The New York Central System was a huge, 10,000-mile railroad in the Northeast, stretching from New York City to Chicago and Boston to St. Louis. This book focuses on the St. Lawrence Division as it was during the 1940s-1960s; this was the glory period of its greatest modern-day years. This non-main line division, located in Upstate New York, contained more than 600 miles of track, including branches and running rights. The mid-20th century was a time of enormous change in the railroad industry. New technology affording economy, competition in transportation, reduced labor, and politics would be some of the factors leading to the change. Neighboring division crews had great respect for their "Hojack" colleagues, as was the division's nickname.