Customer Reviews

Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History

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Whether an a railfan for decades or just getting into the hobby, this is a great book. Copy is informative and not overdone. Photos and graphics are outstanding. Although my interest in railroading in the Northeast, I found the collection of schedule graphics, promotional pieces, etc. very interesting and, simply, just fun to look at. I lent my copy to a few of my buddies and was happy to see they didn't glance over the pages, but were caught by photos and info. (Hats off to the graphics people). And these are former railroaders and modelers who are "rivet counters," so for the book to get their attention says something about it. A few commented on the price, and thought the book was a real bargain.

As a general book on railroading, this is an excellent book. The photos are excellent, and it covers all the major railroads (and most minor ones) across the USA. There are many chapters on various aspects of railroading, and it is very informative for those who are learning or new to the hobby.

Railroads Across North America is a unique book in this field. it illustrates in great color the historic rail lines that made America great. It also shows the breadth of railroad activites that were a part of operations. This book is just plain fun!

Bill Lock,
Founder Friends
of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Train travel enthusiast and photographer Claude Wiatrowski is a member of the Colorado Midland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society; the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; The Colorado Railroad Museum; The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad; Friends of the East Broad Top; the Nevada Northern Railway Museum; the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation; and the Lexington Group in Transportation History. He is therefore in a particularly knowledgeable position to create a profusely illustrated history of American railroads, and has done so with "Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History", an amazingly informed and informative 256-page compendium of information and images ranges from the first steam-powered locomotives of the 1800s down to the high-speed commuter trains of today. Enhanced with a descriptive listing of historical societies and other railroad organizations, as well as a section devoted to preserved railways, museums and historic sites, ""Railroads Across North America" also includes a bibliography and a comprehensive index, making it an ideal and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Railroading reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This is a fine overview of major railroad developments and the principal players (companies) in the history of the railroads in the United States. The approach taken by the book is not a conventional historical narrative, but a series of short one to two page summaries: most devoted to short descriptions of each of the best known Class I railroads, with occassional sections taking up topics of special interest, such as dieselization, steam power, passenger service, cabooses, and the like. It is not an integrated approach, so picking up a chapter on, say, circus trains, can be done without having read any other part of the book. In fact, there is little to no benefit to reading the book straight through, from beginning to end. Rather, it is best taken in pieces, like a series of nicely illustrated magazine articles.

This book was purchase as a gift for my husband, who loves all things having to do with trains. He loves it, says it is a great book, has interesting photos and text. Great gift for those who are into the history of trains!