Book Nuts

[Murphy Siding]

Amateur Book Review 3 #

The History of the Burlington Northern
by Bill Yenne
ISBN# 0-517-05383-7

This is a neat book. It's 128 pages of ,well,*history*. The author does a good job of hitting the highlights of GN,NP,CBQ,SPS and Frisco. Approximately (I'm too lazy to count them) 60 color and black and white photos complement the well written text.
You'll like this book if you're interested in BN,western railroads,railroad history or goats. (Just threw that in to see if anybody is reading this.)

Remember,I'm a lumber salesman,not a writer.[:)]

[morseman]

I presently have 125 RR books My wife says if I buy another book
she will leave me === Gee, I'll miss her.

Most of my RR books are bought at second hand book stores
When my wife is shopping with my daughter, I, ll go into
Borders books and pickup a couple of books, Go the to
their coffee shop and spend a few hours reading, over
3 or 4 cups of coffee. and replace the books. Occasionaly
I will buy the odd book there. I notice quite a few other
people have this awful habit. My son and daughter \always give me the best Christmand and birthday presents ever == Border's gift certificates.

[MP173]

I would have to think that Morgan's Mohawk is the best railroad book written. Previously I had mentioned Fred Frailey's Blue Streak Merchandise, but...The Mohawk that Refused defines what the written word and photo journalism should stand for.

The title short story stills sends shivers up my spine when reading it.

Currently I am reading Confessions of a Train Watcher, Four Decades of railroad writing by David P. Morgan. It is a collection of articles he penned for Trains. I believe his last article written for Trains was my favorite, Early on one frosty mornin'.

In it Morgan recounts his encounter with NYC 5403, a 4-6-4 Hudson west of Mattoon, Illinois in 1954 as steam was becoming more and more rare. The cover of the book depicts Morgan inspecting the rarity, as painted by Ted Rose.

Thirty four years later Morgan returns to Mattoon and finds the NYC line removed..."the Illinois prairie was erasing the Big Four just as surely as the North Atlantic had smoothed over the wake of the Mauretania and Rex and Ile de France. Transportation may be built for the ages, but more than most agencies and works of man, it had best be enjoyed at the moment, never assumed, ever considered an expendable experience. Look away, look away."

Within 2 years at age 62, Morgan would die. In re-reading that article, one understands that he is not only coming to grips with the passing of his photographer friend Hastings, the loss of the NYC main, and how time is so precious and fleeting. He wraps things up quite nicely with that last paragraph.

Substitute "Human existance" for "Transportation" in that paragraph and one comes up with a pretty good philosophy for living.

Enjoy the moment.

ed

[Anonymous]

If you've just finished "The Tootin Louie", "The Northwestern" by H. Roger Grant would be a logical next choice. 180 pages of C&NW history right up to the buyout. Well written with pictures, maps, but mostly text.

Another along similar lines is "The Los Angeles & Salt Lake" by John Signor. This is a history of UP's LA line up to the Centenials.

I'm not sure if "The Moffat Road" by Edward Bollinger has been reprinted but it covers the Denver & Salt Lake. The author worked for the railroad and the book includes many stories covering operation over Corona Pass and later through the Moffat tunnel.

[M636C]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RPRiebe

Here is a cut and paste of what I asked Murph:

What I am trying to find, new or used, is some books that cover the diesel locomotives used between 1950-1970.
It is the fifties locos that probably were written about once but not for quite some time.
There is a Encyclopedia of Railroad Locomotive 1960 edition, or something like that, that the library has here, and I was too stupid to pickup at a antique store fifteen years ago, that gives a good rundown of the era of the end of steam and the beginning of Diesel, but I have never seen one for sale again.
Books such as that, would be my preference, as to buy singular locals books will add up to, I have already done some checking, to hundreds of dollars, so a general, but era specific book, is what I prefer.

It is hard to describe as there are books out now, some I have, but they all cover the well known locomotives both steam and diesel ,from that era, and really ignore many of the import-export locomotives that were specific to a region or country, or anglo builders.

I have found, out-of-print, books, usually on steam, at antique shop and some neighborhood hobby shop, but the best usually seem to go out of business.
Where do some of you gents, find the hard get, or locate books, especially at not-scalping prices.

