RSHS Book Reviews
Selected reviews of books of interest to depot and railroad structure enthusiasts follow. More reviews are available in The Bulletin of the RSHS. Reviews are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the view of the RSHS.
All books of this publishing house are 128 pages long with two, sometimes one, scanned photos with captions per page. Format is 6 x 9. Text varies from just a 1-3 page introduction to 1-4 pages at the beginning of each chapter. Some have bibliographies; but most lack indexes. Older titles having significant numbers of depot and related structure photos are in the "Images of America" series; newer ones are part of the "Images of Rail" series. Recently Arcadia books have a 2 page introduction and 1 page chapter introductions. Captions vary widely from book to book; some being quite informative; others merely telling the reader what is already obvious. Click the above heading for more information and a list of all titles. Many of the town histories in the "Images of America" series include depot photos among the many views of the community. The books very in quality dependent on the expertise of the authors. Below are a selection of Arcadia books that should interest depot fans.
Images of America Tampa Union Station Jackson McQuigg 1998 $16.99 |
From the title it's evident this
book should be of interest to depot buffs.McQuigg doesn't
dissappoint, beginning with a three page introduction
summarizing the building's history. Following are over 70
photos of Tampa Union Station during its heyday, in
disrepair, and during its restoration. Just about every
postcard made of the depot is included along with the
work of numerous photographers. Interior views and
floorplans are included.Over 80 photos of passenger
trains and other associated views around the depot fill
out the book. Depots at Lakeland and St. Petersburg are
also depicted. Some of the enlarged images are
"grainy", but most reproduced at postcard size
are acceptable. Unfortunately a bibliography is not
included. Tampa Union Station is a pioneer in
providing data on depots of the Sunshine State. MJC |
Images of America Detroit's Michigan Central Station Kelli Kavanaugh 2001 $19.99 |
Kavenaugh's book is loaded with
over 110 scanned images of the 1913 Michigan Central
Station in Detroit, many never before published. Over 50
views depict the interior during its heyday and sadly,
after it was vacated. Enlarged images are unfortunately
"grainy", but most postcard size ones are
acceptable. The book is a history in pictures and
certainly will satisfy the purveyor of architecture.
Unfortunately, it is lacking in the great history of this
building and more or less forgets the office floors; the
only text are a short introduction and afterward. The
Manning and Burton historical photos and floor plans,
however are worth the price of the book. The first
chapter briefly depicts the predecessor of the 1913
structure and nearby Fort Street Union Depot.This chapter
could use some help as photos and data are available. A
bibliography closes the compilation. MJC |
Images of America Connecticut Whistle Stops Greenwich to New Haven Lennie Grimaldi 2002 $19.99 |
Grimaldi presents a picture log
(over 55 depot views, mostly vintage) of the New Haven
line from Greenwich to New Haven, CT. One to two page
chapter introductions are followed by photos of depots in
Greenwich, Stamford, Noroton Heights, Darien, South
Norwalk, East Norwalk, Green's Farm, Westport, Southport,
Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford, and New Haven
and related railroad and town scenes.Historical
information on the depots is sadly lacking. Most
illustrations are railroad related and there's even a
1913 floor plan and elevation for the Fairfield depot.
