Good book for technical introduction to railroads

Hello everyone: I’ve always loved trains. I’m looking for a good book that has a quasi-technical introduction to railroading- how tracks work, how locomotives are designed and driven, etc. However, most everything I’ve found so far seems to be fall into the category of “Trains are Cool for Kids!”, “Giant Coffee Table Book of Mostly Just Pictures”, or “900 Page Tome on How to Actually Sit Down and Design a Locomotive”. Anything out there that’s more technical than the second but less than the third? Not looking for a history book, but a description of modern railroading.

Cap’n, here’s your book:

https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-What-Does-Introduction-Railroading/dp/0911382585/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A8PHJTNOGJ5L&dchild=1&keywords=the+railroad+what+it+is+what+it+does&qid=1617674367&sprefix=The+railroad%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1

It was written to be used as an University textbook written by John Armstrong


Here is a modei railroad book that covers some of the same info as far as operations

https://www.amazon.com/Track-Planning-Realistic-Operation-Railroader/dp/0890242275/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=john+armstrong&qid=1617681970&s=books&sr=1

ohn Armstrong

Model Railroader

John H. Armstrong was a mechanical engineer, inven

This is the best introduction that I know of.

Mac McCulloch