Firing on the Pennsy goes hand and hand with Set Up Running. A short but interesting read.
On a regional note (and perhaps of interest to those who favor logging roads):
Fairy Tale Railroad, Henry Harter - about William Seward Webb’s Mohawk and Malone through the central Adirondacks.
Rails in the North Woods, Allen-Gove-Maloney-Palmer, about logging and other railroads in the western Adirondacks with some information about Pennsylvania.
Where Did the Tracks Go in the Western Adirondacks, Michael Kudish. Third edition of his outstanding books about railroads in the Adirondacks. The second ran 500 pages, this would have been well over 700, so it was broken up into three separate volumes - Western, Central (including Webb’s railroad, and due out last spring, but it won’t be out until next? spring), Eastern (date TBA), plus the addition of a fourth volume about the railroads of the Catskills.
You’ll have to search for them yourself, although I do know that all three are in print now.
Mike Bednar’s outstanding books about the Lehigh Valley Railroad and railroading in Northeast Pennsylvania are also on my list.
LC
I’m 3/4 done with The Fallen Colossus, about the formation and failure of the Penn Central. Today I got my copy of The Men Who Loved Trains.[:D]
I’ll have to find a ggod book on railroading’s famous personalities. Robert Young semed to be a real piece of work. Alfred Pearlman and Stuart Saunders have always been interesting to read about.
Murphy:
Who is the author of Fallen Colossus? Sounds like a great subject. Years ago I read Wreck of the Penn Central. You will enjoy Men Who Loved Trains.
Has anyone read Harry Bruce’s privately published book? I would like to get that.
ed
As promised- a book report for Ed/MP173: The Fallen Colossus by Robert Sobel.(1977)
This is a book about about the lead-up, formation, and ultimate failure of the Penn Central. It gives a historical background of NYC and PRR, and the eastern railroad scene that lead up to collapse of PC. Good explanations are given for the “why it happened”, and “why it was bound to happen”, not just simply “what happened”. Fortuneately, there was a little more depth into the personalities of the major players than is usually given on this subject. I know Ed will like this book, as it goes into some detail on the financial aspects of what was going on behind the scenes leading up to the bankruptsy. The financial part is written so that even I understand it-a bonus. The most interesting part to me, was that it was written in 1977, but a lot of the goings-on in the PC finances made me think of Enron, and the dot-com collapse. I think if someone wrote another chapter, with 30 more years of eastern railway history behind us, the understanding and the story would be even better! I’ve read The Wreck of the Penn Central a couple of times. In comparison, it almost seems like the magazine version of the whole story. 345 pages, and not a sinle photograph[xx(]. This was a book worth reading, even for someone who never saw a PRR,NYC,PC, or even a CR train in his life.
Murph:
The Men Who Loved Trains is the logical next book for you to read. It dovetails nicely into the historical perspective of The Fallen…
Also, you should consider the Richard Saunders volumes on mergers in the railroads. Excellent discussions, a bit dry at times, but extremely informative. I got both from the local library, I should just open the wallet and add to my library.
ed
Ed-I’ve read both of the Richard Saunders books. I agree with your description of them. Last night, I read most of the first chapter of The Men Who Loved Trains. It’s interesting, and I like the author’s style.
My turn- For fans of the the B&O consider the following books from Barnard, Roberts Publishing
Impossible Challenge II by Herbert H. Harwood Jr.
covers the complete history of the B&O between Baltimore and Harper’s Ferry from 1827 to the 1990’s very detail covers all line changes, operations, and early construction, tons of photos and maps.
East End: B&O’s Neck of the Bottle by Charles S. Roberts
covers the B&O from Washington DC to Cumberland, MD again lots of insight covers line relocations including the Magnolia Cutoff, Operations, etc. Lots of photos and maps.
West End by Charles S. Roberts covers the B&O from Cumberland to Grafton, VA over four very difficult mountain grades.
Sand Patch by Charles S. Roberts covers the B&O from Cumberland to Pittsburgh
And for PRR fans the same company also produced a series covering the Pennsy from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, to Washington, and to New York. Triumph I, II, III, etc.
I have every book in both series, which set me back some serious money but I feel they were worth it, tons of detail.
For you other guys see if you can find these books by Interlibrary loan.
Thought I’d restart this thread. Any new book recommendations?
LC
You’ve got time to read? Filed your income taxes yet?
No time. Looking ahead to my next plane trip. As to taxes, I don’t worry about it as I generally get a refund. After all, I’m in the railroad business…
LC
Several that we found useful in our March article would be “To Hell in a Day Coach”, by Peter Lyon, Lippincott 1968, which provides a wonderful overview of the rail industry up to about the publication date; plus Dave DeBoer’s book “Piggyback and Containers”. Also it goes without saying that two of the best recent industry overviews have been Rich Saunders’ “Merging Lines” and “Main Lines”, and I’m not just saying that because some of my previous writings were quoted in both.
J. Giblin
For steam fans, I would suggest any Lloyd Stagner book. I really liked his writing “Steam Final In Kansas” which covered the final yrs of Mopac steam in the wheat state. He has also written on the final yrs of Rock Island, Santa Fe, Frisco and UP steam operations plus a history of the Midland Valley. These were through South Platte Press. Several Morning Sun Books are also the result of his work that cover the Santa Fe, Rock Island, Illinois Central, Chicago Great Wstrn and UP. Lloyd is long retired from ATSF who resides in KS and is a walking textbook on rr history.
Literarily speaking, this may be “coals to Newcastle,” but after I read The Wreck of the Penn Central and The Men Who Loved Trains, I tackled Richard Saunders, Jr.'s, Merging Lines (1900-1970) and its historical sequel, Main Lines (1970-2002). Both volumes are wonderfully written and mesh well; in fact, those who first read Merging Lines can skip all of Chapter One of Main Lines! Saunders has created a nice strong narrative based on the assumption that the evolution of American railroads from the turn of the last century 'til 2002 is best organized and analyzed according to corporate RR mergers. And it works; or at least IMHO it does. Saunders is the kind of writer who makes dull stuff compelling – not everything is a tale or corporate skullduggery or bios of heroic individuals – and I liked it all. Of course, the author can’t spend as much time on the Penn Central demise as The Wreck of the Penn Central, Fallen Colossus or No Way to Run a Railroad; but even so I learned a lot about that sad chapter of American railroading history. Time-consuming, but not particularly difficult (he doesn’t dwell on corporate history any more than he has to), and IMHO well worth the trouble. - a.s.