Trains and Railroads Books

Karl Zimmermann did a wonderful job with this book. Photos are plentiful, pictures of brochures and ads are inserted amongst the pictures. The book does a good job of conveying what it must have been like to ride the 20th Century Limited.

The 20th Century Limited comes alive in this fascinating book and I guess Karl Zimmermann has now written the definitive story. Well researched and fortunately not overloaded with too much technical detail that spoils some other railroad books. I'm interested in anything streamline and chapter four, 'Henry Dreyfuss' Elegant Streamliner' explains how he created this railroad icon, not just the stunning engine shrouding but the livery, interior carriage design, tableware, printed graphics, in fact everything throughout the train to the final logo plate on the back observation carriage. Needless to say the train was a hit from day one but would it have been if Dreyfuss had not been involved and the New York Central staff, who clearly knew how to run a railroad, created the new train, probably not.

Visually there is plenty of lovely period graphic material to look at, ads, menus, renderings of the carriage interiors designed by Dreyfuss, timetables and brochure covers. As usual with historical railroad books I find that the photo selection is not as rigorous as it should be, predictably, several here could be left out because they are not sharp enough or have a soft focus, the layout also is rather pedestrian, with photos butting into each other, inefficient cropping and a lack of a thin keyline round the photos to stop white sky merging with the whiteness of the paper. A pity because I would have expected the elegance of the train to be reflected in the presentation, rather than just look like another bland railroad book. A bibliography would have been useful, too.

The 20th Century Limited was the classiest of the great streamliners and a wonderful example of creative styling for which America has become rightly famous. Karl Zimmermann's text will help you relive the experience.

FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

For anyone who's a railroad buff or simply interested in all facets of United States history (of which railroads are an integral part), I just can't recommend this book enough. It is a historical document - looked at not only in technical terms but also in terms of how this train fit at various times into the popular and economic culture of this country. Covering the train from its humble beginnings, through its heyday as the "most famous train in the world", to its sad demise in the 1960's and even beyond (touching on Amtrak's current involvement in the lake shore route as well as what happened to much of the old 20th Century equipment), this is an extremely interesting book that's not overly dry and comes off as comprehensive but not overwhelming.

I also can't say enough about the visual materials included - photos, pages of old brochures, postcards, dining car menus, car floor plans, etc. There is just a wealth of stuff to look at, all of it relevant, much of it beautiful and if not then at least incredibly interesting. It's obvious that a great deal of effort went into gathering materials for this book and it shows.

There is not a bad thing to say about this book - if anything, you'll wish there were just a few more pages, but that's more a testament to the quality of what's there than a commentary on what might be missing.

I am currently working on a project that will help boost the literacy rate here in America. I have chosen the 1860's as my time period. This book gives a lot of background that I needed to compose great stories. The stories will center on trains, both those who worked them and those who rode them. A great deal will be about the life of orphans. The best part about these stories will be that everyone will be allowed to participate in writing them.

A very interesting book with all you need to know about the railroad, transcontinental or Robert Louis Stevenson. Very descriptive, Great Literature.

This is a short easy and fun history book that blends excerpts Robert Louis Stevenson's "Amateur Emigrant" and "Across the Plains" with Jim Murphy's prose and descriptions. I was expecting a kids book but far from it - while not academic or even pretentiously so, it's on par with a PBS episode of "American Experience" and reminds me of how fun history can be. The historical photo's are excellent, numerous and tightly connected to the text. Highly recommended for anyone interested in RLS, American history and the immigrant experience of the late 19th century. Jim Murphy has written about a dozen books like this including some Newbury award winners, hope to read some more, the language and prose is easy and leaves a strong impression of time and place, very enjoyable.

I was the editor of the greatly expanded 1997 edition of this railroading classic of the 1970s. E.M. Frimbo was the alter ego of Whitaker, a writer who spent more than 50 years at the New Yorker, one of the original coterie that included A.J. Liebling, Joseph Mitchell, and others. Beginning in the 1940s, Frimbo began chugging through the pages of the magazine, right up to and beyond Whitaker's death in the early 1980s. In the 1960s, Tony Hiss had come along and become Whitaker's collaborator on these travel essays. When Hiss began to assemble this new edition, he discovered many pieces that were not in the earlier edition, so the book grew by 50%, and includes many photos of Whitaker never published before. Hiss unearthed such articles as one about the railway in Wales that travels through the Potemkin village where the classic TV show "The Prisoner" was filmed, and a final tribute to Whitaker, appropriately mounted to him at Cumbres Pass, the highest elevation in the USA reached by a train. If you have affection for the open (rail)road, then you will love this book.

