Trains and Railroads Books

Many people find themselves fascinated by railroads and get caught up in the hobby of building model railroads but are hampered by one big problem. They don't know how the real thing operates. If the act of building is the fascination, then this poses no problem but if you actually want to do anything with the trains besides watch them go around and around, you need to learn something about the real thing. That's where this book comes in handy.

It explains various aspects of how railroads operate in the real world and then explains how enthusiasts have modeled those operations. The book is readable and clearly written. Even so, so material may take a few readings to properly understand. It is a worthwhile investment.

Realistic Model Railroad Operation: How To Run Your Trains Like The Real Thing by Tony Koester is a complete and "user friendly" guide to realistic model railroad operation. Readers will be provided with a quick-start guide to realistic operating sessions complete in a single evening; diverse schemes for forwarding cars and moving trains across a model railroading layout; explanations of sign systems as they apply to model railroads; and an appendix of precise railroading terminology. Superbly enhanced with previously unpublished color photography of tony Koester's HO scale Allegheny Midland Railroad (along with other great model railroads), Realistic Model Railroad Operation is a seminal and core addition to any dedicated model railroaders reference shelf. Model railorading enthusiasts are encouraged to send for the free Kalmbach Publishing catalog for a complete listing of their titles.

This short board book is sure to be a hit with little train lovers. It is very sturdy and each 2-page spread depicts at least 2 train cars. Because this is a Lionel book, the illustrations of the various cars are very accurate and more detailed than other train board books that are on the market (some of which are very cartoon-y and not true to life in appearance).

There are many different train cars in this book, each a different color and the text includes the color, hence the subtitle referencing this is a book to teach colors. (I feel that any book with objects of various colors can be discussed during a reading to teach colors, you don't need a special board book to teach colors. Just pick objects your child is interested in and simply mention the colors and they will pick it up easily. My children happen to love trains so the fact that this book obviously was intended to write colors is a coincidence for our family.)

The different trains depicted are caboose, hopper car, log car, auto car, tank car, boxcar, crane train, flatcar, and steam locomotive and tender. There is a lot going on in the illustrations including children and adults doing various things near the train, a farm wit cows, and a night road construction scene. There is much to talk about to go beyond the simple and short text. The text rhymes and is catchy. This is a cute book and is not annoying as some board books are. There are ten pages (I wish there were more)!

Note that this is one in a series of train books published by "Little Lionel". I suggest that all young train fans buy the entire series!

As a child I loved the song Little Red Caboose. Now as a mother I am teaching this song to my two year old. We were delighted to find such a colorful and accurate book of all the train cars, including the red caboose. Now when my son sees a train, he immediately break out into song and wants to read his Little Red Caboose book. The book is excellent for teaching colors and the pictures are sure to delight very young readers. It is good to be able to tell a child about the way trains use to be.

Many people enjoy rides on old fashioned trains with steam locomotives. Mr. Herow's book provides information on trains in all fifty states. The book is divided by states in alphabetical order with information on the railroads, such as when they run, phone numbers and maps with the routes and major local roads. The back of the book has information on other tourist sites and places to stay. Four things I would have added. 1. Whether the railroads themselves are payable by credit card. 2. Do you need to make reservations so you don't get there and find out you can't board? 3. Photographs of each railroad would have been good. This would help people make up their minds about taking a certain scenic railway. 4. Local transit, airports, Greyhound or Amtrak terminals and their distance from the railroad should have been listed. Otherwise, for what it does, a very useful book.

Now in an updated second edition, Riding The Rails: Tourist Guide To America's Scenic Train Rides is a straightforward, "user friendly" guidebook to 151 scenic train rides in 44 states. Each train rides is featured in a concise one-page description format that informs the reader where the ride is, its street address, telephone number and associated web URL, the price, schedule, and special holiday events. Riding The Rails is quick and easy reference for anyone in America who enjoys a good train ride for fun, and a highly recommended addition to any dedicated train buff's American railroading reference collection.

