The New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad

by Robert E. Mohowski

"The New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad arose in 1881 through the merger of several smaller railway companies that linked the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania to the industrial centers of the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area. Immediately successful in the coal business, the NYS&W also attracted tourists, by promoting the beauty and rural charm of the Delaware Water Gap and building picnic facilities for same-day excursions from both ends of the line. The company's fortunes rose through the 1920s, fell in the 1930s, surged in the 1940s as it became one of the region's busiest and most innovative passenger lines, then slowly declined from the 1950s, finally passing into bankruptcy in 1976 and reorganization into a regional freight hauler." "As expertly and engagingly told in this heavily illustrated book - the first in-depth history of the line - the story of the NYS&W vividly illustrates the challenges faced by the many smaller railroad companies that contributed to Ame