Frederick "Buck" Dumaine, Jr

As many of you already know, he was President and Chairman of the New Haven from 1951 to 1954, succeeding his father. All I could find on his tenure at the New Haven was that he increased maintenance and added trains (mostly passenger) throughout the system. What affect did he have on the New Haven, would they have been better off keeping him rather than McGinnis in 1954? How was his time at the New Haven overall?
C.J.V.

His father was regarded as a skinflint and tightwad. The Dumaine dynasty started with the Amoskeag Mills in Manchester, NH and later the Waltham Watch Co. Dumaine, Jr. probably worked to accomplish the same goals as the Old Man, but he had a pleasing demeanor. He completed dieselization and introduced the Budd RDC adding large numbers of trains - especially on the Old Colony Lines - so that schedules by 1954 were much heftier than at the start of his tenure. The Washboard MUs and EP-5s were ordered during his administration. The New Haven probably would have fared better, but still would have failed, had the Dumaine, Jr. administration stayed on. However, it was not to be. The same interests that pushed the New Haven's 1947 reorganization management out the door in favor of the elder Dumaine, pushed Junior out the door in favor of Maginnis.

Dumaine JR was a good railroader who did a good job on the New Haven. He went on to the Delaware & Hudson and later the Bangor and Aroostook and did well there too. Having said that I think the railroad would have done much better under Dumaine, JR than it did under McGinnis and Alpert BUT I think the railroad was doomed. The problem was the loss of freight business especially in the 70's and 80's with the departure of heavy industry. This topic has been disucssed both here and on the NHRHTA site for ages and ages but the issue is still the same. The New Haven Railroad failed because of gross mis-management helped by rising operating costs, loss of business and probably some more reasons. I did not like everything that happened after January 1, 1969 but much of what Penn Central and later Conrail did had to happen even though I thought otherwise during the period. If Dumaine, JR had lasted longer the railroad would have had a better chance of short term survival but the long term future was very uncertain and I don't think the railroad would have made it on its own.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for the responses, especially from Noel! Its always nice to have a firsthand account from someone who saw that period.
C.J.V.

To a degree, history seems to be repeating itself on Pan Am these days.