Unfortunately the author did not include an unobscured
view of New Haven's present Union Station. Scanned photos
are generally acceptable except for a couple of copies of
already fuzzy postcards. MJC |
Images of Rail Historic Railroads of Nebraska Michael M. Bartels & James J. Reisdorff 2002 $19.99 |
Any depot historian will recognize
the authors of this publication and expect depot photos
inside. Bartels and Reisdorff are established authors of
railroad books about Nebraska and the Great Plains,
including one on Nebraska depots. Although the intent of
this book is to provide a glimpse at Nebraska's overall
railroading past, over 75 depot and other railroad
structures are featured. One chapter is devoted to
depots; others focus on passenger and freight service and
railroad preservation. The following depots are depicted:
Albion, Alliance, Alma, Bellevue, Bertrand, Blair,
Central City, Columbus (depot, interlocking tower),
Crawford, David City, Denman, Diller, Elgin, Elmwood,
Fairbury, Fairfield, Fairmont, Fort Robinson, Fremont,
Hastings, Havelock, Hershey, Holdrege, Kearney, Lincoln,
Litchfield, Loup City, Lyman, Meadow Grove, McCook,
McCool Jct., Odessa, Omaha, Pawnee City, Plainview, Polk,
Primrose, Red Cloud, Republican, Riverdale, Schuyler,
Scottsbluff, Seward, Silver Creek, Snyder, Tekamah,
Thedford, Venango, Wahoo, and Wymore.A two page
bibliography closes the book. Most of the photos are
postcard-size and with their informative captions provide
a good glimpse of Nebraska railroad history. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroads of Hoboken and Jersey City Kenneth French 2002 $19.99 |
Chapters are arranged by railroad--the Central
Railroad of New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Lackawanna, and
Hudson & Manhattan. There's also a chapter on
"Freight and Other Lines" and one on trolleys.
Included are views of CNJ's Ferry Terminal, West Street,
Johnston Ave., Greenville, Arlington Ave., Pacific Ave.,
and Jackson Ave depots; DL&W's Ferry terminal and
West Hoboken; PRR's Ferry Terminal and Waldo Tower;
Erie's Ferry Terminal; and H&M facilities at Summit
Ave., Grove St., and Exchange Place. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroads of Omaha and Council Bluffs William Kratville 2002 $19.99 |
Chapters on the UP, Burlington,
Northwestern, Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, Milwaukee,
Illinois Central, Great Western, Wabash, and other lines
have some introductory text. Depots and other structures
included are Omaha's old and new Union Station, CB&Q,
32nd Avenue, Tower B, UP shops, and UP old and new
offices; Council Bluff's Broadway watch tower and Tower
A; Chalco, Florence, Fort Crook, Gilmore Jct., Lane
Tower, Ralston, and various roundhouses and yard
structures. MJC |
Images of America St. Louis Union Station Albert Montesi and Richard Deposki 2002 $19.99 |
This book begins with pictures of the predecessor
Union Depot. Other chapters focus on Union Station with
an emphasis on interior views, the surrounding train shed
and yard activity, and its renovation.Another chapter
includes photos of suburban depots, but the legends are
lacking in detail, often not including the railroad
owner. A chapter also includes a sampling of the many
postcards published. MJC |
Images of Rail Hagerstown Railroading Around the City Mary H. Rubin 2003 $19.99 |
The Cumberland Valley, B&O. PRR, N&W,
Reading, and Western Maryland lines are covered in this
pictorial. The final chapter also includes a selection of
trolley photos. Depots included are Hagerstown's B&O,
CV, and WM structures; Antietam, Blue Ridge, Buena Vista,
Chewsville, Clear Spring, Edgemont, Hancock, Pen Mar,
Smithsburg, Weaverton, and Williamsport. Captions are
informative. Views of the roundhouse and its demolition
are included. MJC |
Images of Rail Long Island Rail Road Stations David D. Morrison and Valerie Pakaluk 2003 $19.99 |
Morrison and Pakaluk present a
collection of mostly vintage postcard views of Long
Island Rail Road depots.Although a few books exist on
this subject this book carves its own niche.The photos
have informative captions, sometimes featuring dates of
construction, restoration, or demolition. A short
introduction and bibliography makeup the only text. The
authors begin with a map showing stations and views of
Pennsylvania Station and follow with depots in Brooklyn,
Queens, Nassau County, and Suffolk County; over 90
different structures are depicted. The book ends with a
chapter on Long Island railroad museums. Photo scans are
good, however quality is lost in a few enlargements.Two
pages at the end stray from the subject matter and a
couple of non-postcard views are slipped in, but overall
the book is a nice selection of views. Depot fans and
railroad postcard collectors will find it a nice addition
to their libraries. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroading in Conneaut Ohio David Borsvold 2003 $19.99 |
Borsvold's book offers an
interesting picture railroad history of Conneaut,
certainly a town steeped in railroad history yet
generally ignored in the literature. (Interestingly,
another book has recently been published on the same
subject.) One page capsule histories of the NYC&StL,
NYC, B&LE, and P&O lines begin each chapter,
followed by a selection of photos, usually two per page.
Most of the scanned images are of good quality and focus
on railroad or harbor scenes. Included are shots of the
NYC&StL passenger depot, 1900 LS&MS passenger
depot, LS&MS freight depot, B&LE depot,
NYC&StL shops, coaling station, and roundhouses,
LS&MS and NYC&StL bridges, Conneaut Harbor coal
loading facilities, and the interurban depot. Noticeable
in their absence are photos of the NYC&StL freight
house, NYC&StL office building, and earlier LS&MS
frame passenger depot. A map of the city showing railroad
facilities would be a nice addition.Captions include a
couple of minor errors regarding railroad ownership and
use. The last chapter provides a glimpse of the city that
grew up around the railroads. A modest bibliography
closes the book. Certainly this book takes a step in
filling a void in northeastern Ohio railroad history. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroads of Chattanooga Alan A. Walker 2003 $19.99 |
The author is no stranger to the
RSHS; he has contributed to the Tennessee portion of the
RSHS Website. His book allows one a glimpse of the
railroading past of the Chattanooga area from the
building of the Western & Atlantic to the formation
of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Chapters begin
with 2-4 pages of text, followed by an excellent
selection of photos, including over 50 depot views. Maps
showing the trackage, yards, and depot locations are
included. Besides many Chattanooga depots, depots from
Boyce, TN; Bridgeport, AL; Cassandra and Cenchat, GA;
Cowan, TN; Crawfish Springs, GA; Dalton, GA; Dayton, TN;
Eagle Cliff, GA; Etowah and Farner, TN; Ft. Payne and
Gadsden, AL; Jasper, TN; Kensington and Lafayette, GA;
Oakdale, TN; Ringgold, Rossville, Summerville and
Trenton, Ga. A chapter also covers the traction lines and
inclines. Walker's work comes highly recommended to
southeastern rail historians. MJC |
Images of Rail The Long Island Railroad 1925-1975 David Keller and Steven Lynch 2004 $19.99 The Long Island Railroad Revisted 1925-1975 David Keller and Steven Lynch 2005 $19.99 |
These books are mainly captioned photos. The good
thing is over 50 different LI depots and towers are
pictured. With these books and Morrison and Pakaluk's
2003 volume (see above) a depot fan should have a good
coverage of LI structures. As the dates indicate Keller
and Lynch's books feature contemporary photos and not
earlier postcards. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroading Around Dothan and the Wiregrass Region Dothan Landmarks Foundation 2004 $19.99 |
The first chapter contains 21 pages of depot photos from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida with significant historical data. |
Images of Rail Railroads of South Dakota Mike Weise and Tom Hayes 2004 $19.99 |
The first 73 pages of this book feature photographs,
many being early postcards, of a selection of depots from
all the major railroads in the state. The depots are
arranged alphabetically. The other two chapters cover
trains and wrecks. Each chapter has a short introductory
text portion. I recommend this to anyone interested in
western depots; it's a great selection. MJC |
Images of Rail Reading Trains and Trolleys Philip K. Smith with the Historical Society of Berks County 2004 $19.99 |
This book has 25 pages of depot photos and a 15 page
chapter on carbarns and engine houses. Depots included
are Berne, Dreibelbis, Leesport, Moselen, Port Clinton,
Reading Franklin St., Outer Station, and PRR Station;
Robesonia, Shamrock, Sinking Spring, West Hamburg, and
West Leesport. The tower at Orchard is also depicted. MJC |
Images of Rail The Southern Railway Sallie Loy, Dick Hillman and C. Pat Cates 2004 $19.99 |
The authors have assembled 26 pages of photographs of
SRR structures including small town depots at
Branchville, SC, Camden, SC, Clinchfield, GA, Hakira, GA,
Huntingburg, IN, Kannopolis, NC, Ludlow, KY, Manassas,
VA, Marengo, IN, Old Fort, NC, Troutman, NC, Valley Head,
AL, Warner Robins, GA, and Wheeler, AL.The bulk of the
