What is the best source for finding out operating specifications for mid to late 19th century locomotives? Such has maximum speed, tonnage rating, horse power, optimum number of cars per train, car light weights and capacities, distance traveled between rewatering and fueling, etc.?
There are two titles that I know of. The First is "The Locomotive up to Date" by Charles McShane first published in 1899 with a modern facsimile edition by Periscope Film Corporation ( www.PeriscopeFilm.com ) in 2007. The second is "The American Railway" which came out in the 1880's and consists of a series of essays by railroad engineering experts of that day. It sometimes turns up in collections of old railroad books and I believe that a modern edition also exists. Both books are very technical in nature with engineering drawings and mathematical formulae, etc.
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