The Brasspounder

by D. Sanders

The author begins the book this "This is the story of how it used to be in the romantic days of railroading, when the entire force, from the policymaker at the top to the track laborer at the bottom, took pride in a railroad's service, its efficiency, its safety, and its personal appearance ... and 'on time' was a religion."Originally published in 1978, "The Brasspounder" won the Ohioana Book Award of 1979 in the category of The Ohio Scene. The author was D.G. Sanders who worked 50 years for the Pennsylvania Railroad as a telegrapher and block operator. The book is being republished by his daughter and editor, Sandra Sanders Breuer. When Mr. Sanders began working for the Pennsy in 1915 at age 16 (he lied about his age), working for the railroad was like becoming an astronaut in a later age, he said. It was the most thrilling job you could have. The flavor of the book is suggested by some of the chapter "Breaking in," "Long Nights, Bright Days," "The Wally Flyer," "A Visit into Yesterday," "High Jinks and Humor," "Heroes and Goats," "Pulling the Pin." One of the most gripping chapters is the one in which Sanders was called as a potential witness in a murder trial. Long out of print, used original copies of "The Brasspounder" continue to sell briskly, as it is one of the most vivid books ever written about American railroads of the 20th Century.

199 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2014

Reviews

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun

I love trains and Mr. Sanders puts me right at the "six foot" margin to a memorable era. Happy memories of the PRR.

[William O. Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised. Sometimes you purchase a Kindle book and you sometimes wonder, did I just waste a few bucks or have I found an enjoyable read? I am glad to say, this is a definite good read!

The book is written in an autobiographical manor which I found engaging. The author writes very well and you can easily visualize what it may have been like as he describes the (cultural) time period in the first few decades of the 20th century when the railroads and telegraph came of age and matured.