by Roger C. Hinman Merchants Despatch traced its origins to a railroad express service begun in 1855, with a connection to the American Express Company. From its earliest years it operated over the lines of the New York Central, and by 1871 its stock was owned by Vanderbilt Lines railroads. However, it was an independent part of the New York Central family. As such, it outlived the Central, and this book carries its history to the year 2000. Initially the rolling stock of Merchants Despatch was box cars to carry railroad "fast freight," but by 1878 refrigerator cars were included. With the passage of years, the MDT fleet would become almost entirely refrigerator cars, maintained and many first built at the sprawling Despatch Shops in East Rochester, New York. Through much of its history, MDT leased cars to railroads other than New York Central, and to a variety of private shippers, as well as managing its own fleet of thousands of cars. By the 1950s the fleet included bunkerless cars (insulated box cars) and would subsequently include auto-rack cars, a category of rolling stock which enabled MDT to survive the Penn Central and Conrail mergers. But once Conrail went to CSX and Norfolk Southern in 1998, MDT reached the end of its line in 2000. Some 298 photographs, most previously unpublished, enrich this book, in addition to 44 drawings. More than 50 period documents and graphics enliven the text, accompanied by extensive rosters and tables of both car data and company information. Thoroughly researched in company records, this is an authoritative, well illustrated and complete history of Merchants Despatch. It presents both the long and complex corporate history, and also much information and many details about the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the vast car fleet. Author Roger Hinman has published over 20 articles in model railroad and historical society publications, and is a railfan of many years standing. This is his first book. The book will appeal to those interested in the New York Central and in freight cars, as well as to enthusiasts of railroad history. Anyone interested in North American freight railroading from 1870 to 2000 will find it a valuable addition to their library. |
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Featuring Dick Murdock's Smoke in the Canyon by Robert J. Church This book features fascinating personal stories by Southern Pacific railroaders who worked out of Dunsmuir, California in the heyday of big-time steam railroading. The unique mountain railroad town, established in 1886, was the headquarters for Southern Pacific's Shasta Division and a helper point where locomotives were added to assist trains in the climb out of the canyon of the Sacramento River. Three sections of the book contain stories written by railroaders that reveal just how it was to work in engine and train crew service. The first is a complete reprint of SP engineer Dick Murdock's 1986 book, Smoke in the Canyon, that recalls his years of working on the SP and living in Dunsmuir. The second is by Don Olsen, who worked two years out of Dunsmuir before steam operations ended. The third, "Incident at Morley," written by conductor Bill Reid, a brakeman at the time, explains train operating and track occupancy rules and recounts a tragic accident that was a result of rules not strictly followed. Shasta Division history and sections written from interviews of Dunsmuir crewmen by Bob Church complete the book. The stories are illustrated with historic photos, most never before published, to depict the town, the railroad, the trains and locations on the Shasta Division. Thoroughly researched captions give the reader informative insight about the railroaders and people of Dunsmuir and Siskiyou County up to the mid-1950s when SP dieselization was complete. Author Bob Church has collected interviews from several people and unpublished historic photos from numerous sources to illustrate the work. Comprising 264 pages, the book contains over 415 photos, along with maps and graphics, and has both a bibliography and an index. The book will be especially appreciated by SP fans, but those who like mountain railroading will also find much to like. Steam railroading enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates living history of a bygone era are certain to enjoy this book. |
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Incubator of Innovation by Robert A. Pecotich The largest and oldest of SP's General Shops, Sacramento built or rebuilt hundreds of steam and diesel locomotives, and thousands of freight and passenger cars, along with extensive work on passenger and official cars, in its history from 1868 to 1990. This was one of the largest and most productive railroad shops in North America. In the 19th century, many new locomotives for Central Pacific and Southern Pacific were produced at the Shops, along with much rolling stock. From 1890 until the 1920s, SP turned primarily to commercial builders for rolling stock and locomotives, but an outgrowth of assembling a few locomotives during the USRA period was a new spurt of locomotive building, until 1937. After the end of steam, the Shops were reconfigured for diesel locomotive repair, and in 1969 an immense rebuilding program commenced which was to renew during the 1970s and 1980s more than 500 diesels for further service. Closure of the Shops came in 1990. Author Bob Pecotich has extensively researched the Shops and many of its products, particularly locomotives and official cars, as well as the story of the many thousands of craftsmen who worked there through the decades. The result of thorough study, this is a complete, detailed and well-illustrated history, with many previously unpublished images of work in the Shops and of the many locomotives and rolling stock which the Shops produced, repaired, or rebuilt. Coverage in this book ranges from the earliest days, before the driving of the Gold Spike at Promontory, through most of SP's history, to the final closure. Containing 496 pages, the book contains over 600 photos, along with 21 drawings and maps, and has both a bibliography and an index. The dust jacket image (at left) is a 1930s image of the Erecting Hall at the Shops. The book will be especially appreciated by SP fans, but those who like railroad rolling stock will enjoy the many construction views, and both steam and diesel enthusiasts will find much information about the extensive construction record of Shops locomotives. |
