Customer Reviews

A Railroad Atlas of the United States in 1946: Volume 2: New York & New England (Creating the North American Landscape)

5 star:		(5)
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3 star:		(1)
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I give this book 5 stars, but I give the Amazon.com review function web page 1 star. I wrote a several paragraph review of this book, but this site apparently lost it before it was posted. I don't have time to regenerate it completely. Parts of a draft that I had saved, follows.

If you have ever been driving down a road, have noticed either existing or abandoned railroad roadbed along your route, and have wondered what railroad it once belonged to, then Richard Carpenter's new railroad atlas series may answer your question. Volume 2 continues the series that began with the first volume, covering the mid-Atlantic states.

Each standard map in this atlas corresponds to a U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000 (30-minute quadrangle) topographic map. Carpenter used topographic evidence of both existing and long abandoned railroad rights-of-way, along with considerable other historical data. He then drew simple color line maps of those rights-of-way, leaving off most of the terrain features and all roads. But the maps do show all major political boundaries (state, county, and larger city). Large rivers are included, along with the direction of flow. And along the rail lines, all tunnels, stations, major bridges and viaducts, coaling stations, interlocking towers, and other railroad facilities are indicated, including their names. Interchanges, however, are not clearly noted, nor are numbers of tracks, sidings, or spurs. Rail lines that were recently abandoned, as of 1946, are shown as dotted lines. Where trackage is more concentrated, such as in major metropolitan areas, supplemental larger scale (greater magnification) maps are provided.

This atlas is not limited to Class I railroads, as there are over 150 different railroads that appear on its pages. I encountered the names of dozens of smaller lines that I had never heard of, though many were wholly owned or leased subsidiaries of the Class I lines, in 1946.

The author chose 1946 for several reasons. First, it was near the peak of the U.S. railroad system in terms of total mileage, that peak being over 254,000 route miles. Second, it was during a period of relative stability in the number of U.S. railroad companies; between 1920 and 1950, only five major railroad mergers and consolidations took place. Third, the author wanted to document the railroad network that provided the necessary means of transportation to support President Roosevelt's "arsenal of democracy."

I have bought volumes 1 and 2, and will probably continue with the entire series.

I must open by saying that the Railroad Atlas is in fact a comprehensive and valuable source of information; a "labor of love" in the strictest sense. If you have an interest in seeing how and where the various railroads ran and what stations and facilities were on them in the immediate post-war and pre-merger era, then this book is a must-have.

However, the prospective purchaser should be aware that the maps which form the heart of this atlas are not the slick and professionally produced products that we have been spoiled with in the recent years of the information age. They are obviously hand-drawn, and to be honest they look like something done on a kitchen table with a box of felt-tip markers. The basic map information was traced--carefully, but obviously by hand--from USGS topographic maps, and then the railroad information was added.

I am not trying to put off any prospective purchaser, and in fact I intend to purchase the remainder of the series. However, I think that you should be aware of the quality of the presentation in advance. As long as you don't expect something that looks like it was turned out by the draftsmen at Rand McNally you should be fine.

A Railroad Atlas Of The United States In 1946, Volume 2 covers New York and New England, in this meticulously researched and presented reference series. A brief introduction including instructions for how to use the atlas to find stations, cross-reference with other maps and similar tasks leads into the extensive map selection. By far the majority of A Railroad Atlas Of The United States In 1946, Volume 2 is comprised of maps, compiled from the research and generosity of many sources and presented in multiple colors for easier reference. An in-depth index facilitates quick and easy location in this unique and highly accessible resource.

This book (hardcover), has to weigh a couple of pounds and is ALL maps. It shows the physical plant of Northeast railroading just after World War II. If you are fortunate enough to have a collection of individual railroad-issued maps you will know the routes that these railroads ran, but this book will show you just WHAT was along the routes. Items such as stations, interlocking plants, junctions etc are listed. As a practical aside, if you are reading an issue of a railroad magazine that highlights an area like Maybrook yard in New York, the maps in this book can help you follow the story accurately!. The ONLY thing this book has that keeps it from being a 5-star is that all of the maps are drawn in ink instead of some other reproduction process. For a map affectionado(sic)? like myself this is not a problem, but if someone is wanting a coffee-table picture book with maps, then this book is not for you. For everyone else, HIGHLY recommended!

Volume 2 of the extensive rail reference atlas focuses on New York and New England in 1946 - and there are so many rail lines, the narrowed focus and separate volume are needed. The heart of A Railroad Atlas Of The United States In 1946 Volume 2 lines in color line maps on every page of rail lines. From New Hampshire and Maine to Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New York, maps chart each track and stops along the way and will prove invaluable to researchers.

This is great work. As someone who grew up in the Northeast during the last days of steam it brought back some good memories.
The maps are easy to read and provide scads of information. For rail buff or model railroaders interested in "the good old days" of coal and hot water, it details many lines long since removed or abandoned.

Carpenter is a man obsessed with railroads. His maps are a testamony to his obsession and an important document to what was once a great rail network in the US. I am waiting for Volume 3.

Scale is such that detail of yards in not discernible. Main lines are visible but number of sidings no visible.