Customer Reviews

Tehachapi, Southern Pacific - Santa Fe

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This book by John Signor is among the best of the Signor tradition. Extra fine hand drawn maps, rich text about the present and history of each stop AND information about the overall area are Signor's hallmark. If you want to know about heavy-duty western mountain railroading, get it! Read it!.

As with all John Signor's many books, he "puts you there" in the places he writes about. The photography is well chosen and is a balanced part of the whole picture. It's not just the locomotives and rolling stock, Mr. Signor has a superb sense of place and time. The balance of all the factors needed to understand a specific place served by a railroad is a hallmark of this author's work. Each factor: his skilled writing, the choice of photography, the color art, the use of detailed maps and long-distance views put together an experience of place and time for the reader.
Not incidentally, the volume itself is high quality and put together in a very sturdy way to survive decades into the future. This is a book to come back to and to pass on to someone who appreciates trains, railroads and the unique view inside Mr. Signor's books. John Signor steps into the hallowed league of the great railroad writers of bygone eras.

Dr Bil Hawklns

I've owned John Signor's "Tehachapi" for over 20 years, having picked up the volume after visiting the title region. Signor covers the geography and history of this impressive stretch of railroad in a way that is engaging and entertaining, and not only discusses the engineering challenges of traversing the Tehachapi mountains between Mojave and Bakersfield, California, but also natural diasters that have occurred on the line. The narrative is copiously illustrated with photographs and artwork, and includes ample anecdotal accounts from people who were there at the time.

While history can often be dry reading, Signor keeps his subject alive with an evident passion for railroading. This book is perfect for anyone that is a fan of either the Southern Pacific or Santa Fe Railroads, or for those who want to know more about how they overcame the, "You can't get there from here".