What was your most recent train or toy train book read?

[FJ and G]

It's that time again for a book post!

About 2 nights ago, I read Mark Twain's "Cannibalism in the Cars"

Very goulish; and you thunked he only wrote about steamboats!

Read any good train books recently?

[mickey4479]

Pennsy Power Vol. 1. [:)]

[bomber]

Walt Disney and His Trains.

Very well written, pulls together nicely with lots of pictures.

Bomber

[Jumijo]

Lionel 2006 Catalog.

[FJ and G]

Jim,

LOL; reading those catalogs can be bad for your wallet. I do more picture gazing in the catalogs than reading.

Which reminds me; I gotta find my DCS book and reread it again as I've forgotten a lot and will be hooking up the "black box"

[brianel027]

Aside from the usual 3-rail mags, I haven't read any new books other than what I already own, which are a bunch of the various Morning Sun books.

Although I really did enjoy the "70"s" issue of Trains... the cover and everything was a great take on the TV show, and a great issue to boot! Also really liked the Conrail break-up follow though stories on Norfolk Southern and CSX. And also the future of RR mergers issue. Trains magazine has had a banner year as far as my interests go.

I also really like The Railroad Press, but only get it when there's something in it that interests me... but the photos in that one are all first rate! Beautiful magazine... suitable for framing!

[mickey4479]

This may be off topic but my Dad sent an e-mail to me sometime ago with a sentimental slide show with words to instrumental music. You may have seen this. I have it as a file but it is quite large. Here is the text alone which does not do justice to the photos and music. You might find it with a google.

Life on the train

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A while back, I read a very interesting book that compared life to a train ride or a series of train rides.

Life is like a train ride, it read. We get on. We ride. We get off. We get back on and ride some more. There are accidents and there are delays. At certain stops there are surprises. Some of these will translate into great moments of joy, some will result in profound sorrow.

When we are born and we first board the train, we meet people whom we think will be with us for the entire journey. Those people are our parents! Sadly, this is far from the truth.

Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them. They too have journeys they must complete. We live on with the memories of their love, affection, friendship, guidance and their ever presence.

There are others who board the train and who eventually become very important to us, in turn.
These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances, whom we will learn to love, and cherish.

Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour. They will just go merrily along. Others, will encounter many upsets, tears, losses on their journey.

Others still, will linger on to offer a helping hand to anyone in need. Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off….

Some will get on and get off the train so quickly, they will scarsely leave a sign that they ever travelled along with you or ever crossed your path…

We will sometimes be upset that some passengers whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment and leave us to travel on our own.

Then again, there’s nothing that says we can’t seek them out anyway.

Nevertheless, once sought out and found, we may not even be able to sit next to them because that seat will already be taken. That’s okay …everyone’s journey will be filled with hopes, dreams, challenges, setbacks and goodbyes.

We must strive to make the best of it… no matter what...
We must constantly strive to understand our travel companions and look for the best in everyone.

Remember that at any moment during our journey, any one of our travel companions can have a weak moment and be in need of our help. We too may vacilate or hesitate, even trip… hopefully we can count on someone being there to be supportive and understanding… The bigger mystery of our journey is that we don’t know when our last stop will come.

Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop.

Not even those sitting in the seat next to us. Personally, I know I’ll be sad to make my final stop…. I’m sure of it!

My separation from all those friends and acquaintances I made during the train ride will be painful. Leaving all those I’m close to will be a sad thing. But then again, I’m certain that one day I’ll get to the main station only to meet up with everone else. They’ll all be carrying their baggage… most of which they didn’t have when they first got on this train.

I’ll be glad to see them again. I’ll also be glad to have contributed to their baggage… and to have enriched their lives, just as much as they will have contributed to my baggage and enriched my life.

We’re all on this train ride together. Above all, we should all try to strive to make the ride as pleasant and memorable as we can, right up until we each make the final stop and leave the train for the last time.

