Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Dept. of Special Services.

The Special Services Dept. was created on November 1, 1955 as the Research & Development Dept. and was renamed the Dept. of Special Services on March 1, 1958. It lasted until the consummation of the Penn Central merger of February 1, 1968, at which time it was abolished.

The department had its beginnings in March 1953, when W. W. Patchell was appointed vice president and put in charge of special projects, particularly those connected with the long-distance and commuter passenger problems. Patchell's title was changed to Vice President-Research & Development in 1955. Despite its name, the R&D Dept. was not devoted to technical research but rather to special interdepartmental projects that required both technical and marketing inputs. The first important projects were piggyback transportation and the development of lightweight, low-center-of-gravity passenger trains.

With the success of the former and the failure of the latter well established by 1958, the department was renamed, and Patchell's title was changed to Vice President-Special Services. This change reflected the acknowledgement that the department was not really involved with traditional R&D. The primary project assigned to the new department was the planning for the proposed merger with the New York Central. It also handled relations with local and state transit agencies and with the federal government relating to subsidies for commuter operations and for improvements to passenger service in the Northeast Corridor that eventually resulted in the first generation of Metroliners.

John D. Morris was assigned as Patchell's chief assistant, with the title of Director-Special Services, on January 15, 1962. When Patchell retired on October 1, 1963, he became department head. Morris was elevated to Assistant Vice President-Special Services on March 9, 1965, and to Vice President-Special Services on January 1, 1967. Morris' assistant, James W. Diffenderfer, was promoted to succeed him.