Trains.com

railroad books that are inaccurate.BEWARE

15824 views
79 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:15 PM

feltonhill is right concerning the T2; PRR didn't have one.  I was thinking there were two versions of the T but it was the Q series that had the cylinders of the rear engine next to the fire box (Q1) which proved unsatisfactory so the second one (Q2) had the cylinders of the rear engine in the normal position, ahead of the drivers, both having the 4-4-6-4 wheel arrangement.

And I heartily agree with Lost World  that there's nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree!

Art

 

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 129 posts
Posted by Lost World on Sunday, May 27, 2007 6:48 PM
 artschlosser wrote:

I have to disagree with Lost World.  I think the + sign, indicating a hinged or entirely separate engine as in the the Beyer-Garrats, clearly sets them apart from the rigid multiple engined locomotives like the Pennsylvania's T1 and T2.  Even the large electrics and diesels can benefit from the the plus sign when the trucks have non-motored axles.

An accurate description of the physical properties of a locomotive should be the logical objective.

Art

Your point is well taken.  I'll agree to disagree!

Check out the Lost World at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostworld/ (Use the www icon below)
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Northern VA
  • 484 posts
Posted by feltonhill on Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:11 AM

Yep, a group of UP 2-8-8-0's had the name Bull Moose and looked the part.

PRR had three classes of duplex locos - S1 (6-4-4-6), T1/T1a (4-4-4-4), and Q2 (4-4-6-4). No T2's.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 26, 2007 11:24 PM

I have to disagree with Lost World.  I think the + sign, indicating a hinged or entirely separate engine as in the the Beyer-Garrats, clearly sets them apart from the rigid multiple engined locomotives like the Pennsylvania's T1 and T2.  Even the large electrics and diesels can benefit from the the plus sign when the trucks have non-motored axles.

An accurate description of the physical properties of a locomotive should be the logical objective.

Art

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 129 posts
Posted by Lost World on Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:11 PM

 Kurn wrote:
 Beebe,and other rail writers of that era generally called all articulated locomotives "Mallets".Even DPM did on occasion,along with his + sign.Still,Beebes books are wonderful,and no rail library should be without some of them.

There's nothing more annoying than that damnable + sign.  I never noticed DPM use it, but if he did it's probably because he was of English descent.  They're the ones who initiated that nonsense in describing the wheel arrangements of beyer-garrats (spelling?).

Check out the Lost World at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostworld/ (Use the www icon below)
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Akron,OH
  • 229 posts
Posted by Kurn on Saturday, May 26, 2007 5:54 PM
 Beebe,and other rail writers of that era generally called all articulated locomotives "Mallets".Even DPM did on occasion,along with his + sign.Still,Beebes books are wonderful,and no rail library should be without some of them.

If there are no dogs in heaven,then I want to go where they go.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Jacksonville, FL
  • 239 posts
Posted by MOJAX on Thursday, May 24, 2007 11:52 AM

 kevikens wrote:
I have found the material put out by the Solomons, both father and son to be superbly accurate, well researched and well written.

Thanks, I just finished Solomon's book GE Locomotives and found it very interesting. Photos are great also. 

Michael Click Here to view my photos at RailPictures.Net!

My Photos at RRPictures.Net: Click Here

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Huntsville, AR
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by oldline1 on Thursday, May 24, 2007 12:54 AM

I believe the UP's "Bull Moose" was a 2-8-8-0.

Roger

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 110 posts
Posted by kevikens on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:43 PM
I have found the material put out by the Solomons, both father and son to be superbly accurate, well researched and well written.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: US
  • 25 posts
Posted by KansasMike on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 8:31 AM

I hadn't heard that name for a 4-6-6-4.

 

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: heart of the Pere Marquette
  • 847 posts
Posted by J. Edgar on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 7:08 PM
 KansasMike wrote:
 J. Edgar wrote:
 AntonioFP45 wrote:

For newbie railfans and modelers I've often recommended the colorful books from Don Ball as creditable books containing good source information.

 Don Ball Jr.'s book "decade of the Trains the 1940's" is a great reference book, as well as having great pictures, full of great facts and figures about 30's and 40's railroading.....just as anything by Lucas-Beebe is factual

 

I did notice that Beebe kept refering to Union Pacific challengers as Mallets in the book "The Age of Steam".  Now we all know that a challenger is a simple articulated and not a Mallet. Right??   Wink [;)]

 werent some of the earliest UP 4-6-6-4's Mallet's known as the "bull moose"'s.....Question [?]

i love the smell of coal smoke in the morning Photobucket
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 129 posts
Posted by Lost World on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 6:53 PM
 oldline1 wrote:

Beebe, while providing us with many enjoyable books with great & rare photos, was  a journalist and more of an artist than a true railroad historian. I'm truly grateful that he and Charles Clegg did record so many steamers and old equipment for us to drool over all these many years.

