# Event Details - **Event Name**: Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 05 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Thu, 05 Mar, 2026 at 08:30 pm - **Event Description**: Al Churella, Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger.About this Event https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/36b17190-9c0a-11f0-bc74-031dd7b2de88-rimg-w572-h740-dc74adc4-gmir.jpg Al Churella will return to Hagley for a talk based on the final volume of his landmark series. The Pennsylvania Railroad: Volume 3, The Long Decline, 1933-1968 concludes the story of this iconic transportation company, covering its long decline from the 1930s to its merger with the New York Central Railroad in 1968 to create the Penn Central. For his talk at Hagley, Churella will look closely at the end of his saga, the biggest merger in the history of American business that united the nation's two most famous railroads—the Pennsylvania and the New York Central. That union, a decade in the making, soon gave rise to the largest bankruptcy in the United States. More than the story of two failing railroads, the creation of Penn Central reflected the ills that plagued the railroad industry and the efforts of strong-willed individuals in business and government to reshape national economic priorities.Al Churella is professor in the Department of History and Philosophy at Kennesaw State College near Atlanta. He is the author (among other works) of The Pennsylvania Railroad: Volume 1, Building an Empire, 1846–1917 and The Pennsylvania Railroad, Volume 2: The Age of Limits, 1917-1933. Churella’s talk is drawn from his new book, The Pennsylvania Railroad: Volume 3: The Long Decline, 1933-1968, that will be available for sale and signing by the authorAuthor talks take place in Hagley’s Soda House Auditorium, starting at 7 pm promptly. Please email any questions to Carol Lockman, clockman@Hagley.org. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/wilmington/salvation-or-disaster-american-railroads-and-the-1968-penn-central-merger/100001720564748479 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Wilmington - **state**: DE - **country**: United States - **location**: Hagley Soda House - **lat**: 39.7880573 - **long**: -75.5811204 - **full address**: Hagley Soda House, 298 Buck Road, Wilmington, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/6b2c0319776821826e5bcb7f2058621957c4dd6e9874c6585670c090f8bc16a1-rimg-w1200-h1553-dc478cac-gmir.jpg?v=1759022829 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger being held? - **A:** Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger takes place on Thu, 05 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Thu, 05 Mar, 2026 at 08:30 pm at Hagley Soda House, 298 Buck Road, Wilmington, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger? - **A:** Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger is organized by Hagley Library. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Wilmington, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Salvation or Disaster? American Railroads and the 1968 Penn Central Merger sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Salvation or Disaster? 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