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Jerome and the Northern Roads by David F. Myrick This addition to Myrick's renowned series on Arizona railroads covers the great copper operation at Jerome, and a number of roads in the northern part of the state, including the still-operating Grand Canyon Railway. The Grand Canyon trackage was for many years a Santa Fe branch, and serves a tourist railroad today. Both the construction history, as well as the story of the line's revival in the 1990s, are thoroughly covered here. Jerome was served by four railroads at various times, most notably the Verde Tunnel & Smelter Railroad, a property of United Verde Copper Company, the primary mining producer at Jerome. Also noteworthy was the United Verde & Pacific narrow gauge, which has its own chapter here, as does the United Verde Extension Railroad. Both are part of the complex railroad history of the Jerome area. Another road serving the Jerome area was the Verde Valley Railway, long a Santa Fe branch, and active today as both the Arizona Central (for freight) and Verde Canyon (tourist trips). Thoroughly documented here are several shorter-lived railroads which served mining camps, including the Arizona & Swansea, Arizona & Utah, the Mohave & Milltown, and the narrow gauge line serving Ryan. Notable occurences in the mining camps are described too. Also presented are the modern coal-hauling roads, the Coronado and the Black Mesa & Lake Powell railroads. Even some of the famous unbuilt railroad proposals, like the Arizona Northern and the Intermountain, St. George & Grand Canyon, have their place in the story, and their history is here. More than 235 photos, most previously unpublished, in addition to 28 of the author's maps. Material from period newspapers and other publications enlivens the text, with much mining as well as railroad history. It is a superb package of Arizona and railroad history. Size: 248 pages, 8.5" x 11", hard covers; 235 photos, 28 maps, bibliography, index |
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By: Patrick C. Dorin The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway was well described by its slogan, "Around -- Not Thru Chicago." For most of a century, it was owned by United States Steel, and was a critical freight conduit for both the Gary Works and the South Chicago Works, but also served many other shippers along its 130-mile line. In addition, it interchanged with fully 35 railroads around Chicago, carriers from the west, east and south, making it a busy interchange and transfer road also. Pat Dorin, a well-known rail historian, worked for the EJ&E at one time, and has drawn on company records and employee interviews for this history of the road. In addition to operational details, complete descriptions of both steam and diesel motive power, and of the freight car fleet, are included. The dust jacket watercolor is based on a photograph by Russ Porter. This fine volume is a complete account of the history, construction and operation of the EJ&E. This book will appeal not only to fans of the EJ&E and of Chicago-area railroads, but also enthusiasts of mainline American railroading |
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Harre W. Demoro The Sacramento Northern was among California's most notable interurbans, connecting the state capital at Sacramento with the San Francisco Bay Area. In later years, electric freight operations also became well known. The SN survived a number of years as a subsidiary of the Western Pacific Railroad. Harre Demoro, long known as an authority on the SN, wrote this book a few years prior to his death, but the manuscript was never published. This particular book is among Demoro's most complete and carefully researched, with a treasure trove of photo illustrations, many never before published, along with timetable, map, and advertising materials. |
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Volume 5: Hoppers, Covered Hoppers, Tank Cars by Anthony W. Thompson Southern Pacific, one of the West's largest and most historic railroads, operated a major fleet of freight cars. The history of those cars is extensive, and this book series is aimed at describing all types of SP freight cars and their histories. The first volume included gondolas and stock cars, while the second covered cabooses, the third addressed automobile cars and flat cars, and the fourth presented box cars. This fifth volume treats hoppers, covered hoppers, and tank cars, and its primary time period is 1865-1965, with some coverage after those years. Freight car history has a number of dimensions. Built dates, car numbers, car characteristics are only the bare bones. Also of importance are reasons for construction of a particular car class and exploration of its design heritage, and indications of the longevity and service use of the class, culminating in rebuilding or scrapping. All those factors are addressed here. The book opens with an introductory section of background information, then the hopper section begins with the early coal cars, followed by open-top steel hopper cars through 1965. The hopper section then turns to covered hoppers (SP regarded them as "H" classes too), from the first cars of 1946, through new designs, and into cars for special lading, such as "Airslide" and related cars. The section on tank cars begins with the early cars, including the Huntington era of the 1890s, then addresses the time of design advances in the early 1900s, followed by Harriman and post-Harriman cars. Then come the several car classes of the period 1920 to 1942. A concluding chapter presents tank cars of the 1960s. Throughout the book, roster information and builder photos, as well as in-service photos at various points in the life of car classes, document the history. Drawings and lettering diagrams of selected cars are also included. Four appendices (one on standard colors), a detailed bibliography and an index round out the book. The book's 578 photos (77 in color) of SP hoppers, covered hoppers, and tank cars, most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 109 drawings, extensive rosters, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative. Once again, a strong contribution to the history of the Southern Pacific and of the West has been furnished by Signature Press. |
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by Richard H. Hendrickson and Edward S. Kaminski The practice of painting advertisements on the freight cars of shippers and car owners dates well back into the 19th century. But in the 1920s, leasing companies realized they could contract with shippers to pass back usage payments beyond some agreed minimum. This led to an explosion of car leasing and, as this book amply demonstrates, a corresponding explosion of billboard decoration of refrigerator cars. Railroad objections, especially to the usage payment rebates, led to hearings before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which, taking effect in 1937, banned most of the leasing practices which had generated the car leasing bonanza. After World War II, a restrained billboard style made a modest comeback. Car-side advertising was only a detail of that ICC decision. But because it was the basis for a remarkable diversity of refrigerator car paint schemes in the era, the photographs of these cars have long held an interest for historians, railfans, and model railroaders. Thoroughly documented here are hundreds of these paint schemes, together with details of the leasing companies and car builders associated with the individual cars. More than 440 photographs, most previously unpublished, enrich this book. Even a modest amount of color information was available and is included. The authors, both recognized authorities on railroad freight car history, have done a superb job of collecting and organizing the information presented here. The book is sure to appeal to modelers and to many who are interested in railroad history. |