Don Ball, Don Wood, Ian Wilson and many others were not only great photographers but also keenly interested in providing a written historical account of their photos rather than just as entertainment value.

Just remember to take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Roger

 

I started out with Don Ball books as well, and echo the above sentiments.  Ball's only fault was that his writing was a bit over the top in certain spots.  Beebe's books are nice, especially for the time they were published in.  Now there was an interesting character--a columnist/gastronome/wine critic who also happened to spend a little time photographing steam locomotives.  Can you imagine the modern food/wine critic at the New York Times spending his leisure time snapping pictures somewhere on the NS mainline?

 I didn't think so...

Check out the Lost World at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostworld/ (Use the www icon below)
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Jacksonville, FL
  • 239 posts
Posted by MOJAX on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 10:16 AM
How does the book EMD Locomotives by Brian Solomon rate?

Michael Click Here to view my photos at RailPictures.Net!

My Photos at RRPictures.Net: Click Here

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Huntsville, AR
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by oldline1 on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 3:38 AM

Beebe, while providing us with many enjoyable books with great & rare photos, was  a journalist and more of an artist than a true railroad historian. I'm truly grateful that he and Charles Clegg did record so many steamers and old equipment for us to drool over all these many years.

Don Ball, Don Wood, Ian Wilson and many others were not only great photographers but also keenly interested in providing a written historical account of their photos rather than just as entertainment value.

Just remember to take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Roger

 
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: US
  • 25 posts
Posted by KansasMike on Monday, May 21, 2007 3:04 PM
 J. Edgar wrote:
 AntonioFP45 wrote:

For newbie railfans and modelers I've often recommended the colorful books from Don Ball as creditable books containing good source information.

 Don Ball Jr.'s book "decade of the Trains the 1940's" is a great reference book, as well as having great pictures, full of great facts and figures about 30's and 40's railroading.....just as anything by Lucas-Beebe is factual

 

I did notice that Beebe kept refering to Union Pacific challengers as Mallets in the book "The Age of Steam".  Now we all know that a challenger is a simple articulated and not a Mallet. Right??   Wink [;)]

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: heart of the Pere Marquette
  • 847 posts
Posted by J. Edgar on Sunday, May 20, 2007 7:12 PM
 AntonioFP45 wrote:

For newbie railfans and modelers I've often recommended the colorful books from Don Ball as creditable books containing good source information.

 Don Ball Jr.'s book "decade of the Trains the 1940's" is a great reference book, as well as having great pictures, full of great facts and figures about 30's and 40's railroading.....just as anything by Lucas-Beebe is factual

i love the smell of coal smoke in the morning Photobucket
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Good ol' USA
  • 9,642 posts
Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, May 20, 2007 7:05 PM

For newbie railfans and modelers I've often recommended the colorful books from Don Ball as creditable books containing good source information.

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 129 posts
Posted by Lost World on Sunday, May 20, 2007 5:13 PM
Beginners should also be wary of purchasing any book on railroading from a major box bookstore (BN, Borders, etc...).  While these books are colorful and full of large prints, they are very inaccurate, vague, and misleading.
Check out the Lost World at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostworld/ (Use the www icon below)
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • 803 posts
Posted by GP40-2 on Sunday, May 20, 2007 12:13 PM
Add to that list many parts of Trains.com. There are numerous inaccuracies in the Railroad Reference section. Every single issue of Classic Trains I have seen also is full of historic inaccuracies. Come on, does Classic Trains actually have any editors, or do they just keep reprinting this stuff without even researching the historical, scientific, and engineering accuracy of the facts? Oh well, it seems like most railfans have no interest in real railroading anyway. Kalmbach is just serving it's market; a market that loves to live in a fairytale world of what they think a railroad should be, not what it actually is (or was).
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Huntsville, AR
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by oldline1 on Friday, May 18, 2007 10:30 PM

I have over 1300 railroad books and from what I've seen in them there are mistakes made in books written and printed here in the USA. One of the larger publishers frequently has mistakes such as wrong information, captions on the wrong photos and other things that detract from the book and railroad history.

Some of the problem with mistakes in books stems from railfans who "think" they know what they're talking about but actually aren't up to speed on things. You need to research things before writing about them as factual. Now the problem is that these books are getting into the hands of people that will use them as resource material.

Roger

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Redneck Land(Little Rock), Arkansas
  • 919 posts
railroad books that are inaccurate.BEWARE
Posted by arkansasrailfan on Friday, May 18, 2007 8:26 PM
Look and see where the book was published if in a foreign country don't buy it if it's about american trains, because they can have major flops in them(like calling the 3985 the 1218 or a SD40-2T a SD40-2
-Michael It's baaaacccckkkk!!!!!! www.youtube.com/user/wyomingrailfan

SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter