100 Years Against the Mountain: Shay No. 5 at Cass, West Virginia with stories by Artie Barkley.

Shay No. 5 has been at Cass, West Virginia since 1905. Artie Barkley has been with this locomotive at Cass since 1965.Here are past and present stories of this famous locomotive.

Contents:
The Shay: A Unique Steam Locomotive, pp. 4-5; Shay No. 5 at Cass, pp. 6-27;
One Day on the Mountain, pp. 28-31;
Life and Time with Shay No. 5, pp. 32-51;
Entering Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, pp. 52-71;
Miniature Shay No. 5, pg. 72.

Greenhill Station Productions, soft cover, 72 pages, 8.25 x 10.75 x .25 in., b&w photographs. GSP100
Price: 16.95 USD

6 HO Railroads You Can Build: Detailed instructions from the pages of Model Railroader Magazine

Offers great-looking projects for every level of interest and ability with layouts to fit almost any space. Detailed instructions for modular and full-layout projects include photos, diagrams, tips, and techniques.

Kalmbach Books, soft cover, 144 pp., 8.25 x 10.75 x .25 in., 200 color photographs. KB12131
Price: 13.25 USD

A Treasury of Model Railroad Photos: Over 100 color photos. Four Creative Approaches to Model Railroad Photography.

Contents: A land of make-believe, pp. 4-33; Performing the art of illusion, pp. 34-61; The realities of fantasy, pp. 62-83; The viewfinder of imagination, pp. 84-104.

Kalmbach Books, soft cover, 104 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .25 in., color photographs. KB12095
Price: 16.95 USD

Alaska/Yukon Railroads: An Illustrated History

Gold! The name of this precious metal has always incited a fanatical rabidity in the hearts of fortune seekers, and when the gold started flowing from the Yukon, the age of the Klondiker was born and the rush was on. Many fortunes were made and many more were not, but the demand to move people and materials remained insatiable. Wagon roads had been built to meet the transportation demand, but by 1898 several companies were vying to build the first railroads. Ultimately, three companies - one American, one in British Columbia, and the third in the Yukon - joined forces to create the road that couldn't be built: The White Pass & Yukon Route.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson gave the nod to what would become the 471-mile-long Alaska Railroad connecting Seward with Fairbanks. The work was slow and dangerous, and some bridges even today remain engineering marvels, but the line was ultimately completed. Both the White Pass & Yukon and the Alaska Railroad are still around today, still working for a living, as well as enjoying a brisk tourist trade. But Alaska has seen dozens of other railroads come and go over the years. While these lines were smaller and lesser known, each has its own story to tell. Nome gave birth to railroads that spanned the flat, spongy tundra. Farther south, several lines sprang up to reach the rich copper deposits in the Copper River Valley. Various stock-selling schemes accompanied the hype, and ultimately two companies watched as their crews stood toe to toe in a confrontation that left several wounded and entire communities in an outrage.

Back in the Klondike, other short lines were started up to meet the needs of the expanding industry, including tiny tramways that used animal power and wooden rails. Katalla became a bona fide boomtown as companies scrambled to build lines to tap the areas oil and mineral resources. Other regions in Alaska that held the promise of vast riches and there were many also drew the attention of hopeful railroad schemes, despite any difficulty or circumstance.

This has been the spirit and promise of Alaska and the Yukon, with their natural wealth held in check by almost unimaginable terrain and weather challenges. Alaska/Yukon Railroads, An Illustrated History, is the story of all known railroads in the area, including several that never left the drawing board. Over 200 photographs give you a real sense of the challenges, attempts, successes, and failures of the brave souls who stepped forward to conquer the last frontier. Most chapters include complete rosters, showing the wide variety of motive power used to operate the lines.

Originally published in 1981 as Rails North by Superior Publishing Company, Seattle, WA. The book has been completely overhauled and updated to the extent that Oso Publishing felt a title change was in order.

