Encyclopedia of North American Railroads

William D. Middleton is the author of more than 20 books and many hundreds of articles on rail transportation, engineering, and travel topics. He lives in Charlottsville, Virginia.George M. Smerk taught transportation at Indiana University for more than 40 years. He has written extensively on urban transportation. The most recent of his five books is The Federal Role in Urban Mass Transportation. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana.Roberta L. Diehl was a sponsoring editor at Indiana University Press until her retirement. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

The book, a rich resource for the casual rail enthusiast and the professional scholar of transportation, would be an excellent addition to a public library's reference collection, especially in communities with active model railway groups and/or railway historical societies. March 2009(Reference Reviews) This landmark book will immediately become essential reading for anyone with an interest in railroading. Whether you're a professional railroader or a dyed-in-the wool enthusiast you're sure to find the answer in this encyclopedia.- Kevin P. Keefe, publisher (Trains magazine) This encyclopedia is a monumental work documenting railroad history and is a critical addition for any library collection of railroads, transportation, or North American history. The appendixes alone are worth the purchase price.- Kathleen Weessies (American Reference Books Annual) To distill all of North American railroading into 1,312 pages is a feat in itself; that Encyclopedia of North American Railroads does it so remarkably well is nothing short of phenomenal. This could be the most ambitious railroad book to appear in 100 years! And that's just what the editors wanted.(Trains) . . . For anyone whose life is touched by the railroads—from engineers, scholars, transport professionals, and enthusiasts to model railroaders and the general public—this work should become the basic research tool. . . . Essential. All collections; all levels.(Choice) Straightforward and rich with detail, each entry is written by a different expert and concludes with references. The editors have included period illustrations, photographs, and cartoons that underscore the concepts presented. Sure to interest both laypeople and scholars, this is highly recommended for public libraries and American history collections.(Library Journal)

• Preface Acknowledgments Overview EssaysDevelopment of North American Railroads Keith L. Bryant, Jr.A Social History of American Railroads H. Roger GrantTechnology and Operating Practice in the 19th Century John H. White, Jr.Technology and Operating Practice in the 20th CenturyWilliam D. MiddletonRebuilding a New Rail SystemDon Phillips General EntriesAppendix A: A Statistical Abstract of the Railroads of North America Appendix B: MapsAppendix C: Glossary of Railroad TermsAppendix D: 130 Most Notable Railroad BooksIndex