Billboard Refrigerator Cars.

The practice of painting advertisements on the freight cars of shippers and car owners dates well back into the 19th century. But in the 1920s, leasing companies realized they could contract with shippers to pass back usage payments beyond some agreed minimum.

This led to an explosion of car leasing and, as this book amply demonstrates, a corresponding explosion of billboard decoration of refrigerator cars. Railroad objections, especially to the usage payment rebates, led to hearings before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which, taking effect in 1937, banned most of the leasing practices which had generated the car leasing bonanza. After World War II, a restrained billboard style made a modest comeback.

Car-side advertising was only a detail of that ICC decision. But because it was the basis for a remarkable diversity of refrigerator car paint schemes in the era, the photographs of these cars have long held an interest for historians, railfans, and Model Railroader's.

Thoroughly documented here are hundreds of these paint schemes, together with details of the leasing companies and car builders associated with the individual cars. More than 440 photographs, most previously unpublished, enrich this book. Even a modest amount of color information was available and is included.

The authors, both recognized authorities on railroad freight car history, have done a superb job of collecting and organizing the information presented here. The book is sure to appeal to modelers and to many who are interested in railroad history.

Contents:
Foreword, acknowledgments, pp. 5-8;
Ch. 1: Historical Background, pp. 9-18;
Ch. 2: Early Billboard Refrigerator Cars, pp. 19-34;
Ch. 3: Billboard Reefers of the 1920s and 1930s: Meat Packers, pp. 35-46;
Ch. 4: North American Despatch, pp. 47-72;
Ch. 5: North Western Refrigerator and Western Refrigerator Lines, pp. 73-92;
Ch. 6: Merchants Despatch Transportation Company and Northern Refrigerator Car Company, pp. 93-122;
Ch. 7: General American Refrigerator Express, pp. 123-134;
Ch. 8: Union Refrigerator Transit Lines, pp. 135-156;
Ch. 9: Quaker City Refrigerator Express, pp. 157-166;
Ch. 10: Other Owners and Leasing Companies, pp. 167-180;
Ch. 11: End of an Era, pp. 181-186;
Ch. 12: Postwar Renaissance, pp. 187-199;
Color Gallery, pp. 200-206;
Appendix 1: Historical Color Renditions, pp. 207-208;
Appendix 2: Summary of ICC Ruling, pp. 209-212;
Bibliography, Index, pp. 213-222.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 222 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1 in. 443 photographs, some color information, appendices, bibliography, index. SP223
Price: 50.95 USD

Great Northern Lines East (Second Edition).

The Great Northern Railway was among Americas most distinctive and noteworthy railroads. Though its most spectacular scenery was in the western half of the line, called Lines West, there was a very busy network of trackage, and considerably more traffic, in the Lines East, essentially including the states of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and extensions into Wisconsin, Iowa, and Manitoba.

This book presents the history, operational characteristics, and equipment which lay at the heart of GN Lines East, with an emphasis on the latter 40 years of Great Northern's history. Both passenger and freight operations were complex and interesting, as was the motive power. An extensive photographic presentation of steam and diesel locomotives, along with passenger and Freight and Passenger Equipment, is at the heart of this edition.

This book, the first edition of which was published in 1989, is a companion to Charles R. Wood's Great Northern Lines West. But this new edition contains far more than did the first edition. Photographic reproduction is greatly improved with better paper and printing. The text has been revised, corrected and expanded where needed, and the book is now 70 pages longer. Also, the book now contains an outstanding collection of 621 photographs (54 of them in color);
fully 231 of the photographs here are new or enlarged from the previous versions.

The most distinctive addition to the book is an entirely new chapter on Great Northern Freight and Passenger Equipment, by experts Richard H. Hendrickson and Staffan Ehnbom. Starting about 1910 and extending to 1970, coverage is included for all types of freight cars. This chapter alone contains 142 new photographs, along with a few from the previous edition. There is no comparable resource anywhere for detailed coverage of GN freight cars over this span of time.

