RR history buffs?

Anonymous-0 · Nov 27, 2012

Years back I read a RR history about the RR pushing westward. I remembered the title as "bright and shining path or way" but googling that now gets nothing about RRs. Does anyone remember that book? Thanks
Leo

Deere Scotty · Nov 27, 2012

I am sort of a buff; cant remember that title. Might try e-bay. I had relatives that worked for the "Monon" railroad in Indiana. Monon RR Society has a fantastic website called "By gone places of the Monon". It is probably one of the top 3 if not the best historical website put out by fans, & followers. Thousands of photographs from the 1850's to present.

Ultradog MN · Nov 27, 2012

"Nothing like it in the world"
By Stephen Ambrose
I found it years ago at a library sale for a dollar.
Great read - as is anything by Ambrose.

Dean · Nov 27, 2012

I have a copy (at home) of a book about the building of the transcontinental railroad that was published about 15 years ago.

IIRC, it is entitled Empire Builders, and is a good read.

If interested, I can check the title tomorrow.

Dean

Anonymous-0 · Nov 27, 2012

I would appreciate that lookup. Thanks

Dean · Nov 27, 2012

OK. I'll check when I get home but it will be very late.

Dean

Bob M · Nov 27, 2012

(quoted from post at 15:51:31 11/27/12) ...IIRC, it is entitled Empire Builders, and is a good read....

You're probably thinking of "Empire Express - Building the First Transcontinental Railroad" by David Hayward Bain. It is a somewhat scholarly work - it contains nearly 100 pages of footnotes/bibliography at the end. It is however an altogether fascinating read.

As Ultradog mentions Ambrose' "Nothing Like It In The World" is also good. Historians claim it was not thoroughly researched and contains some minor factual errors. But it is still very much worth the time.

Tony in Mass. · Nov 27, 2012

When you remember the exact name, check abebooks.com or alibris.com. They aren't as popular as once, but the mustie old railroad coffee table books are offered up on used book sites like those.
There must have been 200 books on the first transcontinental lines. I think the second- SP of Arizona/ ATSF, and the last, Grand Trunk Pacific, were much more interesting, just as romantic- just less historic. No movies on them either..

Dean · Nov 27, 2012

I believe that's it, Bob.

Dean

Anonymous-0 · Nov 27, 2012

I just read an interesting reprint of a book written on RR from 1830 to about 1900 called "The American Railway" 456pages by Thomas Curtis Clarke.
The fascination was with the writer's pride/view of RR in their heyday.
Leo

JerryS · Nov 27, 2012

Most of us have probably seen the famous Hill painting of the driving of the last spike joining the east-west at Promontory Point. A less famous, but my favorite, painting of the scene was on the cover of MAD Magazine back in (1969?). It showed the two sets of rails coming together, but they were about four feet off the mark. Only one rail met. Alfred E. Newman was wielding the hammer, of course.

Dean · Nov 27, 2012

I've actually seen that.

It must have been a government project.

Dean

Anonymous-0 · Nov 27, 2012

Saw the TV piece.Gelignite not too effective in the rockies so changed to Nitro, many workers were blown up mostly Chinese.

Dean · Nov 28, 2012

Bob M is correct. It is, indeed, The Empire Express.

It it a very good read.

Dean

RR history buffs?

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