The old nostalgic ways of travel -- railroad trains and ocean liners -- have a romance to them that cars and airplanes just can't match. Rogers E.M. Whitaker, the man behind the pseudonymous E.M. Frimbo, and his sometime collaborator, Tony Hiss, capture some of that romance and interest in these essays by and about the world's greatest railroad buff. Detailing some of Whitaker/Frimbo's great train experiences from the '30s to the '70s, and recapturing the all-but-vanished world of life on the rails, the pieces gathered here make for fascinating and evocative reading.

As with any collection of essays, some of the chapters here are better than others. And generally, I found the chapters added to this "greatly expanded edition" to be less satisfying than the earlier ones, though the obituary of Whitaker and the long closing piece, "Frimbo's Peak," were both rather moving. Much of Tony Hiss's preface I could likewise have done without. His predictions for the revival of government-funded passenger rail in the early years of the twenty-first century seem, fortunately, not yet to be coming to pass. But then, it wouldn't be the first time a Hiss was on the wrong side of history.

But don't let the preface distract you. The essays themselves are by and large great reading, and have me hoping to hop a train before too much longer myself. Whether you're an inveterate train buff, a long-time Frimbo fan, or just a fan of great travel writing, I recommend grabbing this book and taking to the rails, if only in your mind.

I read this book as an 11 year old boy, and still remembered it over all these years as a wonderful railroading book. It really captured the glamour and joy of passenger rail travel in those days.

And I was excited and thrilled when I met Tony Hiss by chance on the Boston-NYC shuttle, and he told me that the book had been reissued and was available on Amazon. I (virtually) ran right out and purchased it...as much for my 9 year old (also a rail fan) as for myself.

The book was in excellant condition for a 'used' book, and arrived very fast, within 10 days! I'll be back!

This book gives history and interesting facts with color illustrations; a very good choice. All American manafactures covered. I always enjoy my copy finding new information i missed the last reading.

I really enjoyed this book,useful for information.Another book
full of excellent photographs showing locomotives in various duties.

My Grandson, now 15 months old, received this book when he was a newborn. At about 3 months he fell in love with the lights and sounds. He loved it so much, it wore out. I purchased this one from Amazon and the result is the same. It has calmed many a tear, entertained for hours (and I do mean hours), and makes him smile. I highly recommend this book.

We have a 3 year old son and a 1 year old son. The book doesn't just make train sounds it also has lights up. The book opens up like a train on the tracks. On one side you have the story on the other you have pictures and lights. This is one awsome book. It is not have annoying sounds like some books I recomond it highly!!

This book is very interactive and you can set it upright and unfold it and it turns into a train. When you press the train's nose, the train lights up throughout the book. Very cool and keeps our son interested for long periods of time.

This is a mini book that is perfect for baby and toddler hands. My son loves the Little Engine and he loves this book.

This book is wonderful. My 11 month old son received it as a party favor. This is the only book he actually hands to us to read...and it has to be read several times. I never leave home without it. I also bought a couple of more copies for the grandparents houses. Inexpensive and perfect for little hands!

I bought this for my son when he was 8 mos. old. He loved the pictures and different colors. He is now 12 mos and entertains himself by flipping through the pages in search of the elephants. This is a small book, so it's perfect for little hands. Don't expect a great learning experience from it, but it does cover basic colors and a few objects related to the train (freight car, caboose) and has cute clowns in every color, but someday my son will probably ask why the train carries green balloons....

My son and I used this book as a reference and took a summer vaca to the Milwaukee-area. Well laid out and accurate info. Highly recommend for train enthusiasts who also like to travel.

Over 600 railroad-related attractions the general public can visit are packed into a listing guide which blends in photos and practical info such as hours, fees and directions - but wait, there's more! Don't forget the coupons for discounts on ticket prices --for avid train buffs, worth the price of the book itself - plus maps, photos, 'editor's choice' listings of special recommendations, and details on what kinds of trains may be found at each location. Rail and travel buffs will find this a 'must' reference.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

This, the 41st Edition (2006) of the best guide to railroading, continues the tradition of this great annual series listing and outlining hundreds of railroad museums and tourist trains across the US and Canada. Arranged by state, each site features a photo, a description of what's there, a schedule, the admission fees, special events, and directions on how to get to it. Contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email/internet info) is also provided. And, as usual, there are about a hundred discount coupons enclosed. Anyone interested in railroading or who plans on taking a vacation trip that might include visits to railroad sites or museums will find this guide indispensable.

From the day we first read this to our 2-1/2 year-old, he could not get enough of it. It's an easy read, he loves the characters and the story line, and he talks about it incessantly. I think the beauty of the book is that kids can identify with it because it is based on actual experiences - the excitement of an oncoming train, biking with mom or dad, anticipating arrival of something exciting, and dreaming about it in bed later. This is a must for any kids book collection.

This is one of those great books that is a simple story that small children can relate to, with things they recognize from their life. We also checked it out from the library and will be buying it. My daughter is 21 months and can't get enough of "Train Book!"

I checked this book out at the library and both of my children love it! They are four and two. My two year old, when it is time to read books before bed, says, "Here comes train?"