Author Patrick Dorin has 15 previous railroad books to his credit, he welcomed the chance to improve and expand this one. Noted railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe has created a painting of the Stone Arch Bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul to enhance the dust jacket. This new edition is a fitting companion to Great Northern Lines West and completes the detailed story of the Great Northern Railway.

Table of Contents:
Preface;
Acknowledgments and Dedication 1. Lines East 2. Lines East Passenger Service 3. Great Northern Passenger Equipment 4. The Streamlined Empire Builder 5. Freight Goes Great When It Goes Great Northern. 6. Great Northern Freight and Passenger Equipment by Richard H. Hendrickson and Staffan Ehnbom 7. The Missabe Division 8. Great Northern Steam Power 9. Great Northern Diesel Power 10. What Made Great Northern Great Bibliography;
Appendix A: Lines East main line Profiles;
Appendix B: Lines East Major Facilities;
Appendix C: GN Business Cars,1950-1970 by Jim Ruffing;
Appendix D: Passenger Equipment, 1940-1970. Index.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 304 pages, 8.5 x 11.75 x 1.75 in., b&w and color photographs and illustrations. SP184
Price: 55.95 USD

Key System Street Cars: Transit, Real Estate, and the Growth of the East Bay.

The east shore of San Francisco Bay, long known as the East Bay, was served for almost 80 years by a network of streetcar lines, both for local service and to bring passengers to ferry piers for travel to San Francisco.

The first of these local car lines began horsecar service in 1869. As the years passed, more and more lines were built, some of them cable cars, with several different track gauges. In 1891, the first electric streetcar service began in Oakland.

About that same time, entrepreneur and mining millionaire Francis Marion Smith emerged upon the scene. Often called ''Borax'' Smith for the source of his fortune, he began to buy up and combine the many independent streetcar lines. All were gradually changed to a common track gauge and those not already electric-powered were electrified.

Smith was an investor in many realms, not least real estate development. Often a streetcar line would be built in conjunction with the opening of a new real estate subdivision.

Smith's empire would become the Key System, with two divisions, one providing local streetcar services, and the other with express trains connecting to the ferry piers and later to transbay trackage on the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This book is the history of the local streetcar lines.

In addition to car line history, much of this book comprises descriptions of individual streetcar routes, which include many historic street scenes. Supplementing the text are 47 maps, along with graphics and ephemera, and 778 photographs (45 in color), most of which have never been published. A bibliography, extensive equipment rosters, and detailed index round out this volume.

The late Vernon Sappers worked for years on this comprehensive history of the Key lines. The result is an outstanding work of local history. Those interested in the history of East Bay cities, and of course streetcar fans, will be sure to enjoy this book.

Table of Contents:
Preface, pg. 5;
acknowledgments, pg. 6;
Photographers Credits, pg. 6;
Authors Introduction, pg. 8;
Ch. 1. Beginnings, pp. 13-58;
Ch. 2. Electrification, pp. 59-94;
Ch. 3. Decline, pp. 95-128;
Ch. 4. Streetcar Routes, pp. 129-358;
Ch. 5. Facilities, pp. 359-398;
Ch. 6. Key System Streetcar Roster, pp. 399-463;
Appendix, pp. 464-468;
Bibliography, pp. 469-470;
Index pp. 471-480.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 8.5 x 11 x 1.75 in., 480 pages, 778 photographs (45 in color), 47 maps, artwork and drawings, complete rosters, bibliography, index. SP070
Price: 58.95 USD

Pullman-Standard Freight Cars: 1900-1960.

Pullman-Standard was for some years the largest freight car builder in North America, though perhaps more famous for passenger cars. This long-overdue book fills a gap in builder history, and provides an overview showing a selection of the many cars built over a 60-year span.

Ed Kaminski is well known as an authority on freight car builders, and this book takes its place alongside his earlier work on American Car & Foundry, Magor Car Company, and the Gregg company. It contains a rich trove of some 400 photographs, most never before published, from Pullman and Pullman-Standard, and also from predecessors Haskell & Barker, Standard Steel Car Company, and Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company.

