Today's market is saturated with railroad books, both prototype and model. I am amazed at the number of dealers who continue to offer out of print railroad books in deplorable conditions at unrealistic over inflated prices. Many of these books from the 40s and 50s for example have either none or worn, torn, dirty, dustjackets, faded covers, and/or yellowed pages, coffee, water, or tobacco stains, and are offered at prices starting around $25.00. Most of these books originally cost less than $10.00 when first published.
I for one refuse to pay such prices for books in this category and I imigine many other railfans feel the same way but would still like a copy of a particular title on their favorite railroad. In recent years several of these classics have been and are being reprinted. Many have photos that have been remastered and are clear, sharp and printed on high gloss paper and in most cases cost less than the original printings offered by the used book dealers today! The excellent books by the late Richard Prince published by Indiana University Press are prime examples.
Are there any of these classics that you would like to see reprinted at an affordable price? I for one would like to see the return of the excellent books written by the late S. Kip Farrington, Jr. They were "working" railroad books. Farrington visited general offices, yards, shops, even rode the trains, and reported what made the railroads run from the president to gandy dancer. The books featured multiple railroads, most of which are now Fallen Flags.
Railroading has changed dramatically over the years with fully automated trains and "belly pack" locomotive controls being the norm today. Farrington's books take one back to the times when man mastered the machine and not vice versa as it is now in most cases.
Which books would you like to see reprinted, perhaps even expanded to include additional material and photos that the original printings lacked? If there are enough requests for particular titles there is a good possibility we can see them return to find a place on the shelves of railfans and model railroaders alike at decent prices!
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Looking for out-of-print railroad books?
There's only one way that works, at least for me. You've just got to get out there and beat the bushes, train shows, antique shows, flea markets, antiquarian book fairs, antique shops and thrift stores, "friends of the library" donation sales, you name it. That's what I do, and if you're patient, it usually pays off. If you're really lucky, there might be a hobby shop in the area where the owner actively solicits railbooks for purchase and resale, I've had pretty good luck at places like that as well.
Mind you, used book dealers, not the ones who specialize in railbooks by the way, have told me that railbooks don't stay around very long if and when they get them, so a certain amount of luck is involved. Your luck might be better if you live in an area with a high population density like the Northeast or Chicagoland. In an area with a light population density you've got your work cut out for you.
Price? I've got a limit beyond which I just won't go. If it's too dear I'll just live without it, I'm not going to die if I don't get "that one item that NOBODY else has!"
As far as reprinting, I'm sure we've all seen those reprints of classic Lucius Beebe books where the photo reproduction is dark and smoky. I've been lucky enough to find some original Beebe works so the reprints I had I just donated to a museum fundraiser sale. Echoing what Henry said, if a reprint can't be done properly, what's the point?
Good hunting!
I guess you're right guys. I understand that the 5th ed. of Richard Wright's big SP Daylight book isn't near the quality of the earlier editions. The original Beebe books are classics themselves and yes, the Bonanza reprints were really yucky compared to the first editons.
Just to give everyone an idea of the success I've had:
Howell-North editions (top quality) of Lucius Beebe's "Mixed Train Daily", "20th Century Limited", and "Age of Steam".
A first edition of Major Jeffries "Norfolk and Western- Giant of Steam", de-acessioned from the Library of Congress, of all things.
First edition of Don Ball's "America's Colorful Railroads." Anyone else miss Don Ball as much as I do?
Robert Selph Henry's "This Fascinating Railroad Business."
There's others but why belabor the point?
All from antique shops and shows, and at decent prices too. Maybe the exhibitors didn't know what they had? Maybe I don't care if they didn't?
So it goes to show you, the stuff's out there but you've got to find it, it usually won't find you.
By the way, I don't do anything on-line. I want to see it before I put my money down.
Yes I just paid $25 for a classic book at a train show, which was about double what the book cost new 40+ years ago. However, have you seen the price of new RR books. Many are $50.
Oh yeah, new train books can be expensive, but you have to look at it this way.
When someone like Morning Sun puts out one of their "Fill In The Blank Railroad in Color" books or "Trackside Along The Fill In the Blank in Color" those are pretty expensive to produce to begin with, then add in the fact you're looking at a limited market and the price goes up even more.
Is it worth it? Well that's up to you. In the case of Morning Sun I've taken the plunge fourteen times over the last 20 years and NEVER been disappointed. All are top quality and will be around and intact long after I'm gone. As far as a railbook or anything else is concerned if I like it, I buy it. As I said earlier if it's too much in my opinion I'll pass it by.
An example: I was at a train show and an exhibitor had a "Locomotive Cyclopedia" from 1948 for sale. There wasn't any price on it (which makes me nervous, by the way) so I asked. The guy wanted $125 for it. Thirty years ago I'd have roared out "WHAT! ARE YOU ON DRUGS?" But now, I just gave a smile, said "thank you" , put it on the shelf and walked away.
Only you know what's right for you.
Trinity River Bottoms Boomer Today's market is saturated with railroad books, both prototype and model. I am amazed at the number of dealers who continue to offer out of print railroad books in deplorable conditions at unrealistic over inflated prices. Many of these books from the 40s and 50s for example have either none or worn, torn, dirty, dustjackets, faded covers, and/or yellowed pages, coffee, water, or tobacco stains, and are offered at prices starting around $25.00. Most of these books originally cost less than $10.00 when first published.
Last weekend I was visiting with the owner of an antique shop whom I've known for quite a few years. He is a retired locomotive engineer, starting with the RI in 1956 and retiring off the IAIS in the 1990s. He said when he started on the RI, an 8 hour day for a fireman on a switch engine paid $12.46. He said he thought he had the world by the tail back then. That before hiring out he worked in a body shop making $40 a week, 5 full days plus a half day on Saturday.
That $10 book from the 1950s all of a sudden doesn't sound so cheap. Nor does it now going for $25 sound too out of line.
Jeff
Perhaps I missed my own point? I have no problem purchasing a pre-owned book if it is clean, complete, free of markings, torn pages, stains, and has a dustjacket (even worn). I have approached the respected well known artist of railroad paintings, Gil Bennett, to consider producing generic dustjackets in various sizes for books that have lost theirs for any reason.
They would have one of his paintings on the front cover, a profile of him on the rear cover, and advertising for his paintings on the flaps. So, if you have a book on the SP for example and want to protect the book with a dj all you would have to do is purchase one of his jackets with an Espee painting on the cover! Instead of the name of any of the books, they would include the name of the painting instead., which avoids any copyright infringes at the same time.
I have no gripe about the current price of railroad books on the market either. The color books are a bargan regardless if they cost $50 or $80. Divide the number of color photos by the price of the book and where can you find so many color pix of your favorite Fallen Flag for a price like that? Most Baby Boomers like me (I was BLT 7-4-46 in Dallas, Tex.) were too young to remember the last of steam and early 50s diesels or electrics on our "Home Town" roads and if we do it is but a faded memory today.
I remember the last of steam on Katy, Cotton Belt, even the Hustler on the T&NO behind Daylight painted 4-6-2s and of course Dallas Union Terminal's 8 Spot 0-6-0 (which was built to SP specs by the way) and still survives at the MAR, the former Age of Steam Museum, in Frisco, Tex. But I didn't know the fine art of taking pix of trains nor did I own a camera. I wasn't blessed with a railfan family member who took pix of trains either. My grandfather would take me down trackside north of Dallas in Farmers Branch (where I lived with him and my grandmother on their small chicken farm) to watch the northbound night freight on Katy making it's run to far off Wichita Falls in the early 50s behind steam with a melting snowcone in my hand that he had bought me at Markum's Grocery & Mkt on old US 77!
However, these memories survive without photos, so it is really neat to be able to relive them today thanks to the railfans who took pix back then, especially in color! We all owe them a special thank you for sharing them with us through the pages of the many fine books that continue to hit the market almost on a monthly basis! Indeed, nobody forces us to buy a book that is priced above our budget and they can be found if one is willing to wait for the opportunity and if you are lucky, you get it at a Nice Price to boot!
I just found a mint copy of the out of print paperback "Get Off and Push" which is the story of the long gone Northern Pacific orphan railroad Gimore & Pittsburgh which operated in Montana and Idaho. I found a few copies advertised at $100 plus and found mine for $49.98! Yup, the bargans are there and no, I didn't hesitate a single minute to purchase this copy!
I'm preparing to sell off the bulk of my collection which includes out of print titles by Steve Goen in addition to other books on Texas railroads and even a few Colorado books as well, as I have "relocated" my interest to the Great Pacific Northwest. Now retired, on a fixed income and limited budget due to medical expenses, I will only purchase books from this part of God's Country and the $$$ I receive from selling off these books will enable me to expand my library on the railroads in one of America's most scenic regions.
Enjoy your books full of memories. I am!
Firelock76 Oh yeah, new train books can be expensive, but you have to look at it this way. When someone like Morning Sun puts out one of their "Fill In The Blank Railroad in Color" books or "Trackside Along The Fill In the Blank in Color" those are pretty expensive to produce to begin with, then add in the fact you're looking at a limited market and the price goes up even more.
Firelock has it exactly right. The small market is the killer. Most of the expense of producing a book is in that first copy. If you can sell that first copy, plus thousands more, you're in clover. Most railroad books, I'm sure, sell that first copy, plus hundreds -- and, with that expectation, are priced accordingly by the publisher.
We book-buyers are just lucky a few people -- fellow fans, usually -- are dedicated enough to still be in such a small-potatoes market. They aren't getting rich off it!
Right you are Fred, they aren't getting rich off it, but I'm sure they're making a decent living just the same. If you're not greedy, that's usually good enough.
By the way, we should all offer up a silent prayer of thanks for all those railfan photographers and filmakers from years ago who spent the time and money to document what was and will never be again, especially the ones who stretched the budget to do it in color. It gives some of us a chance to remember and others like me who aren't old enough to remember the glory years the opportunity to get an idea of what it was like.
Thank you gentlemen, wherever you are!
