Ralph W. Hidy and Muriel E. Hidy were professors of business history at Harvard Business School.Roy V. Scott is professor of history at Mississippi State University.Don L. Hofsommer is professor of history at St. Cloud State University.

• ContentsPreface by Alfred D. Chandler, Jr.AcknowledgmentsIntroductionList of AbbreviationsPART I 1856 TO 19161 The First Ten Miles2 Frustrated by FinanceThe Branch Line Comes FirstMain Line WestGrowing PainsSettlers for the Land Freight Traffic4 Northern Pacific InterludeCompleting the Main LineThe St. Vincent Extension5 Legislation and LitigationConflict in Hard TimesLaws and Lawsuits6 The Associates Gain ControlNegotiating a Bond PurchaseCompleting Rail LinksEliminating Potential CompetitionTag Ends of a Long-Tailed Kite7 The ManitobaMen and OrganizationConstruction and Relations with Other RailroadsTerminals in the Twin CitiesFinancial Management8 Consolidations and AdjustmentsThe Canadian Pacific Strengthening CreditBoston Investors9 From Butte to BuffaloSystematizing AdministrationThe Long March to MontanaEastward to Buffalo10 Tensions in FinanceA New ProblemDissension, 1887-188911 On to Puget SoundNew DressEngineering Challenges"Head of the Rake"Sterling Bonds of 1890Building the Transcontinental12 Creating an EmpireExpansion in MinnesotaControl of the Northern Pacific and the BurlingtonJockeying for Position in the NorthwestContinuing Skirmishes with the Canadian Pacific13 Developing the NorthwestOrganization and DevelopmentImproving and Strengthening Agriculture14 Men and MalletsMen and OrganizationFirst Years as a TranscontinentalFleshing OutTraffic Generation and the Ore LandsMotive Power, Rolling Stock, and RatesContentsPreface by Alfred D. Chandler, Jr.AcknowledgmentsIntroductionList of AbbreviationsPART I 1856 TO 19161 The First Ten Miles2 Frustrated by FinanceThe Branch Line Comes FirstMain Line WestGrowing PainsSettlers for the Land Freight Traffic4 Northern Pacific InterludeCompleting the Main LineThe St. Vincent Extension5 Legislation and LitigationConflict in Hard TimesLaws and Lawsuits6 The Associates Gain ControlNegotiating a Bond PurchaseCompleting Rail LinksEliminating Potential CompetitionTag Ends of a Long-Tailed Kite7 The ManitobaMen and OrganizationConstruction and Relations with Other RailroadsTerminals in the Twin CitiesFinancial Management8 Consolidations and AdjustmentsThe Canadian Pacific Strengthening CreditBoston Investors9 From Butte to BuffaloSystematizing AdministrationThe Long March to MontanaEastward to Buffalo10 Tensions in FinanceA New ProblemDissension, 1887-188911 On to Puget SoundNew DressEngineering Challenges"Head of the Rake"Sterling Bonds of 1890Building the Transcontinental12 Creating an EmpireExpansion in MinnesotaControl of the Northern Pacific and the BurlingtonJockeying for Position in the NorthwestContinuing Skirmishes with the Canadian Pacific13 Developing the NorthwestOrganization and DevelopmentImproving and Strengthening Agriculture14 Men and MalletsMen and OrganizationFirst Years as a TranscontinentalFleshing OutTraffic Generation and the Ore LandsMotive Power, Rolling Stock, and Rates15 Locals, Limiteds, and LinersExpansion and ImprovementsOf Things NauticalAdvertising, Glacier Park, and RockyExpress, Mail, and SilkPricing the Service16 Corporate Structure and FinanceEarly ExperienceConsolidating PropertiesFinances of a Maturing Railroad17 "Leading the Band"Basic PrinciplesUnion–Management Relations, 1883-1893The ARU Strike and Its AftermathToward Parity with Competitors, 1900-1916PART II 1916 TO 1970 23 An Attempted MergerIntroduction18 World War I and the USRAThe HeritageThe GN under Federal ControlReturn to Private Operation19 Of Good News and BadPreparing for ControlFrustrations and RealitiesFighting RecessionResuming Course-with a Difference20 Polishing the OperationUpgrading Plant and EquipmentReducing CostsConquering the CascadesBuilding Freight Traffic21 Passenger Business and ChangeThe St. Paul Union DepotHighway CompetitionUpgrading Transcontinental TravelAdvertising and Promotion24 Corporate HealthGrowth in Funded Debt Performance25 The Tangled Ways ofFinanceSetting the CourseFinancial ManagementOver the HurdleControlling Expense22 Expansion and Development More Branch LinesLure of CaliforniaFrustrations in ColonizingAgricultural Diversification and IrrigationNorthern Montana: Special Problems26 Traffic and Profits in AdversityThe Passenger DepartmentTruck CompetitionDevelopmental Programs and Federal StimulantsSurvival27 The Pressures of War- AgainGavin's PreparationsMobilizationCooperation under RegulationPerformance and Financial Policy28 Labor-Management Relations in Depression and War182 Cooperation in Hard TimesWar and Prosperity29 Prosperity Under StressExpectations and RealitiesMaximizing EfficiencyThe Operating and Financial Record30 John Budd and a Changing EnvironmentThe New TeamRailroads and Public PolicyGradual Changes31 Labor Tensions and PersonnelPoliciesManeuvers and CrisisWork Rules and CompensationPersonnel Policies32 Economic DevelopmentProgramsPromoting AgribusinessStimulating Industrial GrowthEncouraging the Mining Industry33 SD45s and Univac IIIMotive Power and Rolling StockRoad and Yard FacilitiesCentralized Traffic Control, Communications, and Computers34 "No Sacred Cows - or Goats"The Passenger DilemmaNew Departures in FreightTrafficA New Marketing StructurePerformance: A Mixed RecordNotesAppendix A Original Track-laying RecordAppendix B Track RemovalsAppendix C Great Northern Railway: Ruling Grades on Main Freight RoutesAppendix D Northern Pacific: Main Line Ruling Grades Minneapolis - SeattleBibliography and Notes on SourcesIndex35 The Last Spike is NeverDrivenThe Northern Lines-AgainContinuing the CampaignVictory