Spirit of America Bookstore
Non-Fiction Books About Railroads
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| ![detail of Harper's Magazine cover for February 1897, by Edward Penfield [1866-1925]](images/reading-Harpers-on-the-train-Feb1897.jpg "detail of Harper's Magazine cover for February 1897, by Edward Penfield [1866-1925]") detail of Harper's Magazine cover for February 1897 by artist Edward Penfield [1866-1925] |
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publishers & authors general railway history books regional railway history books here on Page 2: |
Railroad Infrastructure & Equipment
Angus Sinclair [1841-1919] wrote and-or published a series of general books about railroading;
Angus Sinclair Publishing Co. was based in New York City.
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Sinclair%2C%20Angus%2C%201841-1919
"Locomotive Engine Running and Management: A Treatise On The Operation of Locomotive Engines"
[1885 + at least 21 editions] by Angus Sinclair
http://www.amazon.com/Locomotive-running-managementa-treatise-locomotive/dp/9333116354/ [2013 reprint]
http://www.amazon.com/Locomotive-Engine-Running-Management-Treatise/dp/1112491007/
http://www.amazon.com/Locomotive-engine-running-management-locomotives/dp/B00086X6TI/
"Twentieth Century Locomotives: Treating On The Designing, Construction, Repairing, and Operating
of Railway Machinery" [1904]
by Angus Sinclair Company
http://www.amazon.com/Twentieth-Locomotives-Construction-Particularly-Superintendents/dp/B00HI2J248/
http://www.amazon.com/Twentieth-Locomotives-Designing-Construction-Repairing/dp/B007F7BQQS/
"Development of The Locomotive Engine" [1907] by Angus Sinclair (over 200 illustrations)
http://www.amazon.com/Development-locomotive-engine-elementary-engineers/dp/1112576851/
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003627167
"Railroad Men's Catechism: Being An Instruction Book For Enginemen, Trainmen, Signalmen, and Every Person
Connected With The Movement of Trains" [1907] by Angus Sinclair
"Firing Locomotives" [1910] by Angus Sinclair
"Development of The Locomotive Engine" [rev 1970] by Angus Sinclair, Edited by John H. White, Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/Development-Locomotive-Engine-Angus-Sinclair/dp/0262190680/
 | "Firing The Steam Locomotive" [1947] from The Reading Company Reading Railroad's official handbook for its last generation of locomotive firemen. Periscope Film LLC 10x8 pb [6/2013] for $9.95 Periscope Film LLC pb [6/2013] out of print/used |
 | "Circus Trains (Trains Album of Photographs, Number 19)" [1947] by Charles Philip Fox Kalmbach Publng hardcover [1947] out of print/scarce |
 | "The Railroad Station: An Architectural History" [1956] by Carroll L.V. Meeks Profusely-illustrated book that chronicles the evolution of the architecture of the railroad station in both Europe and America from the 1830s to the 1950s. Dover Publns 9x6½ pb [6/2012] out of print/used Yale Univ Press 9x6 hardcover [12/56] out of print/many used |
 | "100 Years of Steam Locomotives: Collectors Edition" [1957] by Walter A. Lucas Simmons Boardman 11¾x9 hardcover [6/57] for $59.95 "100 Years of Railroad Cars" [1958] by Walter A. Lucas
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 | "The Railroad Caboose: Its 100 Year History, Legend, and Lore" [1968] by William F. Knapke, with Freeman Hubbard Describes all aspects of the job of train conductor, whose office was the caboose; includes several short stories by Hubbard Golden West Books hardcover [1987] out of print/used Golden West Books hardcover [1979] out of print/used Golden West Books 8½x5½ hardcover [6/1968] out of print/used |
 | "The American Railroad Passenger Car" [1985] by John H. White Jr. Johns Hopkins Univ Press {6.25 pounds} pb [3/85] for $70.00 Vol 1: 12½x10½ pb [3/85] for $40.00 Vol 2: 12½x9½ pb [3/85] for $34.40 |
 | "The Railway Station: A Social History" [1986] by Jeffrey Richards & John M. MacKenzie Looks at the many functions of the railroad station around the world, from Victorian London to modern big city America to smaller stations in the empty West of America. Oxford Univ Press 9½x6½ +hardcover [10/86] out of print/50+ used |
 | "Train Wrecks: A Pictorial History of Accidents On The Main Line" [1988] by Robert C. Reed Schiffer Publng 11x8½ pb [2000] for $19.99 Random House Value Publng 10½x8½ hardcover [9/88] out of print/many used |
 | "Night Trains: The Pullman Systems In The Golden Years of American Rail Travel" [1992] by Prof. Peter T. Maiken First, a history of American railroads and the development of passenger routes; second, a detailed list of every Pullman train and its location at midnight every night. Johns Hopkins Univ Press 11x8½ pb [10/92] out of print/40+ used Lakme Press 11x8¾ hardcover [11/89] out of print/used |
 | "The American Railroad Freight Car: From The Wood-Car Era To The Coming of Steel" [1993] by John H. White, Jr.
