Customer Reviews

The Great Lakes Car Ferries

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This book is a slightly updated reprint of Hilton's 1962 masterpiece. It is the best single source of information on the operations of railway ferry operations literally on the surfaces of the Great Lakes, from the St. Lawrence up to the tip of Lake Superior. All ferry ships are described, with stats, and pictures are provided for many.

The text narrates the development of the rail car ferry operations region by region i.e. the Detroit River operations form a chapter, the Lake Michigan ferries are a chapter, the Mackinac ferries are a chapter, etc. Within each chapter, the story is told by railroad, chronologically i.e. in the "Detroit River" chapter, the operations of the CASO/MC/NYC are described separately from those of the Wabash, Pere Marquette, Grand Trunk, etc. This is probably the most logical way to handle things.

Of especial interest is the descriptions of the battles of the various ferry operations with ice conditions on the rivers (where current is a factor) and on the open lake.

Jim Yaworsky

An excellent review of historical significance for those who have an interest in this subject, as I do. It probably is one of a kind, in that it covers most, if not all of the companies that operated ferries on the Great Lakes. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has desire to improve their knowledge in this area.

Over four decades ago Professor George W. Hilton introduced the uninitiated to the compelling story of the "railroads across the Inland Seas." Long considered the definitive work on the subject, even today, "The Great Lakes Car Ferries" is a springboard to conduct further, in-depth research on the history of these interesting ships.

A fascinating blend of railroad and marine technologies, the car ferries (which signify car as in "railroad car", not as in an "automobile" car) are all but a memory now. The exceptions are the still-operating former railroad car ferry-now-turned auto and passenger ferry S.S. Badger, and the museum ship City of Milwaukee, now open for tours in Manistee, Michigan.

The rich history of the car ferries and the important role they played in the development of the Great Lakes region is traced by Hilton in this newly released version of his 1962 classic. Montevallo Historical Press has completely reworked the book's original layout and has enhanced the appearance with glossy paper stock.

"The Great Lakes Car Ferries" has been updated with a brief addendum by Hilton describing the reasons for the decline of the car ferry operations. Also included is a bibliography of later works to assist researchers in finding more up to date information on the fleets originally covered in the 1962 edition.

This work, heavily illustrated with photos, maps and architectural drawings, is a must for anyone interested in maritime history or the transportation industry. Thanks to Montevallo Historical Press publisher Dean K. Fick, Professor Hilton's seminal work has been preserved for the next generation of car ferry enthusiasts.

I read part of this book online and immediately ordered it.
I found an excerpt of a collosion between the Ashtabula Car Ferry and another ship.
My uncle, Arvo Wiitala, was the wheelsman. The captain was charged and ordered to appear in front of a board of inquiry. He committed suicide the day before the meeting.
My uncle lived with this all his life repeating the story over and over during his final days in his bout with Alzeimers.
From what I have read so far, it shows the brutal conditions of operating ships on the Great Lakes especially during winter. A great read!