Trains and Railroads Books

Richard Steinheimer has often been described as the "dean of railroad photographers" and I see no reason to argue. It takes an artist to convey well what Stein's images in this book convey: the relation of man to machine, the romantic quality of machinery (why railfans love trains) and the beauty and harmony of man's mechanical devices with nature.

This is a very good book, reasonably priced, and serves as a showcase for some of Stein's classic work.

"DW" critiqued this book because of the quality of reproduction. I agree it is not what it could be, but some of these photographs have appeared in other publications with reproduction quality far inferior to what appears here.

Richard Steinheimer has captured in black and white the everyday life and romance of railroading in a bygone era with an incite that earns him a prominent place in recorded railroad history. As a rail buff and life member of the Waterford Township Historical and Preservation Society in Waterford, Michigan, I recommend that anyone who is drawn to the sound and thrill of railroad action should experience atleast one of Richard's publications to place a picture in their minds eye.

Black and white photography's superior ability to communicate both detail and atmosphere is dramatically demonstrated by Richard Steinheimer's A Passion for Trains.

This is one of the most totally satisfying railroad books I own, and I own over a hundred.

Steinheimer has a unique ability to display both the railroad and the faces and geography of its environment. Landscape and nature over conspire against railroaders, as Steinheimer frequently demonstrates in A Passion for Trains, yet the weather never quite overwhelms the trains or the men who keep them moving.

The photographs contain detail you can just about feel. Text on most pages is limited to a single line identifying the location. Thumbnails at the back of the book contain an additional paragraph about each photo.

If you have a passion for trains, you'll love this book. It covers a wide variety of railroads, geographic environments, and weather. Many of the photos will soon become your favorites. In fact, I considered getting a second copy, just to be able to frame some of the pages!

The term "coffee table book" is often used derogatorily. Yet, what's wrong with a book so fine that you'll want to keep it on your coffee table where you, and your friends, can frequently enjoy it?

The photographs capture more than trains, but never less. They capture the beauty of the land that trains opened up. They bring us people, both on and near the trains. His sense of composition draws us into the scene and makes us want to look at it again and again.

As the antique dealer haughtily remarked to a customer who expressed shock at the astronomical price of an exquisite 1780 Philadelphia Highboy, "My dear sir, it is sufficient that it is available."

So it may be said of Richard Steinheimer's big new book of railroad photographs, A PASSION FOR TRAINS. The images are superb, indeed, in a class by themselves. These are pictures that anyone who is interested in great photography will admire, regardless of whether or not they care about railroads and trains.

It is regrettable, therefore, that the reproduction of Steinheimer's photographs in this volume aren't far better than they are. The problem is that the blacks are consistently too dense, with a disturbing loss of shadow detail in nearly every instance. Furthermore, the whites are generally grey and flat when they should be bright and buoyant.

It is difficult to tell from the book whether these defects are a result of poor printing, poorly made, excessively contrasty photographic prints or a combination of the two. However, flaws notwithstanding, it can safely be predicted that many railroad enthusiasts and some photography buffs will snap this work up (as I did myself), gratefully acknowledging that it is sufficient that it is available.

For nonpareil examples of photograph reproductions as they should be, see CALIFORNIA (Adams, Little, Brown, 1997), IN THE LAND OF LIGHT (Smith, Houghton, Mifflin, 1983), COURT HOUSE (Pare [ed], Horizon Press, 1978), NEW YORK, EMPIRE CITY 1920-1945 (Stravitz, Abrams, 2004) and THE CHRYSLER BUILDING (Stravitz, Princeton Architectural Press, 2002).

If you love trains and/or model trains, then you will really find this book informative and engaging. It chronicles the demise of the passenger train as THE method of long distance transportation to the not often used method of long distance travel it is today.

