Goin' Railroading: Two Generations of Colorado Stories [Paperback]

Sam Speas (Author), Margaret Coel (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 1998

As America, carried along by the expanding rail system, moved westward in the nineteenth century, few occupations seemed more exciting or romantic than that of railroad engineer. And in the mountains and plains of the West, long hours, backbreaking labor, bitter temperatures, and faulty brakes were the crucible in which the best of the early railroaders were formed: only the most dedicated and skilled men passed the tests the narrow-gauge lines of Colorado meted out. In Goin' Railroading, Sam Speas tells the story of his father, Sam Speas Sr., who left Missouri in 1883 to become an engineer in Colorado, and recounts his own experiences and those of his brothers and fellow railroaders on the Colorado and Southern Railway, from the golden era of the narrow-gauge lines in South Park to the final days of steam power on the Front Range and the coming of the diesel engine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado; 2 edition (November 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870814974
• ISBN-13: 978-0870814976
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to Hands-On Steam Railroading, January 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Goin' Railroading: Two Generations of Colorado Stories (Paperback)

This is a reprint of a Colorado and Southern engineman's life story. Although the book is very readable, you won't find much of the "romance of the rails" here - just hard work and men trying to get a job done in often dangerous circumstances.

It's a good introduction to steam-era railroading for those who are too young to remember, and it will revive memories for those who do.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoky History, October 31, 2004

By 

H. A. Johnson (CARBONDALE, COLORADO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Goin' Railroading: Two Generations of Colorado Stories (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book combing the early history of Colorado and the narrow gauge and later standard gauge railroads. The railroads were the dominating force of progress in the mountainous terrain, bringing down coal, silver, gold and other minerals, while carrying supplies up to the mines and ranchers.

The author captures the smell and sound of steam engines working the narrrow corridors of the mountains. It is like being in the cab, with the sounds of smoke pouring from the stack, steam gusting, whistle wailing, bell clanging, and fire roaring in the firebox, and the smells of coal and grease and hot metal combined with the lurching and pounding of the engine on the narrow gauge tracks.

The book will appeal to steam fans, rail buffs and history schloars for a look at the "reality of railroading in the West."