The Complete Book of North American Railroading - Tapa dura

“Oversize, so-called ‘comprehensive’ coffee-table books about railroads are as ubiquitous as ‘Seinfeld’ episodes and usually about as deep.  You’ve probably gotten at least one as a gift from your Aunt Edna, and after you opened it you probably never look at it again.

“You won’t let that happen, though, with this handsome, hefty new book from an all-star team of railroad authors and photographers.  They reach pretty far – covering North American railroading all the way from 1828 to the present – but for the most part they do the subject justice.  The content is comprehensive, offering separate chapters on all the important railroad eras, along with separate treatments of steam and diesel locomotives, freight and passenger trains, and more.  Unlike so many of their competitors, these authors get not only the facts right, but the context as well.

“Best of all, the authors have lavished their subject with a feast of great photographs.  Many photos are historical black-and-white gems from various archives and personal collections, covering mostly the steam and early diesel era; others are state-of-the-art color action photos taken by the authors themselves, including 140 by Jim Boyd, who once again shows how often he has been the right guy in the right place at the right time.  Boyd’s action shots of contemporary excursion steam are definitive and help tell a larger story about locomotive technology.  The book has beautiful design and the quality printing it deserves.” - Trains

The year 1827 marked the completion of the United States’ first railroad--and the beginning of a transformation of American life. This book, spanning nearly two centuries, offers an exhilarating tour of the railways’ inroads into the economy, society, and culture of North America. 

Illustrated with  more than 400 historical and modern photographs and period advertisements, The Complete Book of North American Railroading takes readers back to the birth of the railroads, then travels through the “Golden Age” from 1900 to 1950 and on to the railways of our day. Locomotives, from steam to electric and diesel; passenger travel; freight operations; and infrastructure, including stations, bridges, depots, roundhouse, railyards, and signaling are all thoroughly examined and amply illustrated. Authors Kevin EuDaly and Mike Schafer delve into the history, the culture, and the technology of the railroads as they have carried travelers across the continent, brought goods to market, connected businesses in peacetime and war, and enriched the canon of American folklore and the quality of everyday life.