Customer Reviews

History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

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John Stover is a well-known and respected railroad historian, and his book on the B&O has been around for awhile. Readers looking for "the romance of the rails," nostalgic memories of the "Capitol Limited," etc. will not find it here. Rather, they'll find a good introduction to the history, life and times of the Baltimore & Ohio. This one belongs on the shelf of all with an interest in eastern railroads.

This book is the best I have seen on this, the first common carrier railroad in America. John Stover has done a thorough job of covering the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,its history, operations,and the people behind it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in this railroad very highly.

John Stover forgoes the nostalgia of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad folklore and tells the B&O story in straight black and white. Primarily an economic historian, he tells how the B&O was able to make it through thick and thin with the trends of this country's economic growth and downswings. He however, does not ignore the various programs undertaken by the company throughout its history to improve its lines, equipment, and service, and in this light, he documents very well, both the John W. Garrett and Daniel Willard presidential tenures.

If Mr. Stover undertakes a revision of his book, I would like to see him provide more coverage of the years after the B&O was acquired by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, eventually to become the CSX Corporation. Also, his documentation of economic data in the text would be more meaningful if he were to take advantage of one of the many graphics and spreadsheet programs now available on home computers and illustrate this data in a series of charts either within the body of the book itself, or in an appendix.