Cotton Belt Locomotives (Hardcover)

~ Joseph A. Strapac (Author) "The present-day St. Louis Southwestern Railway traces its beginnings to Northeastern Texas during the 1870s..." (more)
Key Phrases: train number indicators, steam roster, power reverse gear, Cotton Belt, Pine Bluff, Southern Pacific (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The first and only complete study of the Southwest's most successful railway is back in print! This book documents a proud history with diagrams, maps, and over 300 photographs. Includes a roster of every steam and diesel locomotive owned by the Cotton Belt and its predecessors up to 1977. A must-have for any locomotive enthusiast.

About the Author

According to his parents, Joe Strapac has been watching trains ever since he has been old enough to look out of windows. Raised within earshot of the Southern Pacific's San Pedro branch and the Pacific Electric's Southern District, he began a serious interest in locomotives and railroading in 1953. In the years since, he has accumulated a collection of information and photographs pertaining to locomotives in the West, with a particular emphasis upon those of the Southern Pacific and its associates. Over the past decades, he created and refined the "motive power annual" type of publication, preparing successive editions on the current diesel fleet of the Southern Pacific. In addition, he has contributed locomotive information to a number of books on railroading as well as writing many magazine articles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253336015
• ISBN-13: 978-0253336019
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,521,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Cotton Belt Locomotives, December 15, 2001

By	Jim Rogerson "encrodge" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This book is a MUST HAVE for all Cotton Belt History Buffs and Railroad Modelers. Very informative and chock full of great photos and write-ups. Wish I had bought it long ago!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference and Summary, January 23, 2001

By A Customer

This book is just what the title implies, a collection of photographs and a roster of Cotton Belt locomotives. The St. Louis Southwestern (the corporate name for the Cotton Belt) has a long and distinguished history and Strapac shows the equipment that made the trains go. The text is detailed, photo reproduction good, and the captions informative. Students of locomotive development and how the SSW fit into the larger SP family will find much of interest here.