Ghost Trains: Images from America's Railroad Heritage

by James P. Bell

Ghost Trains features a new selection of James P. Bell's evocative black and white photographs of the remains of the American steam railroad. The book contains accounts of twenty-three iconic railroad journeys from around the country, fully illustrated with Bell's atmospheric images of trains under full steam, rusting locos, derelict branch lines, roundhouses, depots, and the rotting remains of once mighty rail tracks. Ghost Trains is a visual feast for any one interested in American steam, and its once-mighty railroad network.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Full name: James Pinkney Pleasant Bell.

Reviews

[Richard Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading American history, but especially when the book's content conjures up nostalgic memories that are near and dear to me. Ghost Trains does exactly that! Each page offers a journey through time that I personally relate to. One moment you are reading about how one particular old train was used in filming the remake of True Grit, or dozens of other movies involving 20th century engines, while the next moment I'm looking at a fantastic photo of an old railway depot my wife and I viewed while traveling aboard Amtrak trains such as the Empire Builder or Southwest Chief. True, you need to be a train enthusiast to enjoy this book, but if you even remotely enjoy the mystique of trains, I think you will really enjoy this book. Good job, James P. Bell!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look at railroad and railroad depots.

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful black and white photographs of different trains and depots. It's a good read if you actually read it but it's also great just for looking at the photographs.