Boston & Maine Trains and Services (Images of Rail) [Paperback]

Bruce D. Heald (Author)

Book Description

Series: Images of Rail | Publication Date: August 17, 2005

The Boston & Maine Railroad serviced most of New England as a primary mode of transportation during the 19th and 20th centuries. The birth of this railroad spurred the growth and development of industry in New England. This heritage is captured in Boston & Maine Trains and Services, the fourth volume in Arcadia's Images of Rail series to focus on the history of this railroad. The trains and services included in this book are the Pullman passenger cars, work trains with flatcars, boxcars, circus trains, plows, stock, cabooses, as well as the Boston & Maine bus service, trucks, and air service.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

To preserve this documentation of the American railroad, author Bruce D. Heald, Ph.D., has assembled 200 rare images that celebrate the romance of the Boston & Maine legacy. A historian, educator, and railroad enthusiast, he has dedicated this book to the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society for its generous assistance and support in preserving the history of American railroading.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (August 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738538752
• ISBN-13: 978-0738538754
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Collection of Rare Vintage Photographs, September 20, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boston & Maine Trains and Services (Images of Rail) (Paperback)

From Boston to points north, the Boston & Main was the dominant railroad serving New England for many years. By any standard the B&M was a nice little regional railroad. While the overall track mileage was much less than the big national roads, they made up for any shortcomings by the population density they served and by the willingness of the road to experiment.

One task of the road was to provide commuter service in the area surrounding Boston. This called for self propelled cars, not unlike the commuters of today. On the B&M these cars could be electric, gasoline or diesel. They tried them all. Sometimes these cars were used as locomotives to pull a passenger car or two.

The cog railway up Mt. Washington is one of the few (if not the only) like it in the country. The B&M even ran boats. And to keep pace with the times, in 1933 they began an airline using a Stinson trimotor - it was advertised as being well ventilated. In the cold New England winter that must have been brisk.

The B&M was also in the resort business. They built hotels on the seashore and in the White Mountains and of course ran the trains to bring the tourists to the hotels.

This is one of the Images of Rail series. The book is mostly pictures, probably about 200 of them collected together to provide a visual history of the road.