The Boomer: A Story of the Rails

by Harry Bedwell, Harry Bedwell

Eddie Sand is railroading with a capital R. A “boomer,” Eddie travels the country making a living as a telegraph operator wherever he finds himself. Never content to sit behind a desk or undertake “the upkeep of a blonde,” Eddie’s courage, restlessness, and cunning lead him to high adventure. Harry Bedwell’s The Boomer portrays an elite fraternity of railroad men—men who were driven by one of the defining elements of the American character: a desire to wander. They were the glamour and glory of railroading, and no one was better equipped to tell their story than Bedwell. He reveals the behind-the-scenes battles that were fought to keep the trains running. This edition also includes a glossary of railroad slang and a bibliography of Bedwell’s work. Originally published in 1942, Harry Bedwell’s The Boomer is widely considered the best railroad novel ever written. “An exciting yarn in sinewy prose . . . it has almost everything except sound effects.” — New York Herald Tribune Harry Bedwell (1888–1955) is the author of more than sixty short stories. The Boomer is his only novel. James D. Porterfield is the author of several books, including From the Dining Car: The Recipes and Stories behind Today’s Greatest Rail Dining Experiences.

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2006

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fictional (with probably autobiographical elements) story of Eddie Sands, a boomer, an itinerant skilled railroad worker who followed the development booms wrought by the iron road. Sands is a very skilled brass-pounder (telegraph operator).

The episodic nature of this novel is probably due to many of the chapters having been originally stand alone short stories (the novel as a whole was first published in 1942 while some parts had been published as early as 1936). Because of this, we do not really get a satisfying character development arc in the hero Eddie Sands. He pretty much "keeps on keeping on." You could make the claim that his attitude toward women changes over time. Maybe. This is a novel definitely set in a different time, in an overwhelmingly male dominated industry, so it shouldn't be judged on the merits of how it deals with women. I was actually pleased and a little surprised that there were a few strong female characters in the book. Racially and ethnically speaking, there were Native Americans and Mexicans mentioned as manual laborers, a "colored boy" as a servant and a minor character of a little girl who was "half Mexican." None of these characters were disparaged, but rather treated in roles that fit the much more limited opportunities of the time.

The best thing about this book is the fact that it is a mostly realistic, contemporaneous record of a time and industry that doesn't exist anymore. People don't talk, work, dress or play this way anymore. My favorite slang was the use of "pious" for situations for which we might say "righteous" or maybe meaning a situation without deceit, honest.

Hop on the "careless road" folks (just the men folk), if you don't want any entanglements or to pay for "the upkeep of a blonde."

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully elegant, episodic telling of a story on the rails. Some call this the best of its genre; I'd not be contrary.