The internet can take some blame for that. Almost every shortline should have a website, most have an unofficial one as well, and most rosters are on the net. Kalmbach probably wants to sell their old issues before coming out with a new one, if they think it would still be profitable.
Actually, it is more an issue of someone taking the time to sit down and do it. In talking to Ed it is very time consuming to track down the 600+/- short lines and all their data. There has been enough change since the fourth edition to make this a daunting task to say the least and I doubt whatever Kalmbach pays for it would be worth the time required to put it all together. What should be done is the maintenance of a short line database, and perhaps it will come to that, but for those in the industry it is sometimes difficult to reach the forest when cutting individual trees is more than a full time job already. The ASLRRA hasa pretty good group of the short lines, but even it omits many of the interesting smaller lines.
LC
Another useful reference work would be a fairly recent issue of Jane’s World Railways. I purchased a copy a few years back and gives a pretty good accounting of the current state of railroading all over the globe.
Rush Loving’s The Men Who Loved Trains is a great continuation or companion to The Wreck of the Penn Central. Overlaps the beginning of Wreck and then brings it up to yesterday.
Because of those, I bought The Road of the Century by Alvin F. Harlow when I stumbled across it in an antique store in Maine. It add the front part to the two above, at least as far as the New York Central is concerned (up to 1947 that is). Enough stories and interesting facts to keep the history moving.
Also liked Robert Athearn’s Union Pacific Country and The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad are good for the same reason as Century. I like finding out about the personalities behind the development of the railroads almost as much as the railroads themselves.
Another good one that comes out occasionally:
Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia
LC
The Dilworth Story by Franklin M. Reck is a great read. Various jobs Dilworth held before working with EMC combined with his timely self study for those jobs put him in the perfect postion to develope the diesel-electric. Definitely a different time, he only had a half day of formal education his entire life. Jay
Can’t believe I forgot:
Brownie the Boomer
An autobiography of a man from the midwest who became a boomer trainman, and fireman all over the west in the early 20th Century and finally suffered a severe injury permanently disabling him after being dragged under a moving train. Great book of the times illustrating hardships we can only imagine in modern times
LC
For those who want to see what goes on below the wheels without selling the farm to acquire an AREMA manual:
A Practical Guide to Railway Engineering - AREMA C-24
Railway Engineering - WW Hay
Red for Danger by LTC Rolt. A history of railway accidents in Britain and the safety procedures that were (or usually weren’t) adopted as an outcome. Very compelling reading as you watch error pile upon error to produce a major disaster.
Lines of Country is an essential reference for Canadian railway historians. Shows all the rail lines showing the dates of construction and abandonment and traces the ownership. Also shows canals.
I would recommend Pacific Fruit Express. Carl, do you have any other recommendations?
H. Roger Grant… The Northwestern, The Corn Belt (CGW), etc
CC
The other is … Main Lines: Rebirth of the North American Railroads, 1970-2002
All About Railroading is now available in a Second Edition from Simmons Boardman Books.
LC
When it comes to freight cars, I have plenty of good books to recommend. If there is anything available in print by Eric A. Neubauer, snap it up–always fastidiously detailed and factual. He wrote good summaries of the ACF Center Flow covered hoppers, General American Airslide cars (both fairly dated now, unfortunately), and carbon-black covered hoppers of all builders. The Society of Freight Car Historians has published a number of freight car roster-type books in the past. Whether I’d recommend them for anyone’s personal library would depend on what you’re interested in–if the title appeals to you, get it!
If cabooses are your thing, grab any book by “Mr. Caboose”, Dwight Jones. He’s written volumes on B&O cabooses that have left no stone unturned in their research. There are also books by Dwight on C&O’s steel cabooses, Western Maryland cars, and–coming up shortly–cabooses of the DT&I.
Some of the greatest books never published are a trilogy of publications on C&O freight equipment, from 1937 to 1965. The first volume, on hopper cars, was published and is now out of print. Two more books cover the remainder of the C&O’s fleet–which, during some of this period, was the third-largest railroad-owned freight car roster in the country, behind PRR and NYC! If you’re interested, urge the C&O Historical Society to put them out–the work is pretty well completed. The writer has become a bit of a freight car researcher in his own right, and the editor has a fair reputation in these circles as well [;)].
Eric, I was given the first edition of the PFE book, and think it’s great! Second edition is supposed to be even better, I’ve been told.
I just found a pristine copy of Don Ball,Jr.'s classic America’s Colorful Railroads,a Pictorial History of the Rail’s Transition from Steam to Diesel This goes with the old, torn up copy I already have. This book thing, it’s a sickness-no?[;)]
When the Railroad Leaves Town (2 volumns - Western US and Eastern US)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0943549981/ref=pd_bxgy_img_b/104-5425401-0955126?ie=UTF8
In addition to telling what happened to the communities after railroad abandonment, These books give a briee history of the lines, why they were built and insight into why they were abandoned.
I’ll add a few:
Nothing Like it in the World, by Stephen E. Ambrose. The story of building the first transcontinental railroad
Landmarks on the Iron Road, by William D Middleton. Great achievements in railroad engineering.
Rio Grande Narrow Gauge, by John Norwood. Story of the Denver and Rio Grande.
Railway Disasters of the World, by Peter Semmens. Accounts of most major train accidents from the 20th century, also provides some insight as to how different railways around the world operated.
I would not recommend “Nothing Like It”. Is basically a rehash of parts of the story and strongly biased towards Dodge and the UP.
I would recommend “Empire Express”, I can not remember the author and am not at home so can not cite it. Was published farly recently so you should be able to get it new or used at Amazon or Borders.
Mac
A treasure I found in an antique bookstore was a book by Otto Kuehler entitled “My Iron Journey”. It’s autobiographical, and since Kuehler was an artist (as well as industrial designer), he lavishly illustrated the book. If you can find it, the funniest part in my mind was his description of stealing a French locomotive (he was a German soldier in the first World War) whilst drunk, and accidentally running the poor old steamer into hostile fire. Watch out, Rommel… Kuehler added new meaning to the term “reconnaiscance”!
Erik
I agree with you concerning Ambrose’s “Nothing Like It”. He cranked out a lot of books in his later years and it shows in the quality of this one. Empire Express is a good book with some fresh insight to the oft told tale of the UP/CP’s construction. The citation is Bain, David Haward; Empire Express, Building the First Transcontinental Railroad; Viking, 1999 (ISBN 0-670-80889-X)