Rio Grande Railroad (Railroad Color History) (Hardcover)

by James Griffin (Author) "William Jackson Palmer was a remarkable man..." (more)
Key Phrases: tunnel motors, standard gauge line, trackage rights, Rio Grande, Eric Morgan, Royal Gorge (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Travel west through the Rocky mountains on the legendary "Rio Grande" railroad. Also known as the D&RGW, it is a favorite among rail fans and modellers for its breathtaking scenery and its fascinating narrow-gauge legacy. On it’s journey from Denver to Salt Lake City the "Rio Grande" ran through the six-mile-long Moffat Tunnel, one of America’s miracles of railroad engineering. This book treats the reader to a wealth of information including overviews of steam and diesel locomotives as well as famous passenger trains such as the Vista-domed California Zephyr (Chicago to Oakland, joint with the Burlington and Western Pacific) and the Royal Gorge (Denver to Salt Lake City). All aboard for a fantastic pictorial of arguably the most scenic railroad in America.

From the Publisher
• Part of MBI’s newly redesigned Railroad Color History series, this hardcover book features over 150 dazzling photographs
• Boasted as the most scenic railroad in U.S. history
• Rio Grande served the west including Denver and Salt Lake City
• D&RGW’s narrow gauge Durango to Silverton line is a popular tourist line today
• Includes Rio Grande print advertising

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: MBI; illustrated edition edition (July 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076031442X
• ISBN-13: 978-0760314425
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #833,257 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rio Grande Railroad- Highly Recommended, January 4, 2004

By A Customer

James (jim) Griffin has provided a desirable snapshot and synopsis of the D&RGW historical issues with a select compilation of other 'fans' photos as well as his own.

The book describes the time and scale, significant persons and financial history providing great context, expansion and demise of the integral operations and relationships between owners and operators, as well as the 'state and federal' legal issues that are unique to the United States.

James uses modern photography and earlier 20thC from unpublished private sources to highlight the country and 'real estate' that the D&RGW subsequently served.

As a coffee table book (not meant to be a death knell!) for the detailed pictures, a text reference to the operations and hardships encountered, and even better pictorial reference for modellers and enthusiasts showing great detail and variation in the 'living' equipment and trains that real people used. For a non-US train enthusiast I learnt a lot from the book and James has done an excellent job capturing the feel of the topic.

And it is a modellers precis and reference to be admired!

Although tinged with sentiment and a legacy to a disappearing era of corporate leadership, this helps the book personify the way RG employees appeared to enjoy their burdens and lament the loss of their independence. Highly Recommended!

For more information see the D&RGW Yahoo Group/ elist. Many technical experts and historians exists till researching the topic for whatever hobby purposes they desire!
cheers
dave

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and well done, December 31, 2003

By	Rebecca Talley - See all my reviews

This book contains breathtaking photographs and easy to read and understand text. It is interesting to see the changes over the years and the information is well documented. I'm not a "train buff," but I enjoyed reading this book and looking at the photos. We keep it on our coffee table so others can view it as well. I'm sure it'd be a valuable addition to any library, especially those who are fans of the Rio Grande Railroad.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rio Grande History, March 8, 2007

By	Cameron Green (Chesapeake, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Good review of the history, would have liked to see better route maps.