SKE Stuff — Railroads

Railroads

Lowest new price: $5.60
Lowest used price: $0.03
List price: $12.99
Author: Ernest Gordon

Now A Major Motion Picture Starring Robert Carlyle and Kiefer Sutherland 'Waking from a dream, I suddenly realized where I was: in the Death House--in a prison camp by the River Kwai. I was a prisoner of war, lying among the dead, waiting for the bodies to be carried away so that I might have more room.' When Ernest Gordon was twenty-four he was captured by the Japanese and forced, with other British prisoners, to build the notorious 'Railroad of Death', where nearly 16,000 Prisoners of War gave their life. Faced with the appalling conditions of the prisoners' camp and the brutality of the captors, he survived to become an inspiring example of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. To End All Wars is Ernest Gordon's gripping true story behind both the Academy Award-winning film The Bridge on the River Kwai starring Alec Guinness and the new film To End All Wars directed by David Cunningham.

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A Passion for Trains: The Railroad Photography of Richard Steinheimer

Lowest new price: $53.12
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List price: $85.00
Author: Richard Steinheimer

A tribute to the most revered railroad photographer of our time.

To the true rail fan, Richard Steinheimer is an authentic hero, the best of the best. This, the first full-length celebration of his work, presents 160 of his duotone images, with an introduction by Jeff Brouws.

A pioneer in train photography, Steinheimer lived through and documented the railroad's heyday and its decline. He is one of very few photographers who appreciate the aesthetics of all locomotives, from steam engines to the latest diesel-powered behemoths. He has a particular fondness for the landscape of the American West, and many of his images situate trains in the larger geography and culture of the time. Known for taking pictures at night, in bad weather, and from risky perches on top of moving train platforms, Steinheimer has an enormous creativity and productivity. 160 duotone photographs

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The City Beneath Us: Building the New York Subway

Lowest new price: $28.90
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List price: $45.00
Author: New York Transit Museum

A newly discovered cache of magnificent historical photographs.

There have been, and will be, other books on the New York City subway system, but none have had access to the wonderful photographic prints from the collections of the New York Transit Museum that are presented in this volume. Made from 8 x 10-inch glass negatives after the turn of the last century, and reproduced here in glorious duotone, over 175 images show the incredible construction techniques and details involved in creating the underground marvel we enjoy today. From "cut and cover" and deep tunneling to sinking under-river tubes and disastrous cave-ins, these photographs are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The book is accompanied by an engaging, illustrated history of the subway system. Published in honor of the New York City subway's centennial, The City Beneath Us will fascinate anyone who's ever been amazed by the gigantic undertaking that is New York City transportation. 175 duotone and 40 black-and-white photographs.

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Golden Age of Transport Luggage Labels: 20 Vintage Luggage Label Stickers (Travel Stickers)

Lowest new price: $5.08
Lowest used price: $7.41
List price: $8.95

This box of 20 individual peel and stick luggage labels are suitable for scrapbooking, decoupage, gift wrapping and, of course the adornment of old trunks and luggage. This selection celebrates transport by air, land and sea; some of the airline labels we include are: TWA, Trans Asiatic, Air India, TACA, and Czechoslovak Airlines. There are ocean liner labels from Matson, Cunard, N.Y.K. and Canadian Pacific. The railroad labels include the Northern Pacific line, The Orient Express, The Flying Scotsman and the Brienzer Rothorn. Only a vastly ambitious traveler could have achieved this selection on their own.

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The Lionel FasTrack Book

Lowest new price: $17.47
Lowest used price: $15.10
List price: $29.95
Author: Robert Schleicher

When Lionel introduced its new FasTrack system in 2004, model train enthusiasts quickly warmed to the increased realism—right down to the integrated roadbed and darkened center rail—and the greater ease of use. In this book, the author of The Big Book of Lionel presents the first complete guide to the FasTrack system. Amply illustrated with color photographs and 36 track diagrams, the book instructs readers on every aspect of the system, from assembling and disassembling FasTrack to building a simply oval, planning a layout within various space constraints, building tracks for two trains and reversing trains, and designing unique layouts—even yard layouts.

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How Steam Locomotives Really Work (Popular Science)

Lowest new price: $10.11
Lowest used price: $4.86
List price: $25.00
Author: P. W. B. Semmens

Steam locomotives were developed in the early part of the 19th Century, initially by Trevithick, and then most successfully by George Stephenson, whose engine Locomotion inaugurated the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. For the next 150 years, steam locomotives were further developed and refined, until the advent of new electrical technology superseded them. Although British Railways operated its last main-line steam locomotives in 1968, there is still immense interest in the large numbers of locomotives that have been privately preserved, and which run on heritage railways and in various parts of the world. This book describes the anatomy and physiology of the steam train, to enable all train enthusiasts to understand the workings of the various types of engines in use. It covers the design of the engine, the process of converting fuel into mechanical tractive effort to haul passenger and freight trains, and the function and design of the various components of the engine. The authors also outline the reasons behind the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of steam locomotives. Although the steam locomotive originated in the UK, there were parallel lines of development in North America and in various other European countries, many of which introduced their own individual features. These are dealt with in the book, which will appeal to railway enthusiasts throughout the world.

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EMD Locomotives

Lowest new price: $25.89
Lowest used price: $23.78
List price: $40.00
Author: Brian Solomon

In February 2005, General Motors announced its decision to sell its Electro-Motive Division (EMD), thus ending its 75-year association with one of the most renowned brands in railroading. Looking at the heritage of the venerable EMD in light of this momentous development, this monumental volume offers an overview of the great locomotive maker unprecedented in its scope and unparalleled in the spectacular quality of its photographs. Leading railroad author and photographer Brian Solomon provides an authoritative, comprehensive account of EMD’s history, from its genesis in 1922 as the independent Electro-Motive Corporation, to GM’s acquisition of the company in 1930, and on through the age of today’s ""superpower"" locomotives. From the earliest 1920s railcars to the iconic mid-century F units, workhorse GP and SD locomotives, and Dash series; to the company’s race with its chief competitor, General Electric, to reach 6,000 horsepower, EMD’s complete story unfolds here in depth and detail, illustrated with a wealth of archival photos from across the country, as well as a remarkable collection of color photography from top railway photographers of the last half century.

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The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro (Creating the North American Landscape)

Lowest new price: $22.01
Lowest used price: $22.05
List price: $33.00
Author: Zachary M. Schrag

Drivers in the nation's capital face a host of hazards: high-speed traffic circles, presidential motorcades, jaywalking tourists, and bewildering signs that send unsuspecting motorists from the Lincoln Memorial into suburban Virginia in less than two minutes. And parking? Don't bet on it unless you're in the fast lane of the Capital Beltway during rush hour.

Little wonder, then, that so many residents and visitors rely on the Washington Metro, the 106-mile rapid transit system that serves the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs. In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Zachary M. Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day, from Arlington to College Park, Eisenhower to Marion Barry.

Unlike the pre–World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways. Why did the nation's capital take a different path? What were the consequences of that decision?

Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born: the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world's richest nation. The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create "a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community."

Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days, including general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land-use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders. The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and the promises and limits of rail transit in American cities.

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The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865

Lowest new price: $25.35
Lowest used price: $25.00
List price: $29.95
Author: Thomas Weber

Time has been very good to Thomas Weber's Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865. First published by Columbia University Press in 1952, it has been out of print since the 1970s, but never out of demand. It has emerged as the premier account of the impact of the railroads on the American Civil War and vice versa. Not only did the railroads materially help the north to victory through movement of troops and materiel, but the war materially changed the way railroads were built, run, financed, and organized in the crucial years following the war.

We are still waiting (9/1/98) for the reviews to come from the author's files.

"Thomas Weber's study of northern railroads during the Civil War remains the obvious treatment of an important topic. His analysis rests on solid research and leaves no doubt that the North's excellent use of railroads contributed significantly to Union victory."
—Gary W. Gallagher

(shortened)
"Thomas Weber's... analysis rests on solid research and leaves no doubt that the North's excellent use of railroads contributed significantly to Union victory."
—Gary W. Gallagher

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Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1945-1969

Lowest new price: $97.98
Lowest used price: $9.79
List price: $32.99
Author: David Doyle

Short of including toy train smoke and the sound of wheels clicking along the rails, this new edition delivers all the details Lionel Train collectors need to enjoy their hobby to the fullest. "Standard Catelog of Lionel Trains" 1945-1969 features: more than 1,100 vibrant color photos, detailing the unique features of steam and diesel locomotives, electric locomotives, rolling boxcars, railroad accessories and more; current collector pricing and rarity ratings to help novice and expert collectors stay up-to-date and make smart purchases and sales; and tips for operating, maintaining and repairing trains, which helps collectors create a quality collection. Lionel Train fanatics and the people who love them will enjoy this beautifully illustrated and extensively informative reference.

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