Has anyone ever done a all EE, Vickers Armstrong, or all Alsthom locomotive book, such a work would have all the early info available, I would imagine.
Bob

Bob,

I have the following that might be of interest

"GEC Traction - Power for the World's Railways" by Rodger Bradley, Oxford Publishing 1993. This is OK rather than outstanding but has a good collection of official photgraphs and a complete UK English Electric builder's list and a "GEC Traction Ltd" list from 1970 to 1992 (which seems to follow the EE list with a gap of 1200, for previous GEC units?).

"The British Internal Combustion Locomotive 1894-1940" by the late Brian Webb, published by David and Charles in 1973. A really good book but not very detailed regarding builder's numbers in total.

"Las Locomotoras de Espana" (in Spanish) by Salmeron & Campo published by Terminus (Barcelona) in 1985. A really good book with every detail you'd want on Spanish non-steam motive power.

"Spoorweg Materieel in Nederland" (in Dutch) by Nieuwenhuis & Nahon, published by Uitgeverij de Alk BV in 1987. Good technical data but no builder's numbers.

"SBB Locomotiven und Treibwagen". The SBB do an excellent book on their own locomotives in German and French. It is periodically updated, but I have the 1990 issue. Scale drawings, photos and brief technical details of diesel and electric power.

and last of course

"Locomotives in China" (which I wrote myself) published by Roundhouse Press in 1983. This is still as far as I know, the only book in English detailing first generation Chinese diesel and electric locomotives as well as a lot on steam (and I don't have any left for sale, but some might turn up secondhand!)

An even older book of mine is "An Australian Diesel Locomotive Pocketbook" published by the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW) in 1974 which listed all the non-industrial locomotives in Australia up to that date. Reasonable technical data but no builder's numbers.

I hope this is on topic for your request.

M636C

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill

I quit counting when I went past 6,000 books. I've filled 162 lineal feet of shelving and there's 20 or so boxes more that I haven't unpacked in several years. Last time we moved, my wife warned the movers, "My husband has a lot of books." They said, "Oh, no problem -- we're used to that." When they showed up, their eyes bugged out, and they said, "Oh ... you weren't kidding."

Then there's the 80-plus boxes of xeroxed articles, maps, AFEs, track charts, etc. I haven't figured out what to do with that yet. Maybe when I retire I'll sort it out.

Obviously, you've written magazine articles.[;)]. Have you written any railroad books?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate is a compilation of the stories of several tours made in the mid-1950s by the late editor David P. Morgan of TRAINS with Philip Hastings along to take photographs. The combination of Hastings' work and Morgan's prose is just stunning.

Morgan and Hastings started in eastern Canada, went south as far as the Pocahontas region, spent some time all over the midwest, and got into western Minnesota and west far enough to ride a Big Boy over Sherman Hill. Some interesting short lines were also covered.

This is probably the best documentation of the final hurrah of the steam locomotive that has ever been put together.

I don't know if it's in print, but the various online sources are bound to have copies available. If you're interested in that era, it's well worth whatever price is asked.

Old Timer

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

John W. Orr's SET UP RUNNING, the story of his father's career as a PRR engineman from 1904 to 1949.

The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate; Jeffries' N&W - Giant of Steam (soon to be revised); McCague's The Big Ivy (fiction); Harry Bedwell's The Boomer . . .

The list is long - so many books, so little time . . .

Old Timer

That's two references now to" The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate". What can you tell me about that book?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

John W. Orr's SET UP RUNNING, the story of his father's career as a PRR engineman from 1904 to 1949.

The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate; Jeffries' N&W - Giant of Steam (soon to be revised); McCague's The Big Ivy (fiction); Harry Bedwell's The Boomer . . .

The list is long - so many books, so little time . . .

Old Timer

[Anonymous]

I like Lucius Beebe's HIGHBALL (illustrated trains from B&W era). Don't think that Americans write the way Beebe did, because he had his own (rather bizarre) prose style, but the pictures are wonderful and the love of trains is heartfelt.

Thanks to Alibris, mountains of books previously difficult or impossible to find can be ordered. I love the days when RR's had their own way of doing things, their own diners and food, but nostalgia can get a little too dominant--especially in the twilight of rail service pre-Amtrak (May 1971). Try Peter Lyon's TO HELL IN A DAY COACH: AN EXASPERATED VIEW OF AMERICA'S RAILROADS. I think it is from 1967; if not, 1968.

