Customer Reviews

The Milwaukee Road Olympian: A Ride to Remember

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Back when railroads were king, a boy's first trip alone on a train was a big step to manhood: symbolic of great trust by parents, not only in the boy, but in the railroad. Those days are gone. Stan Johnson, however, relives his own first journey on the Milwaukee Road's crack passenger train, the Olympian, on its transcontinental journey from Chicago to Seattle. This book nicely combines Johnson's detailed recollections with the adult author's appreciation for the history of the land through which the train passed. Each historical or geological vignette, though, quickly passes and the trip resumes through the wide eyes of a boy on his first trip alone, recalling each station, each dinner, the porters, the observation cars, Milwaukee steam power, the Milwaukee's mighty Quill drive electrics, the sleeping compartments, myriad details of trains and places.

Johnson is an excellent writer, this was a great train, and this is a terrific story with outstanding illustrations and photographs recalling the history of the Milwaukee. The Olympian is gone. The Milwaukee Road is gone. Johnson's book is a fond rememberance of a magnificent time in this railroad's, and this young boy's, life.

This is truley an amazing book. The true story of a cross country journey from Chicago to Tacoma on the fabled Milwaukee Road's Olympian in 1941 told thought the eyes of a 13 year old! The book is extensively illustrated and covers each mile of the journey arranged in the order of the journey. What is nice is the freshness, innocence and wonder of the journey - just what you would expect from a boy in love with the Milwaukee Road. As an additional treat we get the interactions of the railroad employees with the author Stan Johnson. Particularly memorable is Clarence Williams the sleeping car porter. Filled with detail and railroadiana - it just like being on the journey yourself. A must read for anyone who would like to enjoy travel as it used to be.

This book is outstanding! The author describes his journey in almost mile by mile detail, with the local histories of various locations thrown in. A most fascinating book an excellent read.
Regards,
Malcolm.

Any devotee of the Milwaukee Road will want to own this book, which manages to combine in an extraordinary way a narrative of the route, the train and the people of the Milwaukee Road. This is a task to which Johnson brings both knowledge and love. It comes together as a unique, and deeply moving, memorial to the Milwaukee.