Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History

Model Railway Express ( UK ), Winter 2007 “Index: Excellent.” Steam Railroad Magazine ( UK ), Winter 2007 “F or devotees of transatlantic trains, it is an excellent gift.” Scale Rails, November 2007 “Railroads Across North America is an entertaining account of railroading in the US and Canada … An essential volume for hard-core railfans, casual enthusiasts and those interested in the central role that railroads have played in the history of a continent!” Polish American Journal , November 2007 “Older readers will enjoy stoking the fires of their memory.xa0 Younger readers will be amazed at the scope of railroads in American life.xa0 All readers will find that the railroads of yesteryear are still here—both as preserved railways they can ride and in museums they can visit.” Midwest Book Review/Wisconsin Bookwatch , November 2007 “Train travel enthusiast and photographer Claude Wiatrowski is … in a particularly knowledgeable position to crate a profusely illustrated history of American railroads and has done so with Railroads Across North America, an amazingly informed and informative 256-page compendium of information and images ranging from the first steam-powered locomotives of the 1800’s down to the high-speed commuter trains of today.” Belfast “For railroad enthusiasts, this is undoubtedly a collector’s item.” Newsletter , Sept. 29, 2007 Sirreadalot.org, Sept. 15, 2007 “From the night of yester-year’s rail empires to the railroad’s current roles. The book is the fabulously colorful story of the industry that moved nations and stirred imaginations. In this authoritative volume, Wiatrowski leaves no stone unturned, presenting the railroad’s beginning, its evolving role in daily life, the technological marvels, and its intersections with popular culture.” From the Inside Flap In this lavish celebration of the glory and grandeur that are the great North American railroad, author Claude Wiatrowski examines the development of the industry with nearly 90 features covering more than three dozen railroads past and present, as well as dozens more subjects, including railroads in film and music, specialty railroads, life and travel on the rails, and much more. Beginning with a few tentative steps in the 1820s and continuing through the robber barons, Depression, prosperity, and merger, right up to today’s rail renaissance, the railroad remains essential to North American industry and our everyday lives. Although the rich tapestry of iconic rail lines that once crisscrossed the continent has been merged, contracted, and otherwise cut down to more appropriate proportions, today’s rail industry continues the spirit of relentless technological innovation that has always been its hallmark, supported by seven robust “Class 1” railways, a host of thriving regional short lines, and renewed public interest in passenger transport. Wiatrowski, a rail author and award-winning video producer, generously illustrates the text with an array of material, including vintage black-and-white and modern color photographs, period advertisements, maps, brochures, timetables, postcards, posters, menus, and other collectibles—nearly 600 pieces in all, many of them rarely seen! Also included are a list of Web resources and contact information for museums, preserved railways, and historic sites throughout the United States and Canada. From the might of yesteryear’s rail empires to the railroad’s current roles, here is the fabulously colorful story of the industry that moved nations and stirs imaginations to this day. From the first steam-powered locomotives of the early nineteenth century to today’s high-speed commuter trains, the North American railroad is a great engine powering growth and industry. In this authoritative volume, rail author and award-winning video producer Claude Wiatrowski offers a celebration befitting that legacy. Railroads Across North America is an entertaining account of railroading in the United States and Canada lavishly illustrated with vintage and modern photographs, period advertisements, maps, timetables, postcards, brochures, and more—nearly 600 images in all. Wiatrowski leaves no stone unturned, presenting the railroad’s beginnings, its evolving role in daily life, the technological marvels, and intersections with popular culture. The author also includes a list of Web resources and contact information for museums, preserved railways, and historic sites throughout the United States and Canada. An essential volume for hardcore railfans, casual enthusiasts, and those interested in the central role railroads have played in the history of a continent! Claude Wiatrowski has written or contributed photos to several books on railroading as well as Colorado history. He is the author of Railroads of Colorado, published by Voyageur Press in 2002. Dr. Wiatrowski also produces videos on historic railroads. His productions have won Telly and Teddy awards and one was selected for the Library of Congress Local Legacies Program. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction What is it that quickens the pulse when a train passes? If you have ever stood near a high-speed train (but not too close!), you know of the roar of engines, the blurring of colors, the shaking of the ground. The experience is all the more moving if a steam locomotive is pulling the train. The smells of coal smoke and hot oil. The shriek of the whistle. The clanking of the rods. The rapid-fire sound of the exhaust. It is no wonder that a large community of fans follows these steel monsters. Magazines are printed. Books are published. Videos, computer games, and simulations are produced. Miniature railroad empires grow in basements! I understand that fans exist for all modes of transportation. But airplanes are too high to see en route. Neither trucks nor buses have the size and majesty of a train. Ships spend most of their time on the high seas. Perhaps antique automobiles come closest to trains in inspiring aficionados. It's not just the railfan who has an interest. Almost everyone follows the trials and tribulations of the U.S. railroad passenger service. Though they may not ride trains, they are sorry to see them decline, because they know they are such an important part of U.S. history. They also have a vague, and quite correct, feeling that passenger trains should be making their travels easier if only they worked. Anyone who has traveled the European railroad systems knows that U.S. policy toward rail transport is seriously lacking. I know that you are interested in trains or you wouldn't be holding this book in your hands. The basic thread of the text, presented in five chapters, is a short history of U.S. railroads from their very beginnings to the present. Scattered among those chapters are dozens upon dozens of sidebars covering everything from Circus and Carnival Trains to Snow Plows. If you are not up to reading every word, you might page through the book and chose sidebars of interest to you. You might enjoy topics of general interest such as Streamliners or Steam Locomotives. You may want to read about a particular railroad that served, or still serves, the area in which you live or in which you were born. Or, consider reading the captions of photos you find compelling. Many tell short, interesting stories about the image they describe. The history of U.S. and Canadian railroads would fill volumes. Every topic in this book has been documented by one or more books and videos. Thus, this short volume is an abbreviated look at U.S. and Canadian railroads. I hope you find the time to visit a preserved railway or railroad museum--some are listed in Appendix B--and experience how railroads once impacted the daily life of Americans. Many such railroads and museums have gift shops that feature a variety of additional books and videos on railroad subjects. Model railroad hobby shops and bookstores (physical or Web-based) are additional sources for materials on the subject. Buy a few railroad magazines just to scan the advertisements. You'll find tour companies ready to send you riding trains in Colorado or China! Wave at a train. The engineer will almost surely wave back. There is a long tradition of friendly communication between train watchers and railroad employees. Compare those friendly waves to the kinds of hand gestures sometimes exchanged between automobile drivers! For those of you who remember railroads in their prime, I hope this book brings back happy memories. For younger readers, who know railroads only as coal trains blocking their automobiles, you will find this book a pleasant surprise as you discover the many facets of railroading. Read more