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by A.D. McLennan There has long been a need for a thorough history of the Texas & New Orleans and its predecessors, from the beginnings in the mid-19th century, through linking El Paso and New Orleans in 1883, to the merger with Southern Pacific in 1961. This book fills that need. Component railroads of the T&NO included the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio; the Houston & Texas Central; the Houston East & West Texas; the Louisiana Western; Morgan's Louisiana & Texas Railroad and Steamship Company; the T&NO itself; and the San Antonio & Aransas Pass. The book opens with an introductory section of background information, then provides a general description of the steam locomotives which powered the T&NO until dieselization was completed in the 1950s. The coverage continues with chapters on particular segments of the T&NO: El Paso to Houston, the Dallas & Austin Divisions, the Victoria Division, the East Texas lines, and Houston to New Orleans. A separate chapter describes the Houston and Galveston terminals. A concluding chapter covers the 1961 merger into SP, as well as the dieselization in the last decade of the T&NO?s separate existence. Each chapter is rich in details of operation, with extensive information from timetables and dispatcher sheets, as well as from company sources and the railroad literature. Throughout the book, numerous in-service photos at various locations document the history. The railroad had a complex roster of motive power in steam days, when many locomotives had been inherited from predecessor roads. Accordingly, detailed locomotive rosters are included, and essential drawings and maps further enrich the story. A bibliography and an index round out the book. The Texas & New Orleans was an essential part of the Southern Pacific. The book's 327 photos, most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 39 maps and drawings, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative. This book provides a coverage that every railroad enthusiast, and of course Texas & New Orleans and Southern Pacific fans in particular, will enjoy. |
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by John R. Signor More than 500 miles from Ogden, Utah to Reno, Nevada, at the eastern foot of the Sierra Nevada, comprised SPs Salt Lake Division. Although it was a vital and historic part of the Southern Pacific, from the building of the Central Pacific until the end of the SP in 1996, its day-to-day history and operation, with the difficulties of weather, scant water, and steep grades, has remained in relative obscurity. This is largely due to its remoteness. The Salt Lake Division, located in a sparsely populated interior basin and range country characterized by vast depressions or desert sinks, and the furrowing of innumerable north-south mountain ranges, is one of the least populated regions in the continental United States. West of the Pequops Range, much of the line is located along the Humboldt River which, from northeastern Nevada, runs west and southwest before finally disappearing into the ground in the Humboldt Sink. And though many improvements have been made to the alignment of the railroad over the years, much of this country even today is much as the pioneers saw it. An important part of this railroad is the Great Salt Lake crossing, which was built during the Harriman era. The author, master SP historian John Signor, has drawn upon original railroad records, published accounts in early newspapers, trade magazines and periodicals, maps and the recollections of old-timers to make a complex and interesting railroad narrative about this 780-mile line, including its several branches and auxiliary main lines. Supplementing the text are over 60 maps, graphics and ephemera, and over 680 photos (77 in color), most of which have never been published. A bibliography and detailed index round out this volume. The result is a very fine work which adds to the Southern Pacific canon, treating an important and often overlooked part of the Southern Pacific, from one of its most respected historians. Railroad history buffs generally, and SP and Western railroad fans in particular, will be sure to enjoy this book. |
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by Edward S. Kaminski Pullman-Standard (although known for passenger cars) was for some years the largest freight car builder in North America. The Pullman Company began to build freight cars in the 19th century. Merger with Haskell & Barker Car Company in 1921, and with Standard Steel Car Company in 1930, greatly expanded the capacity of Pullman. Pullman-Standard pioneered the use of welding in freight car construction. First was the PS-1 box car, which sold in the tens of thousands, then came the PS-2 covered hopper, the PS-3 open top hopper, and finally the PS-4 flat car and PS-5 gondola. All benefited from Pullman-Standard's conversion to assembly-line techniques of mass production. Ed Kaminski is an authority on freight car builders, and it contains a rich trove of some 418 photographs, from Pullman and Pullman-Standard, and also from predecessors Haskell & Barker, Standard Steel Car Company, and Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company. Like Ed's previous works, this book is an authoritative historical survey. It will be of interest to anyone who likes railroad history, but it will be of particular value to those whose enthusiasm is freight cars. hard covers Size: 192 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 418 photographs (59 color), graphics, index |
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Santa Fe steam power in the twentieth century was distinctive and often technologically advanced. This book presents the development of locomotives, from early designs of the nineteenth century, through the "supreme steam" of the 1930s, with Santa Fe's superb 4-8-4 and 2-10-4 locomotives, and the simultaneous explorations of pioneer diesel power. The author, Larry Brasher, is a noted Santa Fe historian. \nThis book will be a welcome treat for anyone who is interested in the history of the Santa Fe, and of course for fans of locomotive development and improvement. The book has 308 pages, 296 photos, and an endsheet map.
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The basic story of the Overseas Railway to Key West, an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, has been told before, from the early dream of Henry Flagler, to completion of railroad construction near the end of Flagler's life, to destruction of the extension in the devastating Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. But there is much more to tell. The core of this book is the collection of photographs made by William Asa Glass, one of the construction engineers on the project. His views, many never duplicated elsewhere, show both the engineering and human sides of the great project in a unique way. Supplementing it are the recollections of many who were there. In combination, it makes a vivid and engrossing story, rich in unfamiliar details. Also included here is a retrospective of the route today. Henry M. Flagler conceived the idea of a railway to Key West at least as early as 1895, and after a number of setbacks, the Overseas Railway was completed in 1912. It then served to take tourists to and from the Florida Keys, particularly Key West, as well as to transport freight and passengers en route to and from Havana, Cuba by ship. It was effectively destroyed in the cataclysmic Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and its route was sold to become part of Florida's Overseas Highway. The coverage includes a number of views of hurricane damage as well as the construction process, along with the working environment of an engineer on this project. An epilogue provides a brief tour of the route today, with the remnants of nearly all the original Flagler bridges still standing, often alongside today's Overseas Highway. The book¹s 166 photos, few ever published, 129 of them by Bill Glass or from his collection, together with 24 views (18 in color) of the route today, along with maps, artwork, and a bibliography and index, make this book unusually complete. Anyone interested in railroad history or Florida history will enjoy this book, but particularly for those whose enthusiasm is railroad construction, the Florida East Coast Railway, or the Florida Keys, this is a satisfying complement to other books on the topic, and a fascinating history in its own right. |
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Through the rugged Western mountains of Montana, Idaho and Washington, the Milwaukee Road electrification powered heavy-duty railroading in a challenging environment. Richard Steinheimer¹s classic interpretive photographs and stories have no peer as an account of what the men and machines of this operation were like. This famous book now is back in print in a second edition. For nearly 60 years, the orange and black locomotives of the Milwaukee Road¹s western electrified lines wheeled tonnage freights and deluxe passenger trains up and over the tortuous grades of the Bitterroot and Cascade mountain ranges. From its inception, this pioneer mainline railroad electrification project proved to the world that heavy service utilization of long-distance electric railway technology was one possible vision of railroading¹s bright future. Within the pages of this acclaimed volume, America¹s most celebrated railroad photographer, Richard Steinheimer, directed his talents to the immensely popular subject of the Milwaukee Road electrification. After years of preparation and visits to the region, Steinheimer provided the reader with a visual and written record of the the life and times of this venture in electric traction. The result was an outstanding volume of railroad atmosphere and history, out of print within a few years of its 1980 publication. Now the book returns in a new edition, with 20 additional Steinheimer photographs, including 12 in color, along with other material to enrich this fine book. This volume remains the richest account of the human side of the Milwaukee Road and its notable electrification. This book is a signal event for fans of the Milwaukee Road, of mainline electrification, and of the everyday life of railroaders. Often acclaimed as Steinheimer¹s masterpiece, it is a book that no railroad enthusiast should be without. Rail artist Larry Fisher has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting the change between steam and Bipolar electric power at Othello, Washington, the eastern end of the Cascade electrification. |
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This is the third volume in a series on Southern Pacific freight cars. It covers two car types, automobile cars and flat cars. The era is from about 1870 until the late 1960s. The book contains an extensive array of rosters, photos and, where possible, drawings of the major car classes, along with other material as available, such as construction photos, publicity photos, lettering drawings, and so forth. Survival of the cars over the years is presented, as are numerous photos of the cars in service. The first section of the book contains an introductory section of background information, then covers the early furniture and auto cars, the cars of the 1920s, and the steel auto cars built both before and after World War II, until the end of SP auto car construction in 1955. Also included are the "hog fuel" (wood chip) cars converted from auto cars by removing the roofs. The coverage then turns to flat cars, first the 19th century cars, then the Harriman and post-Harriman designs, and then the general-service cars after 1940. Separate chapters describe the logging and pulpwood cars, piggyback flat cars, heavy-duty cars, and a variety of modified and specially equipped flat cars. These two car types make up an essential part of the history of any railroad. The book's 701 photos (27 in color), most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 59 drawings, extensive rosters, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative. This book provides a coverage that every railroad enthusiast, and of course Southern Pacific fans in particular, will enjoy. Noted rail artist John Signor has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting a Southern Pacific yard scene containing the subjects of this series of books. The well-known SP freight car historian Anthony W. Thompson has authored magazine articles on many SP cars, as well as researching and writing the car section of the book, Pacific Fruit Express, previously published by Signature Press, as well as Volume 1 and Volume 2 in this series. Once again, a strong contribution to the history of the Southern Pacific and of the West has been furnished by Signature Press. Enthusiasts of those subjects will find this a superb book |
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From its beginnings in 1904 until abandonment of most trackage in 1992, the Visalia Electric Railroad had a fascinating history. Built as an electric line which pioneered 15-cycle alternating current in the United States, it operated orange interurban cars along its 30-mile route until 1924. Serving the Sierra Nevada foothill region of eastern Tulare County, the VE became a local fixture as towns and agriculture developed. From the outset in 1904, the Visalia Electric Railroad had all its stock owned by the Southern Pacific. Primarily serving the growing areas east of Exeter, branches extended eastward toward Sequoia National Park, and southward to Strathmore. After passenger service ended in 1924, electric freight operations continued until 1944. Thereafter, diesels provided service, from GE 44-tonners to handed-down SP Alco and EMD switchers. Loss of perishable traffic finally doomed the line, and the last significant trackage was abandoned in 1992. In its heyday, the VE carried out a variety of operations, all described in this volume, from passenger excursions and commuting, to electric and gas-electric freight service to numerous packing sheds along the line. Though owned by Southern Pacific, many aspects of operations were locally controlled until 1964. Ownership of locomotives, motor cars, cabooses, and other rolling stock is all presented here, in photographs and rosters. Some 249 photographs, most previously unpublished, and 15 maps, enrich the book. Phil Kauke has worked many years assembling information and collecting photographs to create this history. That it is now appearing will gratify not only electric traction fans, but also enthusiasts of the Southern Pacific, as this small but vital part of the system was quite interesting in its own right. Every rail-fan who ever saw a photograph of a 44-ton locomotive lettered "Visalia Electric" understands that interest. |