Contents:
Ch. 1: The History of Pullman-Standard, pg. 11-26;
Ch. 2: Box Cars, Stock Cars and Refrigerator Cars, pg. 27-112;
Ch. 3: Covered Hoppers, pg. 113-136;
Ch. 4: Open Top Hoppers and Ore Hoppers, pg. 137-162;
Ch. 5: Flat Cars and Gondolas, pg. 163-172;
Ch. 6: Cabooses, pg. 173-186;
Ch. 7: Index, pg. 187-192.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 192 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., b&w photographs plus 33 pages that include color photographs. SP179
Price: 55.95 USD

Railroads of Arizona Vol. 6: Jerome and the Northern Roads.

The sixth volume in this distinguished series of books describes Arizona's Northern Roads, the railroads in the northern part of the state. The major roads among these were the mining roads of Jerome and the coal roads of later years; there were also lumber roads and the tourist lines such as the Grand Canyon Railway.

David F. Myrick, distinguished railroad historian and an unparalleled expert on Arizona railroad history, published the first five volumes of this series from 1975 to 2001.

Artist Ernie Towler painted the cover illustration based on a historic photograph of articulated locomotive 500 of the Verde Tunnel & Smelter Railway with a typically short train of ore cars.

Contents:
Acknowledgements, pp. 8-10;
Introduction, pp. 11-12;
1. Jerome and Its Four Railroads, pp. 13-24;
2. United Verde and Pacific Railway, pp. 25-56;
3. Verde Valley Railway, pp. 57-68;
4. Verde Tunnel and Smelter Railroad, pp. 69-96;
5. Arizona Extension Railroad, pp. 97-112;
6. Arizona Central Railroad/Verde Canyon Railroad, pp. 113-118;
7. Arizona and Swansea Railroad, pp. 119-136;
8. Mohave County Mines, pp. 137-150;
9. Arizona and Utah Railway, pp. 151-168;
10. Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad, pp. 169-176;
11. Coronado Railroad, pp. 177-184;
12. Grand Canyon Railway Construction, pp. 185-206;
13. Grand Canyon Railway: Operations, Demise & Recovery, pp. 207-238;
Appendix. Grand Canyon Railroad Incorporations, pg. 239;
Bibliography, pp. 240-241;
Index, pp. 242-248.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 248 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., 235 photographs, 28 maps. SP278
Price: 50.95 USD

Santa Fe Locomotive Development.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe began furnishing its own specifications for locomotives to builders in 1880. In succeeding years, design of steam locomotives became increasingly complete by the railroad. The culmination of this process was the Supreme Steam of the 1930s, exemplified in the magnificent accomplishment of the 3460 Class of 4-6-4s, the 3765 Class of 4-8-4s, and the 5001 Class of 2-10-4s.

Also in the 1930s, the Santa Fe played a pioneering role in the development of Diesel locomotives for road service, beginning with the well-known One-Spot Twins and continuing with passenger E1 and E3 models, and the FT freight model, from Electro-Motive. Very extensive road testing and usage under Santa Fe's demanding conditions led to many changes and improvements in these pioneer Diesels.

This volume explores all these topics, and brings together the men behind these events, particularly John Purcell, with the complexities of design, construction, testing, and service of these locomotives, from generations of advancing steam design, to the culmination by 1941 of both Supreme Steam and the Diesel pioneers.

Author Larry E. Brasher, whose father was one of the original Santa Fe Diesel Maintainers, has drawn on many company documents and photographs, along with his fathers memoirs and recollections, to tell this story in a way few others could have done. It's 291 photographs (19 in color) richly document the detailed text. This book is a fascinating account of the progress of steam locomotive design, the early days of Diesel service, and above all, the powerful role played by Santa Fe men in these developments. It is sure to be enjoyed by anyone interested in locomotives, and of course by any fan of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 304 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .75 in., 291 photographs (19 in color), graphics, index, bibliography. SP209
Price: 55.95 USD

Southern Pacific Freight Cars Vol. 1: Gondolas & Stock Cars.

