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Whistle Posts West: Railway Tales from British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon
Everybody has a train story. Whether it comes from a distant relative who worked on the railways or from a family train trip that formed a lasting impression of the Canadian landscape, trains inspire a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They are embedded in the history of Canada as a whole and western Canada in particular, and for generations they were how most people travelled and saw the country. Today, trains get the most attention in the context of tragedy, in the aftermath of rare but catastrophic derailments. However, train stories go beyond these modern-day disaster tales or romantic glimpses into the past. Whistle Posts West presents a compelling array of stories that illustrate how and why the railways continue to capture our imaginations. From the heartbreaking to the humorous, from the awe-inspiring to the absurd, this fascinating collection of railway tales from BC and Alberta is sure to please.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 17, 2016
Well, that was a book, wasn't it.
I don't know if it was because I don't know Canadian history, literature, and tv shows, or if the writer really was that bad. Sometimes they (as it is a group effort) would write about something that I suppose was funny if you know the author they were joking about, or the popular show, or the well known historical event, but it meant nothing to me.
And then, when something is accessible, such as the story of a train robbery, it turns out to be the dullest train robbery every written.
I picked up this book when I was doing research abaout a novel I was trying to write, which was set at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, and involved train travel in Canada. I though this would be good for rearch, but oh, my goddess, it was so dull. I would have DNF, but I just wanted to get it over with, and not have it haunt me.
They wrote about women working on trains during both world wars, and then went into a story of someone riding the rails in modern times. They wrote about a mysterious trip that sounded as though it was going to have an exiting conclusion, but it turned out to be about oil people trying to bid on land in Alaska.
I suppose if you are a train buff, this would work for you. But, for me, once it gone out of the 19th century, it was so dull I kept putting this book down.
Two stars because they tried.
I don't know if it was because I don't know Canadian history, literature, and tv shows, or if the writer really was that bad. Sometimes they (as it is a group effort) would write about something that I suppose was funny if you know the author they were joking about, or the popular show, or the well known historical event, but it meant nothing to me.
And then, when something is accessible, such as the story of a train robbery, it turns out to be the dullest train robbery every written.
I picked up this book when I was doing research abaout a novel I was trying to write, which was set at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, and involved train travel in Canada. I though this would be good for rearch, but oh, my goddess, it was so dull. I would have DNF, but I just wanted to get it over with, and not have it haunt me.
They wrote about women working on trains during both world wars, and then went into a story of someone riding the rails in modern times. They wrote about a mysterious trip that sounded as though it was going to have an exiting conclusion, but it turned out to be about oil people trying to bid on land in Alaska.
I suppose if you are a train buff, this would work for you. But, for me, once it gone out of the 19th century, it was so dull I kept putting this book down.
Two stars because they tried.
September 27, 2019
A fun little read, this book covers a wide range of stories ranging from tales of danger to history and modern day travel/tourism involving trains. Quite a bit of good history in here, and I learned a number of things about Canadian history that I did not know before reading this book. If you enjoy reading about trains ... or reading about Canadian history ... or reading about the history of Canadian trains, then this book is for you.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews