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

ALCo's DL-640 Locomotive, A Year of Demonstrations, A Half Century of Service.

Beginning with the 1960 demonstration tours, this book looks back on almost a half-century history of this often underestimated locomotive design that managed to sell only 26 units, but led to several of ALCo's most successful designs in the Century Series. And despite a nomadic existence, has achieved a remarkable longevity, led by 2 units that remain in operation today.

Author Chris Mac Dermot chronicles with great insight and rare wit his year riding and technically supporting the demonstrator units. Author Dick Steinbrenner documents the migrations of each of the individual units during the course of their lifetimes.

The authors and railroaders engaged in operation and maintenance of the DL-640s provide a technical analysis of those factors that contributed to their longevity.

Contents:
Ch. 1: Executing the Design of the DL-640, pp. 6-13;
Ch. 2: Demonstrating the DL-640, pp. 14-58;
Ch. 3: Production, pp. 59-102;
Ch. 4: The Wandering Survivors, pp. 103-151;
Appendix:
A-1: Chris Mac Dermot's Logbook, pg. 153;
A-2: Demonstration Report on the New York Central, pp. 154-167;
A-3: Railroad Maps of the Twin Cities, pp. 168-171;
Technical Information, pp. 171-174.

On Track Publishers, hard cover with jacket, 176 pages, 11 x 8.5 x .75 in., color and b&w photographs (150 in color), Publicity Releases, Maps, Plans, Technical Reports.

Fifth edition. Lists nearly 600 short lines and regional railroads in the United States and Canada. Includes line history, locations, radio frequencies, reporting marks and locomotive data.

Though out of date after printing, many short lines are unchanged. This book is a good outline of short lines plus includes some historical data (prior ownership, mileage, rail size, etc.).

Kalmbach Books, soft cover, 368 pages, 8.5 x 5.5 x .75 in, 100 b&w photographs. kb01073
Price: 14.95 USD

The Burlington Northern caboose fleet is presented in color pictures and roster via the pre-merger numbering system assigned to existing cabooses of the railroads that formed the BN. Includes the 1990-1992 Caboose Rebuild Program, the Univans, and rosters over the years.

Great Northern Pacific Publications, laminated hard cover, 120 pages, 8.75 x 11.25 x .5 in., color photographs and rosters. gnpp106
Price: 39.95 USD

Ch. 1: BNSF Railway and its Revenue Freight Car Fleet, pp. 5-11;
Ch. 2: BNSF Railway New Freight Car Acquisitions 1996-2008, pp. 12-15;
Intermodal Double Stack Well Cars, pp. 16-22;
Automobile Carrier Cars, pp. 23-24;
Covered Hopper Cars, pp. 25-37;
Gondola Cars, pp. 38-41;
Coil Steel Gondola Cars, pg. 42;
Woodchip Gondola Cars, pp. 43-44;
Flat Cars, pp. 45-49;
Taconite Ore Cars, pg. 50;
Open Top Hopper Cars, pp. 51-52;
Box Cars, pp. 53-64;
Insulated Box Cars, pp. 65-70;
Work Equipment Cars, pp. 71-84;
The Boeing Fleet Aircraft Parts Car Fleet, pp. 85-91;
Diesel Fuel Tank Cars and Fuel Tenders, pp. 92-95;
Appendix A BNSF Revenue Cars Retired, pp. 97-101;
Bibliography, pg. 102;
Appendix C: AAR Code Definitions, pg. 102;
Appendix D: BN Pre-merger Railway Reporting Mark Revenue Freight Car Statistics, pg. 103;
Appendix E: Cross Reference to BNSF Railway Car Number Series Published within Volumes 1 and 2, pg. 104.

Great Northern Pacific Publications, laminated hard cover, 104 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., roster, diagrams and color photographs. gnpp104
Price: 39.95 USD

California Railroad Systems map (2007)

This map includes four insets showing details of Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco.

DeskMap Systems, rolled map, 24 x 36 in., printed in color. dsca07
Price: 29.95 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: 29.95 USD

Canadian National Motive Power Review Volume 1 (revised edition). Engines on the roster just prior to the Illinois Central merger July 1, 1999. Build Data and Roster information thoroughly updated including retirement and other disposition info.

A few photos (newer than June 1999) were added as some of the original photos did not fit into the new format, all photos are of engines on the roster as of June 30, 1999.

Monte Vista Publishing, soft cover, 96 pages, all color photographs, roster.

This revised Second Edition is an update on Chessie's Road authored by Dr. Charles Wilson Turner and published in 1955 as the standard history of the C&O Railway. With a grant from the Chessie System Railroads the book has been updated.

The updating consists of a postscript of some of the events of 1940-1954 in Dr. Turner's last major chapter, and the addition of a summary of trends in railroading and on the C&O in the period 1954-1985. The expansion consists of the addition of several chapters on the development of some of C&O's technological achievements (especially locomotives and rolling stock), as well as photographs, maps and drawings. The original illustrations been supplied by the railway's Public Relations Department, but for this edition a better selection has been made from the archives of the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society. In addition, text has been included about the Hocking Valley and Pere Marquette Railways. A chapter giving a general overview of the C&O and setting it in its geographical context precedes the original text; this should help the reader visualize the areas being discussed in the other chapters.

C&O Historical Society, laminated hardcover, 8.5 x 11 x 1.5 in., 323 pages. cohs105
Price: 39.95 USD

Chicago Union Station: A Look at Its History and Operations Before Amtrak.

Chicago Union Station is the newest of Chicago's great railway terminals. Its creators recognized the potential of combining the newest building and railway technologies. The stations architects created a design in accordance with the Chicago Plan, an elegant design for a city rising from the success of the Columbian Exhibition of 1893.

Chicago Union Station was served by four major railroads all coming from different directions, at different times with one common purpose-to extend their properties and participate in the growing commerce of Chicago. The railroads serving the station were the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (The Milwaukee Road), and the Chicago and Alton (later merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio). This book is intended to provide a glimpse into the exciting history of and daily operations at Chicago Union Station in the years before Amtrak. Enjoy the journey.

Contents:
Ch. 1: In the Beginning, pp. 7-16;
Ch. 2: Chicago's Union Station, pp. 17-20;
Ch. 3: Delay, Delay, and Then a Grand Opening, pp. 21-24;
Ch. 4: A Few More Projects to Finish, pp. 25-28;
Ch. 5: Up and Running, pp. 29-40;
Ch. 6: The Company and the Public, pp. 41-50;
Ch. 7: Yards and Such, pp. 51-62;
Ch. 8: Mail, Express and Baggage, pp. 63-72;
Ch. 9: Arrivals and Departures (train schedules with photographs), pp. 73-96.

Pixels Publishing, soft cover, 96 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .25 in., color and b&w photographs. pp304
Price: 24.95 USD