[bobwilcox]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill

I quit counting when I went past 6,000 books. I've filled 162 lineal feet of shelving and there's 20 or so boxes more that I haven't unpacked in several years. Last time we moved, my wife warned the movers, "My husband has a lot of books." They said, "Oh, no problem -- we're used to that." When they showed up, their eyes bugged out, and they said, "Oh ... you weren't kidding."

Then there's the 80-plus boxes of xeroxed articles, maps, AFEs, track charts, etc. I haven't figured out what to do with that yet. Maybe when I retire I'll sort it out.

You may qualify for the J. W. Barriger Award!

[mersenne6]

I like first person accounts about railroads and railroading as well as histories that give one an understanding of the impact of the railroad on society. I have around 200 books of this genre and I've read all of them. By way of introducing a person to this aspect of railroad history I would choose the following:

We Took the Train - Grant - first person accounts of riding trains. The earliest is the oft quoted letter from a crusty old guy who took a day trip in New England in the 1830's and who spends most of his time lamenting the rough familiariy that such close packed traveling entailed. He longs for the day and even predicts that once the fad has passed people will revert to the more civilized form of travel via overland stage. There is a great account of "nailing a drag" in the 1930's for the purpose of getting to South Dakota to enroll in college (the person had enough money for tuition but not for transport). There is Christopher Morley's account of riding in the cab of a NYC Hudson and a lot more.

Brownie The Boomer - Brown - First person account of working as a boomer from the late 1890's to 1914. Brown's work was privately published in 1929 and has been re-issued, with annotation by Roger Grant. Brown writes probably as he talked and his narriative is full of run on sentences and slang. I found it took me about a chapter to get into the "swing" of his writing but after that it was like sitting down in the living room and listening to stories of how it once was. Personally, I think it is the best first person account, written by the person who actually did the work, that I have ever read. In fact, it was the reading of this book that really got me interested in looking for books of this type.

All Aboard - The Railroad in American Life - a very readable history of the impact of the railroad on American society. The history is written at multiple levels and gives a good understanding of the impact at the local and national level from various perspectives - financial, technological, and personal. It also gives a good recounting of the support industries whose fortunes rose and fell with the changes in the railroad.

Travel on Southern Antebellum Railroads 1829-1860. An overview with an emphasis on personal stories about the impact of and traveling on the railroads of that time and place. On the personal level one learns what to expect when riding in coach - the heat, the smoke, the stench of the animal fat used for bearing lubrication, and the burning cinders. The last requiring continuous movement on the part of the passenger to make sure ones clothing didn't catch fire. In spite of such efforts it was common to alight from the journey with dozens of small holes burned in ones suit or dress.

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill

I quit counting when I went past 6,000 books. I've filled 162 lineal feet of shelving and there's 20 or so boxes more that I haven't unpacked in several years. Last time we moved, my wife warned the movers, "My husband has a lot of books." They said, "Oh, no problem -- we're used to that." When they showed up, their eyes bugged out, and they said, "Oh ... you weren't kidding."

Then there's the 80-plus boxes of xeroxed articles, maps, AFEs, track charts, etc. I haven't figured out what to do with that yet. Maybe when I retire I'll sort it out.

Let me know when you open a public library. I'll be needing to get a library card![;)]

[JoeKoh]

West end and East end are books by charles roberts.good stories about the B&O.
stay safe
Joe

[bobwilcox]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173

Bob:

YOu have 1328 books? I am envious. I probably have about 50 or so.

Murphy:

Let me know what you think about Blue Streak Merchandise.

ed

The books also make the movers smile. That was ok when the railroad was paying for the move but we had to pay for the last one. The BSM book is very good.

My favorite books are The Mohawk that Refused to Abdicate, June 1940 Official Guide, Hear the Train Blow by Beebe (first book), The Great Stem Trek(S. Africa)and Stations by Flanagan (fiction about a buff coming of age)

[Murphy Siding]

Amateur book review #2:

The Tootin' Louie A History of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway
by Don L. Hofsommer
ISBN #0-8166-4365-2

This is my kind of book. 374 pages of info that includes48 pages of notes! This book has a couple dozen black and white photos, and 6-7 maps. (I tend to be a map junky[:)]). Because the M&StL was a smallish road, the author was able to provide a lot of depth on the subject. What you get, is sort of "everything you ever wanted to know about the history of the M&StL, but were afraid to ask". If there were a series loke this book about every railroad, I'd join the book of the month![:)] You'll like this book, if you like history, maps, and the good old days of midwest railroads.


