Book excerpt: Conrail and Its Predecessors is a photographic and textual history of Conrail. Learn how Conrail's predecessor railroads became mired in financial troubles and how Conrail was formed, subsidized by the government, and became profitable within five years. This book features: Brief histories of the Pennsylvania, New York Central, and other Conrail forerunners. The changing markets of the 1960s and 1970s. The formation of Conrail in 1976. Conrail's success in the 1980s. Conrail and predecessor routes and maps. And much more!