Trains and Railroads Books

Had no details on my major interest--the accident of January 1853 that was fatal to President-elect Franklin Pierce's only surviving son, Benny. Accident was not included in table of significant accidents. Accidents were too numerous and routine in effect, for all to be included. As Middleton points out accidents later became more common and more deadly as the speed of passenger trains increased in the 1870s.

Accidents are only a small part of the encyclopedia. The long, compresensive index better summarizes the scope of the encyclopdia. If you have limited interest in specific aspects of railroading, read a copy in a library. If you want a comprehansive view of railroading from its beginning in North America to its modern status, buy this 1,281 page, size c. 8 inch by 10 inch. 48 pp, 3-column wide index. Numerous illustrations.

Very good for a lot of things, but a random sampling of railroads shows that that listing, at least, is not comprehensive. Valuable for most people with an interest in American railroading.

This is the best general-purpose railroad reference book I've seen. It's
oversized and 1300+ pages, lots of drawings, maps, and photographs (but
none in color). Other "encyclopedias" I've seen deal primarily with the
major railroads. This book covers major and minor railroads, history,
technology, innovations, equipment and people--from Edison, Pullman, and
Loewy to Gould, Hill, etc. There are things here I have not seen
elsewhere--such as the Lima Locomotive Works promotional specifications,
which also list prices.

This is the kind of book wherein you open it at random--a history of the
Northwestern Pacific Railroad. The following pages list railroad
occupations--engineers, dispatchers, etc--17 double-column pages. Open
the book again to John Jervis, civil engineer who became president of
the Chicago and Rock Island, and John (Casey) Jones whose death inspired
the song. There's a huge amount of material here.

You're not going to get everything in one book. If it's maps you want,
there are some good atlases showing route maps of major railroads, plus
the Rand McNally historical railroad atlases, and more recently, Steam
Powered Video's excellent regional atlases showing all lines that were
ever built. Robert Lewis has an excellent "Handbook of American Railroads"
(1952 & 1956--used copies through Amazon) that show route maps for all
the 127 class 1 railroads at that time, plus narrative, rolling stock,
profit & loss, number of passengers carried, etc. There are books that
cover just steam or diesel locomotives, books just on the C, B & Q, etc.
But if you could have only one source book, and want information that
might otherwise require a trip to a large well-endowed library, this book
will be your definitive source.

The good news is that this is the most comprehensive reference book I've seen on North American railroad practices and history.

The bad news is that this was a bit off the mark, for being dubbed the Encyclopedia of North American Railroads.

My expectation was that this would be the ultimate guide to North American railroads, from A to Z. I anticipated exceptionally thorough coverage of the railroads, their histories, and maps, maps, maps.

What this volume is, is an anthology of topical entries that vary in length and subject. Included are abbreviated railroad histories, biographies, terms, social commentary, and technical aspects of railroading. In that regard, it is hard to imagine a topic about railroading practices that this volume doesn't touch on.

Some approximate page accounts include: Amtrak 1 ½, Civil engineering 26, Intermodal traffic 4 ¾, National parks 3, New York Central 3 ½, Norfolk Southern 1 ½, Railroad occupations 17 ½, Sports and railroading 2 ½, women in railroading 4, and World War Two and railroading 4 ½.

Don't throw your reproduction Rand McNally railroad atlases away just yet, because the appendix with maps leave much to be desired.

The first eight maps are Amtrak 2004, Maine area 1945, B&M and NH 1945, New England West (undated), Mohawk & Hudson (undated), Boston (modern I think), Mid-Atlantic railroads (early), and Mid-Atlantic states CA 1945.

The maps are black and white (It's a $100 book, would some color have killed them?), they appear to have most mainlines, though I suspect not all branches. Not all railroads are present in relevant maps. The Pennsylvania and New York Central have their own maps, but a Mid Atlantic states map without either, doesn't really tell a story.

So if you are looking for an authoritative general reference book on North American railroading history and practices, this is it.

If you are looking for the ultimate railroad by railroad reference title, this doesn't replace The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, the Train Watchers Guide to North American Railroads, or the Short line Railroad Guide or the aforementioned Rand McNally reprints.

I ordered the book based on the title. While I was very disappointed with the thrust of the work, this is a well-executed all-in-one reference that I'll probably use once or twice a year.

