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A railroad manifesto : fifty short articles on railroad economics, operations, and management / Thomas F. Erickson, Jr.

Lippincott Library HE1031 .E75 2011
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Erickson, Thomas F. (Thomas Franklin), 1918-
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Railroads--Economic aspects--United States.
Railroads.
Railroads--Freight--United States.
Railroads--Freight.
Railroads--Economic aspects.
United States.
Railroads--United States--Finance.
Finance.
Railroads--United States--Management.
Management.
Physical Description:
xi, 262 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Place of Publication:
Lanham : University Press of America, [2011]
Summary:
A Railroad Manifesto is an easy-to-read primer on rail system operations, finances, and commercial activities. It emphasizes the interdependency of these three areas while also acting as a catalyst for the discussion of improving rail prospects overall. A Railroad Manifesto is written in a conversational tone and in bite-sized pieces in an attempt to make the "dismal science" of economics approachable and interesting for multiple audiences. This book particularly strives to reach the rail fan who may not have academic credentials but does have an insatiable curiosity about the industry. Students of railroad operations as well as urban planners, rail senior management, and transportation professionals will also find Erickson's compelling research and unique observations of considerable interest. Above all, Erickson argues that railroad specialists and their often narrow viewpoints have had a negative impact upon the railroad industry. A Railroad Manifesto stresses the need for the involvement of generalists in railroad operations, since generalists tend to be more versatile than specialists in dealing with uncontrollable processes. Book jacket.
Contents:
Articles
Ruts 1
Unsteady-state 3
Complexity 5
Agenda 7
Poseur 9
Optima 11
If ... 13
Formul'e 15
User Fees 17
Rate-making-I 19
Rate-making-II 21
Cost of Capital 23
Filler 25
Short-hauls 27
Mergers 29
Scale, Scope, Valence, and Recombination 31
Search Image 33
Hassle 35
Deferrals 37
Guns and Butter 39
In Praise of the Boxcar 41
Series versus Parallel 43
Information 45
Communication 47
Horseshoe 49
Solicitation 51
Parable 53
Hijacked 55
Power 57
Wyckoff's World 59
Customers 61
Arrogance 63
Capillaries 65
Intermediaries 67
Rainbow 69
Games 71
Razor 73
Efficiency 75
Articles (continued)
Bottleneck 77
Shared Use 79
Passengers 81
Rail Barons 83
Construction Aid 85
Public versus Private 87
Network Expansion 89
Railroad Ouija 91
Four-hour Interchanging Relays 93
Declaration of Interdependence 96
Nexus 98
Riddle 100.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 244-253) and index.
ISBN:
9780761855026
0761855025
OCLC:
713189136

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