Was it professor Hilton that once wrote that there is an inverse relationship reference how obscure a railroad is and how much information could be be gleaned on it? Some say that David P. Morgan said it too. I seem to recall such a remark made in a book review on an obscure Cincinnati narrow gauge railroad book that was profuse (maybe a 1000 pages?)
I would like to quote that remark in a literary project I’m working on and can’t find the exact words or source.
Thanks in advance.
I’m vaguely recalling something like that from the late 1960’s - early 1970’s time period, but not real well.
I do know of White’s* Law of Railroad Scholarship, which is to the following effect:
“The amount of scholarship/ publication on a railroad subject is in inverse proportion to its importance.” [swg]
*John H. White, Jr., then Curator of Land Transportation of the Smithsonian Institution.
That’s too tantalizing a quote to just dismiss, but I can’t think of an easy or quick method to locate it in my bound paper copies of Trains. Perhaps some kind soul who now has the PDF format version DVD of the mag can do an electronic search for you/ us and let us know ? Thanks in advance !
OK! Professor. George W. Hilton? Make that a big question mark.
Link to some info on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hilton_(historian)
George Woodman Hilton, Phd. [Doctor of Economics] now Prof. Emeritus at U of Calif.LA School of Economics.
Also has authored several railroad books: [If you 'Google George W. Hilton] there are a number of links several contain glowing reviews of his work.
http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~pgordon/transit6.html
FTL: “…Consequently, I conclude that scholars are correct to study the Pacific Electric as important in the development of Southern California, and that local enthusiasts are extremely laudable in their preservation of representative examples of the company’s cars in the Perris trolley museum. On the other hand, it is no cause for regret that the Pacific electric is no longer in operation. Efforts to upgrade it have been a waste of capital and its operation could had been carried on only under substantial subsidy. Both of these would have amounted to a pure waste for, because of the considerations which I have started, the operation could have yielded no substantial external benefits…”
Quite an interesting man IMHO.
Some possibilities:
Turntable: A little information can be a
not having the whole story
by White, John H., Jr.
from Trains, April 1983 p. 66
Turntable: An end to potboilers
raising the level of railroad literature
by White, John H., Jr.
from Trains, February 1978 p. 66
Turntable: The why in history
the reasons for technical advance or regression
by White, John H., Jr.
from Trains, September 1977 p. 66
Turntable: No class
an interest in trains has no class, gets no respect
by White, John H., Jr
Thanks; Paul:
Appreciate the Bibliography![8D]
Another name I was not familiar with! Found this out:
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_H._White_(photojournalist)
Quite a story in his bio. FTL: “…When John H. White was nine years old, a teacher told him that he would grow up to work on a garbage truck because he was slow in math. At home, his father told him to grow up to his best, to look for the best in others, and if he were to work on a garbage truck, fine…just be sure he is the driver. White has said that this was a turning point in his life.[1]…”
"[OuotesFTL}…“The camera is this great tool, this wonderful passport, that allows me to go out there and be the eyes for others.”
[QuoteFTL]:"…“Good better best, Never let them rest, Till your good is better, And your better best”
Picked the above quote because they are very similar to encouragements that have been issued by Posters on this Forum, as well sound adviice for anyone. [2c]
If you can find any of Hilton’s books, get them. His works on things like cable cars, narrow gauge railroads, and interurbans (the latter co-authored with John Due) are very well written and meticuously researched. While they have lots of info of interst to railfans, they are serious historical works which go well beyond the typical railfan picture book fare. He also has several works on steamships.