Just curious to see what everyone’s favourite railroad book is.
Mine is McCulloch’s Wonder written by Barrie Sanford. How they got built a railway through some of the terrain was an engineering feat compared to building through the Rockies & the Fraser Canyon. Plus the competition between Canadian Pacific & Great Northern a hundred years ago must have been something fierce.
Twilight of Steam Locomotives by Ron Ziel.
It has a sense of sadness and urgency that is captivating to this day!
Jim Wrinn
Railroads of Nevada and eastern California by David Myrick, a two volume set, is by far the best book(s) on railroading in the Nevada and California east of the Sierras up to about 1962. Very in depth coverage of railroads that existed and some that never did. One vol. covers the northern lines and one the southern lines.
The Blue Streak by Fred Frailey is a close second. This book covers the era of the BSM on the SP/SSW and in doing so covers much of the history of the railroad(s) too. Highley recomended reading.
1- The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate - Morgan and Hastings
2- N&W - Giant of Steam - Jeffries
3- Guide to the North American Steam Locomotive - Drury
4- Apex of the Atlantics - Westing
Old Timer
Speedway to Sunshine by Seth Bramson the story of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC)
“A Treasury of Railroad Folklore” by Botkin And Harlow.
Trains in Transition by Lucius Beebe. I think this was the first real railroad book other than kiddie books that I owned. I still enjoy looking at it from time to time. It was a cheap reprint from somethng originally published circa 1940.
Someone should really republi***he Beebe photo books by trying to trace the original negatives, get a great developer of B&W involved, and use glossy paper.
Dave Nelson
I would recommend “Burlington Route”, by Richard C. Overton, which covers virtually the entire history of the CB&Q.
My favorite railroad book of all time would have to be The Southern Pacific In Oregon by Ed Austin and Tom Dill. SP in Oregon has some great pictures of the Salem Industrial Waterfront circa 1940s and '50s when it was bustling with activity and even had some electric locos since SP shared access wtih Oregon Electric in this area. Sadly the Salem Waterfront is little more than a parking lot today.
Books with a lot of 1st person accounts of railroading are my favorites. That being said,
“30 Years Over Donner” by Bill Fisher
“A Baggage Car with Lace Curtains” by Kay Fisher
“From the Cab” by Doug Riddell
“The Railroaders” by Stuart Leuthner
are four of the better ones that I have read lately.
Jay
Chad,
Thanks for this info. I spend a lot of time in e. CA and n. NV for work. I try to check out old rail lines/sites out there when I can. I just ordered a copy of this book from Amazon.
Regards,
Michael
I personally like to read railroad related books on the following: Diesel Locomotives, Railroad Rules and Regulations past and present, Railroad Signaling, History of certain roads, mainly PRR and C&O.
I believe the best RR book I have ever read was “Steam, Steel & Stars”. The reason why I used “believe” is for the fact I cannot remember if that is the exact name. The best B&W steam pics I have ever seen. Common, I was only 15yrs old, give me a little break.[#wstupid]
Yes the name of the book is steam,steel and stars.it is a book of black and white night photos taken by O.Winston Link during the final years of the Norfolk And Western Railroads use of steam locomotives.This was my favorite book when i was a young teenager i would check it out from my local library on a regular basis.I am 27 years old now an i just purchased this book on Ebay after going to the library and learning they discarded it a few years ago.quote]Originally posted by C40-2
I believe the best RR book I have ever read was “Steam, Steel & Stars”. The reason why I used “believe” is for the fact I cannot remember if that is the exact name. The best B&W steam pics I have ever seen. Common, I was only 15yrs old, give me a little break.[#wstupid]
[/quote]
east end and west end by charles roberts
stay safe
joe
I go along with Apex of the Atlantics (PRR E6) and Doug Riddell’s From the Cab. I’d like to add Giant’s Ladder, (David Moffat and the D&SL), Never on Wednesday (Rio Grande Zephyr), Narrow Gauge Through the Rockies (D&RGW and the Otto Miers lines by Lucious Beebe), the two CERA books on the North Shore, Here the Train Blow, an engineers story from the late 19th Century to about 1925, the CERA Indiana Railroad, the Magic Interurban
Quoth C40-2:
“I believe the best RR book I have ever read was “Steam, Steel & Stars”. The reason why I used “believe” is for the fact I cannot remember if that is the exact name. The best B&W steam pics I have ever seen. Common, I was only 15yrs old, give me a little break.”
If you liked SS&S, get “The Last Steam Railroad in North America”. More of Link’s work and better writing.
Old Timer
Thanks for the suggestion sir, I do believe I’ll look for it.[:D]
My favorite is Santa Fe: Steel Rails through California. A fascinating history, yet at the same time, beautiful pictures by Donald Duke and Stan Kistler of big steam on Cajon, Tehachapi, as well as a few of trains at the Pasadena station. Some of the best steam glory shots I’ve ever seen. Well written as well.
A close second is The Overland Route (the small paperback from Carstens). Wonderful pictures. Talk about steam locomotion at its finest! All arrangements of late era UP steam.
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
Almost and of the books by the late Don Ball. My favorite was Portrait of the Rails. The introduction was by DPM and there is a photo early in the book that I call “Hero Worship” (children with an engineer and fireman) that really is expressive.