Remember, I'm a lumber salesman, not a writer.

[Anonymous]

Johns Hopkins and Indiana University presses both publish a fair number of RR book

[Murphy Siding]

Amateur book review:

Images of Rail: South Dakota Railroads
by Mike Wiese and Tom Hayes
ISBN # 0-7385-3294-0

I almost bought this book sight unseen, when I first read about it being published. I'm glad that I didn't, because it probably would have been a let down. This book is a papereback,128 pages. It's full of over 200 black and white photos of SD railroading, covering the period 1907-1920. All the fine pictures appeato be out of someone's historic collection. Unfortunately, THERE IS NO TEXT. That's the part I didn't care for. If you're into SD rail history, you'll love this book. Where else can you find things like pictures of "The Great Northern Depot and Elevator Row in Peever, Roberts County......."

remember- I'm a lumber salesman, not a writer[:)]

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

"The Northern Pacific - Main Street of the Northwest" by Charles R. Wood
"The Milwaukee Road West" by Charles and Dorothy Wood
"Lines West" by Charles R. Wood
"Main Streets of the Northwest - Rails from the Rockies to the Pacific (Volume 1)" by T.O. Repp
"The Camas Prairie - Idaho's Railroad on Stilts" by Hal Riegger
"Railroads Through the Coeur d' Alenes" by John V. Wood
"Spokane Portland & Seattle Ry." by Charles and Dorothy Wood
"Portrait of the Rails - From Steam to Diesel" by Don Ball Jr.
"Vintage Diesel Locomotives" by Mike Schafer
....all pretty much railfan books, and I would bet many are out of print.

Then there's the more technical history books...

"Nothing Like It in the World" by Stephen E. Ambrose
"The Milwaukee Road In Idaho - A Guide to Sites and Locations" by Stanley W. Johnson
"Across the Columbia Plain - Railroad Expansion in the Interior Northwest, 1885 - 1893" by Peter J. Lewty

I actually get most of my technical information from trade magazines and journals.

Dave,Dave, Dave I need details! I've either own or have checked out # 1,2,3,8,9 &10 on your list. I'm looking for info that would help decide if I should be searching out a book because it would interest me. For example, can you tell me more about the SP&S book by Charles and Dorothy Wood? That sounds interesting.

Thanks

[emmar]

I definitly qualify as a book nut. I have about 40 train related books and probably about 400 other books including a lot of geology books , westerns, Edward Abbey and John McPhee books.

[MP173]

Bob:

YOu have 1328 books? I am envious. I probably have about 50 or so.

Murphy:

Let me know what you think about Blue Streak Merchandise.

ed

[Anonymous]

Hey Murphy Siding, here is a new book to add to your list (collection).
"Watching The Trains Go By", by Harry Briscoe. I just learned of this author and his writings and understand that it deals with the AT&SF. There will be a book signing next week and I have a copy reserved for myself. Not sure if B&N or Amazon will have this one on hand, but may be worth checking out.

[Anonymous]

"The Northern Pacific - Main Street of the Northwest" by Charles R. Wood
"The Milwaukee Road West" by Charles and Dorothy Wood
"Lines West" by Charles R. Wood
"Main Streets of the Northwest - Rails from the Rockies to the Pacific (Volume 1)" by T.O. Repp
"The Camas Prairie - Idaho's Railroad on Stilts" by Hal Riegger
"Railroads Through the Coeur d' Alenes" by John V. Wood
"Spokane Portland & Seattle Ry." by Charles and Dorothy Wood
"Portrait of the Rails - From Steam to Diesel" by Don Ball Jr.
"Vintage Diesel Locomotives" by Mike Schafer
....all pretty much railfan books, and I would bet many are out of print.

Then there's the more technical history books...