Contents: Ch. 1: White Pass & Yukon Route, pp. 1-56; Ch. 2: Taku Tram, pp. 57-60; Ch. 3: Whitehorse Tramways, pp. 61-62; Ch. 4: Klondike Mines Railway, pp. 63-68; Ch. 5: Klondike Short Lines, pp. 69-74; Ch. 6: Alaska Central Railway, pp. 75-82; Ch. 7: Alaska Northern Railway, pp. 83-86; Ch. 8: The Alaska Railroad Commission and the Birth of the AEC, pp. 87-92; Ch. 9: Alaska Railroad, pp. 93--144; Ch. 10: Tanana Mines Railway, Tanana Valley Railroad, pp. 145-154; Ch. 11: Yakutat & Southern Railroad, pp. 155-158; Ch. 12: Valdez and the Keystone Canyon Caper, pp. 159-170; Ch. 13: Katalla, Where the Rails Meet the Sea, pp. 171-178; Ch. 14: Copper River & Northwestern Railway, pp. 179-202; Ch. 15: Wild Goose, Geese or Gooses , pp. 203-210; Ch. 16: Council City & Solomon River Railroad, pp. 211-216; Ch. 17: Seward Peninsula, pp. 217-222; Ch. 18: Minor Railroads in Alaska and the Yukon, pp. 223-232; Ch. 19: On the Drawing Board, pp. 233-240; Index, pp. 241-248.

Oso Publishing, hard cover in linen with a dust jacket, 256 pages, over 200 high-resolution photographs, plus maps and complete locomotive rosters. OSO146
Price: 29.95 USD

Burlington Northern Adventures: Railroading in the Days of the Caboose.

Burlington Northern Adventures relates the personal experiences of the author, William J. Brotherton, who went railroading as a brakeman, conductor and trainmaster for the Burlington Northern Railroad system during the 1979-1982 period. Through his many interesting short stories, Brotherton illustrates what it was like to work for a major railroad company before branch lines, vintage diesel locomotives and cabooses were phased out. His accounts show what has changed within the railroad industry since then-and what has not. Brotherton, who grew up around trains in Georgia, takes the reader along on his personal encounter with a railroaders life in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Colorado.

South Platte Press, soft cover, 8.5 x 11 x .25 in., 160 pp., b&w photographs. SPP130
Price: 16.95 USD

Can't You Hear the Whistle Blowin': Logs, Lignite and Locomotives in Coos County, Oregon.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, the towns around Coos Bay, Oregon, grew from a few scattered homesteads to a bustling ocean-going port. The area's phenomenal growth was fueled by timber and coal. Nothing was more important in developing these resources than the railroads. This book is the complete story of how the vital transportation links were built by daring entreprenuers who drove lines of steel deep into the area's rugged mountains and canyons.

Contents: Prologue and Introduction, pp. 5-9; The Riches of Coos Bay, pp. 10-33; The Coming of the Railroads, pp. 34-55; The Companies, pp. 56-107; Other Players, pp. 108-127; Appendix: Locomotives, pp. 128-137; Epilogue, Bibliography, Index, pp. 138-143.

William A. Lansing, hard cover with jacket, 143 pages, 9.75 x 11.25 x .75 in., b&w photographs. Includes a separate Coos Bay map of the railroads in Coos County. WAL915
Price: 39.95 USD

A collection of Missabe steam power in locations such as Proctor, Duluth, Two Harbors, Biwabik, Virginia and Mitchell Yard (Hibbing). The wheel arrangements include 0-8-0 switcher, 0-10-0 switcher, 0-10-2 Union, 2-6-0 Mogul, 2-8-0 Consolidation, 2-8-2 Mikado, 2-10-2 Santa Fe, 2-10-4 Texas, 2-8-8-2 Mallet, 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone, 4-6-2 Pacific and 4-8-0 Mastodon. A number of the locomotives are shown from both the left and right sides. There are also a number of Railfan steam trains using Santa Fe #506 and couple of Yellowstones (some in color).

