Pennsylvania Lines West of Pittsburgh. Office of General Manager.

The office of General Manager in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's Lines West organization was created on October 10, 1885, as a means of further integrating the operation of the railroad properties owned or operated by the Pennsylvania Company; the Chicago, St. Louis ? and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway Company. The post was a joint appointment of all three companies. He reported to the Vice President in charge of the Transportation Dept. and had a staff of officers responsible for the subsidiary functions of transportation, motive power, and maintenance of way. His territory was also broken up into several units called "Systems", each under the control of a General Superintendent, the General Manager's subordinate line officers.

The General Manager was the chief line officer in the Transportation (Operating) Dept., with direct responsibility for all facets of operations. This comprised all of the PRR's lines west of Pittsburgh, with the exceptions of the Grand Rapids & Indiana and the Terre Haute & Indianapolis/Vandalia systems, which were managed independently until 1920 and 1917 respectively. The Lines West organization was abolished under the reorganization of March 1, 1920, and the duties of the General Manager - Lines West were divided among the General Managers of the Central, Northwestern and Southwestern Regions.

The first General Manager of Lines West was James McCrea (1885-1890). He was followed by Joseph Wood (1890-1896); Leonor F. Loree (1896-1901); G. L. Potter (1901); George L. Peck (1901-1913); Benjamin McKeen (1913-1917); and D. F. Crawford (1917-1918). During the period of USRA control from February 26, 1918, to March 1, 1920, the duties of General Manager were exercised by G. L. Peck with the title of Federal Manager.