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by Robert J. Church Among the signature steam locomotives of the Southern Pacific was surely the Daylight 4-8-4. From the earliest unstreamlined GS-1 Class, to the famous GS-4 (and preserved member of the class no. 4449), and including the Cotton Belt engines which came west in the 1950s, these were all distinctive SP power of the late steam era. Southern Pacific steam locomotive authority Bob Church has prepared an entirely new book; this is far more than a revision of his 1967 volume of 130 pages, Those Daylight 4-8-4's. The new 436-page book updates or replaces some previous photos and adds many new ones, both black and white and color; the old book had 174 photos, the new one has 731. Much new information regarding mechanical design, problems and improvements, and operations over each route, has come to light and has been included in this new book. Official diagrams of each class, and HO scale drawings of all locomotives and tenders are also included, as are color drift panels. Arnold Menke has contributed another of his magisterial chapters on tenders. The late Ted Rose created the cover painting, entitled "In the Clear," showing the Starlight trains meeting at Chorro siding on the Coast Line. Complete, detailed and authoritative, this book will appeal to all enthusiasts of the history of Western railroading and of Southern Pacific in particular |
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by John R. Signor The Oakland Pier, hub of the Western Division, was among the most recognizable Southern Pacific locations, and activities across the Division were directed from headquarters at the Pier. This book by noted SP historian John Signor describes the construction, history, and operation of this vital part of the SP. With lines connecting Oakland with Sacramento by way of both the Carquinez Strait via Martinez, and Altamont Pass via Tracy, and lines radiating to the Napa Valley, San Jose, and Fresno, as well as branch lines like the Kentucky House, Winters, and San Ramon branches, this was a highly varied and extremely busy division. Passenger trains arrived from and departed to such varied destinations as Portland, Chicago, and Los Angeles and beyond, all with ferryboat connections to San Francisco. The freight business was intense, with profuse local industry both shipping and receiving enormous numbers of carloads. Local passenger trains, and local freight switching, handled a great volume of business. From its beginnings in 1869, through the Oakland "waterfront wars" at the turn of the century, the struggle in the Suisun Sinks, activities of the vast West Oakland yard and terminal facilities, as well as passenger operations on the Oakland Mole (as the Pier was often called), and construction of the magnificent Carquinez Straits bridge, to the final demolition of the Pier facilities in 1960 and to the recent revival of the Western Division with the schedules of Amtrak California, this book covers it all. This volume joins a distinguished series of works by Southern Pacific authority John Signor, addressing specific geographical segments of the railroad. As with all his SP historical works, the coverage is thorough and detailed, with many specifics drawn from operating personnel. At the same time, the outstanding Signor maps we have come to expect, and voluminous photographic illustration from Southern Pacific files as well as from many amateur photographers, enrich the story. With 711 photographs, 84 in color, 23 maps (most by Signor), 39 timetable pages, a station list, and bibliography, this is an extensive and complete presentation. Fans of Signor's works, along with those interested in Southern Pacific and in Western railroading history, will be sure to enjoy it. |
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by David G. Stanley and Jeffrey J. Moreau Central California Traction had its origins in 1902 as a streetcar service in Stockton, California. Conceived by Howard H. Griffiths as an improved system to compete against Stockton's venerable narrow-gauge line, the Stockton Electric Railroad, Griffiths' vision became reality in 1905 with the incorporation of the Central California Traction Company. Modern, standard-gauge electric cars began serving the San Joaquin Valley's inland port city, offering connections to the steam trains of the Southern Pacific, the young Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and the forthcoming Western Pacific lines. As fate would have it, these three companies would become controlling owners of the CCT in January 1928. Electric interurban passenger service to nearby Lodi began in 1907 as ownership of the CCT was passed on from Griffiths to wealthy entrepreneurs Herbert and Mortimer Fleishhacker of San Francisco. Further expansion to Sacramento was completed in 1910, with both passenger and freight services offered over the 53-mile line. Soon, 48 daily passenger trains were listed in the timetable, all propelled by a 1,200-volt dc third-rail power distribution system, the first installation of its kind in the United States. Although the Stockton streetcar service was a financial failure, a similar service operated by CCT in Sacramento proved successful and ran from 1910 until 1946. Interurban passenger service ended in 1933, even as freight business grew substantially. Modernizing the line in 1946, diesel locomotives replaced the "juice jacks." Now 101 years after its groundbreaking, the CCT continues to operate as an important freight carrier, and retains its corporate identity. The complex story of this road's history has been thoroughly researched through the last decade by noted historian Jeff Moreau and by photographer/historian Dave Stanley. They collected a superb set of historic photographs and other materials, and John Signor prepared maps for the book. Stanley also used extensive interviews with employees as well as recollections from his own years as a CCT trainman to complete the story. John Signor created the painting shown on the jacket, depicting a CCT train in street running in Lodi. The 626 photographs, along with 23 maps, numerous ephemera and graphics, equipment drawings and rosters, and numerous sidebars richly document the story. The company's interaction with its parent railroads as well as with the Sacramento Northern, Stockton Terminal & Eastern, and Tidewater Southern Railways will be of interest to both historians and fans of not only electric railroads but California railroading in general. |
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by Edward S. Kaminski Tank cars began to be built in significant numbers after the Civil War. There are many thousands of tank car orders and photographs in the archives of American Car & Foundry. Freight car historian Ed Kaminski has assembled a superb sampling of this rich material, in a volume focusing exclusively on tank cars. Many who are interested in freight cars generally will already know Ed's first book, American Car & Foundry, 1899-1999,an extensive history of the company. This book extends and enlarges that legacy. This book shows many examples of the production of a major builder of these cars, American Car & Foundry, from 1865 until 1955. (In later years, tank car technology underwent major changes.) Covered are the tank cars built for ACF's own leasing company, Shippers Car Line; for private owners and railroads; and for other leasing companies, such as Union Tank Line, Conley Tank Car Company, and others. A chapter on tank car manufacturing and car details, and a collection of drawings of cars and components enrich the volume. The gradual introduction of standards of construction greatly influenced the appearance of tank cars, though in all eras cars were built to customer specifications for specific uses and cargoes. AC&F had its own standards for underframes, named by the year of their design, such as Type 4 (1904), Type 21 (1921), etc. Cars of these types and many custom designs are all shown in this book. Tank cars carried many cargoes, from water and petroleum to wine, chemicals and solvents, edible oils, asphalt, printing ink, liquid latex, acids, and liquiÞfid gasses such as chlorine, ammonia, and propane. Special linings for certain cargoes, differing arrangements of domes and outlets, pressurized tanks and insulated jackets, all contributed to the distinctiveness of individual tank cars. Examples of these and many more cargo-carrying types of cars are shown here. With 514 photographs and 31 drawings of complete cars and of car parts, as well as many AC&F ads and graphics, this book provides extensive coverage and information about the tank car from American Car & Foundry. Any freight car enthusiast is sure to enjoy this superb book |