Johns Hopkins Univ Press pb [11/95] for $42.96 Johns Hopkins Univ Press 12¾x10½ hardcover [10/93] for $0.00 |
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"Railway Stations: Masterpieces of Architecture" [1996] by Charles Sheppard New Line Books 13x8¾ hardcover [11/98] out of print/40+ used Smithmark Publng 12½x9 hardcover [9/96] out of print/40+ used |
 | "Trains of The Circus, 1872-1956" [2000] by Fred Dahlinger, Jr. and Circus World Museum Iconografix 8¼x10 pb [6/2000] out of print/used |
 | "Show Trains of The 20th Century" [2000] by Fred Dahlinger, Jr. Iconografix 8¼x10 pb [10/2000] for $26.96 |
 | "The American Passenger Train" [2001] by Mike Schafer Motorbooks Intl. 10¼x10½ hardcover [11/2001] for $34.95 |
 | "Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History" [2007] by Claude Wiatrowski Kindle Edition from Voyageur Press [9/2007] for $11.10 Crestline Books 12½x9¼ hardcover [8/2012] for $11.68 |
 | "The Steam Locomotive: An Engineering History" [2013] by Ken Gibbs Kindle Edition from Amberley Publng [8/2013] for $9.99 Amberley Publng 9¾x6¾ pb [8/2013] for $25.63 |
 | "America's Greatest Circus Train" [2013] by Bruce C. Nelson, Foreword by Fred Dahlinger, Jr. The annual circus parade in Baraboo, Wisconsin began as a small test in 1963, but the response was enormous, so they added taking the circus by train to Milwaukee and then to Chicago; but the Bush economy took its toll, and the last such circus train was in 2003; 335 mostly-color photographs. Heimburger House Publng 10½x10½ hardcover [9/2013] for $49.46 |
 | "Train: The Definitive Visual History" [2014 bestseller] from Smithsonian Institition with two collectible prints D.K. Smithsonian 13¾x11¼ hardcover [9/2014] for $30.60 |
 | "Great American Railroad Stories: 75 Years of Trains Magazine" [2014] by Editors of Trains Magazine Non-fiction tales including first-hand accounts, historical photos, and essays by Al Kalmbach, David Morgan, Lucius Beebe, many others Kalmbach Books 10½x8¼ hardcover [11/2014] for $18.13 |
"An Engineer's Guide To The Firing and Handling of Steam Locomotives, Including Firing of The Boilers, Sanding Flues,
Proper Use of The Throttles, and Emergency Procedures" [1995 = sold out] by Jerry Brooks & Karl Ryden
"Train Depots and Roundhouses" [1995] by Hans & April Halberstadt
http://www.amazon.com/Train-Depots-Roundhouses-Motorbooks-Classic/dp/0760313512/ [5/2002]
http://www.amazon.com/American-Train-Depot-Roundhouse/dp/0760300038/ [4/95]
"Travel By Pullman: A Century of Service, 1865-1969" [10/2004] by Joe Welsch
http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Pullman-Century-Service-1865-1969/dp/0760318573/
"The Cars of Pullman" [5/2010] by Joe Welsh, Bill Howes & Kevin J. Holland
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cars-Pullman-Bill-Howes/dp/0760335877/
"Great Railroad Tunnels of North America [4/2011] by William Lowell Putnam
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Railroad-Tunnels-North-America-ebook/dp/B00752B7JE/
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Railroad-Tunnels-North-America/dp/0786459514/
"Building Big Iron: The Epic History of Locomotive Building In The United States From 1830 To The Present" [12/2012] by Bill Yenne
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Big-Iron-History-Locomotive-ebook/dp/B00ATT9X8M/
"Grand Central Terminal: 100 Years of A New York Landmark" [1/2013] by Anthony W. Robins
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Terminal-Years-Landmark/dp/1584799943/
"Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America" [1/2013] by Sam Roberts, Foreword by Pete Hamill
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Station-Transformed-America-ebook/dp/B008ASBAOE/
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Station-Transformed-America/dp/1455525960/
Travel by Rail
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"Steam From Kenya To The Cape: An Enthusiast's Guide To The Steam Locomotives of East, Central, and South Africa" [1976] by E. Talbot
Halcyon Books pb [3/76] out of print/scarce Continental Railway Circle hardcover [3/76] out of print/scarce |
