AN ECONOMIC HISTORY OF FIVE MIDWESTERN RAILROADS

The study explains the four basic economic factors that affected the early development of railroads in the Midwest: growth of railroad regulations; increased competition from other modes of transportation; rate of return on investment; and empire building. The author then shows which of these factors was most important in the development of the five midwestern railroads being considered. In both reports, the focus has been on the midwestern railroads because the generally depressed economic condition of many of the railroads in this part of the country makes bankruptcy a strong possibility. One of the five railroads discussed--the Rock Island--is already bankrupt. The others are the Chicago & North Western, the Burlington Northern, the Milwaukee Road, and the Soo Line.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139

  Department of Transportation

  Office of University Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kaitz, G M
• Publication Date: 1976-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 92 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bankruptcy; Competition; Economic analysis; Economic factors; Economic models; History; Railroad transportation; Railroads; Regulations; Return on investment
• Identifier Terms: BNSF Railway; Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad; Soo Line Railroad Company; U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission
• Old TRIS Terms: Government regulations; Soo line railroad
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; History; Law; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167394
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/TST-77/73 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-30104
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 27 1978 12:00AM