Synopses & Reviews
This follow-up to the MBI bestseller Classic American Railroads is a beautiful tribute to 15 additional railroads not included in the first volume. Focusing on the golden age of railroading between World War II and the early 1970s, this all-new book features the histories, locomotives, rolling stock, and memorabilia of railroads like the Delaware and Hudson; Erie Lackawanna; Gulf, Mobile and Ohio; St. Louis-San Francisco Railway; Maine Central; Nickle Plate Road; Southern Railway; Great Northern Railway; and others. Amazingly preserved color photography from the decades covered, along with archival black-and-white images, capture the legendary trains against scenic backdrops across the nation, while period print ads and brochures add a nostalgic element to the stories behind the railroads' passenger and freight operations. Mike Schafer has written several rail-related books for MBI, including Streamliner Memories, Freight Train Cars, and Classic American Railroads.
Synopsis
Follow-up to the topselling Classic American Railroads explores the fascinating histories of the Northern Pacific, Wabash, Nickel Plate, New Haven, Erie, and 12 other railways. Amazingly preserved period photography.
About the Author
Mike Schafer hails from Rockford, Illinois, where he recalls his earliest train-watching experiences on the Illinois Central, Milwaukee Road, Burlington Route, and Chicago and North Western. He vividly can recall his first train rides, circa 1952, on IC\u2019s Hawkeye and Land O\u2019 Corn between Rockford and Chicago. Eventually he would declare the latter — America\u2019s railroad hub — his \u201chonorary hometown. Mike and his little dog Archie reside in a house (which includes a 1,600-square-foot model railroad) next to BNSF\u2019s busy Twin Cities mainline in a small town outside Chicago where he also serves as village trustee and occasionally mayor pro tem.