The story of the railways of North America is also a history of the development of two great nations: the United States and Canada. The coming of the railroad made the rapid expansion and growth of the two countries possible in the 19th century, and today railroads form a vital network across the continent. By the 1930s railways reached their pinnacle of development: some 15,000 passenger trains departed each day. By the time Amtrak was established in 1971, many famous names like the Super Chief, the Twentieth Century Limited and the California Zephyr had disappeared, perhaps forever. After years of decline, the late 1970s and early 1980s have seen U.S. and Canadian railroads showing signs of recovering, albeit slowly. The book covers the very latest equipment and rolling stock and explains how the consolidation of the railroad companies has made them more efficient.

The important railroad mergers in the past few years have readers looking for a comprehensive reference. This concise guide covers histories of all North American railroads abandoned or merged since 1930. No other book covers the topic as thoroughly! Great for railfans as well as railroad modelers.

Richly comprehensive history, featuring more than 100 photographs and contemporary prints. Involving struggles against nature, corrupt politicians, and other obstacles, the colorful account abounds in tales of ingenuity and colossal achievement.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!