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Member	Item		Review/Comment
WPLives 16th Aug 2021		Book Lawrence A. Brough - The Electric Pullman	Review Electric Pullman is required reading for anyone interested in interurban history. It holds additional appeal for those interested in Ohio history or the junction point between business, society, and technology. ― Lexington Quarterly This book is a highly informative three or four evening read. ― The Villager ✔︎ Helpful Review?
WPLives 16th Aug 2021		Book Jeffrey Moreau - The Pacific Electric Pictorial	From Forward 1964: In today's motorized society, there is developing a need for some type of swift, economical transportation, to take on the burden of our present traffic requirements and the unimaginable, nightmarish transportation problems resulting from today's population explosion. This book glances into the past, to look at the days when men of vision and ability were the order of the day, when it was just plain fun to ride the big red cars of the Pacific Electric Railway.
WPLives 16th Aug 2021		Book Lincoln Kilian - A Dog's Life	Lincoln Kilian's book fulfilled by his family. This delightful and well-written booklet tells the adventures of Boomer Jack, a mongrel dog that first appeared about 1914, and had access to NWP trains and premises from Trinidad to Sausalito until his death in 1927. No one owned him but he was fed and cared for by most of the NWP employees up and down the line. Jack rode almost whatever train he wished, usually in the cabs, and often went to San Francisco on the NWP ferries. Once, he made a wrong connection and ended up in South Carolina! The details of his adventures are wonderfully described. Jack died of old age in 1927 and was buried in the yard at Willits. The last page has a photo of his grave, with a group of NWP employees, dressed in their finest clothes, standing around the grave with their hats in their hands. The booklet contains two photos of Jack himself and many photos of places on the NWP that he frequented.
WPLives 16th Aug 2021		Book H. Roger Grant - Railroads And The American People	Review Reviews With plenty of detail, Grant brings a bygone era back to life, addressing everything from social and commercial appeal, racial and gender issues, safety concerns, and leaps in technology. But Grant never loses sight of the big picture and the essential role the railroads played in American life. He writes with authority and clarity in a work that can appeal to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts. ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) With its wealth of vignettes and more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, Railroads and the American People does a fine job of humanizing the iron horse. ― Wall Street Journal Consisting of hundreds of vignettes containing a wealth of detailed descriptions and remembrances, Grant's work is highly recommended to train buffs and others in love with early railroading. ― LIBRARY JOURNAL Railroad historian Grant...has written an engaging book of train stories, detailing their social influence from 1830 to 1930...Highly recommended. ― Choice Read this book slowly, allowing the wealth of detail―which is the book's great strength―time to sink in. You will find yourself thinking about certain details after hours, each reader resonating with some different aspect of the map Grant creates. Re-reading, some other aspect will surface...Grant's book leaves you wishing for more. ― Indiana Magazine of History Grant very successfully identifies the countless ways that railroads have touched the lives of ordinary Americans and rail enthusiast communities such as ours as well. ― Michigan Railfan Awards Bronze Medal, 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year 2013 AAUP Public and Secondary School Library Selection, Outstanding rating Gold Medal, Automotive/Aviation/Railroad category, 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards ✔︎ Helpful Review?
WPLives 13th Aug 2021		Book Guy L. Dunscomb - Locomotives Of The Western Pacific	Fascinating pictorial history of the steam locomotives of the Western Pacific with rosters and schematic diagrams. Also includes short histories of: The Deep Creek Railroad; The Reno branch; The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway; The Sierra Valley & Mohawk; The Boca & Loyalton; The Northern California extension; The Sacramento Northern; The Central California Traction Co.; The Tidewater Southern; The Indian Valley; The Alameda & San Joaquin; The Alameda Belt Line; The Oakland Terminal Railway. Also includes photos of WP interurban cars, Budd rail cars and two ferry boats as well as details about roundhouses and turntables. Illustrated throughout with black and white photos. With maps. Spiral bound. 140 pages.
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric	Cover Photos: Top Left: 1375, 1249, 1226,1245 & 1239 at San Sevain on San Bernardino Line, April 15, 1944. (JS) Top Right: 1458 on Santa Ana River Bridge near Colton, January 1, 1941. (ILS) Center: 1202 at Riverside Barn; 150 in rear; July 7, 1938. (JW) Center Right: 1203 near Baldwin Park in 1945. (BJ) Left Center: 1730 (00157) at San Bernardino in 1917. (MC) Lower Left: 999 on Eaton Wash Bridge on Sierra Madre Line, 1947. (DB) Lower Right: Station Yard, San Bernardino in 1944, showing troop Trains. (MC)
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric	Interurban Press Special No.16, Part 1, Supplement 1.