book covers the people aspect and locomotives of the SRR. MJC |
Images of Rail Florida Railroads in the 1920s Gregg Turner 2005 $19.99 |
The author includes two page intoductions to each
chapter and has well researched captions. A significant
number of depots are included among the many
illustrations of Florida railroading including:
Jacksonville Union Terminal; Tampa Union Station; ACL
depots at Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Clearwater,
Clewiston, Everglades City, Haines City, Immokalee,
Leesburg, Moore Haven, Palmdale, and Sarasota; SAL depots
at Avon Park, Boca Grande, Naples, Sebring, Venice, and
West Palm Beach; and Frisco depots at Pensacola and
Christina. MJC |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Northwest Ohio Mark J. Camp 2005 $19.99 |
Over 200 vintage views of depots from the northwestern corner of Ohio as far south as Findlay and Tiffin and as far east as Sandusky are included. An index lists the towns included. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Southern Indiana David E. Longest 2005 $19.99 |
A mixture of 116 vintage depot photos and related railroad scenes from the southern half of the state are included. Also includes some interurban depots. |
Images of Rail Toledo Railroads Kirk Hise and Ed Pulhui 2005 $19.99 |
Most of the significant depots, towers, and terminal facilities of this railroad hub are illustrated. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of West Central Ohio Mark J. Camp 2005 $19.99 |
Index lists the towns depicted in this continuation of of the Northwest Ohio book south of Findlay to Greenville and east to Urbana and Bucyrus. Over 200 depot photos from postcard views and older photos. |
Images of Rail Toledo Trolleys Kirk Hise and Ed Pulhui 2006 $19.99 |
This look at trolley and interurban lines serving Toledo includes photos of depots, carbarns, and substations at Allen Junction, Central Avenue, Hayes, Starr Avenue, Sylvania, Trilby, West Toledo, and LSE, Ohio Electric, OPS, TBG&S, and T&I depots in downtown Toledo. Maps, schedules, and other historical photos round out the book. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Northern Indiana David E. Longest 2007 $19.99 |
176 photos of depots, towers, watch towers, shops, and yard facilities are within the covers of this author's second treatment of Indiana depots. Railroad and interurban depots are featured and include a mixture of vintage and present day views. The last two chapters include mainly non-depot material. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Northeast Ohio Mark J. Camp 2007 $19.99 |
The third in the series on Ohio depots, this time covering the area east of the Northwest Ohio volume to the Pennsylvania border and south to the Akron and Youngstown area. Many vintage views of depots from the B&O, CCC&StL, Erie, LS&MS, NYC&StL, PRR, and W&LE. Three larger municipal areas are included--Akron, Cleveland, and Youngstown. As usual, most are vintage views from old postcards and early photographs. The last chapter gives examples of depot reuse. An historic railroad map is included. Unfortunately, due to publisher changes, the book does not include an index. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Michigan 1910-1920 David J. Mrozek 2008 $19.99 |
188 vintage views of depots across Michigan, 6 maps. and 4 more recent views of the restored depots at Durand and Niles make this a must have book for Michigan depot fans. The book also includes information on passenger trains using the various depots taken from various timetables.Most of the significant architectural styles of the Ann Arbor, Detroit & Mackinac, Grand Rapids & Indiana, Grand Trunk Western. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, Michigan Central, and Pere Marquette are depicted. Upper Peninsula depots are covered in one chapter, but the emphasis is on the Lower Peninsula.The book is indexed. |
Images of Rail Mattoon and Charleston Area Railroads Craig Sanders 2008 $19.99 |