I am buying this book for my son and daughter (3 and 5 respectively). They both love Thomas and my son particularly loves this book. He can hardly wait to get to the end where Sir Topham Hatt and the gang yell "Surprise!"

He even presses his face against Thomas' on the last page and quietly whispers "Happy Birthday" to his favorite steamie.

A wonderful addition to any Thomas fan's library.

"Thomas does not want to work today. It is his birthday! He wants a party, with presents, balloons, and silly hats. But Sir Topham Hatt says, `Henry is busy. Gordon is busy. James is busy. You must work today, Thomas.'" -From the book

Even though it is his birthday, Thomas is sent out to work on the railway. He works hard all day long, and is sad that no one wishes him a happy birthday. Has everyone forgotten?

At the end of the day, a dejected Thomas chugs into the darkened shed. "Some birthday", he thinks.

Just then the lights go on-and Thomas is given a wonderful surprise from the other engines, railway employees, and Sir Topham Hatt!

Happy Birthday, Thomas! is a Step 1 "Step into Reading" book that is geared to children in Preschool to Grade 1. The type is large, the sentences are short, and the illustrations are bright and colorful. There are no insults traded among the trains in this book, unlike the Thomas the Tank Engine stories geared to older children.

I bought this book for my first grader to read to her 19 month old brother, and it has quickly become my little one's favorite book. The illustrations are beautiful, and the text is simple. The concepts are riveting for little ones - trains, birthday, surprises, and a cow on the train tracks. We all enjoy this book, but my toddler absolutely loves it.

My 3 year old son loves Thomas right now. In this book, Thomas is sad because he must work on his birthday. But, while he works, his friends plan a surprise party for him. The language is very simple, and the simple vocabulary repeats often. So it is very easy for young children to understand and enjoy. My 3 year old can tell the story page by page. My 22 month old son can tell parts of the story. They fight over the book. I rated the book 4 stars instead of 5 because children who don't know Thomas might not look at it right away. But it is a lovely story, with very nice illustrations. The book is short, so it keeps their attention until the end.

This book complements Don HOFSOMMER'S three recent landmark titles covering the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (THE TOOTIN' LOUIE), the Iowa Central (THE HOOK & EYE), and Iowa's railroads in the aggregate (STEEL TRAILS OF THE HAWKEYELAND). Its release caps an extraordinary twelve months of publications from this prolific researcher and author. This latest title comes as something of a bonus, benefitting not only from the author's foundational work on the trials and tribulations of the M&St.L, but also from his extensive research, writing and photography of the West and its railroads.

This book admirably meets its titled purpose. Hofsommer disclaims the work as either a history of Minneapolis or a record of all its railroads. "Rather it is a study, on the one hand, of the relationship between Minneapolis and its railroads, and, on the other, of the symbiosis that developed between the city and its railroads with a huge hinterland stretching from the Canadian border to northern Iowa and west as far as central Montana - all of it reflecting the steamcar civilization, the age of railways." This is carried out through sixteen profusely illustrated and thematically titled chapters that chronologically cover periods of unequal lengths. The central questions of who, where, why and when people of means, motives and talents brought railroads to Minnesota and particularly to the limits of navigation at St. Anthony Falls are interestingly and efficiently discussed. The question of how, in the operational and technical sense, railroads advanced geographically and through invention receives relatively little attention. However, crucial relationships among tools (such as the telegraph), natural resources (specifically water power, timber, and the fruits of agriculture), and organizational and economic developments undergird the exposition. The leading personalities, such as the Washburn brothers, James J. Hill, Jay Cooke, Henry Villard, Ransom Cable, Edwin Hawley, and many others, and the fortunes of their associated companies are woven into the story of successes, failures, and portents of both. The author's talent for conveying the essential issues and outcomes with eloquent characterizations is as robust as ever. (It is refreshing to see the word "balderdash" in a history book in this post-modern age.) As one who has taught college courses on the roles of railroads in American history, I particularly appreciated the author's placing the entire work in the national economic and political context. The reader is reminded of the significant and familiar issues, such as expansion in advance of demand, anti-competitive practices, regulation, panics, crop failures, Populism, Progressivism, the McAdoo period, Esch-Cummins Act, consolidation, receivership, and competition from other modes.

