John White Softcover
The American Railroad Passenger Car recaptures the lost, but
not-too-distant past when 98 percent of all intercity travel in the
United States was by rail. It documents in extraordinary detail the
ingenuity and splendor of the classic trains as well as the rattle and
clatter, the dust and cinders of early rail travel. An unparalleled
record of changes in taste and technology With clarity and precision,
White explains the methods of construction of wood, iron, steel, and
aluminum cars. He traces the evolution of wheels and brakes, dining cars
and sleeping compartments. And he follows the revolutions in taste and
technology that dramatically altered the appearance of the railroad
passenger car over the century and a half that it dominated American
travel. An extraordinary resource for railroad hobbyists Detailed plans
and diagrams accompanying the text make it possible for model-builders
to reconstruct many famous passenger cars themselves. Appendixes contain
biographies of coach builders and designers; numerous tables comparing
models, materials, and prices; a chronology of passenger cars; and an
annotated bibliography.