This is a book that could double as a coffee table book with its plentiful illustrations, but which is really a detailed account of the last 20 years of privately operated passenger trains in the United States. The author describes in depth the forces leading to the downturn of passenger service, contrasting those railroads which attempted to hasten the end (e.g. Southern Pacific, whivh sold tickets without commission for airline travel) and those which fought it (e.g. Santa Fe, which developed the doubledeck viewliner cars now widely used today). While the tone of the book is sometimes rather somber and even depressing, the quality of research is outstanding and it ends on a hopeful note, with the birth of Amtrak. This is a valuable book for the student or enthusiast of American rail passenger travel

Twilight of the Great Trains gave me a much better understanding of the downfall of the American passenger railroads and the creation of Amtrak. The chapter on Union Pacific was a bit of a disappointment, as it was mostly a chronology of events. But subsequent chapters got inside the heads of railroad executives and the different approaches they took to a common problem. Some couldn't wait to get rid of their passenger trains, while others held onto them as long as they possibly could. Sprinkled throughout are several interesting personal stories.

Missing from the narrative is a detailed discussion of government funding policies which heavily favored air and auto travel while excluding trains entirely. This was a major factor in the loss of passenger rail service in this country, for the trains were essentially trying to compete against government-built highways and airports.

Twilight of the Great Trains is the world's best book! It is descriptive and brilliant! Fred W. Frailey is an inspiring and amazing author! I would recomend this to the young and old and to train lovers and non-train lovers!

This is probably the best book I have ever read on the "downfall" of the post WWII passenger trains. I was particularly impressed with the coverage of the Southern and Seaboard Coast Line, since I "lived" the downfall. Factually correct in all respects.

This book is so clever and fun and surprising, I read it twice--and the second time, I read it aloud to my nephew, who was riveted. He loved the illustrations and all the "real life" stuff that helps you solve the mystery--the postcards, the ad about the secret service hiring. And he LOVED the sidebar about how to compare fingerprints; he's fingerprinted half of Los Angeles by now...and, of course, he's waiting for me to visit again so we can read the next book in the series together. Any book that gets a kid to do THAT deserves a medal!

Wow!! What a great series. As a homeschooling mom, I could not be more happy with this series of books. My 10 year old is enthralled - I even loved the book when I pre-read it! The mystery is detailed just enough to capture and hold the young reader's attention. The historical facts are delivered in a manner that entertains without lecturing. Keep it up Bill Doyle!

I started the book and didn't put it down until I was done. I really loved it!!! I want Mom to get me number 3, 4 & 5 .... I can't wait until they are out!

I loved this book! I finished it (with the help of my dad) over the course of three nights and tried to guess all of the mysteries. I can't wait to see what characters are in the next book. What happens to Asyla???

My students are waiting in line to read this book! Its illustrations support and add interest to the historical elements of the story. Light humor, appealing characterizations, and intrique accessible to 5th graders make it a must read.

I also collect books about people who worked for the railroad in every type of job available, and while there are a bunch of books about engineers, station agents, etc, there are very few about the lives of railroad police.

I found this book to be a great read. Interesting, and at times exciting. He is a great storyteller. I hope he writes "part 2" and continues his life as a RR cop.

Having read "Yard Bull" for the first time this Fall, and then having recently read it for a second time, I can highly recommend this book as a well written and moving memoir of O'Shea's life experiences. Very often this book will have you laughing at the absurdity of humanity, and yet at other times feeling the tragedy and drama in this man's personal life. And speaking as a train conductor on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway's Northwest Division, I can also say that O'Shea has created a book that is an accurate representation of what we see happening around the Seattle railway yards on an all too frequent basis. You won't be disappointed!

I read this book to my husband on our road trip from Seattle to Denver. We laughed, I cried, and we missed some much needed Rest Areas because I couldn't wait to find out what was happening next. I had no idea what a Yard Bull was when I began but had much respect for them when we finished. It is full of adventure and even romance. I highly recommend this book, but make sure you start early or don't mind staying up late as it is hard to find a stopping place. We are hoping for a sequel soon.

Yard Bull firmly held my attention from the first few sentences through the end of the book. Every page told more of the captivating adventure of Dean O'Shea. It was difficult to pause reading this book to do anything else.