"Nothing Like It in the World" by Stephen E. Ambrose
"The Milwaukee Road In Idaho - A Guide to Sites and Locations" by Stanley W. Johnson
"Across the Columbia Plain - Railroad Expansion in the Interior Northwest, 1885 - 1893" by Peter J. Lewty

I actually get most of my technical information from trade magazines and journals.

[espeefoamer]

I am a collector of railroad boks.I buy most of mine at local hobby shops that carry books as thier selections are far better thanBarnes&Noble.I have gotten great bargains at used book stores,and at train swap meets.

[Anonymous]

I apologize but my first post was kindof like reading a book starting in the middle, not that there is anything wrong with the replies, but I just got confused by my own post, so here is the post Murph responded to.

Are there any books, that deal with, other than the U.S., British or France, in country singular, Diesel locomotives from the fifties world-wide; especially the carbody passenger units.
There seems to be a fair amount of info on English speaking countries early Diesels, but sporatic, info on the export units, or early units built in,or used in non-english speaking countries.
Even the internet seems to be lacking on info on most countries first diesel beyond the very early box units.

Sorry if this is a too general enquiry, but whilst one can find a great deal of books on steamers, the diesels that followed do not seem to be to heavily written about, at least not in books still available.

There I hope that makes a little more sense, bold is added wording.
I am especially interested in early British locomotives, not used in the UK, but there seems to be web sites dedicated to them but little, to no information.
Info on the very earliest German diesels seems to be totally lacking also.
Bob
PS--I do have the Diesel spotters guide that covers all that was produced in the US, at least up to 1973 when I bought the book up at Green Bay.
Still some of the odd-ball locos in there seem to have a information vacumm also.
I just found out, by accident, one of the US Talgo trains ended up back in Spain.

[Murphy Siding]

RPRiebe: I'd add that I hit the local used bookstores often. Sometimes I'll find a whole slew of newly arrived railroad books in a used bookstore. I'm buying,someone else is selling. That means there is more than one person in the world like me.[:O]

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173

A couple of books I have read which were historical and informative:

Merging Lines by Richard Saunders. This is a two volume book about the mergers in the railroad industry. Volume one covers from 1900 to the Penn Central (1970) and then Volume two covers from 1970 to today. It is well written and gives a great overview of where we are today in the industry. I never purchased either...read both thru the library, but the more I think about it, I should add them to my collection for these deep historical discussions on the Milwaukee Road, CNW, and others.

Fred Frailey (the best current railroad reporter?) wrote an excellent book on the Blue Streak Merchandise, the Southern Pacific train between East St. Louis and LA (with variations running from Memphis and also to other markets). This book traces the beginnings of the train (I believe as a East St. Louis to Dallas LCL train) and covers the growth of the train, including other sections.

Two very interesting trends are followed...the shifting of the freight carried by the train over the years and the obsession SP had for running this train, to the point one could argue that it became counterproductive to the overall financial picture.

This is a great historical look at the changes railroads have made over the past 50 years on a micro basis (one train). One also looks at new proposals by UPS to run hot trains with a wary eye after reading this book. The damage done to other schedules is something that must be considered.

ed

Thanks! I just added a book to my "gotta read list"[:)]

[bobwilcox]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

Over on the British Railways thread, a new member-RPRiebe, posted a few questions about finding books on a particular railroad subject. I happen to be a book nut, having about 120 railroad books, and perhaps 650 books overall. I'm always looking for good railroad books to read and purchase. An earlier thread about railroading reading resulted in me purchasing another dozen or so books.Would some of you be willing to expound on some of the railroad books you own or have read? Everybody's different, but what I like is to have someone give a rough idea what a book is about-that gives me an idea of whether it's worth trying to find. Any other book nuts out there?

Thanks

Old R&LHS Bulletans have good reviews of railroad books. I have learned over the years which publishers can be trusted to put out consistenly good material. Examples would be Kalmbach, Boston Mills or Howell North but there are many others. My railroad book database in excel is currenly on line 1328.

[Anonymous]

I have a paperback entitled "Vintage Diesels"- I forget the author's name, but the photography is good and the text is good as well. I found it at Barnes and Noble. There is a companion book that goes with it entitled "Modern Diesels".

Erik

[chad thomas]

A little off topic but I must say the Blue Streak book by Fred Fraily is a great book, a must have for any SP fan.