Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History »

Claude Wiatrowski has written or contributed photos to several books on railroading as well as Colorado history. He is the author of Railroads of Colorado, published by Voyageur Press in 2002. Dr. Wiatrowski also produces videos on historic railroads. His productions have won Telly and Teddy awards and one was selected for the Library of Congress Local Legacies Program. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

From the first steam-powered locomotives of the early nineteenth century to today’s high-speed commuter trains, the North American railroad is a great engine powering growth and industry. In this authoritative volume, rail author and award-winning video producer Claude Wiatrowski offers a celebration befitting that legacy. Railroads Across North America is an entertaining account of railroading in the United States and Canada lavishly illustrated with vintage and modern photographs, period advertisements, maps, timetables, postcards, brochures, and more—nearly 600 images in all. Wiatrowski leaves no stone unturned, presenting the railroad’s beginnings, its evolving role in daily life, the technological marvels, and intersections with popular culture. The author also includes a list of Web resources and contact information for museums, preserved railways, and historic sites throughout the United States and Canada. An essential volume for hardcore railfans, casual enthusiasts, and those interested in the central role railroads have played in the history of a continent!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Right Stuff

Chapter 2 Robber Baron Boom

Chapter 3 Depression and Decline

Chapter 4 Integration and Disintegration

Chapter 5 The Right Stuff, Again

Appendix A Historical Societies and Other Railroad Organizations Appendix B Preserved Railways, Museums, and Historic Sites

Bibliography

Author Biography

Index