Dean's life as a Yard Bull portrays a fascinating dimension of law enforcement that includes a great deal of working in the dark, being on foot and confronting trespassers that are often armed and have nothing to loose.

Interwoven with his daring and dangerous adventures is Dean's developing friendship with Cassie. Their humorous and romantic adventures touched a special place in my heart.

This is a book I treasure. I earnestly hope that Dean will write a sequel to this incredible story.

Wow - this memoir has it all; drama, humor, crime, romance, spirituality, personal growth, tragic loss, life lessons. And it all takes place in a setting I knew nothing about - the railroad. Dean O'Shea has put a human face onto this world of metal and diesel and creosote-soaked ties. I was fascinated with the personal interactions between Dean and his police partner, Henry, while they fought criminals and each other.

My son's preschool sent this home and as a 3yr old trains and dino's are his favorite. We asked to get the same pack of books back the following week he liked the book so much. We have read it every night. Guess what he's getting for Christmas?

It's fun to read too and my son likes to 'read' it to me. My son likes to finish each phrase when I read it and I think I enjoy the illustrations as much as he does.

My 3 year old son loves this book. We read this book just about every night. It combines the two things he loves most with a hobby he loves more. That would be TRAINS and DINOSAURS and READING. This book never gets old for him. He loves to point out what is going on in the illustrations,which are beautifully done.The expressions of the dinosaurs are so amusing. We currently have this in a paperback but will be ordering the hardback to add to his collection.

This is such a fun book. My little guy loves dinosaurs and we read this book over and over again. Great pictures and a fun, fun, fun story. Love to see more dino books from Ms. Lund.

Deb Lund and Howard Fine have created another humorous ride that is as fun to read aloud as it is to look at. Deb Lund's playful poetic language makes it a book that we will enjoy for years. More please!

I have two young sons, as well as a baby daughter. My sons are obsessed with, respectively, dinosaurs and trains. So now I have a book that can satisfy both of them when they are on my lap and begging for a book. I must not be the only dad in this situation, since there are a few picturebooks about dinosairs on trains.

Before becoming a dad, it had never occured to me that there was a pressing need for books that combined paleobiology with locomotive transport. Who knew? But this is the best of the lot, and I still have not become bored with it. Given how many times I have now read it, that is the strongest recommendation I can give a children's book. If you are a parent, you know what I mean.

Perfect, new condition, shrink wrapped for protection.

Excellent Historical content. My husband was thrilled.

A fantastic work! Very detailed and full of fascinating photographs. Anyone with an interest in American narrow gauge will find this fascinating.

What to say more ....
Complete, full of drawings of rolling stocks, maps, the history of those brothers is so well written that seams a "romanze" not a real history.
Packed with informations, maps, and everithing you can expect from a "professional" writer.
An absolutely "must have" for any railroad fan and not. A piece of history.
Enzo Fortuna

As a researcher of Northern California local history, I use this book as a primary source document. I find the accuracy astounding, the book is easy to read, and the illustrations are first class. It is a model for anyone to follow -- study it, and cite it with confidence.

This massive volume charts the development of early California railroads, both narrow and standard gauge, by following the lives of two Irish immigrant brothers, Thomas and Martin Carter. It is much more than just a railroad history as it explores how they gained the skills and knowledge to build railroad cars, bridges, and even the railroads themselves, and how they used innovative leveraged financing (which in retrospect seems surprisingly modern) to build their company. The cars that they built some 100 years ago can still be found, still in San Francisco, Alaska, and in numerous railroad museums across the western United States.

As Mr. MacGregor develops the story of the Carter Brothers he is also telling the story of six individual early California Narrow gauge railroads which were built to fight the monopolistic Central Pacific system, called "the Octopus" by the newspapers of the time. Each of these lines will have a connection to the Carters, either through cars built by them, or through bridge and car designs which they provided under contract. Through side bars and supplemental chapters you gain insight into how these railroads operated, the locomotives they purchased, and which saloons were favored by their management.