Amen Firelock! I agree with you 100%. I was presented with some Ektachromes from a gentleman in Florida a good number of years ago and taken in the late 40s, 50s and into the 60s. ACL purple, SAL citrus, FEC (Florida "Daylight" I call it), Jax Terminal, shortlines, even a beautiful set of F7s in perfect ABBA formation on the CGW in Iowa!
I'm scared to laon them to the publishers for fear the US Postal Service will loose them but you can still find related photos in the great selection of color railroad books on the market today. Color railroad books haven't been around that long. The great late Don Ball sorta got the "highball" rolling on them and then along came Morning Sun and other fine publishers followed.
When you take a $60.00 book and divide the number of photos in the 128 pages they are indeed a bargan and most are Fallen Flags that I too remember but didn't have a railfan family member who took pix in those days, so I too am thankful for the hearty who spent a dollar or two extra to shoot pix in color.
You are so right to extend a special Thank You to all of these pioneer railfans who took color pix so we can enjoy them today!
Have you considered scanning them and uploading them to railpictures.net or rrpicturearchives.net?
NorthWestHave you considered scanning them and uploading them to railpictures.net or rrpicturearchives.net?
I was talking about TRBB's unique Ektachrome slides, which he owns the copyright. Sorry for the confusion, I should have quoted him.
NorthWestI was talking about TRBB's unique Ektachrome slides, which he owns the copyright. Sorry for the confusion, I should have quoted him.
Hi there Trinity! Listen, if you've got an offer from a publisher to make use of your Ektachromes there's other ways to get them there besides the post office. UPS, FedEx, you name it. Or if the post office is all you've got send them registered mail, delivery is assured. So if you can make some money on them don't be shy, we can all use a little extra dough, right?
One scary thing: Another poster advised you to have them scanned to s disc. Good advice! Ektachromes don't last as long as Kodachromes do, eventually color shift is very likely to take place and the images can wind up useless.
That's another good thing about publishers like Morning Sun. Once those color images are printed in book form they're damn near permanent, they'll never fade or shift, unless you leave the page open to direct sunlight, and even then you'll only lose two pages at the most.
henry6Glad you qualified and explained that. I thought you were talking about out of print or scarce books. But often I find railfans don't understand or respect copyrights and copyright material and start using pictures without permission of the owner.
Indeed. I've found it to be a problem with the general populace as well.
Ektachromes can be saved by Photoshop, although I don't know how.
Ektachromes have been salvaged by scanning and then color-correction prior to permanent recording on a disc or other media. But it's an expensive process.
The trouble is, I'm not sure anyone knows how to prevent Ektachrome deterioration. I've heard it can be slowed by storing the slides in a cool place, but I'm not sure.
Best to have them scanned before the deterioration begins.
The slides have been properly stored in a nice cool basement and none show any signs of discolor so far. I am planning to return from Germany to the States on a Fact Finding Mission to determine if I want to relocate "Back Home" for good. I am originally from Dallas, Texas, and know Don Ross personally. Don lives in Irving and has a huge collection of railroad related photos on his site at www.donrossgroup.net. I plan to let him use the slides and then I will probably put the collection up for sale in a one lot deal.
This will include the "recent" subjects too from the 60s forward. Lot of Fallen Flags from Florida and Texas as well as a few other locations in the US as well.
I will settle in the Pacific Northwest and shake the Texas dust off my boots for good!
Yes, what gripes me is that many are selling used books on ebay and listing them as "New" for books that have been out of print a long, long time though in good condition. I am surprised that ebay is not picking up on that. I suppose some of these books could have been packed away some years ago by a collector and not read, but I suspect that's not the case for the majority of them.
Occasionaly, I sell my book, Railroading on the Wabash Fourth District on ebay that was printed in December. Though it has been about 7 months since it came out, it still meets ebay's "New" classification, as the books are right out of the boxes shipped to me from the book printer and they have not been thumbed through.
Victor Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com/
I have recently been considering selling my entire 960 book and 340 dvd collection to enjoy my retirement years being able to ride more trains etc. The books have all been kept in barrister bookcases to protect from dust and the room is climate controlled. The books have never been exposed to smoke as no one is allowed to smoke in my place. The books are all railroad as are the DVDs, I have many signed first editions and many have been out of print for many years many are rare and difficult to find. I haven't decided yet to sell them myself or go through a reputable book dealer. It is a tough decision to make whether I really want to sell or not but my kids and grand kids show know interest. Many of the books I bought duplicates of at the time of release and these books are still in plastic unopened. Books if looked after properly will last almost for ever. I purchased Victors book and had it autographed and when it arrive could not put it down until I completed it an excellent book I might add.
Al - in - Stockton
Pasengerfan, Henry's made a VERY good suggestion. A 960 book, 340 DVD collection is something a serious railbook dealer would be very interested in.
I don't know where you live, but a collection of that magnitude is something a dealer would very well go cross-country to see. Sounds like you've got a mini Barnes and Noble in the house!
960 books. Holy smoke, and I thought I was over the top with the 2000 pounds of all titles I've got!
Good luck!
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