The story of the Northeast Corridor is the perfect example of railroad history, the editor of Railfanning.org told the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society.
“It’s the story of ingenuity, of grit and determination. Of visionaries and of communities,” Railfanning.org Editor Todd DeFeo told the historical society. “Anyone who has ever hopped a commuter train on the corridor is part of its history.”
“It originated from the idea of finding a better way to travel, of connecting towns and facilitating commerce,” DeFeo added.
DeFeo offered a virtual presentation, “Why the Northeast Corridor is the Greatest Rail Line and Metuchen the Best Station,” based on his book about the Northeast Corridor.
“Some days a trip along the Northeast Corridor may not feel as comfortable as our’ own firesides,’ but it surely beats a 20-hour wagon ride between Philadelphia and New York,” DeFeo said.
His presentation included information about New York City’s Penn Station, electrification of the Northeast Corridor and the 1977 Metuchen derailment, which illustrated the poor state of railroads in the 1970s.