With more than 220 black and white photographs from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and private collections across the country, this is the essential pictorial guide for all those interested in the role of the Iron Horse in the American Civil War. Like all wars, the Civil War was not all gunfire and panic. It was supply and transport, trains and trouble on the line, men in Blue and Gray fighting against almost unbelievable odds with lumbering, woodburning engines.
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About the Author
George B. Abdill, before his death in 1982, was a railroader's writer--A working hoghead on the Southern Pacific's Portland Division and historian of the great days of steam. His special gift was as a collector of truly remarkable photographs illustrating the pioneering days of the railroads. And he had a special place in his heart for military railroaders since he, himself, served with the 744th Railway Operation Battalion during World War II, running his engine in France, Belgium, and Germany. He had a first-hand knowledge of railroading under fire.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Blue and Gray on the Rails,
This review is from: Civil War Railroads: A Pictorial Story of the War between the States, 1861-1865 (Hardcover)
Civil War Railroads by George Abdill is a wonderful browsing book on railroading in the 1860's. One can open to most any page and find an interesting story, anecdote, biography or fact about Civil War railroading. The book is organized chronologically with no clear academic theme. It draws few conclusions. It is, however, flooded with over two hundred photos mainly from the Library of Congress and the National Archives. There is a wide mixed spectrum of topics including locomotives,rolling stock, structures, yards, track, car ferries was well as burned and destroyed trains and bridges on both sides. Somehow Abdill seems to have identified by name almost every locomotive pictured. Devastation is certainly a common thread. Book length topics like the Andrew's raid (the great locomotive chase) and the Lincoln funeral train are covered in only a few pages. Readers should note this is a word for word reprint of Abdill's 1961 book of the same title. The Indiana University Press digitally enhanced reprint on glossy paper greatly improved the photo quality from the muddy first edition. For the modeler it has no scale drawings, track layouts or even color lithographs. It is very pleasing blend of many railroad topics. I was never bored. I would recommend it to Civil War buffs, model railroaders and anyone interest in a fascinating part of our history.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Civil War nut,
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This review is from: Civil War Railroads: A Pictorial Story of the War between the States, 1861-1865 (Hardcover)
This book combines two of my greatest interest, Railroads and the Civil War. After many, many hours searching websites and trying to collect Civil War era railroad photos, I came across this book. It was published back in the 60's, but Amazon connected me with someone willing to part with their copy. I am now holding all of those photos I've been trying to collect. If you've seen a Civil War railroad photo anywhere, I'm sure you will find it in this book. It does have writing as well, but you'll want it for the photos!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The first blood shed by railroaders in the struggle over the slavery question flowed at Harper's Ferry on October 17, 1859. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
military railroads, inch drivers, construction corps, inch cylinders, railroad operations Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Civil War, North Carolina, City Point, Herman Haupt, Ohio Railroad, West Point, General Haupt, New York, Atlantic Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Manassas Gap, New Orleans, Virginia Central, Bull Run, Potomac Railroad, Aquia Creek, Chattanooga Railroad, Courtesy of the Library of Congress, East Tennessee, Georgia Railroad, Nashville Railroad, Secretary of War, New Jersey Locomotive, Petersburg Railroad, Tennessee River New!
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Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The first blood shed by railroaders in the struggle over the slavery question flowed at Harper's Ferry on October 17, 1859. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
military railroads, inch drivers, construction corps, inch cylinders, railroad operations Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Civil War, North Carolina, City Point, Herman Haupt, Ohio Railroad, West Point, General Haupt, New York, Atlantic Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Manassas Gap, New Orleans, Virginia Central, Bull Run, Potomac Railroad, Aquia Creek, Chattanooga Railroad, Courtesy of the Library of Congress, East Tennessee, Georgia Railroad, Nashville Railroad, Secretary of War, New Jersey Locomotive, Petersburg Railroad, Tennessee River New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 12
books:
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8
books
cite this book:
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- George Eastman (Pioneers in Change) by Burnham Holmes in Front Matter
- Green River: New and Selected Poems (Wesleyan Poetry Series) by Robert Morgan on page 138
- North Carolina by Irvin S. Cobb in Front Matter
- Reading Railroad (Fast Forward Enrichment Ser) by Barbara Gregorich in Front Matter
- The Ohio River (Rivers of North America) by Tom Jackson on page 26
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- Rise and Fall of the Confederacy: The Memoir of Senator Williamson S. Oldham, CSA (SHADES OF BLUE & GRAY) by Clayton E. Jewett on page 37, and Back Matter
- Trains across the Continent, Second Edition: North American Railroad History by Rudolph Daniels in Back Matter
- More Civil War Curiosities: Fascinating Tales, Infamous Characters, and Strange Coincidences by Webb Garrison in Back Matter
- The American Railroad Passenger Car, Parts I and II (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) by John H. White Jr. in Back Matter
- A Mississippi Rebel in the Army of Northern Virginia: The Civil War Memoirs of Private David Holt by David Holt on page 88
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