John W. Barriger III: Railroad Legend (Railroads Past and Present)

In John W. Barriger III: Railroad Legend historian H. Roger Grant details the fascinating life and impact of a transportation tycoon and doctor of sick railroads.After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology John W. Barriger III (1899–1976) started his career on the Pennsylvania Railroad as a rodman shop hand and then assistant yardmaster. His enthusiasm tenacity and lifelong passion for the industry propelled him professionally culminating in leadership roles at Monon Railroad Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and the Boston and Maine Railroad. His legendary capability to save railroad corporations in peril earned him the nickname doctor of sick railroads and his impact was also felt far from the train tracks as he successfully guided New Deal relief efforts for the Railroad Division of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation during the Depression and served in the Office of Defense Transportation during World War II. Featuring numerous personal photographs and interviews John W. Barriger III is an intimate account of a railroad magnate and his role in transforming the transportation industry.