ALONG THE RAILS IN THE AMERICAN MIDWEST SOUTH & WEST OF CHICAGO

Along the Rails in the American Midwest: South and West of Chicago explores one of North America's busiest railroad crossroads through nearly three decades of remarkable change. In this volume, Jeremy F. Plant and Jeffrey G. Plant document the railroads of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and neighboring states between 1970 and 1999, following the busy corridors radiating from Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. From legendary Class I railroads to fascinating terminal lines and short lines, the book captures an era when first-generation diesel locomotives, classic passenger trains, and colorful freight operations still dominated the Midwestern landscape.

Featuring over 150 full-color photographs, the book showcases an extraordinary variety of railroads, including the Santa Fe, Rock Island, Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, Chicago & North Western, Burlington Northern, Milwaukee Road, Illinois Central Gulf, Missouri Pacific, Frisco, and many others. Readers will experience iconic locations such as Joliet, Chicago, St. Louis Union Station, Galesburg, Edelstein Hill, and Kansas City while witnessing the final years of classic cab units, Fairbanks-Morse locomotives, Alcos, and early second-generation diesels before mergers and modernization transformed the region forever. Filled with historical insight, personal stories, and expertly researched captions, Along the Rails in the American Midwest: South and West of Chicago is both a nostalgic photographic journey and an invaluable record of Midwestern railroading during one of its most dynamic periods.