Making of the New York and Erie Railroad Organizational Diagram

Summary

Org charts tend to be a rather boring affair—with their lists of names and who reports to whom—but they didn’t start out that way. One of the first in American business, is a stunning portrait of a classic institution—the New York and Erie Railroad. Drawn in 1855 and only rediscovered in recent decades, this diagram captured my attention and I finally took the time to recreate it from scratch as a fun technical exercise. What was unexpected was the depths I ended up going to in order to learn about its fascinating history. Source material Unlike my previous projects, the source one was not a lengthy book with hundreds of illustrations or scientific explanations, but a single image available at the Library of Congress. Original New York and Erie Railroad diagram (top) and details (bottom). Source: Library of Congress This sprawling diagram was designed by Daniel McCallum in 1855 shortly after he became general superintendent of the New York and Erie Railroad and drawn by Civil Engineer George Holt Henshaw. He created it as part of his efforts to improve accountability, operational efficiency, and lines of communications throughout the complex railroad system. Unfortunately, his insistence on enforcing rules he devised to govern all employees ultimately resulted in their resentment toward him, financial difficulties for the railroad as a whole, the first strike of railroad engineers in America, and his resignation. He was later appointed by President Lincoln to take charge of the United States Military Railroads due to his bridge and railroad expertise (Wrege et al., 2005). Despite its origins and the outcomes it precipitated, the diagram remains an impressive feat of design that up until just a few decades ago was relatively unknown. In 1977, railroad and economic historian Alfred Chandler Jr. described the diagram’s existence in his book, The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business by referencing other publications that covered it shortly after ...