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by Anthony W. Thompson This is the second volume in a series on Southern Pacific freight cars. It covers just one car type, the caboose. The era is from 1871 through the end of caboose construction in 1980. The book contains an extensive array of rosters, photos and, where possible, drawings of the major car classes, along with other material as available, such as construction photos, publicity photos, lettering drawings, and so forth. Survival of the cars over the years is presented, as are numerous photos of the cars in service. The book opens with an introductory section of background information, then covers the early wood cabooses (1871 to 1917), the massive number of Class C-30-1 cars of the 1920s, additional wood cars, and the all-steel cupola cabooses built from 1937 to 1942. The coverage continues with the bay-window cars, first the early 30-ton cars just after World War II, then the 40-ton cars of the 1960s and Þnally the 50-ton cars built up until 1980. A separate chapter describes the various caboose conversions, from box cars, passenger cars, and locomotive tenders (into yard cabooses). Freight car history has a number of dimensions. Built dates, car numbers, car characteristics are only the bare bones. Also of importance are reasons for construction of a particular car class and exploration of its design heritage, and indications of the longevity of the class, culminating in rebuilding or scrapping. This book endeavors to offer much of this type of history for the caboose fleet of the Southern Pacfic. Cabooses represent an essential part of the history of any railroad. The book's 681 photos (102 in color) of SP cabooses, most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 17 drawings, extensive rosters, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative. This book provides a coverage that every railroad enthusiast, and of course Southern Pacific fans in particular, will enjoy. Noted rail artist John Signor has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting a Southern Pacific yard scene containing the subjects of this series of books. The well-known SP freight car historian Anthony W. Thompson has authored magazine articles on many SP cars, as well as researching and writing the car section of the book, Pacific Fruit Express, previously published by Signature Press, as well as Volume 1 in this series on gondolas and stock cars. Once again, a strong contribution to the history of the Southern Pacific and of the West has been furnished by Signature Press. Enthusiasts of those subjects will find this a superb book. |
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by Anthony W. Thompson This is the first volume in a planned series on Southern Pacific freight cars. It covers gondolas and stock cars, and the era is approximately 1900-1960, though with some coverage before and after those years. The book contains an extensive array of rosters, photos and, where possible, drawings of the major car classes, along with other material as available, such as construction photos, publicity photos, lettering drawings, and so forth. Survival of the cars over the years is presented, as are numerous photos of the cars in service. Included are not only work (ballast) gondolas, but such signature cars of the SP as the 1920s GS gondolas from Enterprise (often called "Ulrich" cars), the 1940s GS gondolas, including a chapter on side extensions for wood chip, sugar beet, and other services, 1950s solid-bottom cars, and ore cars. Stock cars, from the CS-11 cars of the 1890s, through the standard Harriman cars, to the various late conversions of other cars to stock cars, are also given a full treatment. Freight car history has a number of dimensions. Built dates, car numbers, car charactistics are only the bare bones. A complete history would also include reasons for construction of a particular car class and exploration of its design heritage; indications of the service to shippers to which a car class was assigned; and indications of the longevity of the class, culminating in rebuilding or scrapping. Though it is not possible to provide all this detail on every car class, this book does offer much of this type of history. The large number of photographs, particularly in-service images showing the cars at various times in their lives, make this a truly comprehensive volume. Complete roster information, including car specialties such as trucks and hand brakes, are presented in a nod to the modeling community. A few color photos are included among the 537 total tally of photographs, to show the appearance of these car types, though SP freight cars such as gondolas and stock cars were overwhelmingly painted boxcar red throughout the period covered. Noted rail artist John Signor has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting a Southern Pacific yard scene containing the subjects of this series of books. The well-known SP freight car historian Anthony W. Thompson has authored magazine articles on many SP cars, as well as researching and writing the car section of the book, Pacific Fruit Express, previously published by Signature Press. Once again, a strong contribution to the history of the Southern Pacific and of the West has been furnished by Signature Press. Enthusiasts of those subjects will find this a superb book |
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Railroads of Arizona, Volume 5 by David F. Myrick This is a new volume in David Myrick's acclaimed series of books about Arizona railroading. It is a history of efforts to construct a north-south railroad connecting Phoenix with the Santa Fe main line in northern Arizona, as well as the operations of that and connected lines, such as the route to California with a Colorado River bridge at Parker. The various mining roads tributary to the "Peavine," as the Santa Fe line was known, are also here, along with the rich mining history and associated railroads of the area around Prescott. Prescott, capital of Arizona Territory, had no railroad until 1887, despite active mining in the nearby Bradshaw Mountains and the tantalizing completion of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad across northern Arizona in 1881, only fifty miles to the north. Emergence of a railroad to Prescott was to be an important factor in the development of central Arizona. Prescott's first railroad, the Prescott & Arizona Central, only lasted six years, and was succeeded by the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix (the "Peavine"), a road which eventually became part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Later construction of the Parker line, a direct route from the Phoenix area to Southern California, is also described. The history of these and associated railroads, such as the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, is presented in this book, from early construction and operation through a rugged and arid territory, to the coming of modernization in the twentieth century. During much of this history, railroads were powered by steam locomotives, and both passenger and freight operations are described here. In addition, the book features numerous images of mines, mills, and mining camps throughout the book's territory. Enthusiasts of mining history will also find much to enjoy in this book. The distinguished Western historian David F. Myrick, as in his previous books, brings meticulous research, numerous fine maps, and a superb collection of rare and historic photographs to this new volume of the Arizona series. As always, his writing is authoritative, clear and readable. Railroad artist John Winfield provided a dust jacket painting of a Santa Fe perishable freight train crossing Hell Canyon, north of Prescott, in the early 1950s. This book is a fitting companion to Volume 4, The Santa Fe Route,and is sure to take its place in libraries of railroad and Western history. |