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Doris B. Osterwald - Cinders & Smoke	Guidebook describes scenic viewpoints, plants, wildlife, geology, history along the route. Many photographs and maps.
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Joseph A. Strapac - Northwestern Pacific Locomotives	Table of Contents Foreward---------------------------------------------------------------------------4 Chapter 1 - Introduction-----------------------------------------------------6 Chapter 2 - Narrow Gauge Locomotives--------------------------22 Chapter 3 - 4-4-0 Locomotives-----------------------------------------38 Chapter 4 - 0-6-0 Switch Engines--------------------------------------72 Chapter 5 - 4-6-0 Locomotives------------------------------------------82 Chapter 6 - 2-6-0 Locomotives-----------------------------------------132 Chapter 7 - Tank and Geared Locomotives----------------------144 Roster of NWP Steam Locomotives---------------------------------156 Sample NWP Locomotive Record Cards---------------------------168
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Magazine In Search Of Steam Volume III 1955	This special issue resumes the epic quest of the 1953-1954 and 1954-1955 editions. Tag along with writer David P. Morgan and photographer Philip R. Hastings as they savor the final, bittersweet years of steam on: ----- the Pennsylvania; ----- New York Central; ----- Baltimore & Ohio; ----- Nickel Plate Road; ----- Canadian National; ----- Canadian Pacific; ----- and other citadels of cinders.
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Magazine More Trains Of The 1940s	*More Trains of the 1940s* explores the decade of railroading’s finest hour and its finest trains. See what it took to bring victory during World War II and how the postwar economic boom led the railroads to look ahead with confidence. As a railroad enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the compelling stories and detailed information that this special issue offers about this dynamic era. More Trains of the 1940s features rare color photos of steam and diesel locomotives from one of the most dynamic periods in American history. Inside this 108-page special issue: • Wartime Memories --- A retired Army railroader remembers trains at home and in Europe during World War II; • ACF’s First Postwar Streamliners --- All about Louisville & Nashville’s new Georgian and Humming Bird; • The Locomotive in 1949 --- David P. Morgan reviews final year of a pivotal decade in the steam-vs-diesel battle; • And much more!
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Joseph A. Strapac - Diesels Of The Espee	Author---Joseph A. Strapac
WPLives 10th Aug 2021		Book Fred Codoni - Northwestern Pacific Railroad	About the Authors Coauthors Fred Codoni and Paul C. Trimble have selected the finest of the 13,000 images cared for by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society. Codoni, a fourth generation Marin County resident and editor of six historical periodicals, and Trimble, author of three previous Arcadia Images of America titles, tell NWP's story, from its inception to today's still mostly intact and publicly owned railroad.
WPLives 8th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Official Car Records, Pacific Electric Railway Co.	FRONT COVER PHOTO: Interurban car 890 rumbles south through Redondo Beach toward its terminus at the tiny yard at Clifton. The date is December 10, 1939---and the palm trees and the morning mist paint a nostalgic backdrop for a noble car. (JAH-HFS)
WPLives 7th Aug 2021		Magazine Big Boy: On The Road To Restoration	Trains magazine has exclusive coverage of Big Boy No.4014's return to steam for the first time since 1959. Big Boy: On the Road to Restoration tells the inside story of the beginning of the engine's historic journey. In this 100-page special issue, you'll get: A behind-the-scenes look at No.4014's removal from the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds; Exclusive images of the Union Pacific's historic effort; Plans for the restoration that will lead to the live Big Boy; A gallery of our best Big Boy images from the Trains archive. Published in 2014.
WPLives 7th Aug 2021		Magazine Regionals In Review: Road To Oblivion	Uncover the hardships and misfortunes of the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad, the Vicksburg Route, the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, and the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad. Financial hardships, highway competition, and inadequate maintenance and investment led to the abandonment of a wide array of railroads. Take a look at our free 45-page PDF to uncover the history behind the following railroads: --- The formation of the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad and the different rail lines it operated, restored, and acquired; --- How the Vicksburg Route changed over time due to the geographical wealth of the area, its location, and the history surrounding it; --- The reasons behind why many people refer to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad as a hardworking regional; --- The road of misfortune and the constant state of instability that the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad had to deal with.
