Customer Reviews

The Ma & Pa: A History of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a little prejudiced about the subject since the little railroad ran past my grandparents dining room window. Dr. Hilton does a fine job documenting the road's history and happily provides many photographs any railroad fan will love. Once upon a time little railroads like this were the lifeline of the country, and the Ma & Pa was a jewel. Incidentally, Ma & Pa comes from the lettering the Maryland & Pennsylvania used on its equipment. They used M & Pa so not to be confused with the Missouri Pacific. Some chance! The addition of the other "a" was a natural.

I found George Hilton's book to be an informative and invaluable referance for anyone interested in railroading or regional history. The Ma & Pa: A History of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad guides the reader from the early days of local railroad thinking to the demise of short line passenger service along the eastern Mason-Dixon line. This book is also a nice read for anyone who may simply be interested in learning something about the region. I am happy to add this book to my library.

This is an excellent book detailing the storied history of this railroad. Living in Maryland, I knew about some of the history and pass by remnants of the old railroad on a daily basis. Wanting to connect the dots of what I knew and what I wanted to know, I selected this book. I was not disappointed.

There are not a lot of books out there on the historic Maryland and Pennsylvania railroad, so if you want to learn about the history of this great little line, this is a must have. I grew up in Baldwin Md. and only wish I could have been around to see that train pass by... in some ways after reading this, I feel I have.

Authoritative, well written, and just a little tongue in cheek. A leisurely read about a leisurely railroad.