Some 54 depot and other railroad related structures are interspersed throughout the 8 chapters. Included are views of Altamont, Arcola, Charleston, Dalton City, Effingham, Fillmore, Humboldt, Mattoon, Neoga, Oakland, Pana, Paris, St. Elmo, Shelbyville, Toledo, Tuscola, and Windsor, Illinois. One chapter covers electric lines. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Central Florida Michael Mulligan 2008 $19.99 |
218 views, mostly taken in the 1960s-70s, provide excellent coverage of mostly ACL, FEC, and SAL depots in ten central Florida counties. This book arranges the depots by railroad and then alphabetically. The author has well prepared detailed captions with building and removal dates. This is a must acquistion for anyone interested in southeastern depots. The only suggestion is that an historic railroad map should have been included to provide general locations for those not familiar with the region. |
Images of Rail Railroad Depots of Central Ohio Mark J. Camp 2008 $19.99 |
The fifth in a series on Ohio depots includes 222 mostly vintage photographs of depots from the AC&Y, B&O, CCC&StL, HV, N&W, PRR, and W&LE. A separate chapter focuses on the depots of Columbus. The coverage streches from just east of Springfield to Zanesville, north to just south of Marion across to Mansfield, and south to Circleville. The final of seven chapters provides a glimpse of depot reuse in central Ohio counties. Unfortunatelt the book is not indexed. |
The Arcadia books below focus on general railroad subjects and contain smaller numbers of photos of railroad structures
Henry Hudson
Trail Central RR of NJ's Seashore Branch Tom Gallo 1999 Depot photos are scattered throughout the 7 chapters, including Atlantic Highlands (depot and tower), Bayview Ave., Belford, East Long Branch, Freehold, Freneau, Galilee, Highlands, Keansburg (depot and JCT depot, Keyport (p&f), Leonardo (depot and shelter), Low Moor, Marlboro, Matawan, Monmouth Beach, Morganville, North Long Branch, Port Monmouth, Sea Bright, Union Beach (depot and JCT powerhouse), Water Witch, West End (old and new), and Wickatunk. Lots of good historical data included. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads Robert L. McDonald 2003 The following depots and other structures are pictured: Albion, Bigelow, Coopers Mills, Farmington, Gardiner, Kingfield (depot and roundhouse), Marbles, Monson, Monson Jct. (depot and water tank)Phillips (depot and roundhouse), Rangeley (roundhouse)Sanders (water tank), Strong, Winslow, and Wiscasset (depot, shops). Norfolk and Western Railway Nelson Harris 2003 A 9-page chapter on "Depots, Stations and Yards" is included. Bluefield and Welch, WV; Christianburg, Grundy, Ivor, Roanoke, Salem. and Schooler, VA; Portsmouth, OH; and Winston-Salem, NC depot photos are included. The Ontario & Western Railway Northern Division John Taibi 2003 Excellent vintage depot photos abound in this book by a noted NYO&W historian. Included are Central Square ( old, interim, and new), Cleveland, Constantia, Earlville (NYO&W and DL&W), Edmeston, Fish Creek, Fulton, Guilford, Holmesville, Jewell, Kenwood, Mt. Upton, Munns, New Berlin, North Bay, North Norwich (Galena NYO&W and DL&W old and new), Norwich (p & f), Oneida (depot, engine house, roundhouse, shops), Oneida Castle, Oxford (NYO&W and DL&W), Pennellville, Pratts, Rockdale, Sidney (old and new depots, tower, frt. house, water tank, roundhouse), Smyrna, Summit, Sylvan Beach, Sylvan Jct. (tower), Valley Mills, and West Monroe. Chapter 3 is devoted to depots and other structures. Recommended to depot enthusiasts. Philadelphia Trolleys Allen Meyers and Joel Spivak 2003 Two chapters are devoted to "Transit Architecture" and "Carbarns" including : Ardmore depot, Belmont/Leidy Ave. WPPR carbarn, Chestnut Hill passenger shelter, Fairmount Park passenger shelter, Fifteenth/Tucker St. PRT substation, Fifty-eighth/Callowhill St. carbarn, Fifty-eighth/Woodland Ave. substation, Forty-fourth St./Parkside Ave. depot, Forty-first St./Haverford Ave. WPPR carbarn, Forty-ninth St./Woodland Ave. carbarn, Frankford