Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Industrial Engineering Dept.

The Industrial Engineering Department was created as a subunit of the Operating Department on March 14, 1962. It was abolished upon consummation of the Penn Central merger on February 1, 1968.

The department was formed in the wake of mounting traffic and financial losses that began in 1957 with the object of conserving funds through greater efficiency.

As structured, the Director of Industrial Engineering reported to the Vice President-Operations. He was assisted by an Engineer-Methods & Cost Control, and by Industrial Engineers at the regional level. The first Director of Industrial Engineering was R. E. Franklin (1962-1963). He was succeeded by L. Stanley Crane (1963-1965), who was "on loan" from the Southern Railway Company, then a recognized leader in industrial efficiency in the railroad industry. Crane would later supervise the massive rehabilitation of the property during the 1980s as CEO of Conrail. Crane was followed by Charles L. Towle (1965-1967) and D. E. Pergrin (1967-1968).

The work of the department consisted largely in making efficiency studies of company installations, primarily with an eye to eliminating unnecessary labor and making payroll reductions and with arranging consolidation of duplicate facilities with other railroads.

From the description of Records, 1945-1966 (bulk 1963-1966). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122503453