The railroad companies that made Minnesota and the Twin Cities their territory are described with sufficient depth for the reader who has some background to see how contemporary properties and practices could have resulted. Photographs and maps are integral to these descriptions, and effectively convey the purposes for which railroads exist. The milling district is particularly well represented. Photo captions generally extend the text, but appear in a delicate font that some of us older readers may find challenging. The author makes good and frequent use of quantitative measures and comparisons, especially through the first fifteen chapters. Tables are infrequent, but helpful. For example, the summary of Minneapolis passenger service in 1916 on pp. 224-25 gives a good picture at the approximate peak of the route structure. Curiously, the later summary on pp. 232-33 omits the CB&Q from the Chicago players. The revolutionary advances in daytime passenger service begun in 1935 by the Milwaukee Road's "Hiawathas" and Burlington's "Zephyrs" are highlighted. However, the equally fast C&NW/CMSt.P&O "400", a steam and heavyweight contemporary that became a diesel streamliner in 1939, is cited only as a postwar competitor (page 289.)

The last chapter "An Uncertain Future" is the longest in the book (35 pages), and has the task of bringing down the curtain on the Age of Railways, both regionally and nationally. It is a tall order to describe and analyze with insight the Roarin' Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the Post-War rebuilding, the declines of the 1960's and 1970's, the Staggers Era, and the state of play in the past decade. The photo selection is again strong, including several from the author's camera taken shortly before the accession of Amtrak. The analysis and reporting of the period 1920-1945 are concise and convincing. However, the style and depth that served the bulk of the book so well thins out noticeably in the few pages devoted to the last fifty years. Since the Age was over, one can concede that this is appropriate, and consistent with a 300-page book with its ambitious goals. The reflective and cogent Epilogue provides the climax to the study itself. This book should be on the short list of all students of the history of railroads in the Midwest.

Gustavus Adolphus College Dennis C. Henry

Very well done, good art, maps and photos. Worth the money.

The metropolitan city of Minneapolis, Minnesota is changing, and Don Hofsommer is there to provide an overview of these changes from the 1860s into the 1950s, when railroads linked city and countryside, in Minneapolis And The Age Of Railways. Over 200 period photos and maps cover the city's rail lines, providing a history of railroad property, political and government acts, consolidations, and passenger trends alike. The lively story of Minneapolis and its growth is charted in terms of trends and rail history in a survey which will delight both rail buffs and Minneapolis natives alike.

This is in many ways a fascinating book with great photos and thorough text. What is disappointing is the number of errors in place names and locations and the vast amount of duplication of content from the same author's Tootin Louie. It does not strike me as a well-balanced picture of the railroads, leaning heavily on information from the Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad, which while important, was admittedly not a major player in the long run. Nor was it apparent from Amazon's description that the age of railroads in this author's definition was over long long ago, not at the dawn of Amtrak as I would have presumed. He also seems to share the railroading enthusiast's obsessive focus on engines and freight to the detriment of passenger experience. These flaws lay on the editor's shoulders, I feel, as they did not guide the author better, and they should have published these books as either one volume, or two volumes of the same text. I would have to recommend buying one or the other, not both. Tootin Louie is an exhaustively detailed examination of the history of the line as a business and culture, with many insightful details and lots of human interest. It is quite a remarkable achievement. These books are excellent gifts for the nostalgic Minneapolitan like my father or railroad enthusiast like my brother-in-law. If I liked them better I would keep them. They also both need many more maps to delineate all the geographical features and changes discussed. It was difficult to read and switch to atlas and old map for confirmation.

My 4 year old and I LOVE this, even though he's never been on a subway! Great writing, simple, but descriptive. Wonderful graphics. Makes me want to go ride one for sure!

My Subway Ride is a wonderful reading experience! The beautifully crafted language and vibrant illustrations bring the New York City subway and its culture to life. This is not just a book for New Yorkers! My Subway Ride introduces young readers to the bustle, chaos and joy of urban living and celebrates the diversity and community that make New York a great American city.

Buy the book for its richly atmospheric illustrations, but as you look at them, make up your own text. This is home-made "poetry" at its worst with its utterly clichéd metaphors and dull, noodling rhythms. It's a mystery why the writers got top billing for spoiling an otherwise fine book.

