*THE AMERICAN RAILROAD WORKING FOR THE NATION

*Written by Joe Welsh with Jim Boyd & William F. Howes, Jr.

*Published by MBI

*2006

*Measures 10" x 10" with 160 pages

*Trade Paperback, Illustrated, Glossy Pages

*Taken from the back of the book:

In the early 1880s railways were but isolated curiosities in America. Tucked away in backwater gravel quarries and coal mines, crude wooden track helped smooth the ride of horsedrawn wagons carrying aggregate or coal from quarry or mine to nearby waterways for transfer to boats. Could this simple concept - wheeled vehicles propelled over a fixed guideway - prove to have more universal worth?

By the end of the 1800s some 200,000 miles of track had become the lifeline of a great and growing nation. By the end of the 1920s more than 250,000 miles of line were in place, and American railroads employed nearly two million workers. What was once a curiosity had become an institution. 

Railroads helped build the country, feed its citizens, and maintain democracy. But the story has not been all glitter. The pinnacle of American railroading during World War II was sandwiched on one side by the Great Depression and the other by a massive decline due to competition and financial challenges. Today, railroads are on the rebound as more ton-mile freight are moved by rail than at any other period in the industry's history, and passengers are being treated to new, innovative, high-speed services. 

The American Railroad richly portrays this story with a fascinating text and 225 illustrations. Entrench yourself in the wonder and mystique of railroading and its amazing array of components - locomotives, trains, depots, and the men and women who make it all happen.  

*This book is in excellent like new condition. Please look closely at our photos as they are part of our description.  

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