Additionally, this is a wonderful example of the great American story, as the two brothers escape famine plagued Ireland, only to pass through the plague infested Canadian immigrant stations on the St. Lawrence River. 1862 finds Thomas operating his own business in upper New York state, which he abandons to come west to California to avoid the Civil War draft.

While Thomas finds work in the shops of California's first railroad, his younger brother Martin goes to work on the new state capital building. Thomas loses his leg in an industrial accident, and as a result has to find an alternative to physical labor. That alternative was railroad car drafting, which became design and eventually engineering. With these newfound skills he would form, with his brother a partnership to build railroad cars. That company would thrive for 30 years in a difficult economy.

The text is supplemented by a rich assortment of photo, drawings and contemporary color illustrations. The book even finds room for an amusing and insightful discussion of Thomas Carter's love life and his long standing affair with Molly Redmond, a refreshingly liberated Victorian woman.

This is a must have book for anyone interested in Western railroads, narrow gauge, or California History.

If you buy one children's book about trains, this should be it!
My three-year-old son is a big fan of anything with wheels and loves trains. We have Thomas books, The Little Engine that Could, Tootle, nonfiction books about trains, fiction books about trains, etc., etc.
This book is the family favorite; it has been for months and months. Simple, poetic language is extremely effective here to convey the feeling of building anticipation associated with waiting for a train to come. I haven't seen any other books that convey that feeling half so clearly. "RED ON--red off" is such a memorable way to describe flashing signal lights that my son invented a little game where he winks one eye, then the other, saying, "Blue on, blue off." When he drives his pedal car through a puddle, he says, "It splished through the puddle!"
The illustrations wouldn't necessarily draw my attention on their own, but they do fit really well with the text.
Country Crossing is a book I don't mind reading repeatedly, and I don't think my husband minds either. It's especially great for bedtime. I can't recommend the book highly enough!

My 3 year-old son and I read this book every night before bed. The poetic tone and vivid descriptions are captivating. This is a wonderful book for train lovers as well as appreciators of quality children's literature. Ayelsworth and Rand have ensured that young ones will forever delight in the "clang, clang" of the railroad crossing.

We first met this book in our house when my now nine-year-old was two, and it quickly became a favorite. I have bought it for many friends and school-room libraries, and the response is always as positive as our own. The way that Aylesworth uses his sentence structure and sound-effect words makes the reader move at a pace which corresponds with the story action. Reading it with children is always a fun adventure because they love to pick up on and "read" the sound-effect words like "splishhh" and "red on, red off." While it is wonderful for any "train" boy, it is a great book that cuts across gender lines. When we gave a copy of this book to my son's day-care center, the teacher would have the kids sit their chairs in a line and then the whole group would pretend that they too were a part of the story and train, with self-created hand signals for the sounds and little voices reciting each sound effect in unison. Definitely a must for any pre-schooler's library!

This is a fantastic book. We have checked it out from the library repeatedly, and now I am buying a copy to to add to our family's collection of children's book. My two boys, ages 3 and 5, love this book. They love just about any book about trains, but what is so special about this one is the setting, the sights and more than anything, the sounds. As an adult, I too am captivated by how well the author has taken just a few moments in time and brought them vividly to life by describing the sights and sounds of this country scene. No words are spoken between boy and grandson; as readers we participate in this scene through the illustrations, the descriptions of the sounds before, during and after the train passes and our own imaginations. I highly recommend this book!

It took 3 or 4 readings for me to start really loving this book, and my boys now ask for it often. It's such a simple tale---a father and son riding an old car at night on a remote wooded road, and a train going by--they stop at the crossing and watch it. However, it is told so well and the pictures are so peaceful (except when the train is going right by!) that you feel relaxed just reading it, and wish that somehow you could hop into the book and go to that long ago night and place. My 5 and 2 year olds listen with interest over and over to this book!

My grandfather was a conductor on the railroad and retired about 10 years ago. He is recently widowed and is very lonely. I'm not sure what this book is like or about but he loves the railroad and is always talking about his years on the rails. I would like to know if this book would be a good birthday gift for him next week.

