Editorial Review

Abraham Lincoln, who had worked as a riverboat pilot before turning to politics, knew a thing or two about the problems of transporting goods and people from place to place. He was also convinced that the United States would flourish only if its far-flung regions were linked, replacing sectional loyalties with an overarching sense of national destiny.Read more

Reviews (207)

a wonderful journey back in time
we loved this book - transported back to a time where our country was expanding - highly recommend

Very Well Written, Factual and Fulfilling!
Stephen Ambrose did a great job of explaining the complicated details that led to the miracle of the transcontinental railroad. Anyone who appreciates herculean feats and the web of intrigue surrounding their beginnings, eventual birth and their effect on our great country will love this story. A true five star book.

The Great race
An engrossing story about the companies and the men behind the building of the Railroad from Omaha to Sacramento. The US Government with its hands tied in the Civil war, sets up a competition between 2 private companies Union Pacific and the Central Pacific who start laying tracks from Omaho and Sacramento. The book details the progress through each state, with insight into the leaders and the workforce behind the construction. Then it reaches a fast pace once we enter Utah where the two tracks meet.
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Subjects:  1. 19th centurry    2. 19th century    3. Central Pacific Railroad Compa    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Railroad construction workers    8. Railroads    9. Railroads - History    10. U.S. History - Civil War And Reconstruction (1860-1877)    11. United States    12. United States - 19th Century/Old West    13. United States - Civil War    14. United States - Reconstruction Period (1865-1877)    15. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    16. History / United States / General    17. Railway transport industries    18. Trains & railways: general interest    19. USA    20. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Very good
I am a train fanatic and I know a good reference book when I see one,and this book is one of the best I've ever seen.I have refered to this book at least fifty times at the railroad (whose name is undisclosed) that I work as a volunteer at.Simply an amazingly informitive book that I would recomend to any train fan of almost any age.

Large book but has some short comings
The book is a fair to good encyclopedia of trains.It has a large number of foreign engines.Most of the photos are taken from the front and one side and not in profile.The Little Joe appears to be a A-unit but is in fact an A-unit on both ends.The pictures are not very large.Profile drawings would be a good addition.Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Engineering - General    3. Locomotives    4. Railroads    5. Railroads - General    6. Railroads - History    7. Railroads - Pictorial    8. Transportation    9. Sale Books   

Reviews (9)

Railroading for Fun and Profit
This is the good story of the last forty years of eastern railroad history, written by an author who saw it all from the outside, but also had access to many on the inside.Dirty tricks, skulduggery, political influence were all qualities historians associate with the nineteenth century railroad robber barons.Well, Rush Loving tells you in readable prose that these qualities did not die out with the turn of the twentieth century--or even the twenty-first!
Surprised
The Men Who Loved Trains is certainly a readable book. What surprised me was the fact that the Indiana University Press would publish a book that is relates solely what named and unnamed people told the author. Based upon the acknowledgements that indicate that the author spoke with many of the major players, the tale of the split of CR between CSX and NS is plausible. The earlier history is more shaky. The PRR & NYC merger into PC is a rehash of what has been written long ago in a number of books and newspapers.
A Far More Definitive Text
Best railroad business history book I've ever read. I just re-read The Wreck of the Penn Central and found it dated, sensationalist, and lacking. The Wreck may have been tainted by the authors' direct involvement in breaking a lot of the news coming from Philadelphia financial community, with a certain lack of attention to the business, people and geographies away from that city. The Men Who Loved Trains is far more complete, accurate, and objective. While both books clearly center on the personalities, The Men doesn't attempt to be a hit piece, it is rather a triumph of the positive. While a lot was going wrong with the railroad business in the northeast, the book identifies many of the root causes and concentrates on the solutions, the successes, and the learnings from the setbacks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Capitalists and financiers    3. Corporate & Business History - General    4. History    5. Industries - Transportation    6. Railroad companies    7. Railroads    8. Railroads - History    9. Transportation    10. United States    11. Railway transport industries    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Description And Travel    3. Railroads    4. Railroads - General    5. Russia    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Siberia    9. Trains & railways: general interest    10. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

The Great Society Subway
The book is obviously well-researched and the chapter on The Riders was interesting.However, the author included a lot of details that just really didn't matter-as if he threw in the entire contents of his research rather than sifting out the relevant facts.The photos and illustrations that he used were illuminating and contributed to the educational value of the book.
The creator of DC Development
This is a wonderful history of the DC Metro System.This subway has provided the underground infrastructure to relieve mis-guided highway construction that threatened the District.Metro has provided the impetus for development in the Dupont Circle, 7th Street, and New York Avenuecorridors.When the new basebal stadium is constructed, it will be served by 2 Metro stations and new development will occur there.

