Steam Locomotives: Whistling, Chugging, Smoking Iron Horses of the Past
Gr. 4-8. A noted train authority and photographer shares his love of smoking iron horses of the past, recalling his childhood fascination with steamers and describing the history of locomotives, beginning with Englishman George Stephenson's 1825 design of theLocomotion.Zimmermannalso explains the Whyte Classification System for categorizing trains (which involves counting the number of wheels), as well as the names given to locomotives, the track gauges, and the inner workings of these complex machines. Crisp, clear photographs appear on nearly every page, adding interest and extending the text. Captions clearly indicate when the trains pictured are located in countries other than the U.S. Web sites noting American steam engines that operate for tourists and a glossary round out this informative photo-essay that will be popular with train enthusiasts everywhere.Kay WeismanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved