American Narrow Gauge Railroads
by George Hilton
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Description
This is the first comprehensive, extensively illustrated account, of the growth and decline of American narrow gauge railroading. 'A treat to browse through ... An authoritative documentation of a long-gone era, the book brings to life ancient steam locomotives, railroads, and rolling stock that have mostly disappeared without trace.' New York Times Book Review 'Every so often, a book is published that deserves to be called a landmark ... American Narrow Gauge Railroads is probably the first show more of such calibre for the '90's.' Railfan and Railroad 'This book, which is certainly large in a physical sense, more importantly looms large with respect to the depth and quality of research and the careful and readable way in which the information is presented to the reader ... It should be hailed as a classic ... A book that belongs on the shelves of any person who cares about railroad history.' National Railway Bulletin 'This is an excellent work, and the author and publisher both deserve accolades.' Railroad History show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The definitive work on the narrow-gauge common carrier railroads of the United States. It does not cover the use of narrow-gauge railroads for industrial purposes, although roads that offered even a minimal degree of common carriage are included.
Hilton is an economist by profession, and his hard-headed analysis of the narrow-gauge phenomenon is a cutting one, demonstrating how poor an economic prospect most narrow-gauge lines were even when they were constructed. This is not a book to indulge one's nostalgia!
The book is divided into two major parts. The first covers the narrow-gauge movement in general terms, from its genesis and philosophy, its overall history, and its technology and equipment. The second goes state-by-state show more gazetteer-style, covering every common-carrier narrow-gauge railroad with at least a small writeup, while the more important railroads get perhaps a few pages of coverage. Of railroads that were only common-carrier roads for a short time, most of the coverage is for that period.
This is an excellent overall, overview work on narrow-gauge roads; it will not give enough information on individual roads to satisfy the enthusiast of those roads, but that's not it's intended purpose. show less
Hilton is an economist by profession, and his hard-headed analysis of the narrow-gauge phenomenon is a cutting one, demonstrating how poor an economic prospect most narrow-gauge lines were even when they were constructed. This is not a book to indulge one's nostalgia!
The book is divided into two major parts. The first covers the narrow-gauge movement in general terms, from its genesis and philosophy, its overall history, and its technology and equipment. The second goes state-by-state show more gazetteer-style, covering every common-carrier narrow-gauge railroad with at least a small writeup, while the more important railroads get perhaps a few pages of coverage. Of railroads that were only common-carrier roads for a short time, most of the coverage is for that period.
This is an excellent overall, overview work on narrow-gauge roads; it will not give enough information on individual roads to satisfy the enthusiast of those roads, but that's not it's intended purpose. show less
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Author Information
2 Works 120 Members
Awards and Honors
Awards
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, History
- DDC/MDS
- 385.52 — Society, Government, and Culture Commerce, communications & transportation regulations Railroad transportation Narrow-gauge and special purpose railroads Narrow-gauge railroads
- LCC
- TF23 .H56 — Technology Railroad engineering and operation Railroad engineering and operation
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 89
- Popularity
- 358,843
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.79)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