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by Patrick C. Dorin The Great Northern Railway was among America's most distinctive and noteworthy railroads. Though its most spectacular scenery was in the western half of the line, called Lines West, there was a very busy network of trackage, and considerably more traffic, in the Lines East, essentially including the states of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and extensions into Wisconsin, Iowa, and Manitoba. This book presents the history, operational characteristics, and equipment which lay at the heart of GN Lines East, with an emphasis on the latter 40 years of Great Northern's history. Both passenger and freight operations were complex and interesting, as was the motive power. An extensive photographic presentation of steam and diesel locomotives, along with passenger and freight equipment, is at the heart of this edition. This book, the first edition of which was published in 1989, is a companion to Charles R. Wood's Great Northern Lines West. But this new edition contains far more than did the first edition. Photographic reproduction is greatly improved with better paper and printing. The text has been revised, corrected and expanded where needed, and the book is now 70 pages longer. Also, the book now contains an outstanding collection of 621 photographs (54 of them in color); fully 231 of the photos here are new or enlarged from the previous versions. The most distinctive addition to the book is an entirely new chapter on Great Northern freight equipment, by experts Richard H. Hendrickson and Staffan Ehnbom. Starting about 1910 and extending to 1970, coverage is included for all types of freight cars. This chapter alone contains 142 new photos, along with a few from the previous edition. There is no comparable resource anywhere for detailed coverage of GN freight cars over this span of time. Author Patrick Dorin has 15 previous railroad books to his credit; he welcomed the chance to improve and expand this one. Noted railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe has created a painting of the Stone Arch Bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul to enhance the dust jacket. This new edition is a fitting companion to Great Northern Lines West and completes the detailed story of the Great Northern Railway. |
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by Edward S. Kaminski The Magor Car Corporation, located in northern New Jersey at Clifton, was a significant railcar builder throughout much of the twentieth century. It had its origins in a partnership founded in 1899 by Basil Magor and Robert Wonham, which led in 1902 to a manufacturing operation called the Wonham-Magor Engineering Works. In the first part of the century, Magor concentrated on export railcars, aided by its proximity to the port of New York. Basil's brother, Robert Magor, also became associated with the company, and in 1910 it became the Magor Car Company. It was incorporated in 1917 as the Magor Car Corporation; among its major stockholders was J.P. Morgan. In 1914, Magor's first freight cars for revenue use on an American railroad were built, and such sales grew steadily thereafter, though export cars continued as the company's mainstay for some years. In 1918, Magor was among the many firms which built cars for the United States Railroad Administration as part of its effort to construct 100,000 standard freight cars. During World Wars I and II as well as during the Korean conflict, Magor was called on for thousands of export cars for military needs, and was also a principal builder of cars for Europe under the Marshall Plan. In 1959, Magor built its first aluminum-bodied covered hopper cars, which were also the first to be placed in U.S. revenue service, and went on to build more than 5000 aluminum cars. Magor's sale in 1964 to Fruehauf Corporation marked many changes in its activities, among which was the dissolution of the joint sales operation with National Steel Car Corp. of Canada, an arrangement in effect since Basil Magor founded that firm in 1911. Declining railcar sales during the 1960s led to Magor's closure in 1973. Magor was an important builder of American freight cars, though not one of the larger builders. Its history is a significant part of United States railroad history. Car builder historian Ed Kaminski, author of American Car & Foundry Company, has assembled a broad and intriguing perspective on this New Jersey company's history, spanning its lifetime,1899-1973. In addition to several hundred photographs, nearly all of them never before published, advertising materials and catalog information make this a fascinating presentation |
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by Anthony W. Thompson, Robert J. Church and Bruce H. Jones First edition published, June, 1992; out of print since January, 1997. Widely acclaimed in its first edition, not only for its complete and detailed coverage of the PFE car fleet, but also for its corporate history and extensive description of harvesting and shipping of Western perishables, the book has in recent years brought $200 and more per copy on the used book market. (A description of the original edition is available.) The product of six years of research by each of the authors, this book is a must for the historian and serious modeler. Covered in detail are company history, management organization, turn of the century predecessor refrigerator cars, all classes of wood and steel ice refrigerator cars, mechanical refrigerators, trailers, flat cars and containers, car repair shops, natural ice and manufactured ice plants, western agricultural development and produce shipping, and an album of PFE in action across America, along with an Appendix of 34 pages, a fully detailed bibliography, and an index. The book has been re-issued as a second edition. A number of corrections and additions were made in the text, and improved photographs were included in some cases; the total number of corrected pages is about 100. Furthermore, 56 new color images, as well as tabular equipment summaries, were also added, bringing 32 new pages to the book. In all, about a third of the pages in the new edition are new or revised. There are now 744 total photographs in the book (64 in color), along with 52 drawings, maps, and other graphics. A triple-width foldout map of the PFE system by cartographer John Signor is retained. This new edition returns a classic book to print in a bigger and still better version of one of the standard texts about railcar and operations history. There is no comparable book about any North American freight car fleet, and few with even similar coverage of both history and operations of the company. A few comments from reviewers of the first edition indicate the respect in which this book is held. |
