Anyone have any ideas on books about railroad security (police) 1900's and going forward to 1950's?
S.L. Berry
www.readsusanberry. wordpress.com
Author of Southern Historical Mysteries
Forthcoming Novel (Available for Pre-Order Through Amazon): Acts of Revenge
Do you mean technical and historical or anectodal and hysterical? I know there are some of both genre's. Most historical and ones that will lead you to others are any factual books about the Pinkertons. This private police agency began with the Molley McGuires conflict between coal miners and owners in Pennsylvania (visit several of the coal mine oriented museums at Weatherly, Ashland, and Scranton) then spread out to frequenly be hired by railroads for security and police detectection work across the country (see stories about train robbers and robberies (Great Train Roberies of the West, Eugene B.Block, 1959?, Avon Books, paperback, division of The Hearst Corp....at least that is a book i have and was supposed to be hard cover but no info.). Later, railroads often started their own in house forces. Old Railroad Magazines often had stories both pro and con about the "bulls" as they became known. And there were lots of stories in such magazines as the Saturday Evening Post through the mid fifites. Check files for the usual railfan magazines as well as individual railroad historis, Police Gazzette, etc. too.
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Technical and historical in the actual sense and/or from an industry perspective...the sources you cite look good..thanks. I am looking for any source that would point to security services, maybe not in the formal sense, but informal operations that were a basis for the establishment of more formal operations later.
Then follow the Pinkerton trail....also Wells Fargo...
Thanks!
Here's a link:
http://www.therailroadpolice.com/history.htm
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