A Sampling of Penn Central is illustrated with over 200 photographs taken between 1970 and 1972. Their detailed captions document the 5,000 miles of PC's Southern Region, an especially volatile area. It was here in the Midwest that the Pennsylvania and New York Central lines overlapped most abrasively. Redundancy was rampant. As a result, intensive planning and major new capital projects were required to realize maximum operating efficiencies.

A Sampling of Penn Central is more than a photographic documentation of the difficulties of the merger: every nook and cranny of this vast region is explored in detail. Jerry Taylor thoroughly dissects operations at the Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis terminals, which were make-or-break ventures. Perhaps most important of all, this new edition gives Taylor the opportunity to reflect on those hectic days. With the benefit of almost 30 years' hindsight, his new introduction helps the reader understand the successes and failures of those crucial days for the nation's premier railroad.