1st Edition On Time G.M. Electro-Motive Division 1948 Franklin Reck w Provenance

Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corporation, 1948. First edition hardcover with dust jacket of On Time: The History of Electro-Motive Division of General Motors by Franklin Reck.

Gift bookplate inside the front cover signed by Cyrus R. Osborn, a significant executive at General Motors who eventually became vice president and general manager of the Electro-Motive Division in 1943. Beyond his leadership in the transition to diesel rail, Osborn is credited with inventing the railroad dome car in 1947 to enhance scenic views for passengers, and orchestrating the huge 1955 Powerama exhibition showcasing GM's industrial power. More notably, Osborn demonstrated personal courage by saving a Jewish man, Willy Hoffman, from Nazi Germany by securing him a job at GM's British subsidiary, Vauxhall Motors.

Reck chronicles the rise of the Electro-Motive Division from a small producer of rail motor cars in the 1920s to the dominant force in the diesel locomotive industry.

Good condition. Dust jacket worn along the edges, and the top and bottom of the spine. One folded page corner found to page 7. Solid book with shelf wear.