Steven Parissien's Station To Station is a triumphal survey of, and tribute to, the railway station. This wonderfully illustrated history of the life and architecture of the railway station examines these structures and the events (both fictional and real) that have occurred within them, as well as how they have formed an integral part of the growth, development, and "personalities" of the cities they have served over the past 150 years. From such early provincial and colonial railways such as the Victorian Gothic of London's St. Pancras and the Beaux-Arts splendor of grand Central Station in New York, to the modern structural marvels of the Waterloo International Terminal and the Lyon Satolas Station, this impressive compendium draws upon archive pictures, railway ephemera, and new photographs to augment an informative text that will prove very welcome reading for railroad buffs and architectural students.

I found Station to Station to be an excellent broad work on the topic. I felt that while it didn't spend too much time on any particular station, it did give good detail on most all major stations of architectural value, including the somewhat obscure. All in all, a book worth reading.

This small books provides complete information for planning and building a scenic railroad layout or and other terrain model using the clever, lightweight Woodland Scenics Subterrain system. Ample black and white illustrations show exactly how to use the system and tools. There is a useful glossary and index. These tips and techniques will save the modeler hours of time, prevent mistakes and help achieve better results. Highly recommended.

There is no doubt that this book is an instrument designed to further the sale of the Woodland Scenics product line for building sb terrain for model railroads but that does not diminish its usefulness at all. It is a good introduction to building sub-terrain. It is well written, easily understood and amply illustrated.

Just about everything in this manual can be done, and probably is most often done using other material or other methods but this company has developed a product line that is lightweight, effective and works together. One of its great advantages is that a reader will know precisely what is needed and where it can be obtained when the products promoted here are used. That is not always the case when using more conventional hobby methods; then, material may need to be scrounged from a variety of sources.

On the downside, using these products exclusively is likely to be significantly more expensive than using the traditional approach.

Still, this gives a good primer and may well provide ideas that will work better in some situations. It was well worth the minor expense and brief amount of time I invested in learning about these options.

cute book. I know mu sisters will like this. and i will be fun for my baby sister to learn about useful engines and to help others in need. so im adding this to her wish list now.

Let me tell you about my experience with the Thomas and Friends 'Step-into-Reading' books. Some of them are very good. The 'retelling' of the story works and the book is a total success. Others, like this one, fall a little short. In this case, there are gaps in the storyline you could fit an elephant into. Likewise, for a book meant for those who need help reading, there are some larger vocabulary words than you might expect.

More difficult words include: grumbled, something, grunted, foreman, scary, hardest, backwards, and laughed.

That said, I still give this book fairly high marks SIMPLY because of the subject: Henry! And as long as your child is already familiar with the story, he/she probably won't note the continuity problems. And I have found with my son (now 5) that he will soon learn any new words simply because he is so darned motivated to read about one of his favorite Steamies. So...

Four Stars. Very Good Artwork. Okay Read-aloud. The retelling of the story is rather dubious, but that fact is more than offset by the motivational topic. "Henry and the Elephant" can be enjoyed by non-reading youngsters, and I would say that it would serve as a reader for children with about 6 months solid reading experience under their belts. [No 'official' reading level designation could be found by this mom.]

Find following some text from the book so you can judge for yourself:

The Foreman had a plan.
Henry could push trucks
into the tunnel.

"Wheesh," said Henry.
Henry did not like
tunnels.
He was scared.

Another good Thomas book illustrated by Tommy Stubbs. This one isn't quite as good as the other recently released Thomas book "Christmas Delivery", but it is still leaps ahead of most other Thomas books.

What an excellent book. This sturdy 32 page hardback is simply a wonderful addition to any Thomas fan's library.

First, it has some of the best artwork we have ever seen in a Thomas book. The drawings are large, colorful and rich, and unlike some other books where the Steamies are shown from relatively far away, in this one the Engines are shown up close.