A semi-finalists in the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Awards!

"The city is the body, the subway is the blood, running through tunnel veins." There is poetry and music in these lines; the text pulses with a jazzy beat. This is a smart, sassy, hip presentation of the underground world of the New York City subway. From the moment the reader "buys" a ticket and climbs aboard, he or she will experience some of the voices, color and imagery of this bustling place. On the subway cars, we see many different faces - various ages, ethnic groups, nationalities, walks of life: "A sea of faces, an ocean of voices, a bit of the world in every car." The readers stop at different points of interest: Yankee Stadium (161st Street), Times Square (42nd Street), Coney Island, and so forth. The illustrations are bold and riveting. At one point, the subway cars ride up the spine of a dinosaur skeleton in a natural history museum. This is a terrific introduction to the subway system, and perfectly timed: 2004 marked a century of use.

[...]

Marty McGuirk's book "N Scale Model Railroading" is a quite detailed,in-depth overview covering most all relevant N Scale data. It's a very good starting point!

The invention of N scale railroad modeling opened up this popular hobby to tens of thousands of enthusiasts in the mid-1960s down to the present day. With N Scale Model Railroading, Marty McGuirk introduces the neophyte model railroader to all the unique aspects of N scale, including layout planning, essential tools and supplies, track laying, wiring and train control, locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and modular railroading. Of special interest are the step-by-step instructions for building the Carolina Central 4 x 8-foot N scale project layout. If you would like to try your hand at N scale model railroading, begin with a careful reading of Marty McGuirk's N Scale Model Railroading!

I bought this book 2 weeks ago, and I spent an hour with it.Well and friendly written , good described concepts !.. for beginner like me. But I didn't find any European Brands such as (Trix or Fleischmann) samples in this book, you are understanding "re-thing" before realizing your own layout and scenery by N-Scale items.There is no lighting and electrical samples in the book.Just track feeding and wiring..A learned a lot of things from the Glossary.After all this is a nice book for beginner.

I'm a beginner in model trains and have started with N scale. This book has been a great help. It is not a biblical guide to N scale nor to model railroads, but it does cover all of the things I need to know to get started and make some good choices on construction (and avoid some costly mistakes). I do know it does not cover the basics of DCC setup/wiring but there are entire books for that as well. If you've never tried trains and are going to model in N scale this would be a great start for learning.

Don't publishers employ editors or proof readers any more? This book is full of simple spelling errors and poor grammar, the kinds of errors that a proof reader would find very quickly. Many of the errors are missing or duplicated articles. Others are cases of a plural noun being used with a singular verb or vice versa. Another class of error, common to many books that include photographs, is captions that don't match the photograph in some important detail.

Still, the many photographs in the book are of very good to excellent quality. Most of them are pictures that I have not seen in any other publications. It's unfortunate that the quality of the text and some erroneous captions make the whole thing suspect.

This is a great short history of the New York Central System. Chapters 1 to 4 deal with the makeup of the system and history. Chapter 5 deals with Grand Central Terminal and New York electrification. Chapter 6 is the steam locomotive fleet. Chapter 7 is the diesel locomotives. Chapter 8 is the electric locomotives. Chapters 9 & 10 are about the freight and passenger service. The pictures used in the book are great. The amount of information is remarkable. If I were to purchase only one book on the New York Central System, this would be the book.

The book is well done, and the photos are super.
My five year old can't put the book down. It really shows the NYC in a way that was never seen before, unless you worked for the railroad. If you love trains, you must add this book to your collection.

Wish I had this book several years ago to help me plan the prototype layout and what engines to acquire. Highly recommend this book for NYC fans.

This is a great little gem of a book. All the grandparents out there who ever took a train ride as a child will undoubtedly enjoy reading this to their grandchildren. Trains are such compelling mechanisms, after all, and the story of a young girl taking her first train ride alone is a great combination. The illustrations are rich and realistic. Another reviewer was put in mind of Chris Van Allsburg, as was I. These illustrations are slightly softer but no less impressive. They pair nostalgic images with the text, resulting in a verbal and visual trip to a bygone era.