Bridge/Pratt St. carbarn, Frankford offices of PRTC, Germantown carbarn, Hancock/Lehigh carbarn, Kensington Amber St. carbarn, Manayunk PRT substation, Ogontz powerhouse, Perkasie LVT depot, Richmond and Allegheny carbarn,Sixteenth/Jackson St. PTC carbarn, Slatington LVT carbarn, Tenth/Lucerne St. PRT carbarn, Thirty-second/Ridge Ave. carbarn, Thirty-third/Dauphin St. depot, Twenty-seventh St./Girard Ave. horsecar barn, Twenty-sixth St./Allegheny Ave. PRT carbarn, West Chester High/Gay St. storefront depot, Willow grove carbarn, and Wyoming carbarn. Central Indiana Interurban Robert Reed 2004 Mainly interurban power and street scenes are included. Title is somewhat misleading as some sites out of central Indiana are depicted including Evansville and Toledo, OH. Depots from Elwood, Indianapolis, Muncie, and Rushville are shown. A one page index is included. Colorado and Southern Railway Clear Creek Narrow Gauge Allan C. Lewis 2004 Just a few depot photos--Burleigh Tunnel, Fork's Creek, and Silver Plume. The Ocean Shore Railroad Chris Hunter 2004 Contains photos of Arleta, Faralloe, Granada, Half Moon Bay, Montara, Moss Beach, Rockaway Beach, Santa Cruz, Tobin Station, Tunitas, and Vallemar Station, CA. The Ann Arbor Railroad D.C. Jesses Burkhardt 2005 Includes photos of depots at Benzonia, Boon, Byron, Cadillac, Clare, Durand, Elsie, Milan (Wabash depot), and Thompsonville; the Ferry Yard office; and the lunchroom at Copemish. Greater Erie Trolleys Kenneth C. Springirth 2005 The few depot photos include Conneaut, OH; Cambridge Springs, Erie, and Linesville, PA: and Jamestown and Mayville, NY. Sacramento Northern Railway Paul C. Trimble 2005 Includes pictures of the depots at Colusa, Concord, Lafayette, Marysville, and Walnut Creek, CA. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway James E. Castro 2006 Has a 19-page chapter on "Passenger stations, freight depots and more". Depots included are Charlottesville, Clifton Forge, Covington, Crozet, Eagle Rock, Lee Hall, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Staunton, and Williamsburg, VA; Alderson, Charleston, Danville, Fire Creek, Hinton, Huntington, Kenova, Montgomery, Prince, Ronceverte, and Thurmond, WV; Ashland, KY, Cincinnati and Lancaster, OH; Peru, IN; and Washington DC. Eastern Shore Railroad Chris Dickon 2006 Although this book includes mainly photos of railroad and ferry activity photos of the following depots are included: Berlin, MD; Cape Charles, VA; Cheriton, VA; Delmar, DE; Exmore, MD;Melfa, VA; Norfolk, VA; Parksley, VA; Broad St., Philadelphia, PA; Pocomoke City, MD (depot and tower); and Salisbury, MD. Iowa's Last Narrow Gauge Railroad John Tigges and James Shaffer 2006 Most of the depots along this line are pictured. Railroads of the Pike's Peak Region 1900-1930 Allan C. Lewis 2006 Depots at Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek, Elizabeth, Falcon, and Woodland are depicted. Northwestern Pacific Fred Codoni and Paul C. Trimble Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society 2006 This "nontraditional" Arcadia book is of a larger format and includes 143 pages of photos with limited text. Unobstructed views of depots at Albion, Alderpoint, Alton, Baltimore Park (depot and Tower 3)Black Point, Bodega Road, Boyes Hot Springs, Cazadero, Cloverdale, Eureka, Fernbridge, Fort Seward, Fulton, Guerneville, Locust Ave., Loleta, Marshall, McMann, Mill Valley. Monte Rio, Petaluma, Pieta, Pt. Reyes, Redwood Valley, San Anselmo (Tower 4), San Rafael (depot and Tower 5), Sausalito, Schellville, Scotia, Shively, Sebastopol, South Fork, Ukiah, Vineburg, and Willits. Akron Railroads Craig Sanders 2007 Includes Akron's second and third Union Station, Erie's old and new depots, the Valley Line's Howard St. and W. Market depots, the AC&Y depot, Amtrak depot, NOT&L depot, PRR's JO Tower, Silver St. order office, Talmadge Erie depot, Spencer AC&Y depot. Akron Jct. tower/yard office and coaling dock. Boardman depot on Y&S, Kent's W&LE depot, Hudson depot, Warrick tower and coaling dock. Also good history of the lines serving Akron. |