A Toughtful History
The author obviously spent a great deal of time doing research in preparation for writing this volume.It not only covers the history of the capitol's subway system, but the social and economic factors leading up to its construction.A very throught provoking history of a unique transportation system. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Geography    2. General    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Local transit    7. Public Transportation    8. Social aspects    9. Subways    10. Transportation    11. United States - General    12. United States - State & Local - Middle Atlantic    13. Washington Metropolitan Area    14. District of Columbia (Washington, DC)    15. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    16. Trains & railways: general interest    17. USA   

Reviews (8)

trans Siberian Handbook
Have just finished the trip - this guide is fantastic the trip would have been a lot less without it.Every one around us borrowed it

The best book for Trans-Siberian travelers
I have used this book multiple times while traveling the Trans-Siberian.During my first trip, it helped me to get my bearings and to plan the practicalities.On subsequent trips, I was able to enjoy the detailed maps and information about stops along the way.It is very accurate and detailed.I still found a previous version useful several years after publication.It does focus primarily on stops directly on the route.For those who with to travel further afield, I wrote the book ROAMING RUSSIA: An Adventurer's Guide to Off The Beaten Track Russia and Siberia.The Trans-Siberian Handbook is an essential book for Siberian rail travelers.I highly recommend it.

Really helpful
I found this book to be of great help in planning my Trans-Siberian trip.It is organized and contains information that will definitely be indispensible along the way: basic translations of common terms, general info on departure cities other than Russia and things I would never think of adding to a travel guidebook.Read more

Subjects:  1. Former Soviet Republics    2. Railroads - General    3. Russia    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Siberia    7. Travel / Russia    8. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Reviews (1)

Not Comprehensive
I was a little disappointed with this guidebook.However, I could see that this book was meant for a different audience.My basic plan was to use long-distance trains for travel between major European cities.This book doesn't cover that type of travel.The aim of this book is to provide numerous day trips outside of major cities, so I was disappoint to find that there is almost no information about major cities, and only a little information about international train travel.Instead, you get a lot of information about minor sights outside of major cities.I would recommend this to those who are actually living in Europe.In other words, those who have seen everything in the city and are looking for something else to see.Also, backpackers who are spending months in Europe might find this useful when they run out of things to do.However, those who only have a week or two in Europe may not find this useful at all.Be sure that you're the intended audience before you buy this.If you'd like a book about international train travel in Europe, perhaps "Europe By Rail" would be a better choice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Railroads - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Europe    6. Trains & railways: general interest    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Europe / General   

Reviews (29)

"The journey, not the arrival, matters; the voyage, not the landing."
In 1979, Paul Theroux departed from his childhood home in Medford, Massachusetts, and began his train journey from the East Coast of the United States to Patagonia, on the southern tip of Argentina.A seasoned traveler, fluent in Spanish, Theroux brings to life his trip through the northern and southern hemispheres, traveling without a schedule and observing his fellow passengers on the train and people at stops along the way.
you can forgive Paul Theroux
A remark that one reads often about Paul Theroux is that he is grouchy, critical of the people he meets, and generally unpleasant.Some readers seem to suggest that this makes him a worse traveller, not being pure-of-heart or sufficiently open-minded.On the other hand, some others suggest he is worth reading as a travel writer precisely because he's not afraid to tell-it-like-it-is.I think it is likely that both of these ideas are wrong.
Paul Theroux - Travel Writer Extraordinaire!
For me, discovering a new author is like happening upon a gem of a restaurant that serves up a fascinating new concatenation of spices and flavors.Paul Theroux is the flavor of the month for me.I recall that several years ago I read his book about traveling along the perimeter of the Mediterranean - The Pillars of Hercules.I loved the book, and picked up used copies of some of his other titles.These volumes I placed on one of the many shelves in my home that I have mentally labeled: "To Be Read When I Can Find The Time"!In the past few weeks, I took the time to read two of those volumes, and I could not be more pleased.
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Subjects:  1. America    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. North America    5. Railroad travel    6. Railroads - General    7. Theroux, Paul    8. Travel    9. Travel - General    10. Journeys    11. Travel & holiday guides    12. Travel / North America    13. Travel writing   

