Product Description

The American Railroad Passenger Car recaptures the lost, but not-too-distant past when 98 percent of all intercity travel in the United States was by rail. It documents in extraordinary detail the ingenuity and splendor of the classic trains as well as the rattle and clatter, the dust and cinders of early rail travel.

An unparalleled record of changes in taste and technology

With clarity and precision, White explains the methods of construction of wood, iron, steel, and aluminum cars. He traces the evolution of wheels and brakes, dining cars and sleeping compartments. And he follows the revolutions in taste and technology that dramatically altered the appearance of the railroad passenger car over the century and a half that it dominated American travel.

An extraordinary resource for railroad hobbyists

Detailed plans and diagrams accompanying the text make it possible for model-builders to reconstruct many famous passenger cars themselves. Appendixes contain biographies of coach builders and designers; numerous tables comparing models, materials, and prices; a chronology of passenger cars; and an annotated bibliography.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #324480 in Books
• Published on: 1985-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Paperback
• 704 pages

Review

"A monumental work -- truly a work of love... The historian, the researcher, the admirer of railway lore, the builder of model train sets, the restorer of a classic railway vehicle... will now spend the rest of their lives poring over Mr. White's words and his nearly 800 photographs and schematic cutaway drawings." -- New York Times

"First-class." -- Model Railway Constructor

"Well worth the price of the ticket." -- Baltimore Sun

"The Super Chief of railroad books." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"[A] beautifully produced volume... The real treat, however, is in White's informative and often entertaining narrative analysis of technological change." -- Journal of American History

About the Author

John H. White, Jr., formerly Curator of Transportation at the Smithsonian Institution, has written eight books and more than one hundred articles on American railroad technology.

Customer Reviews

2 Volume Set
Just to clarify -- this item is a 2-volume set, ISBN#0801827434. Part 1 is also listed individually as ISBN#0801827221. Part 2 listed individually as ISBN#0801827477.

fantastic reference book
I have done passenger car restoration for several years and this book is a must. The book has tons of detail and answers so many questions about design, material, and then backs it up with great research.

settting a standard for railroad history writing
These books are unusual in their focus on the history of technology, explaining how it works, and how it changed over time. It gives a comprehensive account of the development of these cars with many fine pictures.