This book was a treat to read from the first time we got it out of the library; it has only grown on me more since then. The story begins with "Shhh, listen --" and the illustration of the girl stretched out with her ear pressed down to the floor listening to the train approach is so accurate, it pulls you straight in to her world. It's easy for any young person to feel that she is there right alongside the girl in the book. The author conveys the sights and sounds of a train ride so well that I am always transported back to my own train journeys, even though I myself have never been stuck on the tracks in the middle of a blizzard (the events of the book are based on a true story). The details and imagery are vivid and perfect and the actions of the young girl riding alone so wonderfully recall what any of us would do at that age -- marvel at the astonishingly perfect shape of sugar cubes, wave at the cows as we pass, press our nose to the glass and watch the snow magically soften and whiten the world, slide off the seat and bump-tumble to the floor when the train suddenly stops... This book is wonderful to share with any young child and will increase their appreciation for trains, for travel, and for the up and down feelings that come when doing something new as well as the ultimate joy and triumph of achieving something on your own. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

All Aboard! Join a little girl as she travels by train from the country to see her grandmother
who lives in the city. The little girl is having lots of fun and meeting lots of nice people. She has her dinner on the train. She gets to order what she likes and has ice cream for desert. All is well until a snow storm forces the train to make an emergency stop. Will grandma still be waiting for the little girl at the end of the line? Read this exciting picture book to find out!



The book moved at a fast pace. The illustrations were very detailed.



I would recommend this book to all kids who are interested in trains. The tale is very exciting.

There is something deeply rewarding about author Marsha Wilson Chall's recent, "Prairie Train". Once you've finished the book you may find yourself yearning to take in some of the sights, sounds, and feelings the story evokes. You will certainly wish that you yourself could take a trip such as the one taken by the heroine of the tale. The danger of writing any book that takes place in the 1920s or 30s is that it could easily be so steeped in nostalgia as to be impossible for kids to connect with. With "Prairie Train" such fears are groundless.

Our first image of our young female heroine is of her lying on a wooden slatted floor. There is a look of anticipation on her face as she listens to the sounds of the Great Northern train going, "Clackety clack clack clack". The next morning she's aboard the train, going to see her grandmother at the end of the line. Her mother (decked out in a fabulous ensemble that I personally would kill to get my hands on) runs alongside until she is gone. On board, the girl takes stock of her clothing and possessions. She reads the signs painted on the sides of barns and watches the countryside pass. She gets to go to the dining car all by herself and surreptitiously slip some five sugar cubes into her coin purse (we won't consider what may happen to those cubes later). Everything is delightful until the train screeches to a halt due to too much snow on the track. The girl is far less confident at this point, but a grandmotherly figure sitting across the seat offers to show her how to knit. Then a boy with a harmonica plays a tune and things start perking up. The track is cleared and the old woman, before getting off at her stop, gives the girl the afghan she finished. Finally the train enters St. Paul Union Depot (yay Minnesota!) and the girl descends like a princess to the arms of her waiting grandmother below.

Before I praise anything else, I'd just like to thank the fates that John Thompson was the illustrator on this puppy. The pictures in this book are absolutely amazing in many ways. I've always been a fan of realistic illustrations in books for children (Chris Van Allburg and that type of stuff) and Thompson does not disappoint. The clothing worn by characters in this tale is spot on. The girl herself is in a cranberry colored coat, white gloves, and shiny patent leather shoes. The wool beret on her head is so well illustrated that you can practically make out its woolen stitches. Each character presented here looks as if they'd have entire stories to tell, if only you cared to ask. But my favorite picture, bar none, is the shot of the girl bursting into song next to the nice lady on the train as a nearby boy plays a silver harmonica. The expression of the girl, her hands, and her mouth, is so authentic and so realistic (it looks like you've caught her mid-note) that I can't help but assume that Thompson was working from a photograph. I shouldn't be too surprised that these pictures are as great as they are, however. After all, John Thompson illustrated the incredibly remarkable, "Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters" which, if you haven't read it, you must run out and buy RIGHT NOW.

