Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Western Region. Office of General Manager.

The Western Region of the Pennsylvania Railroad was created on June 1, 1925, by merging the former Northwestern and Southwestern Regions. The Western Region comprised the portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad west of Mansfield, Zanesville and Columbus, Ohio. The Western Region was abolished under the reorganization of November 1, 1955, and divided among the Buckeye, Northwestern and Southwestern Regions. It was restored with slightly different boundaries on March 1, 1964. At the Penn Central merger, it was combined with former New York Central lines to create a new Western Region and the Southern Region. The headquarters of the Western Region was located in Chicago.

The Regions were the second-level hierarchical units of the PRR, below the headquarters staff. They were in turn divided into Grand or General Divisions and further divided into Divisions. Because the Western Region was the most lightly travelled portion of the system, it did not have the full complement of officers found farther east. At its creation in 1925, the Western Region was divided into the Chicago Terminal, Cincinnati, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Logansport, Richmond, St. Louis and Toledo Divisions. On May 16, 1928, the Chicago Terminal, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Logansport and Toledo Divisions were grouped to form the Northwestern Grand Division, and the Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis and St. Louis Divisions were grouped to form the Southwestern Grand Division. This arrangement lasted until October 1, 1949, when the Grand Division level was abolished.

The head of the Operating Department at the regional level was the general manager. He was a line officer who reported horizontally to the regional vice president and through him to the vice president - operations at headquarters. The general managers of the Western Region were: T. B. Hamilton (1925-1926), H. E. Newcomet (1926-1929), W. C. Higginbottom (1929-1931), John C. Rill (1931-1935), J. C. White (1935-1939), James M. Symes (1939-1942), H. L. Nancarrow (1942-1945), P. E. Feucht (1945-1946), H. H. Pevler (1946), W. W. Patchell (1946-1948), J. P. Newell (1948-1951), J. B. Jones (1951-1953), J. D. Morris (1953-1955) and J. D. Fuchs (1955).

From the description of Records, 1922-1955 (bulk 1922-1939). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122370775