily overcome. Yet, as Reynolds states, in the face of all these formidable obstacles, the enterprise was crowned with success
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-250) and index
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
Print version record
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
Subject Reynolds, William, 1820-1911.
SUBJECT Reynolds, William, 1820-1911 fast
Subject Atlantic and Great Western Railway Company -- History -- Sources
SUBJECT Atlantic and Great Western Railway Company fast
Subject Railroads -- United States -- History -- Sources
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -- General.
TRANSPORTATION -- Railroads -- History.
Railroads
Spoorwegmaatschappijen.
Spoorwegen.
United States
Genre/Form autobiographies (literary works)
Autobiographies
History
Sources
Autobiographies.
Autobiographies.
Form Electronic book
Author Gifford, Peter K., 1955-
Ilisevich, Robert D
ISBN 9781935603566
1935603566
9781935603559
1935603558