Secondly, the story is about something worth talking about: fear, courage and common sense. And one of the things that I, as a parent, really enjoyed about this story is that it helps children to distinguish between things that they ought TO, and ought NOT TO, be afraid of.

The story begins with Percy telling Thomas that he has seen a ghost. When Thomas poo-poo's the story, Percy teams teams up with Toby to give Thomas a scare. The fact that he runs for cover, ultimately leaves Thomas feeling bad about being a 'scaredy-cat'. "You won't fool me again", he says defiantly.

This attitude of bravado, however, gets Thomas into real trouble. When on a run near the abandoned mines, he decides to ignore some "DANGER" signs. As a consequence, Thomas ends up sunk in an old shaft.

Rev. Awdry concludes of that misadventure: "Thomas decided that being foolish was not the same as being brave."

The story ends with Thomas' discovery that the strange goings on at the castle and the malfunctioning signal have reasonable explanations behind them.

Five Stars. Simply a good tale, well illustrated and with a fine message.

My daughter is continuing her reading skills using these books! They are great. Pretty cute story, too.

This is a simplified version of the "Thomas Goes Fishing" story and to tell the truth we sort of like this version best as it gets to the point without alot of mucking about and ridicule from the other engines.

The story begins with Thomas watching some children fishing by a bridge. He `peeps' and they wave, and Thomas wistfully declares that he would like to fish too. His driver chuckles at the thought, but every day Thomas sees the children and his desire stays alive.

Nothing happens until the day, Thomas suddenly stops and complains that his boiler hurts. [There is a great picture of the driver peering into Thomas' empty boiler]. Because his boiler is low and there is no water service station available, the driver proceeds to fill Thomas' boiler with water from the river. And everything seems fine until Thomas starts to giggle.

"Hee hee!" said Thomas.
My boiler feels funny."

Well the driver looks into the boiler but this time it not only has water, but two fish swimming about! Thomas' solution is to `peep' and attract his friends, the children. His driver borrows a fishing rod and well... he and Thomas go fishing!

Five Stars. The artwork in this little book is wonderful. The drawings are imaginative and bright. And the simplified story is actually funnier to my two than the longer version. And at this price, a worthy addition to the home sheds' library.

I purchased this book for my 17 month old. He loves it. He goes for the book sometimes several times a day. The book is well made in that it will not fall apart: the binding, the part that holds the music, and the thickness of the pages. The book also doesn't stop playing if one of the buttons are pushed. I recommend it.

I'm not a huge fan of interactive books as the sounds often seem superfluous, if not downright distracting. But, this book is comprised of five short songs with Thomas-related lyrics you can sing to the tunes of "The Wheels on the Bus," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," "Down by the Station," and the title tune, which I think is a "Thomas" original. Thomas is on every page with whichever friend is the subject of that song. The book is a nice size for a toddler to handle; perfect for the 18+ months age recommendation, although you certainly could use it with a younger child. And, each song plays in its entirety even if your little one presses another button before it's finished.

This book contains 24 stories (from the books Thomas Gets Tricked, Trouble for Thomas, A Cow on the Line, James in a Mess, Diesel's Devious Deed, and Edward's Exploit). They aren't my family's favorite Thomas stories, but it is a good value. I think some of these Thomas stories aren't really what I would like to read to my preschooler--I don't like the themes of "you get what's coming to you" and wickedness/naughtiness that is so common in Thomas. It seems there is a divide among parents of Thomas fans, and some (like me), don't really agree with the underlying philosophy of some of the books (and shows, too). But when I'm reading to my son I just modify the things I don't like. Thomas has done wonders for my son's imagination and playing (with the Wooden train sets, etc) and for wanting to read, too.

We checked this book out of the library for my 2 1/2 year old. He loves it so much we had to buy it. There are many stories involving many many engines, so this is a great value for the money.

my 5 year old was very excited to have so many Thomas stories in one place. although i dont LOVE all the stories, they are certainly fine.
a must have for a thomas lover.