Rolling Thunder : A Portrait of North American Railroading
For those who believed that railroading was a thing of the past, this book is a welcome, and beautiful rebuttal. Not only are North American railroads alive, but as seen here in Gary Benson's spectacular photographs, they are more varied and colorful than ever. From the throbbing be- hemoths of the Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern crossing the Western states to the Ca- nadian National moving oversize cars across the St. Clair River by barge, men and machines are doing what they have done for so many years, transporting people and goods across a land- scape that has never seemed more appealing.
Benson has followed not only the trains, but the people who run and maintain them, the places they work, and the obstacles in their way.
Here, for instance, is the barge used in maintaining the trestle on which the Norfolk Southern crosses Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain-and of course the control towers and yards. Benson takes us to a country railroad station during New England's winter, trackside at the top of California's Tehachapi Mountains, and inside the loco- motives of coal trains. We even go to the last destination, the railroad graveyard. This exciting book covers all facets of railroading as we begin the final decade of this century. The spritely and knowledgeable text by Fred W. Frailey provides new insights into the revitalization of an industry that has been a fixture of American life for more than one hundred and fifty years. As thorough as it is beautiful, this volume is essential for anyone who has ever thought about trains, or plans to in the future.
Hardback with dust jacket, 25x28cm, 192 pages, colour photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good with inscription IFC
ISBN: 9780393029079
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