None of this is detract from author Marsha Wilson Chall, of course. I loved the repetition of verses explaining the girl's possessions. I enjoyed the idea of a girl in a dining car by herself checking out the world behind her in the mirror of a silver knife. And I really took a great deal of joy in sentences like, "An old windmill spins like a crazy Ferris wheel. A silo stretches, tight with winter feed". This book is a midwestern joy to read through. It sings as you read it and chugs along merrily. For kids who would kill to take a trip alone and on their own like an adult, this book has instant appeal. A nostalgic story that feels particularly contemporary.

This book covers every aspect of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from its beginnings in 1868 to its merger with Burlington Northern in 1995-96. The various chapters cover segments of that history, with others on Passenger trains and Santa FE's steam and diesel locomotives. Of particular interest are Santa Fe's growth and acquisition of important rail routes, its pioneering role in development of intermodal traffic, and its passenger service which was second to none. Who could not help falling in love with those Warbonnet E- and F-units pulling stainless steel coaches! Modern diesels (not including AC types) are covered as well. There is a photo (or a map) on nearly every page, mostly color, with some nice old black-and-whites. The pages are laid out well with a minimum of blank space, and the text is well-written and very readable without being overly technical. On pages 8-9 a 1967 system map shows Santa Fe's major routes with many connecting ones of other railroads; just looking at brings back memories of railroads long gone (Rock Island, Milwaukee Road, Frisco, even Pennsylvania).

While this book may be a bit pricey for a softcover, it's sure to please. If it doesn't make you a Santa Fe fan, probably nothing will. --- Paul H!

I got this book a couple weeks ago and immediatly was hooked. It's nicely written, has alot of steam plus enough diesel piccies to keep me happy. A nice history of the Harvey services also included.
I'm a rookie railfan, and I learned TONS from this book. SF & BNSF are my favorites, nothing compares to the warbonnet.
Most of the book is all history from day one to the merger with Burlington Northern. Then it covers the steamers and diesels in their own chapters. Well worth buying.

The book is very well presented with a large range of colour (and black & white) photo's. The layout is easy to follow and the text flows well. It provides a good background on The Santa Fe.

My only concern is that I have found some of the historical facts differ from other material I have. This is dissapointing because I am now not sure of how many other facts could be different or incorrect.

Overall, Steve has done a very good job with the book and it is one that should be on your bookshelf and read a lot.

Brendon.

"Santa Fe Railway"
Steve Glischinski
ISBN 0-7603-0380-0

It would seem that this book was written for railroad enthusiasts. It is not without facts about engine model numbers and wheel configurations, but more importantly it also brings back the feel of the glory days of one of the most famous railroads in American history. My interest is more in the latter. My dad worked for the Santa Fe as a switchman. My family was a railroad family. At night, we heard the boxcars being banged together in yards not far from our house. I can remember standing on the front porch, as a small boy, to watch the "Texas Chief" approach.

A particularly interesting chapter in this book deals with Fred Harvey's remarkable success in his food service business with the Santa Fe Railroad. Prior to Harvey, food at railroad restaurants was notoriously bad. In 1876, Harvey approached the Santa Fe. He was given a try. He succeeded by providing fine meals and service at his first location in Topeka. The Santa Fe asked him to open more restaurants at train stations further west. Within a few years, he had branched off into building hotels for railroad employees, but eventually for the general public. His restaurants and hotels went from Kansas to California. One of Harvey's most popular hotels was at the Grand Canyon. Harvey's restaurants were staffed by attractive young women of good character relocated from the East to work in his establishments. The "Harvey Girls" lived in supervised dormitories he provided. Ultimately, Harvey relocated over 5,000 young women. Many of whom married and remained in the West. When the Santa Fe started providing dining cars on its trains in the 1890's, Harvey received a contract for that as well. The book has a photograph of a dining car menu from the 1960's that is certainly nostalgic to read.

Railroading was an extremely competitive business, about which one could draw parallels to the present day computer industry. For one thing, railroads were about technology. The railroad that had the fastest and most powerful locomotives had a competitive business advantage over the others. As with computer companies, no advantage held up for long. The Santa Fe was constantly innovating, such as when it began trying out diesel locomotives. The Santa Fe was not above employing technological stunts to get publicity, such as when in 1905 it accepted a challenge to get a train from Los Angeles to Chicago in 46 hours. The three-car, so-called "Coyote Special" made it under 45 hours. Railroads, also like computer companies, often sought to acquire other railroads, the ultimate fate of the Santa Fe when acquired by the Burlington Northern in 1996. But the Santa Fe ran for over a hundred years.