Excellent read-aloud with plenty of opportunity for motions, volume changes, etc. It starts out so quiet, builds to a fevered pitch, then ends with the little boy going to sleep.

I'll be buying this one!

The author mentions that even though this book is recommended for ages 4 to 8, he's had a good response from all ages. For good reason. For adults, the beauty of this charming little book is that it evokes the wonder of that age, both of the little boy, but also the Great Depression when those Hiawatha trains began running. The railroad itself was in bankruptcy, as so many were, but through management and mechanical innovation, these powerful steam streamliners blasted their way into America's consciousness. To little boys, they were that magical machine to everywhere. To adults, they were a powerful symbol of optimism in despairing times. The Milwaukee Road's famous train was the fastest steam powered train service in history. Smaller engines of the same design had been static tested at 169 miles an hour. To children and adults, there was somethng mythological about these great machines; for the kids, it was travel and adventure, and there was nothing more exciting than these trains blasting past at 110 mph. For the adults, it was hope for better times, the thundering message of these amazing Milwaukee Road Hiawathas ... at every Hiawatha Passing.

This book takes me back to my own childhood visits to my grandparent's 100 year-old tin-roofed farmhouse along a train route in rural Pennsylvania. Now my 4 year-old son enjoys real-life "Hiawatha Passing" everytime we go to visit his great-grandparents and he gets to sleep in the upstairs bedroom facing the tracks. My son has memorized every word of this book including the postscript. The book is and will always be a family favorite. The story is captivatingly told and the illustrations are beautiful.

Such a wonderful story. It really pulls you into it. I had the honour of meeting the authour; he is one of my 6 year old son's teachers. The paintings are perfect for the story. So well written, you are there with the boy watching the train zoom by the house. We read it again and again!!!!!

Passengers used to look out the window and see "Slow to 90 MPH" signs! It's schedule still stands as the fastest scheduled run by a steam locomotive - in the world! It's design and implementation was the standard many countries are still trying to copy! We are talking about Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha, the 1930s-era streamliner, the Hiawatha. It's story is told in Jim Scribbin's treatis - 'The Hiawatha Story' by Kalmbach Publishing.

Scribbin's books clearly and factually tells birth of this legendary train, it's rise to fame and slow decline in liberally used photos and tightly written text. The best thing about it is that is does so with an entertaining mix of factual information, statistics and first-person accounts. If you have an interest in railroads - especially ones that regularly exceed 120mph, this book is a requirement for your library

Profusely illustrated with historic black-and-white photography, "The Hiawatha Story" by railroading enthusiast Jim Scribbins provides other railroading fans with an impressively informative pictorial history of the Midwestern railroad that ran from Chicago, Illinois to the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Beginning as a single experimental coach and evolving into a full fledge railroad fleet, the Hiawatha became a kind of railroading legend with its radical streamlined look and industrial design. From 1935 to 1970 the Hiawatha was an integral part of American railroading. A work of seminal scholarship and very highly recommended for academic library Railroading History reference collections, as well as engaging and entertaining reading for railroading enthusiasts, Jim Scribbin's "The Hiawatha Story" is an informed and informative account of those golden yesteryears of a truly great American fleet and system.

This is the paperback republication of Jim Scribbins' classic 1970 "The Hiawatha Story". A decade ago I was happy to obtain the original hardcover at many times the price of this new paperback. As the standard text on this subject, its republication is most welcome.

While the production of the new book is excellent, its wide format in paperback is a bit clumsy. It is simply too wide to hold and view comfortably sans solid backs. It also would have been nice to have included some color in the new book, but at this price it is not missed.

Through its many black and white photos and conversational text, "The Hiawatha Story" traces the history of these Milwaukee Road streamliners through their glory in the 1930s to the general fading of US passenger service in the 1960s. The reproduction of the photos and text is excellent, although there are a few repagination issues in the reprint, wherein the page numbers referred to in the original text no longer jibe with the 2007 version. The text is necessarily local; few railroad aficionados in the Rocky Mountains will be impressed with the scale of Tunnel City, Wisconsin, nor will the uninitiated find Milwaukee Road diesel number 15 particularly "famous". The reader may also be surprised at Scribbins continued use of "CONsist" as a noun. However, the pride of Milwaukee ownership of this history shines through Scribbins' text. This remains an excellent description of a slice of American railroad history, and is a must for any fan of the Milwaukee Road. It remains a far better book than the recent "The Milwaukee Road's Hiawathas" by Gruber and Solomon, or the error-filled "Milwaukee Road Passenger Service" by Dorin.

The story ends with its original 1970 publication date, immediately before the demise of Milwaukee Road passenger service and the advent of Amtrak. It would have been nice of the publishers to update and finish Scribbins story, and perhaps note that Amtrak continues to honor the Hiawatha history in its naming of its Milwaukee to Chicago service.