WPLives 7th Aug 2021		Book Scott Inman - Northwestern Pacific Railroad	TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 Chapter One --The Last Years of Steam ----------------------------------------9 Chapter Two --The South End ------------------------------------------------------18 Chapter Three --The Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad -----------------64 Chapter Four --The North End -------------------------------------------------------72 Chapter Five --The Post-Southern Pacific Era ------------------------------103 Eureka Southern Railroad -------------------------------------------------103 California Northern Railroad ---------------------------------------------106 North Coast Railroad / "New" Northwestern Pacific ---------108 Rail-Ways, Incorporated -----------------------------------------------------113 Current "Northwestern Pacific" ------------------------------------------113 Sonoma-Marin Area Rapid Transit -------------------------------------115 Chapter Six --Connecting Railroads ---------------------------------------116 Arcata & Mad River Railroad ----------------------------------------------116 California Western Railroad -----------------------------------------------118 Hammond Lumber Company ---------------------------------------------124 The Pacific Lumber Company --------------------------------------------125
WPLives 6th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric	Lines of Pacific Electric Northern & Eastern Districts Interurbans Special 61 --published by Mac Sebree --edited by Jim Walker Soft Cover 110 pages Copyright 1976 TABLE OF CONTENTS: NORTHERN DISTRICT: pages 1-76 Summary------------------------------------------7 Los Angeles Terminal District----------8 Macy St.------------------------------------------10 Aliso St.-------------------------------------------11 Main St. Station------------------------------12 Surface Tracks--------------------------------18 Main St. Elevated Tracks-----------------20 Pasadena Short Line-----------------------24 Oneonta Junction----------------------------26 New Year's Day--------------------------------28 Four Tracks--------------------------------------30 Sierra Vista Line-------------------------------31 Pasadena Oak Knoll-------------------------32 Sierra Madre Line-----------------------------35 Monrovia-Glendora Line-------------------36 Mt. Lowe Line----------------------------------42 Alhambra San Gabriel Line--------------48 South Pasadena Ave. 64 Line----------52 San Bernardino Line------------------------56 Local Lines: Pasadena--------------------63 EASTERN DISTRICT: pages 77-96 Summary-------------------------------------------78 Pomona Local Lines--------------------------79 Ontario-San Antonio Heights Line-----80 Pomona-Upland Line-------------------------81 San Bernardino Local Lines---------------82 San Dimas Local Line------------------------83 Arrowhead Line---------------------------------84 Highland Line------------------------------------85 Riverside-Redlands Line--------------------86 Redlands Local Lines------------------------89 Riverside Local Lines------------------------90 Riverside-Corona Line-----------------------92 Riverside-Rialto Line-------------------------95 "PACIFIC ELECTRIC" 1976: pages--------97-112 ABOUT THIS BOOK: Special 61 is the companion to Special 60, which covered the Lines of Pacific Electric- Southern & Western Districts. As a "bonus" we have prepared a 16-page view of what is left of the former Red Car Empire at the beginning of 1976. Contrast the 1914 system (map on page 98) to the 1976 trackage (map on page 99). The original 10 parts of Special 16, Lines of Pacific Electric, were published over a number of years. We wish to recognize the original persons who participated. Editor & Publisher; - Ira L. Swett; Associate Editors; - Raymond E. Younghans; - Lazear Israel; Editorial Assistant; - Jack Whitmeyer; Business Manager; - Carl Blaubach; Cartographer; - Raymond A. Younghans; Librarians; - Kenneth W. Harrison; - Laurence R. Veysey; - Frank Barnes.