Other Selected Books
Down
East Books The Old Somerset Railroad Walter M. Macdougall 2000 $19.95 192 page illustrated paperback with foldout map. |
Although this is not a depot book,
depot buffs should enjoy many of the chapters which
include stories from agents and railroad employees which
give you a feeling of what life was like in the early
twentieth century in the northern Maine woods. One
chapter delas with the Somerset depot styles and
interesting happenings at a number of depots. Another
covers the Somerset's wooden and steel bridges and
trestles. Twenty vintage depot views are included among
80 some photographs including stuctures at Bingham,
Bingham Hts., Deadwater, Indian Pond, Kineo Station, Lake
Moxie, Marrs, North Anson, Norridgewock, Oakland,
Rockwood, Solon, and Somerset Jct. Photo quality varies,
a few are printed a lttle dark, but most are acceptable.
The book is hard to put down; you'll finish it in no
time. Nice additions for a shorter book, 192 pages, are a
glossary of terms and index. MJC |
Highlands
Station, Inc. Trackside on the Pennsylvania Vol. 2 Structures of the Standard Railroad of the World Jeff Scherb $16.95 96 page paperback with line drawings |
Keeping the purpose of this book in
mind, a collection of generalized plans for the model
railroader, I cannot be too critical of its use to the
depot historian. It could use a little more careful
editing; misspellings and font problems occur. I would
also suggest a retitling to more accurately reflect its
contents since the book claims to be"a wide range of
typical structures found trackside on the
Pennsylvania" but mainly includes structure types
found east of Pittsburgh. I was dissappointed in the lack
of coverage of the many standard plans used in depots and
towers west of Pittsburgh which were constructed at many
sites. 19 depot styles and 7 signal/interlocking tower
types are illustrated, but they mainly represent depots
and towers in Pennsylvania. Ridgeville, Indiana's tower
is also included, but it should be mentioned that this
tower, typical of many frame Pennsy towers, was remodeled
in later years. It's older than what the author implies.
The book also includes plans of 11 freight station and 14
selected yard and shop buildings. MJC |
Quarter Milestones
Publishing Rail Mail A Century of American Railroading on Picture Postcards Geoff Stunkard $17.95 128 page illustrated paperback, 8.5 X 11 |
This well researched book provides
the reader with practical information on the collecting,
buying, and selling of railroad postcards and explains
the various types and categories that are commonly
collected. The author presents insights into how various
types of cards were made and their historical chronology.
For depot enthusiasts there is a separate chapter on
depot postcards. Around 200 mainly black and white
illustrations grace the text, each with informative
captions. The author closes the book with a price guide
to the contained postcards. These quotes must have come
mainly from shows for on-line auction prices are often
much higher. No index. MJC |
Branch Line
Press A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses John H. Roy, Jr. 2007 $19.95 |
This excellent compilation of extant railroad passenger and freight depots in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island is basically an expanded illustrated version of the RSHS extant structure lists in book form. The 6 x 9 format makes it easy to carry it along on railroad field excursions. The author has packed the guide full of data on each building. Depots are arranged alphabetically by state. Appendices and additional sections cover replicas and other depots that don't fit the general scheme of the guide, recently lost depots, depots on rail trails, and known architects of depots in the study area, and a bibliography. Unfortunately the specific references to companies currently using the depots will become out of date over time. All depot buffs will want a copy. |