This is the first volume in a planned series on Southern Pacific freight cars. It covers gondolas and stock cars, and the era is approximately 1900-1960, though with some coverage before and after those years. The book contains an extensive array of rosters, photographs and, where possible, drawings of the major car classes, along with other material as available, such as construction photographs, publicity photographs, lettering drawings, and so forth. Survival of the cars over the years is presented, as are numerous photographs of the cars in service. Included are not only work (ballast) gondolas, but such signature cars of the SP as the 1920s GS gondolas from Enterprise (often called Ulrich cars), the 1940s GS gondolas, including a chapter on side extensions for wood chip, sugar beet, and other services, 1950s solid-bottom cars, and ore cars. Stock cars, from the CS-11 cars of the 1890s, through the standard Harriman cars, to the various late conversions of other cars to stock cars, are also given a full treatment.

Freight car history has a number of dimensions. Built dates, car numbers, car characteristics are only the bare bones. A complete history would also include reasons for construction of a particular car class and exploration of its design heritage;
indications of the service to shippers to which a car class was assigned;
and indications of the longevity of the class, culminating in rebuilding or scrapping. Though it is not possible to provide all this detail on every car class, this book does offer much of this type of history. The large number of photographs, particularly in-service images showing the cars at various times in their lives, make this a truly comprehensive volume. Complete roster information, including car specialties such as trucks and hand brakes, are presented in a nod to the railroad modeling community. A few color photographs are included among the 537 total tally of photographs, to show the appearance of these car types, though SP freight cars such as gondolas and stock cars were overwhelmingly painted boxcar red throughout the period covered. Noted rail artist John Signor has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting a Southern Pacific yard scene containing the subjects of this series of books.

Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgments:
1. Introduction;
2. Freight Car Basics;
GONDOLAS:
3. Work or Ballast Gondolas:
4. Inherited and New Cars to 1924;
5. General Service Gondolas of the 1920s:
6. Solid-bottom Gondolas, 1928-1940;
7. General Service Gondolas after 1940;
8. Gondola Side Extensions;
9. Distinctive T&NO Gondolas;
10. Solid-bottom Gondolas after 1950;
11. Ore Cars;
STOCK CARS:
12. Early Stock Cars;
13. The Standard Stock Car;
14. Other Stock Cars;
Bibliography, Index.

Signature Press, hard cover with color dust jacket, 320 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1 in., 537 photographs (8 in color), 30 drawings, bibliography, index. SP087
Price: 55.95 USD

Southern Pacific Freight Cars Vol. 3: Automobile Cars and Flat Cars.

This is the third volume in a series on Southern Pacific freight cars. It covers two car types, automobile cars and flat cars. The era is from about 1870 until the late 1960s. The book contains an extensive array of rosters, photographs and, where possible, drawings of the major car classes, along with other material as available, such as construction photographs, publicity photographs, lettering drawings, and so forth. Survival of the cars over the years is presented, as are numerous photographs of the cars in service.

The first section of the book contains an introductory section of background information, then covers the early furniture and auto cars, the cars of the 1920s, and the steel auto cars built both before and after World War II, until the end of SP auto car construction in 1955. Also included are the hog fuel (wood chip) cars converted from auto cars by removing the roofs. The coverage then turns to flat cars, first the 19th century cars, then the Harriman and post-Harriman designs, and then the general-service cars after 1940.

Separate chapters describe the logging and pulpwood cars, piggyback flat cars, heavy-duty cars, and a variety of modified and specially equipped flat cars. These two car types make up an essential part of the history of any railroad. The books 701 photographs (27 in color), most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 59 drawings, extensive rosters, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative. This book provides a coverage that every railroad enthusiast, and of course Southern Pacific fans in particular, will enjoy.