WPLives 6th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - The "Big Subs" Of The Market Street Railway, The San Mateo Interurban #40 Line.	One of the fondest memories of older residents of Millbrae and San Bruno was a trip on the Interurban Trolley called the #40 Line. Most of them used the trolley as a means of getting to and from the San Mateo and Burlingame high schools as cars were scarce and this was the main form of transportation available to them. It was an exciting and much anticipated journey before and after school as it afforded young men and women an opportunity to get acquainted. Not all of these encounters resulted in dates, but the minds of youth allowed them to play out their dreams and fantasies from the brief time they boarded until he or she exited the trolley. Youth does not always allow us to be bold enough to pursue fleeting love, but a few romances did end up gaining partners for life. Most had to be content to wonder just who that person was they met that day on the #40 Line. The #40 ran parallel to the SP railroad line through South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae, but at the Burlingame train station it was diverted to and ran down the middle of California Drive – North San Mateo Drive on its way to the San Mateo High School and San Mateo. In 1890, the San Francisco and San Mateo Railroad Company was granted the first franchise to operate a line between San Francisco and San Mateo — the first rapid transit of the Peninsula. The line was completed to Baden Station in South San Francisco, running down Mission St., before it was sold and renamed the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway. The interurban #40 streetcar right-of-way land ran parallel to and west of the SP through most of the cities in San Mateo County. The new owners resold the line in 1901 and it was renamed the United Railroads of San Francisco. To fulfill the terms of the franchise, a single track was opened to San Mateo on Dec. 31, 1902. A power station to supply electricity for the line was built near the SP tracks at Millbrae Avenue. Two-line service finally replaced the single-track service. In 1907, the anticipation and prospect of extending the line to San Jose prompted purchase of 12 large interurban cars (known as the ‘Big Subs’) which had been built originally for the Philadelphia and Western Company. These cars, larger and more comfortable than the earlier ones, are still remembered fondly by many riders of the line. During the early and middle 20th century, the #40 Line was a major form of public transportation along the Peninsula. Fares ran a nickel or dime, depending on your destination. Automobiles were still not as prevalent as they are now, so this was the main means of getting to the beach or downtown San Francisco. The creation of the Peninsula Rapid Transit bus line in 1915 and the additions of the jitney service the following year resulted in transit reorganization. The Market Street Railway began to operate the #40 Line. As the fare increased, the SP railroad commuter service’s very low fares (a 40-cent round-trip fare to San Francisco) began claiming the #40 Line’s customers as it reduced the travel time considerably to downtown San Francisco. In 1944 the city of San Francisco purchased the Market Street Railway, including the #40 Line. Decreased revenues and loss of the Mission Street right-of-way caused the line to cease operations on January 16, 1949. This lack of transportation for the school kids prompted the building of Capuchino High School. The tracks were either ripped up or paved over. On El Camino Real in Daly City, the center divider occasionally exposes some of the old rails that were not covered with cement or blacktop. This is the only visible reminder of the Peninsula’s once widely-used form of public transportation. In San Bruno much of the right-of-way is being used for parking lots and the alignment of the BART transportation system. I am greatly indebted to a San Mateo attorney, Francis A. Guido, editor and publisher of the Western Railroader and the Western Railfan magazine for almost all the information supplied here. He published this periodic magazine for nearly 50 years, mainly at his own expense, before he passed away a few years ago. His dedication to recording the #40 and railroads in general leaves a great legacy for future history enthusiasts.
WPLives 6th Aug 2021		Book Scott Inman - Northwestern Pacific Railroad	Book Cover Image: On February 23, 1950, SP #3236 leads its train around the wye at Ignacio, bound for the Southern Pacific connection at Schellville. 2-8-2s such as this were the biggest steam power to see use on the NWP. (Bob Searle, WRM)
WPLives 6th Aug 2021		Book Joseph A. Strapac - Northwestern Pacific Locomotives	Expert locomotive historian and publisher Joseph Strapac has collaborated with the NWPRR Historical Society to present historic images of all 83 of NWP's owned steam locomotives in a first-time soft cover book. Highlights include: 286 Black-and-White photographs from 64 photographers and collections; Rare scenes featuring main line and branch line operations; A detailed all-time roster including each locomotive class and origin; Featured locomotive history records with modifications and repairs. Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society, softcover, Black-and-White photographs.
WPLives 5th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric	Pages 73-120.
WPLives 5th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric Western District	Pages 41-70.
WPLives 5th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric Eastern District	Pages 21-40.
WPLives 5th Aug 2021		Book Jim Wrinn - Union Pacific's Big Boys	Review Style over substance Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2020 (My actual rating is closer to 2 3/4 stars) Union Pacific's 25 4-8-8-4s have long had a massive cult following, one which endures today with the restoration of 4014 to running order. I've long awaited a really substantial reference book on these classic locomotives, and I suppose I'll just have to keep on waiting. For the most part, this is another case of style winning over substance. Not mentioned in the product description is the fact that most of this book is recycled material. All eight chapters were previously published as articles in "Trains" Magazine; three of them are from their July 2019 special issue "Big Boy: Back in Steam." For a book billed as "the complete story," the historical and technical sections are disappointingly anemic. Although the chapters focused on earlier articulated and Superpower locomotives are fairly detailed and fleshed out, there's not much here on the design, development, and operation of the Big Boys themselves. Beyond a decent cutaway artwork and a fairly detailed specifications table, there's little in the way of technical detail; no line diagrams, no schematics of the valve gear, very few images of the "guts" of the locomotive beyond the boiler interior, a smattering of "how it works" information, and not even a labeled image of the backhead. Histories of individual Big Boys are nowhere to be found. Frankly, William Withuhn's "American Steam Locomotives" did a better job describing the Big Boys and their articulated brethren. This leaves the photographs to do much of the heavy lifting, and there's certainly a lot of them here. Thankfully, many of them are absolutely superb, depicting Big Boys and other classic American articulateds in their prime, the restoration of 4014, and its triumphant return to the rails in 2019. Most of the images are finely reproduced, with the fine grain of the black & white photographs and the superb color and detail of the 21st-century photos jumping off the page. Unfortunately, the editors at Kalmbach have totally wasted the landscape format, and many of the photographs go right through the binding. This might be acceptable in a ~70-page staple-bound magazine, but in a 224-page paperback book, a lot of fine mechanical detail disappears into the gutter. If you're a huge fan of the Big Boys, you might be able to forgive this book's flaws and simply enjoy the photographs. If you're interested in the mechanical aspects of steam locomotives, you're probably going to be disappointed. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
WPLives 5th Aug 2021		Book Donald Duke - Pacific Electric Railway (Volume Two)	The Pacific Electric Railway was incorporated November 10, 1901 with the primary owner Henry Edwards Huntington, Collis P. Huntington's favorite nephew. At the time Southern California was so vast and its population so dispersed, Huntington believed the only way to tie everything together was by an interurban electric railway system. This is Volume two in a four-volume set which will cover in text, Black-and-White pictures and captions the Pacific Electric routes and services by Division. Contents: Introduction-----pp. 6-10; Covina Rail Line-----pp. 11-16; Pomona Line-----pp. 17-24; Pomona Local Lines-----pp. 25-26; Upland to Pomona-----pp. 27-28; San Bernardino Line-----pp. 29-53; Riverside Line-----pp. 54-60; Riverside-Arlington-Corona Line-----pp. 61-68; Riverside-Redlands Line (Via San Bernardino)-----pp. 69-72; San Bernardino Local Lines-----pp. 73-79; Redlands Local Lines-----pp. 80-82; Box Motor Service-----pp. 83-90; Railway Post Office Service-----pp. 91-94; Freight Service-----pp. 95-107; Railroad Enthusiast Excursions-----pp. 108-110; Bibliography-----page. 111; Acknowledgments, page 112 Golden West Books, softcover, 112 pages, standard landscape book 10×8 in., Black-and-White photographs with captions and text.
WPLives 4th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric	Part One—Northern District unknown date. Pages 1-20.
WPLives 4th Aug 2021		Book H. Roger Grant - Electric Interurbans And The American People	Review A well-written social history of the shortest-lived major US transportation mode . . . This book will appeal to railroad enthusiasts and social historians with its extensive stories and case studies of the benefits in that era. . . . Highly recommended. ― Choice This compact, highly readable volume should be considered essential to understanding the interurban phenomenon, especially because it avoids getting caught up in technology and rolling stock. Instead, it focuses on what life was really life for people who rode the electric cars. . . . Rarely seen photographs of traction at high tide help to tell the story. ― Classic Trains Chronicles one of the most intriguing yet neglected pieces of American transportation history, electric interurban railroads. ― Sn3 Modeler An enjoyable and informative read. ― Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society With this book, the subject no longer has footnote status. In fact, Grant's work deserves a place alongside some of the other landmark surveys of the subject . . . Here, Grant moves beyond the receiverships, the rickety track, and all that fascinating rolling stock. He shows us why the whole darned thing mattered. ― Railroad History "Grant carefully provides specific examples from his broad knowledge of transportation history to support any assertions made in his text material. Even the most knowledgeable rail historian is likely to discover something new about electric interurbans that he or she had never considered before." ― The Michigan Railfan H. Roger Grant has produced a fine social history of America's electric interurbans, exploring the relationship between people and those railway enterprises. The book fills a void, is eminently readable, and richly illustrated. -- Don L. Hofsommer ✔︎ Helpful Review?
WPLives 4th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric Western District	My copy reads "December, 1957".
WPLives 4th Aug 2021		Book Ira L. Swett - Lines Of Pacific Electric Western District	COVER PHOTOS: Top Left: 721 about to enter subway in 1947 (MC). Next Below: 990 and train on Venice Short Line, 1939. (BN) Top Right: 883 heads a six-car train on Venice Short Line in 1916 (JP). Center Left: A 200 on Hollywood-Vineyard Line enters Hill St. Tunnel, 1913 (MC). Center: 916 at Culver City on Air Line in 1939 (AH). Center Right: 1044 on Main St., Ocean Park, on August 24, 1950 (AP). Lower Left: 958 and train on Hill St. at First in 1943 (CB). Lower Right: 5005 on Glendale Blvd. at Temple St. in 1946; LARY "sowbelly" 83 on "A" line in background (MC).

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