The Complete Book of North American Railroading
“Oversize, so-called ‘comprehensive’  coffee-table books about railroads are as ubiquitous as ‘Seinfeld’ episodes and  usually about as deep.  You’ve probably gotten at least one as a gift from your  Aunt Edna, and after you opened it you probably never look at it  again.“You won’t let that happen, though,  with this handsome, hefty new book from an all-star team of railroad authors and  photographers.  They reach pretty far – covering North American railroading all  the way from 1828 to the present – but for the most part they do the subject  justice.  The content is comprehensive, offering separate chapters on all the  important railroad eras, along with separate treatments of steam and diesel  locomotives, freight and passenger trains, and more.  Unlike so many of their  competitors, these authors get not only the facts right, but the context as  well.“Best of all, the authors have  lavished their subject with a feast of great photographs.  Many photos are  historical black-and-white gems from various archives and personal collections,  covering mostly the steam and early diesel era; others are state-of-the-art  color action photos taken by the authors themselves, including 140 by Jim Boyd,  who once again shows how often he has been the right guy in the right place at  the right time.  Boyd’s action shots of contemporary excursion steam are  definitive and help tell a larger story about locomotive technology.  The book  has beautiful design and the quality printing it  deserves.” -Trains