Goin' Railroading: Two Generations of Colorado Stories

by Margaret Coel, Sam Speas

As America, carried along by the expanding rail system, moved westward in the nineteenth century, few occupations seemed more exciting or romantic than that of railroad engineer. And in the mountains and plains of the West, long hours, backbreaking labor, bitter temperatures, and faulty brakes were the crucible in which the best of the early railroaders were only the most dedicated and skilled men passed the tests the narrow-gauge lines of Colorado meted out. Goin' Railroading is the story of two generations of such men, four members of the Speas family who, from the open cabs of narrow-gauge steam engines, watched Colorado grow. Sam Speas tells the story of his father, Sam Speas Sr., who left Missouri in 1883 to become an engineer in Colorado, and recounts his own experiences and those of his brothers and fellow railroaders on the Colorado and Southern Railway, from the golden era of the narrow-gauge lines in South Park to the final days of steam power on the Front Range and the coming of the diesel engine. His stories are a profound document of a vanished way of life, a testament to the courage and tenacity of the early citizens of Colorado, and a tribute to the rough-hewn, often gallant men who took the trains through incredible, almost unbelievable, hazards. Funny, tragic, bittersweet, and poignant, Goin' Railroading is a remarkable book that brings a portion of the history and people of an earlier Colorado to vibrant life.

Genres: Railways, History

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Margaret Coel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the acclaimed novels featuring Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden, as well as several works of nonfiction. Originally a historian by trade, she is considered an expert on the Arapaho Indians.

Reviews

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful memoir of Sam Speas Jr. "as told" to his daughter Margaret Coel, a popular mystery writer and a fine historian in her own right. It covers over 100 years of history of the Speas family, and the men who went 'railroading.' For an informative look of the railroads, cities, people, steam operations, occupations, administration, and growth of the railroads, I don't think you can beat this. Told in a conversational tone (well, doh), it just brims with information and excitement. With the historical investigation, it cites its claims and provides a close-up look of what, 'goin' railroading' meant for the men, their wives, and families. Well done.

[Steven Haworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful biography, tracking what it was like to live and work in Colorado, from about 1885 through 1967. You also get a deep slice of what the depression and dust bowl years were like, the impact of both wars on work in the US, and how early union movements started, and labor rights on railroads came into being.

And for the railfan, it's a wonderful slice of life on the South Park, and later C&S, from narrow gauge years through mainline running with 1st-generation diesels, in the mountains.

HIGHLY recommended!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked "Little Engines Big Men" better, but this collection of stories of a man and his father working on the Colorado railroads for a span of a century was still fascinating. What a super specific treasure of a book to exist in an age where railroaders are a generation that has passed.

[Nicole Schiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED. so informative, was a beautiful retelling of the narrow gauge railroading life of the late 1800s in Colorado

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised by the low rating. This was my first Coel book--living in Colorado, being a history and RR buff I loved it. She's writing about her own family--wonderful slice of life in late 19th & early 20th century Colorado.