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Sam asks: "Old Timer, Feltonhill, agemper; If any of you could provide information. In many place in this thread is a mention of a Pennsylvania RR/Norfolk and Western tie-in, I know there was mutual ownership lthrough stock ownership, but both railroads were considered to be mechanically well operated and equiped with excelent home grown motive power. The Pennsy was considered to be "The [ Nation's] Standard Railroad" and N&W had a fine rep for its operating dept. Question: Which railroad was the senior partner in the stock ownership area? The PRR bought 39% of N&W common stock, enough for control, in 1901 and kept it until forced to divest before N&W's 1964 merger and PRR's merger with NYC. During that period, N&W paid PRR $408,000,000 in dividends (that's almost half a BILLION dollars), not missing a dividend even during the Great Depression. Therefore, a good case can be made that N&W paid for PRR's status as the Standard Railroad of the World. One can also make the case that N&W's dividends helped keep PRR afloat; it was going under anyway, but after it was cut off from N&W's money, it went faster. Question: Was this influence carried practically into the operations/mechanical area? PRR exercised negligible influence on N&W's operations or mechanical policies. It was interested in the money, and didn't mess with N&W's ability to make it. This is the second smartest action PRR ever took; the smartest was to buy the N&W stock and keep it. Question: Was there a crossin of management lines, from one road to the otrher? No. There were PRR people on N&W's BOD and Director's meetings were held in Philadelphia, but there was no cross-movement of managers. Question: When the Southern Rwy and N&S merged, which was the senior partner? N&W was by far the most wealthy partner. Question: The Southern employees whom I have spoken to seem to be divided on their feelings about management. Engineers and firemen seemed not to think much of management and most of the others seemed to be pro management. What was your impressions? Don't have any input, except that Southern's management didn't like or understand N&W's way of marketing coal; they ignored the fact that that was a great factor in N&W's profitability over the years; it made them several billion . . . Southern folks were hipped on running unit coal trains, but N&W didn't have any customers that could receive coal in that manner. Thanks, Appreciate all the info on this thread. Sam" Old Timer
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