“Sunset Limited: The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Development of the American West, 1850-1930”. By Richard Orsi, professor emeritus, California State University, Hayward. Available in print and ebook formats from Amazon and other sources. Amazon ebook priced at less than $15.00 US.
This is a book about a railroad, but it’s not a book about trains. It’s a book about a railroad and employee health care, it’s a book about a railroad and land settlement, it’s a book about a railroad and the development of water/irrigation resources, it’s a book about a railroad and agricultural development, it’s a book about a railroad and conservation, and, importantly, it’s a book about the railroad men of vision who used their knowledge, common sense, determination, and courage to help make good things happen.
I’ve literally been fascinated by railroads since birth. And that’s not really much of an exaggeration. I’m now 61 years old and have been reading about and studying the North America railroads for a good part of those 61 years. I do have a MS in transportation from Northwestern, I did work for a railroad in marketing management and I did work for a railroad supplier. (RoadRailer/Thrall Car Manufacturing)
Great review! Sometimes I wonder if you are not an undercover sales agent for Amazon. Oh, well, if I order it now the credit card charge won’t be due until late August.
Excellent book review. So often we as fans consider only the “trains” aspect of the industry. The economics, if we study it, is often just as fascinating. I am personally not to interested in railroad history other than in my lifetime. That is short sighted of me and is a deficiency which will probably not be addressed. Why in my lifetime? Not sure, perhaps it is due to the foundation of my railroad “experience” being a 1967 Official Guide of the Railways given to me by a family friend who worked for the Illinois Central.
However…this book sounds fascinating and I will break my barrier of 1955 and order it. I would also submit for your review the Maury Klein book on Union Pacific. Actually he has written 3 volumes, but the v3 deals with 1969 to present (titled The Reconfiguration. Americas GREatest Railroad from 1969 to Present). I just finished it and there is quite a bit of coverage on the Southern Pacific and it’s fall from grace.
Years ago, Mark Hemphill had a great article in TRAINS on the demise of the SP. I wonder…is there a book that details the modern history of SP? Fred Frailey has an excellent book on the Blue Streak Merchandise. From Klein’s book it was obvious that SP was propped up during the 70s-80’s by land sales.
One final comment on your book. You mention the detail that SP took to lease and sell farm land to local farmers. Back in the 1970’s in our hometown in Southern Illinois, my father decided that the IC’s ROW would make an excellent garden. He had recently retired and was looking to go big in gardening (he did and while we ate well, I didnt enjoy the work involved). He asked a train crew member and they gave him the name to contact in Champaign. He wrote a letter and soon a legal document arrived giving my father the right to lease the land for 5 years at a cost of $1 per year. He executed the lease and we ate really well for 5 years
Best modern history of SP that I know of is “The Southern Pacific 1901-1985” by Don L. Hofsommer. Published in 1986 by Texas A&M.
Hofsommer is a historian and the book clearly shows it. He had full access to SP records and management support but it is not a kiss up book. It would be great if he could bring it up to the UP merger, but have no idea if such a thing is in the works.
Thanks - I plan to read Klein’s book. I checked it on the Amazon site and, in addition to your recommendatiion, it has a five star review from Jim McClellan.
The only problem is that Klein has about five books that I’d like to read. He’s got his three volume series on the UP, then biographies of Jay Gould and E. H. Harriman. Sounds like a winter’s worth of reading - but I also want to read “Westmorland - the General Who Lost Vietnam” and build a model of the C&IM in the early 1950s.
Maybe we’ll get an early frost and I can get strated.
Huntington took an almost paternal interest in the employees of his Sacramento dry goods store before his involvement in the CP. Later on in life, he supported several colleges and universities set up for the freed slaves in the old South.
With regards to Frank Norris’s “The Octopus”, people still have trouble understanding that fiction is not fact. This is particularly true when it comes to “historical fiction”.
With regards to Maury Klein, I was particularly impressed by his book on the electric power industry, so would assume that his books on the Uncle P
That is considerable reading on the list. I picked up the book for $18 from Amazon. Having finished Klein’s book, I turned my attention back to “Leaders Count” by Lawrence Kaufman, which is a history of the BNSF’s (and predecessor railroads) executives. I read it several years ago, but wanted to compare it to Klein’s coverage of UP. Not bad book.
Look for my new thread asking for book suggestions.