This book brought back a lot of good memories for me. It may for others as well.

I'm buying this book because I checked out a couple of books for my almost-2 son on trains and this was the one out of the batch that he liked the most. The text doesn't impress me much, but the photos are good and I can paraphrase the text. I add in the noises as much as fits the photos and he is totally engrossed.

High quality photographs accompany a story of a young boy (looks 3 years old) who goes on steam train ride alone. The journey goes from buying the ticket to disembarking. Each step of the journey is documented in the numerous photos and explained in detailed text. The boy is treated to more than just the ride; he converses with train employees who explain in detail information such as how the steam engine works, the names of the various train worker positions (fireman, etc.) and explains what their job is. Different train signs are shown and their meaning is explained. As the train ride begins the boy gazes out the window and gazes at the passing scenes of farms and Amish people. The photos are of the Strausberg, Pennsylvania steam train ride.

My only negative comment is I find it strange and unrealistic to have a 3 year-old all alone on this entire journey, from buying the ticket by himself, to the ride, to disembarking. Where are the parents? I would have rather had them along on the trip as a family experience.

There is a good amount of detail about trains and their inner workings compared to other books published for this age range. I appreciated this as my two young train lovers are eager for information and real photos about trains vs. the many beautifully hand illustrated fictional works about trains that are already available in the picture books published for 4-8 year olds. There is a good amount of text here, about 4 sentences per page, and 32 pages.

This captivated my 2-year-old train lover (despite publishers age recommendations). ... I highly recommend this book for train lovers, but beginning at age 2 not 4 as the publisher recommends.

If your child yearns for more information, I suggest that you move up to non-fiction that the publishers deem for 8-11 years old or even to read aloud books published for adults. Use your child's interest level not a publisher's guideline. Even if you can't read every word in the book due to the child wanting to turn the page to see different pictures, just read what you can get to and what they want to hear. I recommend "Cross section train", "Eyewitness:Train" and "Railways and Trains" published by Usbourne books for non-fiction with much detail, all are published for the 8-11 age range.

My 2 boys really enjoy this book, and love all the details of running a steam train. I'm not really sure, however, that kids who are not extreme train lovers would like it as much---there isn't much going on except the viewing of the train and all the train related signs and stations! But there are plenty of big time train lovers out there! We've been to Strasburg, where this is set, and this book makes the boys want to go back!

Our train-obsessed three-year-old likes to read this one over and over. He identifies with Christopher and likes to examine the photographs of the train closely. We have yet to find a book that shows the fundamentals of running an actual (as opposed to illustrated) steam engine as well as this one. He especially likes the water tower and fireman pictures. This book is a great way to show how the real "Thomas the Tank Engines" work. Good basic bedtime (or other-time) story, especially for the train-obsessed. We have since ridden the train depicted in the book, and the excitement was not measurable!

My son is 3 and a half, and I wanted to start teaching him how to read the clock. He is a big Thomas fan, so this was a perfect book to introduce him to telling the time. My son loves this book, and in the short time I have had it - he already looks at the clock on the wall and will say Mommy it's 7:00 o'clock !!!! He even enjoys the story, and illustrations.

My 3yr old son is very interested in the clock but there's some slightly offensive text inside. A major character in the book is called "the Fat Controller". So yeah, I was surprised to see that on several pages. The book was published in Great Britain in 1992. ?

You know if you have a Thomas fan in the family, they like almost any Thomas book. I would not say this is one of the best Thomas books around, but my younger son also loves clocks, so this was a dream combo book! The pictures are fairly cute and not too cluttered. My son's favorite is when Gordon is peeking in the window of Sir Topham Hatt's office---he loves being able to tell it's Gordon when you can only see a bit of him!

This a fantastic book for toddlers when you're trying to teach the concept of time. Each page shows what Thomas or other trains are doing and the event coincides with a particular time of the day starting at 7 am until nap time at 7pm. Our son loved to turn the clock's hands on each page while I read aloud what time it was and what Thomas or other trains were doing. An ideal book for 3 and possibly 4 year olds learning to understand time!