Noted rail artist John Signor has created for the book the painting shown here, depicting a Southern Pacific yard scene containing the subjects of this series of books. The well-known SP freight car historian Anthony W. Thompson has authored magazine articles on many SP cars, as well as researching and writing the car section of the book, Pacific Fruit Express, previously published by Signature Press, as well as Volume 1 and Volume 2 in this series.

Table of Contents:
Prologue and Acknowledgments,
1. Introduction;
2. Freight Car Basics;
AUTOMOBILE CARS:
3. From Furniture to Automobiles;
4. Automobile Cars of the 1920s;
5. Hog Fuel Cars;
6. Pre-War Automobile Cars;
7. Post-War Automobile Cars;
FLAT CARS:
8. Early Flat Cars;
9. The Harriman Period;
10. Post-Harriman Flat Cars;
11. Logging and Pulpwood Cars;
12. General-Service Flat Cars after 1940;
13. Piggyback Flat Cars;
14. Modifications and Special Equipment;
15. Heavy-Duty Flat Cars;
Appendix 1: Additions to Volumes 1 and 2;
Appendix 2: Diagrams;
Appendix 3: T&NO Sideboard Flat Cars;
Bibliography, Index.

Signature Press, hard cover with color cover jacket, 416 pages, 8.5 x 11.75 x 1.25 in., 701 photographs, 59 maps and drawings, rosters, bibliography. SP162
Price: 55.95 USD

Southern Pacific Freight Cars Vol. 5: Hoppers, Covered Hoppers, Tank Cars.

Southern Pacific, one of the West's largest and most historic railroads, operated a major fleet of freight cars. The history of those cars is extensive, and this book series is aimed at describing all types of SP freight cars and their histories. The first volume included gondolas and stock cars, while the second covered cabooses, the third addressed automobile cars and flat cars, and the fourth presented box cars. This fifth volume treats hoppers, covered hoppers, and tank cars, and it's primary time period is 1865-1965, with some coverage after those years.

Freight car history has a number of dimensions. Built dates, car numbers, car characteristics are only the bare bones. Also of importance are reasons for construction of a particular car class and exploration of its design heritage, and indications of the longevity and service use of the class, culminating in rebuilding or scrapping. All those factors are addressed here.

The book opens with an introductory section of background information, then the hopper section begins with the early coal cars, followed by open-top steel hopper cars through 1965. The hopper section then turns to covered hoppers (SP regarded them as H classes too), from the first cars of 1946, through new designs, and into cars for special lading, such as Airslide and related cars.

The section on tank cars begins with the early cars, including the Huntington era of the 1890s, then addresses the time of design advances in the early 1900s, followed by Harriman and post-Harriman cars. Then come the several car classes of the period 1920 to 1942. A concluding chapter presents tank cars of the 1960s.

Throughout the book, roster information and builder photos, as well as in-service photos at various points in the life of car classes, document the history. Drawings and lettering diagrams of selected cars are also included. Four appendices (one on standard colors), a detailed bibliography and an index round out the book.

The book's 578 photos (77 in color) of SP hoppers, covered hoppers, and tank cars, most from company and museum archives and never before published, together with 109 drawings, extensive rosters, and bibliography, make it unusually complete and authoritative.

Table of Contents:
Prologue and acknowledgments, pp. 5-8;
Ch. 1: Introduction, pp. 9-14;
Ch. 2: Freight Car Basics, pp. 15-30;
HOPPER CARS: Ch. 3: Early Coal Cars and Hoppers, pp. 31-42;
Ch. 4: Steel Hopper Cars, 1905-1942, pp. 43-64;
Ch. 5: Postwar Open-Top Hopper Cars, pp. 65-92;
Ch. 6: Early Covered Hopper Cars, pp. 93-128;
Ch. 7: New Designs of Covered Hoppers, pp. 129-152;
Ch. 8: Covered Hoppers for Special Lading, pp. 153-182;
TANK CARS: Ch. 9: Early Tank Cars, pp. 183-210;
Ch. 10: Advances in Tank Car Design, pp. 211-232;
Ch. 11: The Harriman Era, pp. 233-268;
Ch. 12: Post-Harriman Tank Cars, pp. 269-296;
Ch. 13: Tank Cars of the Mid-1920s, pp. 297-318;
Ch. 14: Tank Cars, 1928-1942, pp. 319-344;
Ch. 15: Tank Cars after 1960, pp. 345-354;
Appendix 1: Additions to Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4, pp. 355-392;
Appendix 2: Diagrams pp. 393-406;
Appendix 3: Complete Specification, Class O-50-2, pp. 407-422;
Appendix 4: Color Drift Panels, pp. 423-424;
Bibliography, pp. 425-436;
Index pp. 437-448.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 448 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1.5 in., 578 photos, 109 drawings, rosters, bibliography, index. SP247
Price: 58.95 USD

