Customer Reviews

Minnesota's Logging Railroads (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage)

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I did not know anything about the history of the lines in Minnesota so I was excited to get the chance to read Minnesota Logging Railroads by the late Frank A. King published by the University of Minnesota Press.

The book covers the railroads which boomed around the turn of the 1900's and were gone before the end of the depression. Some of the lines built were incorporated into later railroads but many miles were pulled up and left very little imprint upon the woods.

The book combines numerous photographs of logging operations, maps, and an informative text to allow you to quickly get up to speed with the development of the lines. How the lines interconnected with each other and Class One railroads is covered along with sections detailing how a lumber mill worked.

Equipment historians will appreciate the tables which show the dates of purchase and also the disposition of many of the locomotives. Many of them ended their careers either out west or down south working on other better known logging railroads.

If you model logging railroads anywhere, the book is full of great detail shots both of the locomotives and of the mills that they served. There were very few narrow gauge lines in Minnesota so most of the equipment is standard gauge.

Any fan of logging or Minnesota railroading would be well served to check out Minnesota Logging Railroads by Frank A. King.