Reviews (1)

An Insiders View of Working on the Railraod
This is an insiders look at what it's really like to work on the railroad. It's a collection of stories and pictures of men and machines from the later days of steam to today. Here is the engineer pulling on the throttle, but here also is the maintenance man carrying an oil can to lubricate the reciprocating parts of a steam locomotive.
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Subjects:  1. Electro-Motive Division    2. General Motors Corporation.    3. History    4. Railroads    5. Railroads - History    6. Railroads - Pictorial    7. Transportation    8. United States    9. Trains & railways: general interest    10. Transportation / Railroads / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Engineering - Mechanical    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Machinery    6. Metal Work    7. Model Railroading    8. Steam Engineering    9. Model railways    10. STEAM-ENGINES    11. Technology / Machinery    12. Trains & railways: general interest   

Reviews (2)

Frommer gets the substance right!
I found this guide very useful in plotting out where I wanted to go, how to get there, and what to visit.It was also nice to know about the student discounts at various attractions.I didn't use it for the hotel recomendations, and I used a few of the restaurant ideas, which were usually excellent choices.I traveled all over Europe (12 countries) using this book, the maps provided, and my Eurail.It was helpful in figuring out the ferry options to get from Western Europe to Scandinavia as well.I definately recomend this book to anyone traveling to Europe, as I found it very easy to use as well as useful.

Not a useful guidebook
Not a safe bet, this European rail guide offers a strange mix of up-to-date and completely out-of-date information. It also tries to do too much, providing page after page of hotel, restaurant and museum listings by city but only a page of two of specific rail tips by country. The guide pushes Eurailpasses, as is to be expected from a publication endorsed by Rail Europe, the main stateside pass vendor.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Railroads    3. Railroads - General    4. Special Interest - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. Europe    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / Europe / General   

Reviews (13)

Great resource
I just came back from a very nice trip to Japan, and having this book was really helpful. There is a lot of very helpful, accurate, and detailed information. I covered 4 cities, and rode every form of rail transportation. This book helped me with diverse tasks fromhow to choose which sites to see to how to navigate through the airports and train stations.
Not useful at all!
This book is terrible.I lived in Japan for more than a decade and I was planning a short excursion so I bought this book.It was not helpful at all.It covers the greatest hits ofJapan but has very little detail about most places. It seems to assume that you'd want to just ride the train all the time without ever getting off.Most of the suggested trips are incredibly unrealistic about the amount of time it would take to visit the listed places, almost to the point of ridiculousness.I do not recommend this book at all!Any other guide book and a rail map would be much better.
Japan By Rail
An excellent book to have with you whilst travelling around Japan by rail. Recommend the publication to anyone who will be travelling to Japan. Has excellent places to visit on a budget. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Japan    3. Railroads - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Japan    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Asia / Japan   

Reviews (1)

Grand to say the Least
This is a wonderful book on a magnificent building.This book has wonderful period photos as well as recent images and the text is highly informative.It's hard to believe that this building was once slated for demolition, thanks to New Yorkers like Jackie O, Grand Central was saved.Everyone who visits New York City should venture into this singular station, it embodies New York and you get a real feel for Gilded Age grandeur.If you have any interest in magnificent buildings or just good books in general then I believe you will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural Preservation And Restoration    2. Architecture    3. Buildings    4. Conservation and restoration    5. Criticism and interpretation    6. Grand Central Terminal (New Yo    7. Grand Central Terminal (New York, N.Y.)    8. History - General    9. New York    10. New York (N.Y.)    11. New York (State)    12. Public Buildings Architecture    13. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    14. Railroad stations    15. U.S. Architecture - General    16. Warren & Wetmore    17. Cultural studies    18. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc    19. Railway transport industries    20. USA   

