Baldwin Locomotives [Hardcover]

Brian Solomon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2010

Philadelphia-based Baldwin began designing and building steam locomotives in the 1830s and gave the U.S. many of its most significant and famous types of steam, and diesel-electric motive power. This history of Baldwin is illustrated with a large selection of rare, superb builder's photos and other publicity images from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, with the book's large page size showcasing the detail and crisp quality of the images in this outstanding collection. Author Brian Solomon provides technical histories of each locomotive along with builder's specifications and explanations of how the locomotives were used by the railroads that bought them. These carefully researched histories are keys to understanding the significance of the locomotives and how they worked, and are presented in a manner that makes the book accessible to everyone, while retaining sufficient technical detail to appeal to the most ardent railroad enthusiast.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book contains enough details to please the most technical-minded train enthusiasts and model railroader, but also provide a larger perspective in the role Baldwin played in the nation’s history and the evolution of railroads. -- Model Retailer

From the Inside Flap

From the 1830s to 1956, Philadelphia-based Baldwin gave the world many of the most significant locomotives ever produced. For the first time, the details of these landmark machines are illustrated with a selection of superb builder’s photos and publicity images taken with large-format cameras and housed in the Broadbelt Collection at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. 

            Prolific rail historian Brian Solomon follows the design and development of Baldwin locomotives from the earliest steam models through the company’s final passenger and freight diesel-electrics. From mass-produced behemoths to ideas that didn’t quite catch on, Solomon leaves no stone unturned, providing model specifications, explaining the achievements of key company figures like Matthias Baldwin and Samuel Vauclain, and always presenting Baldwin locomotives in the context of contemporary industry developments.

            Complementing the thorough text are outstanding period photographs of newly built locomotives posed near company facilities. The book’s large page size showcases the detail and crisp quality of these carefully selected images. The resulting history is a beautiful and lasting document of a true icon of American rails.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press; First edition (May 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760335893
• ISBN-13: 978-0760335895
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 11.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Solomon is one of today's most accomplished railway historians. He has authored more than twenty-five books about railroads and motive power, and his writing and photography have been featured in the world's top railfan publications, including Trains, Railway Age, Passenger Train Journal, and RailNews. He divides his time between Massachusetts and Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Baldwin Locomotives, July 25, 2011

By 

M. C. Wikman "Hogger" (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baldwin Locomotives (Hardcover)

Baldwin locomotives is a good idea but lacking like most railroad books are today. The subject Baldwin locomotives should be a many volume set of books and not a small 160 page book like this. this book is not any near a book of facts he tried to put a 150 year history in a few pages and some facts but very little. Most railroad books today are picture books that lack facts and history.

3.0 out of 5 stars Baldwin Locomotives, November 28, 2011

By 

cutting - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baldwin Locomotives (Hardcover)

Here in New Zealand we had many Baldwin-built locomotives. One of the most significant of these was the Q-class Pacific. In 1900, the NZRailway premier express locomotives were 4-6-0's - but with the last set of drivers under the cab, the firebox had to extend downwards between the frames - but our gauge is only 3'6", which made the firebox very narrow. So the NZR requested a wide-firebox locomotive from BALDWIN, solving the problem by putting a trailing truck underneath the cab, instead of a driving wheel. This was in 1901, and was the first class of PACIFIC loco's in the world. Built by BALDWIN. Yet this book attributes the first Pacific to ALCO instead!!! Does this so-called "historian" really know his stuff??