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"The Big Red Train Ride" [1979] by Eric Newby Author set out with his wife, a photographer, and the required official guide to gather detail about life in the U.S.S.R., finding much that is irreverent and humorous, They traveled on the Trans-Siberian Railway between Western Europe and the Pacific coast at Vladivostock; the route covers seven time zones and 5,900 miles, a journey lasting 192 hours and 35 minutes. Penguin Travel Library 7½x5 pb [5/85] out of print/many, many used Picador Books 7½x5 pb [11/89] out of print/many used Penguin Travel Library 7½x5 pb [3/80] out of print/many, many used St. Martin's Press 8¼x5¾ hardcover [2/79] out of print/many used |
 | "Great Railway Journeys of The World" [B.B.C. Books 1981] by Michael Frayn, Ludovic Kennedy, Miles Kington, Michael Palin, Eric Robson, Brian Thompson, and Michael Wood Crown Publns 8½x7½ pb [9/81] out of print/many used E.P. Dutton, Inc. hardcover [9/82] out of print/60+ used Crown Publns 8½x7½ hardcover [9/81] out of print/used |
 | "Great Little Railways" [B.B.C. Books 1984] by Russell Chamberlin, Colin Garrat, Peter Hillmore, Simon Hoggart, Stanley Reynolds, Lyn Webster & Michael Wood B.B.C. Books 8¾x7½ hardcover [5/84] out of print/used |
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"The Railway Journey: The Industrialization of Time and Space In The Nineteenth Century" [1987] by Wolfgang Schivelbusch
Kindle Edition from Univ California Press [5/2014] for $20.76 {sic} Univ California Press 8¼x5½ pb [5/2014] for $31.95 Univ California Press 8¼x5½ pb [2/87] out of print/40+ used Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag German-language 7½x5 pb [8/2000] import/many used |
 | "We Took The Train (Railroads In America)" [1990] Edited by H. Roger Grant An illustrated collection of twenty-one personal accounts of train travel in the United States, from early 1830s beginnings to Pullman sleepers, with attention paid to the hardships of military troops, migrant workers, and prisoners of war. Northern Illinois Univ Press 10x7 hardcover [11/90] for $23.37 |
 | "Dining By Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine" [1993 classic] by James D. Porterfield
St. Martin's Griffin 9x7 pb [5/98] for $15.63 St. Martin's Press 9x6½ hardcover [1993] out of print/many used |
 | "Great Railway Journeys" [B.B.C. Books 1994] by Clive Anderson, Natalia Makarova, Rian Malan, Michael Palin, Lisa St. Aubin de Teran, and Mark Tully, with photographs by Tom Owen Edmunds Penguin Books, Ltd. 7¾x5 pb [7/95] out of print/used B.B.C. Books 11¼x8¾ hardcover [8/94] out of print/50+ used |
 | "More Great Railway Journeys" [B.B.C. Books 1996] by Benedict Allen, Chris Bonington, Henry Louis Gates, Buck Henry, Ben Okri, Alexi Sayle, and Victoria Wood, with photographs by Tom Owen Edmunds Penguin Books, Ltd. 7¾x5 pb [12/97] out of print/used B.B.C. Books 10x7½ hardcover [9/96] out of print/used |
 | "Great Railway Journeys of The World: An Encyclopedia of The World's Best Locomotive Journeys" [1998] Edited by Max Wade-Matthews Recent & historical accounts of rail journeys including New Zealand, Ulan Bator, Canada, Mexico, and Downtown San Francisco Hermes House 11½x9 pb [1999] out of print/60+ used Anness 9x6 hardcover [10/2000] out of print/many used Hermes House 11¾x9¼ hardcover [3/98] out of print/50+ used |
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"All Aboard!: Images From The Golden Age of Rail Travel" [1999] by Lynn Johnson & Michael O'Leary Chronicle Books 8¾x8 hardcover [6/99] out of print/used |
 | "Travel By Train: The American Railroad Poster, 1870-1950" [2002] by Michael E. Zega & John E. Gruber 120 poster images, photographs & sketches Indiana Univ Press 11x11 hardcover [9/2002] for $23.10 |
 | "From The Dining Car: The Recipes and Stories Behind Today's Greatest Rail Dining Experiences - More than 200 Recipes & Reflections From North America's Greatest Trains" [2004] by James D. Porterfield
St. Martin's Press 9x7¾ hardcover [11/2004] out of print/used |
 | "The 8:55 To Baghdad: From London To Iraq On The Trail of Agatha Christie & The Orient Express" [2005] by Andrew W. Eames
Kindle Edition from Overlook [2006 edition] for $13.99 Overlook 8x5¼ pb [5/2006] for $14.18 Overlook 8¼x5¾ hardcover [6/2005] for $22.78 see also BlackHat Mystery Bookstore's Agatha Christie [1890-1976] Pages |
 | "John Betjeman On Trains" [2006] by Jonathan Glancey John Betjeman [1906-84] was the U.K. Poet Laureate (1972-84) and a railfan; author Glancey collects letters and other pieces by Betjeman about his travels by rail across Britain. Methuen Publng Ltd. 6x4¼ hardcover [8/2006] for $13.95 Methuen Publng Ltd. 6x4¼ hardcover [8/2006] out of print/used |
"The Great Railway Bazaar" [1975] by Paul Theroux