Gritty, dusty, muddy, ballast-strewn dirt under foot. A coppery feeling in the mouth. Eyes strained and burning, almost too tired to open. Perpetual noise---the incessant squeaking, grinding, thumping and crashing of heavy, lumbering machinery. Break time, and the codgers slumping in straight-back chairs leaned against the wall are all snoring, smoking, or describing their latest sexual conquests. Oily, smoky air stinking of hot grease. The feel, smell, look and sound of heavy industry, all the same day after day, night after night. These are the sensations that Niemann and Bertucci's book leaves in the reader's mind.

The title and even the subject matter notwithstanding, I hesitate to categorize this book as a volume on railroading. The impressions of the people and their work-lives that are featured in the prose and the photographs are descriptive of all those who labor in the blue-collar jobs of heavy industry. These railroaders have much in common with miners, steel mill workers, grain elevator operators, truck builders, and all the rest on whom our nation's economy depends.

If we must, because of its focus, speak of it as a railroad book, let us be clear about what it is not: There are no ballads or wreck songs here, no folklore about John Henry or Casey Jones, no heroic histories of rail disasters, no financial analyses or statistics of ton-miles hauled or ruminations on the nostalgic era of steam locomotives. What we really have is a book of contemporary photographs, some taken with film and some painted with the brush of words. Both kinds of photos reveal the grass-roots operating railroader and the real, unembellished, and usually uninspiring environment in which he or she labors.

What is the lasting value of this book? It is truly American sociology and history. Not the history of the corporate board room. Not the history of company economics. Not even the technological history behind roller bearings and the huge diesel-electrics that haul unit trains from Powder River coal fields to the ravenous furnaces of east coast electrical generating plants. The history in this book is both more basic and more essential, for it shows us the working conditions of the people who make the machine run, whose work enables the rail corporations to prosper, and whose personalities are shaped by the unsympathetic and unending tasks set for them.

If, Gentle Reader, you react badly to harsh language, to untempered sexual remarks, or to photos including "explicit" centerfolds taped to a yardman's locker door, then perhaps this book is not destined for your reading list. On the other hand, if you find fascination (or perhaps reminiscence) in unexpurgated portrayals of blue-collar working Americans or if you merely wish to understand the demands of such work and how it shapes the people who perform it, then I believe that you will treasure this book as a most worthy addition to your library. Whether you shelve it with your books on sociology, heavy industry, American history, or transportation will be your call. It integrates them all.

By the way, if you find fulfillment with "Railroad Voices," explore "Set Up Running," a similar exploration into the life of a real, unremarkable railroader, an engineman on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Both books show us the real world of the railroad employee with grease on his (or her) clothes, gloves on his (or her) hand, and a union dues deduction in his (or her) paycheck.

Niemann's quick patter, penetrating heartfelt look at the people around her, and brevity take us on an adventure that caters to my Tom Boy and captures my short attention span. I read it cover to cover in one day, thought about it for days later.

This is one of the best railroad books I have read in my 30+ years in the railroad industry, and I found it difficult to put down. I have shared my copy with my railroad colleagues, including several women, who all said they enjoyed it immensely, and want their own copies.

The two women have a gift for capturing the true essence of our industry. Ms. Niemann writes in the language of the trainmen's locker rooms, switch shanties and locomotive cabs, a mixture of railroad slang and profanity, but, that is the way it really is.

Lina Bertucci's photos truly convey the sense of never-ending fatigue, boredom, grime, that was (is) part of railroading, then and now. (I also had the pleasure of knowing Ms. Bertucci and some of her female co-workers when they became the first women hired by the Milw RR for train service in the '70s. Those women fought some real barriers to be accepted in what had been a all-male environment.)

I've only worked for the railroad for 2 years but reading this book brings back memories of some of my trips. I was going to wait to read this book on the plane but I just couldn't put it down. Once you read the first page, you're hooked and you want to keep reading. The railroad, in a way, is like one big family and this book brings that to the reader.

