Books

[jguess733]

Does anyone know of any books written on the topic of railroad folklore? I'm looking for some new reading material, and I figure this would be a good topic to read up on. Thanks for the help.

[MP57313]

Many years ago I read "Railroad Avenue". Maybe that is what you are looking for?

[DSchmitt]

I found this one on Amazon. com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/offer-listing/0517168685/ref=dp_pb_a//102-0971962-3232920?condition=all

[garr]

Jason,

The above two books are good. Some more options:

Headlights and Markers, edited by Frank Donovan and Robert Henry

Rail Fiction Classics, edited by William C. Jones

More Rail Classics, edited by William C. Jones and Charles Albi

All three of these books have stories by most of the classic rail fiction writers who regularly appeared in the old "Railrod" magazine. The books are good thick volumes.

Some equally good, non-fiction personal railroading books are:

30 Years Over Donner, by Bill Fisher (a SP signal maintainer in transition era and later)

A Baggage Car with Lace Curtains, by Kay Fisher (Bill's wife)

From the Cab, by Doug Riddell (an Amtrak enginer)

A series of 4 anthologies of Pacific NW railroading by Ruth Trueblood Eckes:
1. Rail Tales
2. Blow the Whistle Softly
3. Whistles in the Night
4. Call of the Rails

One Man's Locomotives, by Vernon Smith (a mechanical officer for BRC and other RRs)

Slow Train to Yesterday, by Archie Robertson

The Railroaders, by Stuart Leuthner (not the Time-Life book by the same title. This book is the result of 10 years of interviews with railroaders from track maintainer to president. Each person interviewed has his own chapter with his personal stories.)

These are just a few titles of many about railroading stories both fiction and non-fiction. Sometimes the true stories are just as intriguing as the old pulp-fiction classics from the "Railroad" magazine era.

Happy reading and hunting,
Jay

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jguess733

Does anyone know of any books written on the topic of railroad folklore? I'm looking for some new reading material, and I figure this would be a good topic to read up on. Thanks for the help.

Check with the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society.
They should have a few things.[:)]

[louisnash]

Look for "Ghost Train". Very nice book to read.

Can't remember who put it together but it is good.

Brian (KY)

[garr]

Brian,

Ghost Train is a very good read and it has a lot of good photos. TLC published it, I think, in '98 or '99 and Tony Reevy was the editor/author.

Jay

[locomutt]

"The Christmas Train" by David Baldacci,is a very good read.[:)]

And for anybody that likes Lillian Jackson Braun,"The Cat Who" series,
"TheCat Who Blew The Whistle" is another good read.[:)]