Reviews (3)

Wonderful train photos from a bygone America
..
This book filled me up with pleausure
Everybody is happy about toy train catalogs and toy train layout pictures that just look like the real ones. Well, what about pictures of real trains that look like model trains?
A Must for Every Railfan!
Jim Boyd has brought back wonderful memories of the upper Midwest in 60's and early 70's. He covers more geography than that but that was my home then. No repetitive wedges, just well focused and printed photos that cover a lot of fallen flags.Great stuff!
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Subjects:  1. Architectural & Industrial    2. Railroads - Pictorial    3. Transportation    4. Railroads - United States - History - 20th century - Pictorial works    5. Transportation / Railroads / Pictorial   

Reviews (8)

A wonderful book for all ages
I discovered this book at a friend's house several years ago. It was quick bedtime reading. Upon returning home, I got my own copy, and have since given away other examples as Christmas gifts.
Simply fascinating.
This book describes how gigantic steel and iron parts were fabricated and assembled into giant steam locomotives years ago.It is a fascinating read for any one with any mechanical aptitude or interest.The illustrations -- meticulously drawn and rendered by the author -- are spellbinding.You can't help but say "Wow!" when you see some of them.The only negative I saw was the overly warm and folksy background story as told in an autobiographical style by the author.

Marvelous !!
I'm rekindling my fascination with steam locomotives again.I had read this book about 10 years ago and came across it again on my bookshelf. I'm re-reading it with the same joy/fascination I did the 1st time ! (and I'm no kid at 42 years old - would be nice to have a son to share it with!!) I'm glad I haven't lost that child-like wonder at these huge machines of yesteryear.I feel like I'm the young apprentice in the book, ravenously learning the complexicities of designing and building one of the magnificent monsters !Read more

Subjects:  1. Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporat    2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Engineering - General    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Locomotives    9. Railroads    10. Railroads - General    11. Trains    12. Transportation - Railroads & Trains    13. Trains & railways: general interest   

Reviews (2)

Black-N-White Pix; 1955??
if a train watcher of any kind you need this book but the black and white pix, or lack of many pix as well as lack of any maps at all shows a distinct lack of effort by Kalmbach; very dissappointing

Great on data and pictures - maps are sorely lacking
American Shortline Railway Guide is a great help for any train buff. Over 500 short lines are described: history, current status, number of engines (some lines with full listing), cars, as well as address of owner and radiofrequencies. I especially liked the many pictures accompanying the text.There is really one drawback only: The book does not contain any maps. Youwill need a train atlas or a Rand Mc Nally on the side, unfortunately.Other interesting details are lists of abandoned and non-operating lines aswell as addresses of ownerships companies. A must-have for US train buffs,especially in conjunction with the Train-Watchers Guide to North AmericanRailroads (also by George W. Drury). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Directories    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Model Railroading    6. Railroads    7. Railroads - History    8. Railroads - Pictorial    9. Transportation    10. United States    11. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    12. Railway transport industries   

Subjects:  1. Broadway Limited (Express train)    2. Express trains    3. Railroads - History    4. Railroads - Pictorial    5. Transportation    6. United States    7. Transportation / Railroads / History   

Reviews (1)

2 Corps head West
Mr. Pickenpaugh's book deal with the transfer of the XI and XII Corps from the Army of the Potomac to the Western Theater, during the crisis the Army of the Cumberland faced in Chattanooga after the Battle of Chickamauga.The author does a fine job setting up the story as to how the trip was planned and coordinated, and the cooperation that took place from the many railroad's involved.Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Civil War, 1861-1865    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: American    6. Military    7. Military - United States    8. Military History - U.S. Civil War    9. Railroads    10. Railroads - General    11. Railroads - History    12. Southwest, Old    13. Transportation    14. United States    15. United States - Civil War    16. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    17. Civil war    18. USA    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Railroad terminals    2. Railroads - History    3. Railroads - Pictorial    4. Transportation    5. United States    6. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc    7. Trains & railways: general interest    8. Transportation / Railroads / History    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. Railroads - History    2. Railroads - Pictorial    3. Transportation    4. Railway transport industries    5. Trains & railways: general interest    6. Transportation / Railroads / History    7. USA