Southern Pacific's Coast Line Pictorial.

For more than a century, the Southern Pacific's Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles was one of the most interesting and scenically spectacular railroad main lines in North America. Once the home of the legendary Daylight and Lark streamliners and of mile-long freight trains behind unique cab-forward articulated steam locomotives, the Coast Line conveyed a steady stream of rail traffic through the coastal mountains and fertile valleys of coastal California and, for many miles, skirted the very edge of the Pacific Ocean. Few rail lines in North America have been as well documented as the Coast Line, most notably in John Signor's The Southern Pacific's Coast Line, published by Signature Press in 1995. With such a comprehensive and detailed account already in print, one might think that another book about the Coast Line would be superfluous. That is not the case, however. Lavishly illustrated though Signor's first book was, many fine and historically interesting photographs failed to make the cut. Then, as often happens, the books publication brought many additional photographs out of the woodwork, and still more were discovered in the course of continuing research by author Signor, publisher Tony Thompson, and other historians of the Southern Pacific. This embarrassment of photographic riches begged to be published, and Thompson and Signor's follow-on pictorial volume on the Coast Line is the result.

Southern Pacific's Coast Line Pictorial contains only a few pages of text. As its title indicates, it is devoted almost entirely to pictures and captions, there are almost 600 photographs, 140 of them in color. And what splendid photographs they are, spanning the entire period from the late nineteenth century to the 1990s (though dating mainly from the late steam and early diesel eras) and illustrating almost every part of the line. Many of these photographs come from the Southern Pacific's own archives. Celebrated western railroad photographers are abundantly represented as well: Ted Benson, Gerald Best, Donald Duke, Stan Kistler, Fred Mathews, Otto Perry, Frank Peterson, John Shaw, Richard Steinheimer, Wil Whittaker, and others. Many lesser known photographers also make important contributions, some of them railroad employees whose SP connections made possible photographs that outsiders wouldn't have been able to take. Occasionally the photographs in the book are of only snapshot quality, when documenting the increasingly distant past, you sometimes have to take what you can get. But all are historically significant, many are superb images, and all are very well reproduced.

While the entire Coast Line is covered, some locations such as Cuesta Grade, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara are illustrated in the kind of depth and detail that modelers, especially, yearn for but seldom get: aerial views, night shots, scenic panoramas, structure photographs, and close-ups of railroad men at work, as well as many shots of locomotives and trains. Informative maps, drawings, timetables, and personal anecdotes are also included. Some readers for whom the Coast Line is just another railroad may regard Southern Pacifics Coast Line Pictorial as overkill, and those whose interests lie mostly in the modern era will find little that raises their pulse rate. However, even rail buffs with only a casual interest in the subject can find much here that is absorbing and informative, and for someone who is especially interested in the history of the Southern Pacific in general and the Coast Line in particular, the book is a treasure trove. As for modelers who wish to replicate any part of the Coast Line in miniature, Southern Pacific's Coast Line Pictorial is an absolute must. Other railroad publications seldom even come close to providing such thorough and extensive photo coverage of a single rail line, the territory it served, and the trains that ran there.

Signature Press, hard cover with jacket, 304 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1.75 in., color and b&w photographs. SP153
Price: 55.95 USD