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by Anthony W. Thompson and John R. Signor Among the most scenic and storied parts of the far-flung Southern Pacific system was the Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles. First completed in 1901, it was witness to every aspect of the evolution of the SP in the twentieth century. Large cities and small towns, rich agricultural fields and rugged mountain passes, and mile upon mile of line right along the shore of the Pacific Ocean, all typify this route. It was as characteristic and distinctive a portion of the SP as existed anywhere. In 1995, a book about the Coast Line was published by John Signor. That work presented a broad account of history and development of the line, but inevitably much had to be omitted. The present volume enlarges and extends the story of this fascinating stretch of the SP. This volume is pictorial in nature, and nearly 600 photographs, 140 of them in color, and few ever published previously, enrich its pages. The book includes the work of many prominent photographers, but none is more eminent than Richard Steinheimer. Among the most respected American railroad photographers and particularly known for his superb images of the Southern Pacific, his 85 photographs of the Coast Line in this book form its visual heart. This outstanding treatment is a welcome and very fitting addition to the history and lore of this part of the Southern Pacific, and indeed of the entire railroad. Anyone will value this book who is interested in the history of California and the West. Size: 304 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 10 maps, 582 photos, 140 in color |
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by Charles R. Wood The Great Northern was among America's most distinctive railroads. Though not the earliest of the transcontinental roads, it traversed scenery as varied and spectacular as any. Its operations over the years, in every kind of weather, were similarly diverse, from plains to mountains, from the Great Lakes shore in Minnesota to Pacific tidewater in Seattle. The style instilled in the Great Northern by its builder, James J. Hill, persisted well into the twentieth century. From its characteristic designs of large steam locomotives and its electrified operations over the Cascade Range, to its superb streamliner after World War II, the Empire Builder, and its unique fleet of diesel locomotives, the Great Northern was always a railroad apart. The book tells the story of the Great Northern Railway, concentrating on its western half, the Lines West, which conquered both the Rocky and Cascade Mountains. From its earliest beginnings in 1857, to the completion of the line to the Pacific Coast in 1893, to the modernization of the railroad, first with heavy steam locomotives and then with diesels, and to the merger into Burlington Northern in 1970, the sweep of this great history is here. Noted Northwest railroad historian Charles R. Wood has combined extensive research and a superb collection of photographs to produce an outstanding history of this noteworthy railroad. With the deftness of a writer who knows his subject, Wood presents a wide-ranging description of the life and times of the western half of the Great Northern. This book is a detailed and complete account of one of America's most fascinating roads, the Great Northern Railway. The first edition of Lines West was published in 1967. Subsequent printings were in some cases unfortunately of poor quality, which has damaged the reputation of this fine book, and it has now been "out of print" for a number of years This new edition, made with the original page negatives, restores the quality of the first edition while updating and replacing some photographs and adding a color section and an index. Newly revised with numerous new photographs and a superb new painting by Northwest artist J. Craig Thorpe on the dust jacket and frontispiece, this edition will take its place in the literature of the Great Northern Railway. hard cover Size: 208 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 6 maps, 283 photographs (24 color) |
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by John R. Signor From its origins in the 1870s, through its completion in 1901 and its flowering in the late 1930s, to its ultimate development in the years after World War II, Southern Pacific's rail line along the Pacific Ocean coast typified both the railroad itself, and the railroad's role in growth and development of California communities. The history of this line encompasses much more than rail history; it is also bound up in the geography and the people of the coast. As the railroad aided in development of towns, agriculture and industry, so the territory provided traffic for the railroad. Any history of the Coast Line is also in part a history of California, for the railroad and its territory were and are inextricably joined. John R. Signor, well known for his six previous books on western railroad topics and on Southern Pacific in particular, has included all these aspects of the Coast Line in this new book. Drawing on many historical resources, but most dramatically on the extensive files of the Southern Pacific itself, he has produced a broad history of the SP in coastal California, liberally illustrated with hundreds of photographs, the majority of them previously unpublished. Signor's fine maps also enliven and enrich the text, as do the railroad graphics and ephemera included. This outstanding treatment is a welcome and very fitting addition to the history and lore of this part of the Southern Pacific, and indeed of the entire railroad. It will also enrich understanding of the history of California and the West. Size: 324 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 14 maps, 532 B&W photos, 32 color photos |
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by Gerald M. Best The Pacific Coast Company was a fascinating rail-marine operation which served the West Coast from San Diego to Alaska. Its rail components were both narrow gauge and, later, standard gauge railroads, and from its inception in the late eighteenth century, it was an important factor in the growth of California and the West. The earliest part of the system began as a horse-drawn rail line near San Luis Obispo, from which a full-fledged narrow-gauge railroad developed. Complementing the railroad was a fleet of the coastwise steamers which dominated California's north-south transportation in the 19th century. Another horse-drawn railroad was in San Diego, and a third rail operation was at Seattle, consolidating a group of small railroads. Later it became a gateway to the city for Northern Pacific, the Milwaukee Road, and Union Pacific, as well as connecting with the company's steamships. The Seattle line, last survivor of the Pacific Coast Co., was finally absorbed into the Great Northern Railway in 1965. This flourishing and extensive transportation empire reached its zenith in 1915, with rail feeders for a fleet of 78 steamships ranging along the California coast and serving Alaska as well. The book contains numerous historic and rare photographs, as well as roster information on the equipment of both rail and ship operations. Out of print since 1983, the first edition of this book has become difficult to find from used book dealers, so its return to print is welcome. Careful printing and use of the original page negatives has permitted an edition of quality equal to or better than the original. The story is well written and extensively researched. It's a readable and informative tour through some intriguing Western history. Size: 154 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 10 maps, 193 B&W photographs |
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by Robert J. Church Among Southern Pacific's most capable steam engines were the 4300-series Mountains. Most were built in SP's own Sacramento Shops. They were workhorses in fast passenger and freight duties. Here is the complete story of these locomotives, from their design, through construction and maintenance, to their extensive service assignments. A rich collection of technical data, drawings, and photographs complements the detailed and thoroughly researched text. Newly revised from the first edition, The 4300 4-8-2's has 24 new pages, 40 new photographs (9 in color), an expanded chapter on tenders, an index and references, and numerous additions and enhancements throughout, making it even more authoritative and complete than the original version. Out of print for nearly 15 years, the first edition of this book has been difficult to find from used book dealers, and has commanded prices of $125 to $175 in recent years. Size: 176 pages, 8.5" x 11"; 40 drawings, 243 B&W photographs, 10 color photos |
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