Almost all the 152 photos were scanned in from original black & white medium-format negatives and are presented in book form with information on the locomotives.

PrairieWorks, CD-R Slide Show, b&w and color photographs. PW101OOP
Price: 17.95 USD

Grand Trunk Western Railroad: An Illustrated History

This book, with more than 400 illustrations, including 40 pages in color, is the first to cover the entire history of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. The GTW goes back to the very start of railroad construction in the American Midwest in the 1830s, with its predecessors eventually coming under the influence of Canadian railways.

Today, GTW's main role is as a continuation of Canadian National Railway into the United States, providing vital connections with many railroads at Chicago, Toledo and other cities. GTW also has been vital in serving the needs of the American and Canadian auto industries.

Chapters include a look at every segment of the historic GTW system, its operations, motive power and station facilities.

The author, noted rail historian Ira E. Quastler, has made this title available to South Platte Press for distribution.

Contents:
Introduction and Acknowledgments, pp. 9-14;
Ch. 1: The Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway: From the Beginnings Until 1917, pp. 15-44;
Ch. 2: Port Huron to Detroit, 1858-1917, pp. 45-54;
Ch. 3: Michigan Air Line, pp. 55-66;
Ch. 4: Main Line: Port Huron to Chicago to 1917, pp. 67-104;
Ch. 5: Pontiac, Oxford & Northern, pp. 105-122;
Ch. 6: The Toledo, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad, pp. 123-130;
Ch. 7: The Toledo, Saginaw & Muskegon Railroad, pp. 131-146;
Ch 8: From the USRA Years to 1970, pp. 147-196;
Ch. 9: The Grand Trunk Corporation Years to 1995, pp. 197-232;
GTW-1947 Locomotive Roster, pg. 233;
GTW-CN North America Diesel Roster 1994-1995, pg. 234;
Endnotes, pp. 235-246;
Bibliography, pp. 247-248;
Index, pp. 249-252;
Appendix, pp. 253-255;
About the Author, pg. 256.

South Platte Press, laminated hard cover, 256 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1 in., b&w and color photographs, rosters, data. RI821
Price: 50.95 USD

Historical Guide to North American Railroads (2nd Edition): 160 lines abandoned or merged since 1930.

Covers all North American railroads abandoned or merged since 1930, including the BNSF and CSX mergers. Includes photos, route maps, brief biographical profiles, and heralds.

Learn which railroads where controlled by, affiliated with and contemplated merger with others. No one book comes as close as this one does to putting all this information between 2 covers. The author was the former librarian for Kalmbach Publishing, publisher of Trains magazine.

This book is out-of-print and will not be reprinted by the publisher.

Kalmbach Publishing, perfect-bound soft cover; 8.25 x 5.5 x 1.5 in.; 480 pages; 249 b&w photos; 128 illustrations. KB01092
Price: 27.95 USD

This practical, photo-driven guide covers the principles and techniques of designing and constructing detailed, realistic model railroad scenes. The various projects include structure, scenery, and detailing techniques for both urban and rural settings. Its the essential information modelers need to make a good layout look great!

Contents: Ch. 1: Meet me on the corner, pp. 8-15; Ch. 2: Down on the farm, pp. 16-25; Ch. 3: A factory without peers, pp. 26-31; Ch. 4: On the street where you live, pp. 32-41; Ch. 5: Milkin' the job, pp. 42-57; Ch. 6: Power to the people, pp. 58-65; Ch. 7: Mobile home heaven, pp. 66-73; Ch. 8: Super detailing front lawns, pp. 74-81; Photo Gallery, pp. 82-87; References, pg. 88.

Kalmbach Books, soft cover, 8.25 x 10.75 x .25 in.; 88 pg.; 225 color photographs; 20 illustrations. KB12249
Price: 15.95 USD