A collection amassed by a retired conductor successively employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak. It consists partly of company publications and documents collected on the job, and partly of advertisements, timetables, brochures, maps and other railroadiana from many different companies bought from dealers and other collectors. It is particularly useful for the Amtrak manuals relating to things like consumer satisfaction, employee health and safety and equipment maintenance.

Consists of reports, legislation, and hearings related to the bankruptcy and reorganization of select railroad lines, most of which Langdon played a major role. Subseries A comprises a series of preliminary reports from the 1930s and 1940s and covers regulations and law related to major freight carriers throughout the United States, as well as reports on the status and trends of various industries crucial to the success of motor, water, and rail freight carriers. Contained in Subseries B is a smaller amount of material dealing with the ICC's reorganization plan for the Erie Railroad in 1940. Langdon’s involvement with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad is documented in Subseries C, and includes testimony, ICC dockets, and other material related to the prospective merger of Rock Island with the Union Pacific and the former’s potential to develop into a profitable line. There is also correspondence between Langdon and Maury Klein, a Hagley fellow, regarding the Rock Island non-merger. Subseries D consists of material from Langdon’s effort to revitalize the bankrupt Penn Central Transportation Company (Penn Central). These include prospective reports, Langdon’s deposition regarding the company’s valuation and reorganization, as well as testimony from the valuation proceedings. Some maps are included and highlight lines to be acquired by Penn Central and other carriers. There are also several reports discussing Penn Central’s reorganization and the need for extensive financial existence from the government. Lastly, Subseries E contains reports touching on the problems of the Conrail organization, including inventory, its financial situation, and performance reviews. Other reports cover Conrail’s profitability, freight statistics, and operational comparisons with other freight carriers.

The Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) was incorporated in October 1974. It was formed under the auspices of the United States Railway Association, a quasi-public agency established for the purpose of solving the problems of bankrupt railroads in the Northeast and Midwest. The Conrail photograph collection consists of a large number of images from its company files, but the majority of the material comes from its predecessor companies: Pennsylvania Railroad and Penn Central Transportation Company. These items are predominanatly composed of photographs, negatives, transparencies, lantern slides, and films.

David Crumley Bevan (1906-1996) was the Chief Financial Officer of the Penn Central Transportation Company during its financial collapse in the early 1970s, the result of a poorly planned merger between the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and the New York Central Railroad Company in 1968. The papers document the initial bankruptcy of Penn Central in 1970 and the proceeding court cases against both the company and David Bevan personally, who was accused and later acquitted of financial mismanagement.

Edward R. Stickel (1928-2008) worked for the Penn Central Transportation Company, Amtrak, and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). His collection consists of copies of official documents relating to the commuter rail operations of SEPTA and its predecessors.

The Transportation Act of 1920 required railroads to file with the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) for permission to eliminate tracks from their system. The collections consists of index cards to finance dockets involving the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Transportation Company, and Conrail.

The Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company was the creation of a 1968 merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads. In 1970, the "Penn Central" Transportation Company filed for bankruptcy and auctioned off Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad memorabilia, pictures, and other materials. This collection consists of a poster for the auction of Penn Central railroad memorabilia. The poster includes images of lanterns and a locomotive, both in black, on brown paper with text announcing dates for auction and preview.

A complete set of employee timetables for each region and division of the Penn Central Railroad.

Robert Bruce Watson (1931-) was the Coordinator for the Northeast Corridor Project for the Penn Central Railroad. This collection contains photographs and postcards of the high-speed equipment used in the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project, including exteriors, interiors and details of trucks and other parts. There are several photographs of speakers at a train dedication event in 1996.

Professional career files of mechanical engineer Robert B. Watson (1931-) documenting his work on the development of high-speed trains in the years between 1966 and 1998, especially his involvement in the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project and the development of the first generation "Metroliners."

"The Lou Gordon Program" is a 90-minute radio show that interviews and discusses topics of public interest. This collection includes a letter to David C. Bevin from Lee C. Hanson and two audio reels of "The Lou Gordon Program."