All aboard!
Safe journey!!
BON VOYAGE!

[Buckeye Riveter]

I am currenlty reading a book about another Buckeye and another Riveter.

The Book: First Man, The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen.

The last "train" book that I read was one that I believe that many of you would enjoy was : Nothing Like It In the World by Steven E. Ambrose.

[dwiemer]

Got a few books to get into, one on the Lackawana steam power, and two books on the NYS&W, Susie Q. It seems I have little time for trains and even less for reading these days.
Dennis

[Anonymous]

Last month it was "Playing With Trains" by Sam Posey. Last week, "The Last Steam Railroad in America" photographs by O. Winston Link. Joe

[Anonymous]

Not the most recent, but the most memorable was Rail, Steam and Speed: "The Rocket" and the Birth of Steam Locomotion by Chris McGowan. I got this little gem over the holidays and devoured it in two days. It's really a blow by blow account of the 1829 Rainhill Trials. It examines the engineering and the personalities and how they came together that fateful October. Just a wonderful little book that explains just why that fabled event was so important and influential in the 130 years after. Get it, steam freaks!

Old 2037

[tcripe]

The last train book I read was the Rio Grande Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by Jim Eager. I thought I would be reading a train-related novel when I checked out Derailed. Although it was a real page-turner, there really wasn't much in it that took place on a train.
- Terry

[jefelectric]

dwiemer,

What is the title of the Lackawanna book you are reading. Lately I have been trying to find books on the Lackawanna and most are out of print. I picked up two 'Trackside on the Lackawanna' books at the York Greenberg show. One is mostly steam and the other diesel. They are both mostly picture books (great pictures) but very little information on operations and equipment details. To get back to the thread, these are the two most recent RR books that I have read.
John

[Anonymous]

A rarely read classic "The Octopus" by Frank Norris. About the effect of railroad monopolies in the west. A great read and one that will affect your opinion on the romance of "good old days".

"Rails in the North Woods" was fun but again an older book.

I did enjoy the Sam Posey book mentioned above. If ever the hobby does end as so many have predicted this would be a good look at the hobby from an anthropologist's point of view. If you are already involved in the hobby it is not a nessecary read. It would be a good way to explain the hobby to an outsider.

But the Ambrose book mentioned above I've also read. It is full of shoddy research and is in my opinion a work of Fiction and about as accurate as "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. The book that Oprah is so up in arms about. Ambroses' death soon after publication overshadowed the controversy. Unfortunately it sold many copies and in in many Libraries dispite it's proven inaccuaraccies. I am sure that there are many school book reports based on this poorly done piece of work. At the end Ambrose was trying to cash in on his good name and was writing several books at the same time. He was employing most of his family as "researchers". Thier work was really bad. Some whole sections of the book are based on viewings of the film "Union Pacific" and there where even some unattributed direct quotes from other more accurate books on the subject. Plagerisim. It definitly calls into question some of his other work.

[tmcc man]

Recent book is ALCo's to Allentown, by Thomas Biery, published by The Railroad Press. I have also read my brand new CTT, and Garden Railways magazines.

[LEEJO114]

I am presently reading(Pictures as well) entitled "The new illustrated encyclopedia of railways edited by Robert Tufnell, Revised and updated by John Westwood. This edition is published by Greenwich Editions The Chrysais Building, Bramley Road, London W 10 6sp. Printed 2004. There are 560 pages of dialog and pictures. I think that my daughter and son-in-law picked it up in London while visiting England this past summer.

[prewardude]

Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1901-1942, Vol. II (2001 edition).

[Anonymous]

"The Big Book of Lionel" by Robert Schleicher. I'm a newbie & am still reading it.

[mitchelr]

My two latest reads are Playing With Trains by Sam Posey and Railroad - Identity, Design, and Culture by Keith Lovesgrove. Posey's book is really fascinating. Lovesgrove's book has some great photos.