"The Old Patagonian Express" [1979] by Paul Theroux
"The World Commuter: Great Journeys by Train [May 21, 2001] by Christopher Portway
http://www.amazon.com/World-Commuter-Journeys-Summersdale-travel/dp/1840241454/
"Classic Railway Journeys of the World" [10/2003] by Max Wade-Matthews
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Railway-Journeys-World-Wade-Matthews/dp/0754812952/
"The Way We Were: Riding The Rails" [Sept 2008] by Michael Swift
http://www.amazon.com/Way-We-Were-Riding-Rails/dp/0785824448/
 | "Time Out: Great Train Journeys of The World" [2009] by Editors of Time Out Time Out Guides 9½x7½ pb [10/2009] for $20.68 |
"The Last Train To Zona Verde" [2013] by Paul Theroux
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Train-Zona-Verde-Ultimate/dp/061883933X/
"Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo [6/2013] by Tim Parks
http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Ways-Rails-Milan-Palermo/dp/0393239322/
http://www.amazon.com/Railroads-African-American-Experience-Photographic/dp/0801891620/
http://www.amazon.com/Dining-By-Rail-Americas-Railroad/dp/0312187114/
 | "Train: Riding The Rails That Created The Modern World - From The Trans-Siberian To The Southwest Chief" [2014] by Tom Zoellner
Kindle Edition from Viking/Penguin [1/2014] for $11.99 Penguin Books pb [DUE Nov 2014] for $12.17 Viking Adult 9x6¼ hardcover [1/2014] for $21.13 |
 | "All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide" [4th edition 2015] by Jim Loomis Kindle Edition from Chicago Review Press [1/2015] for $9.99 Chicago Review Press 4th edition 8¾x5½ pb [1/2015] for $15.34 |
 | "The Times Great Railway Journeys of The World: Discover The History, Route, and Sites of 50 Famous Railway Lines" [2015] by Julian Holland Featured railroads are located in Argentina, Australia, China, South Africa, and the U.S.A. {C&TSRR}. HarperCollins UK 11x8½ hardcover [2/2015] for $37.51 |
 | "The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers" [2020] by Eric Weiner New York Times bestselling travel writer Weiner visits the home locations of important philos-ophers, asking practical & spiritual questions and then pondering answers on the train rides between - subjects include Marcus Aurelius, Confucius, Simone de Beauvoir of France, Epi-curus [341-270 BCE] of Ancient Athens, Gandhi of India, Montaigne of France, Friedrich Nietzsche [1844-1900], Arthur Schopenhauer, Socrates [470?-399 BCE] of Ancient Athens, Henry David Thoreau [1817-62] of USA • author's official booksite Kindle Edition from Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster [8/2020] for $14.99 Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster 9x6 hardcover [8/2020] for $25.20 |
'Riding The Rods'
"They were hobos, and . . . every word [that] they uttered . . . spelled adventure." ~~ Jack London [1876-1916]
The Original Hobo Nickel Society [est. 1992]
The Hobo Museum {formerly The Chief Theatre}, 51 Main Street South in Britt, Iowa
National Hobo Convention [Aug 2014] in Britt, Iowa
Intl. Brotherhood Welfare Assn. [1905-1920s] mutual aid society for hobos
http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Female-Tramp--No-1-ebook/dp/B009SZNQJA/
http://www.amazon.com/Hobo-Handbook-Field-Guide-Living/dp/1440512272/
http://www.amazon.com/One-More-Train-Ride-Underground/dp/0253216524/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Great-American-Hobo/dp/1559582995/
here on the Non-Fiction Books About Railroads Pages at Spirit of America Bookstore
back on Page 1: top of page • publishers & authors • general railway history books • regional railway history books
here on Page 2: top of page • infrastructure & equipment • travel by rail • hobo travel
Spirit of America Bookstore's American Railroads Pages
on page one: top of page • links • museums • Class I railroads • Class II railroads • shortline railroads
on page two: top of page • games • RR history • narrow gauge RRs • historic RR lines
on page three: top of page • transcontinental railroads • railroad moguls • railroad recordings
Spirit of America Bookstore's 'Railroads in Fiction' Pages
Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroads in Fiction - Books For Young Railfans Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroad Film Festival Pages
America's Shortline Railroads Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's Scale Model & Toy Trains Page
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