I recently received this beautiful color collection on "The Mother Road" Route 66. Having traveled West from Chicago to Kingman AZ in the mid 60's on Route 66 it brought back many memories. It also has left me with strong ambitions to repeat that journey but this time all the way to L.A. Wonderful photography and dialouge by the author. Even if you have never traveled on Route 66 you may very well want to after viewing this book.

This is the best Route 66 book I've ever read. The pictures range from breathtaking to amusing and the writing is fresh and clean. A must have for anyone interested in Route 66.

Any book published as part of an "enthusiast color series" is likely intended to be a coffee-table book. And indeed, Route 66 has lots of pretty pictures, captured beautifully by Jim Luning. But unlike most such fare, this book deserves more than coffee-table placement (or, the pinnacle, bathroom-rack status.)

I know the author, Tim Steil, a friend of mine. So, as one who loves grammar, right from the start I had every incentive to pick at his writing. But, alas, I was disappointed. Finding only the most minor of grammatical errors, I had to concede the fact that Steil has written a really good book. Tim's breezy writing makes the book a quick and easy read, and conveys efficiently so much of their adventure that the reader cannot help but feel as if he were there for much of the ride.

Another plus: it's not preachy, or full of phony nostalgia or contempt for "the evils of progress." I love it this book, and I'm not really even a fan of Route 66.

Luning's pictures are gorgeous. I got to meet him when the two authors did some of their preliminary research on the Chicken Basket, one of the offical Route 66 sites covered early in the book. An unassuming and disarming guy, Luning does not betray that he has a long list of credits. But in the book, Luning cannot hide his talent: a fantastic eye for light and color and balance.

So enjoy the pictures. But realize they will not really come to life until you actually read the text.

Route 66 is what an "enthusiast color series" should be.

Route 66, by Tim Steil, is a trip in present, but a journey back in time. There was a day and age when Route 66 was the heartbeat of the Western half of the United States. Unlike its predecessor the Lincoln Highway, Route 66 was modern road made offering fast travel from Chicago to Los Angeles for both automobiles and trucks. Because of the limitations of vehicles of the 1930's through the early 1960's, the road was lined with repair shops, cafes, motels and scenic wonders that range from simple statues or absurd monuments.

More than any other highway, Route 66 has a history and an allure that never ceases to draw the adventurous to it. These days traveling on Route 66 is sort of like visiting a huge living museum of automobile Americana. Steil, aided by photographer Jim Luning, take the journey and give their vision to this long familiar story. The nice part about this book is that MBI, the publisher, chose to offer it as part of the inexpensive Enthusiast Color Series rather than an expensive coffee table book. You can easily take this book with you for easy reading along the way and without taking up too much space at lunch counter. This was a good choice on their part and is sure to make give this book a long sales life.

The author is accurate in his descriptions and the photographer's keen eye caught quite a few features of Route 66 that have not appeared in other publications. Truckers are big part of this story, in fact the famous Dixie Truckers Home in central Illinois gets good coverage right in the beginning of the book. If the lore and legends of Route 66 are already part of your life, or you would just like a low-cost introduction to this famous highway then Route 66, by Tim Steil is a must have item.
- Gary Bricken

Probably the best book to date on the subject, Route 66 is a joy from beginning to end. Referred to affectionately as The Mother Road, Route 66 was the first highway built for high speed travel in the United States. Due to the reliability of the cars and trucks using this road, it was lined with repair shops, diners, and tourist traps. The photography is excellent and the text is insightful and well written. Travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles via this book is a joy!

5 year old boys love this book and since they won't get bored, it helps them learn to read.

After reading this book, our 3 year old can name every type of rail car. We live near a busy line and he is quite fond of calling out the types of cars he sees.

This is a wonderful story with great artwork. Sure to please the train lover.

Perfect reading for my two year old grandson who is fascinated with trains!

We thought our 4 yr old train fanatic had taught us everything we needed to know about all the different train cars, but this book had a lot more knowledge for us. It's one of his favorite books, and has large photographs of trains and train cars. I think this is a must-have for any train loving kid!