[dwiemer]

John, The title of the book is "Lackawanna-Superpower Railroad of the Northeast" and it is by LeMassena
The book is mostly pictures, but does have some details as to time periods and what type of equipment was used at different eras of the railroad.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jefelectric

dwiemer,

What is the title of the Lackawanna book you are reading. Lately I have been trying to find books on the Lackawanna and most are out of print. I picked up two 'Trackside on the Lackawanna' books at the York Greenberg show. One is mostly steam and the other diesel. They are both mostly picture books (great pictures) but very little information on operations and equipment details. To get back to the thread, these are the two most recent RR books that I have read.
John

[4kitties]

A children's story called Train to Somewhere, about the orphan trains of the mid-1800's and later. I don't recall the author offhand.

[palallin]

David Doyle's Standard Catalog of Prewar Lionel Trains. Excellent resource.

As for Ambrose's book, many of its/his detractors are rivals who resent his popularity. You can take any two books about the same subject and invent plagiarism charges against the later text. Academic infighting is a great deal less pretty than The Ivory Tower would have you believe.

[Anonymous]

The Pennsylvania Railroad Under Wire by William D. Middleton....which has me wondering. Has anyone manufactured a 3 rail version of a P5a...specifically the later rebodied streamlined center cab version? Seems these would make wonderful baby brothers for us folk who own GG1's. Could be made full scale yet still negotiate tight radii. Some of it's dimensions look surprisingly close to a PW Lionel GG1.

Bruce Webster

[Anonymous]

*** Teal's "Modern Toy Train Repair and Maintenance".

Still working on "Travel by Pullman" by Welsh and Howes. Have used it as a reference book in the past and I am now starting to read it from cover to cover. Interetsing insights into the companies relatively rapid rise and fall.

[mersenne6]

Memories of a Retired Pullman Porter - Turner.
Diary of a Roundhouse Foreman - Reilly

[Anonymous]

Palallin, I'm surprised to hear that "The Ivory Tower" is of one mind on this subject given all of thier apparent infighting. They sure can put up a seamless facade. I sure hope those big brained and all powerful beings can dumb down thier conversations enough to be understandable to little old me.

How many "rivals" can a writer have?

I don't know, when a writer presents something that only appeared in a Hollywood movie on the subject as historic fact in a supposedly non fiction book, I have a problem with that.

Prolifancy should not be associated with accuracy in fact it seems the opposite could be true. A writer who can write a "diffinative" book on the Civil War, then the next year write on on World War Two. Then he writes a "diffinative" one on the building of the American Transcontinental Railroad. Thats a pretty cool trick, he must have been one of the smartest historians... like ever or just savy about marketing and sloppy research.

I would prefer a book by a real expert on the subject who really knows the ins and outs all of the facts. It is an important subject and deserves more than a slapdash rehash by a johnny come lately pop writer with a hand out. At the time of pulication there were even negative articles on the falsehoods in one of the Kalmbach Mags.

[pbjwilson]

I brought this up in another topic, the 10th anniversary CTT issue, November 1997.

Wow what a great issue. I was looking through an old stack of mags in my basement when I ran across it. The feature was trains of 1957. Lionel, Am. Flyer, Marx. Theres a pullout section of the 57 super O showroom layout. Even an article on Bing trains. If you don't have it in your collection it's worth it to try and track one down.

[cnw1995]

In my briefcase I have...
Electric Trains of the 1950s (Kalmbach)
Electric Locomotives by Solomon - this is my newest book - I agree about the P5as, Bruce!
Playing with Trains by Sam Posey (rereading the Tony K chapter)
Also a few old MRs from 2002.
I also got a I Love Toy Trains DVD from the library - for my 3 yr. old of course
[;)][;)]

[darianj]

Peter Riddles' Wiring your Toy Train Layout. First and only. About halfway through it now.

[Anonymous]

The History of the AT&SF. Good book.