Workin’ on the Railroad: Reminiscences from the Age of Steam

by Richard Reinhardt

“The mighty railroad occupied the undisputed center of American public life. The railroad founded cities, populated states, created governments, destroyed the wilderness. It was the great speculator, the political tyrant, the recruiter of immigrants, the opener of new lands, the cynosure of poets and pioneers, the symbol of adventure, opportunity, escape, and power. . . . Yet, the railroad man, for all his historic importance, his archetypal stature, and his economic power, has achieved only a minor position in American literature.”--from Workin’ on the Railroad

In Workin’ on the Railroad, Richard Reinhardt presents firsthand accounts from engineers, brakemen, porters, conductors, section men, roundhouse workers, switchmen, telegraphers, surveyors, and other neglected pioneers who worked the railroad during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Age of Steam.

 

Genres: Trains, Railways, History

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Toppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well-picked accounts of everyone involved with railroading--from the surveyors to the brakemen to the conductors and everyone between. Reinhardt has a great sense of humor and depth of knowledge as he guides the reader from profession to profession.

[Cws]

J385Rei

[Wayne Dunshee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Interesting stories from every job position you could imagine. I never realized how dangerous it was.