Oct 06, 2010 nearly 400 old railroad maps, most in full color, plus many historical photos, brochures, and posters, combine to provide a new perspective on the north american railroad. The historical guide to north american railroads, 3rd edition. The alaska railroad extends 470 miles north from the coastal community of seward, all the way to the interior alaska city of fairbanks. The nations first major railroad transported coal from western maryland and virginia to baltimore, the initial big haul of the industry. Historical atlas of the north american railroad by derek. The third edition is available from major scripophily dealers, worldwide or from. Today, railroads haul nearly 70% of american coal to its destination and move 60 to 70% of ethanol transported in america. Antique map map of red river with its bayous and lakes in the vicinity of raft ending mar 3 at 11. Historical atlas of the north american railroad also explains how the railroad transformed the economic and social life of a continent, fundamentally changing the two north. Historical atlas of the north american railroad university of.
The great northerns route was the northernmost transcontinental railroad route in the u. During this time about 1 million acres were actually used, which helped build 18,738 miles of new railroad. Professional railroad atlas north america abebooks. Reviewed in the united states on february 27, 2014. Traveling is a fun and exciting way to spend your off time. Rand mcnally new official railroad map of the united states and southern canada. See the entire north american railroad system in an interactive way that no wall map can provide. The north american railway foundation foundation was formed on october 22, 1996 as a nonprofit organization a private operating foundation. A bestselling historian returns with a visually sumptuous look at how the railroad transformed north america. Freight rail map of class i carriers in north america. Railroad maps 18281900 library of congress geography and map division american memory railroad maps central pacific railroad maps cpr photographic history museum railroad maps 1891 grain dealers and shippers gazette maps pam rietsch revolutionary war maps. Outline map of the northeastern united states showing relief by hachures, drainage, and place names concentrated along the main line between omaha city and tifflin, ohio. Whether created exclusively for our popular map of the month feature or as the graphics to illustrate a story, trains maps are among the best youll find anywhere to capture the rich details and overarching themes of great railroading. A far better plan is to let great rail journeys do all of the hard work for you.
Available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. The historical guide to north american railroads, 3rd edition trains books trains magazine on. There are about 150,000 miles 240,000 km of railroad track in the united states, nearly all standard gauge. This updated encyclopedia of railroading presents history, photos, route maps, and fast facts for 170 north american railroads.
Here the latest of derek hayess historical atlases delves into the history of the railroad in north america, from its origins in. A new, searchable index makes locating information easy and fast. Americas freight railroads operate the safest, most efficient, costeffective, and environmentally sound freight transportation system in the world and the association of american railroads aar is committed to keeping it that way. Guide to north americas tourist railways and museums 6th. Historical map web sites perrycastaneda map collection. Mike walker, the longtime cartographer behind the industry standard comprehensive railroad atlas of north america, has authorized railfandepot to reprint his excellent railroad atlases as they go out of print at spv. Openrailwaymap an openstreetmapbased project for creating a map of the worlds railway infrastructure. Historical atlas of the north american railroad 2010. The historical guide to north american railroads trains books trains magazine isbn. The rail heritage of north america north america s railroads have come a long way since the days of the iron horses that traversed the old wild west.
The great northerns route was the northernmost transcontinental railroad. Its purpose is to explore, nurture and support railway safety, efficiency and technology and to educate about and preserve the history of railroads in the united states and canada. Professional railroad atlas of north america 4th edition. Railroad maps, 1828 to 1900, available online library of. Cp has numerous routing options across canada and the u. Americas long romance with the train has been the subject of many books, but none has used contemporary maps to comprehensively illustrate the story. New maps of historic north american railroads by david. America by rail blog train trips train tours america. List of common carrier freight railroads in the united. Interactive planning map discover more of america with. The classic system maps produced by the railroads of the day. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
Although this vision was eclipsed for a time by the rise of air travel and trucking, railroads have enjoyed a rebirth in recent years as profitable freight carriers. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at. John stovers book, the routledge historical atlas of the american railroads, notes that between 1850 and 1871 the u. They teach us about one of americas oldest industries, how it functions, and its continued importance within todays economy. About this collection railroad maps, 18281900 digital. Rail transportation in the united states wikipedia. Great scenic railway journeys guide to north americas tourist to railways and museums paperback,whether you are looking for a fun and exciting vacation by rail or are a diehard rail enthusiast, with over 500 tourist railways, railroad museums, and other railroad related attractions across the united states and canada, this guidebook has an adventure for everyone. Mouse over or click on a track segment and youll find information including owner, traffic density, type of signaling and much more. Many in the public have no idea that many of the everyday products and items found on their store shelves. Start browsing abandoned routes by clicking on a state in the u. The classic system maps produced by the railroads of the day, collected for the first time in this volume, offer a sweeping view of the industrys remarkable reach in the period of its greatest power. This is a list of current and former class i railroads in north america under the older criteria and the newer as well as todays much different post railroad consolidation classifications.
America by rail offers many tours through america s west. Map of the western railroad to springfield, boston and albany routes. Other highlights include trips behind shay steam locomotives on the redwood forest steam railroad and yosemite mountain sugar pine railroad, the. Was a gift and the person who received the gift was thrilled with the pictures and information. At its postwar peak, the north american railroad industry comprised as many as one hundred lines. This site is maintained by terry cox, author of collectible stocks and bonds from north american railroads, third edition. Book your train and bus tickets today by choosing from over 30 u. An outofservice line that is still owned by a railroad company would still appear on this map, as the point of the map is to show were trains no longer run, not its current legal status. Railway maps and guides for the usa and north america omnimap. If you have any interest in the history of north american railroads at all, this is a great book. Whether you are looking for a fun and exciting vacation by rail or are a diehard rail enthusiast, with over 500 tourist railways, railroad museums, and other.
Featuring thousands of miles of abandoned railroad routes. They include csx, norfolk southern ns, burlington northern and santa fe bnsf, union pacific up, canadian pacific cp, canadian national railway cn, and the kansas city. Great scenic railway journeys is an emmy awardwinning series on kpbs. The central pacific railroad forms a portion of the great line of rail which now traverses the american continent from omaha to san francisco, and which, as omaha is also connected by rail with new york, boston and philadelphia, literally brings the atlantic and pacific oceans within a weeks journey of each other. The historical guide to north american railroads, 3rd. The coastal classic route offers service south of anchorage to seward, while the glacier discovery route serves the town of whittier. There are in the collections of the library of congress thousands of american railroad maps as well as numerous general maps showing railroad routes as part of the transportation network. New, relayed or reconditioned, we can supply everything from the ballast up. From point of order to timely delivery, experience. Nearly 400 old railroad maps, most in full color, plus many historical photos, brochures, and posters, combine to provide a new perspective on the north american railroad. Antique map battles of mexico line of operations of the u.
All of the maps are in full color and the major railroad lines are colorcoded. The atlas has over 100 pages of railroad maps and related information. The historical guide to north american railroads trains. The great northern railway reporting mark gn was an american class i railroad. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. Or, you can see abandoned railroad routes of a particular railroad company. Spvs comprehensive railroad atlas of north america. Lavishly illustrated and a joy to read, this authoritative reference work on the north american continents railroads covers the u. The maps, which are in the custody of the geography and map division, vary widely in area, content, and scale.
Here the latest of derek hayess historical atlases delves into the history of the railroad in north america, from its origins in britain in the 1820s and short lines connecting eastern seaboard rivers in the. Freight rail map of class i carriers in north america acw. It provides general information on many single companies and thus lets you arrive at the bigger picture by adding it all up. The library of congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes and is not aware of any u. Book of the pageant, railroads on parade, presented at the new york worlds fair, 1939, to do full tribute to the american railroad. Freight railroads railroads are the lifeblood for north americas freight transportation. Resources transcontinental railroad spotlight at stanford. The northern pacific railroad, the sioux, and the panic of 1873 by m. Freight railroads railroads are the lifeblood for north america s freight transportation. Learn about railroad lines that were abandoned or merged and discover why, plus take a look at major railroads that are still currently in operation. This richly illustrated encyclopedia of classic and contemporary american railroads features concise histories of 101 u.
My expectation was that this would be the ultimate guide to north american railroads, from a to z. Aar full members include the major freight railroads in the united states, canada and mexico, as well as amtrak. Trains magazines collection of railroad maps is unique in its appeal to serious hobbyists and enthusiastic professionals. The bad news is that this was a bit off the mark, for being dubbed the encyclopedia of north american railroads. The 4th edition of the professional railroad atlas of north america includes all of the latest railroad changes due to mergers and acquisitions, changes in ownership, outofservice lines and abandoned routes. Click on a country for a more detailed map, or try our map index.
Fra provides geospatial resources to the public on rail networks, including data on grade crossings, amtrak stations, and more. Jan 10, 2018 the best north american rail trips for 2018. Few scenes capture the american experience so eloquently as that of a lonely train chugging across the vastness of the great plains, or snaking through tortuous high mountain passes. Over 400 stunning images include period and modern photography in both color and black and white, evocative print ads, and system maps. To satisfy americans keen interest in the routes of railroads, cartographers have shown rail lines on maps since the first tracks were laid in the united states. I anticipated exceptionally thorough coverage of the railroads, their histories, and maps, maps, maps.
Freight rail map of class i carriers in north america this is an interactive map of the major freight railroads, also known as class i railroads in the united states. The historical guide to north american railroads trains books. America s long romance with the train has been the subject of many books, but none has used contemporary maps to comprehensively illustrate the story. Rand mcnally new official railroad map of the united states.
At its postwar peak, the north american railroad industry comprised as many as 100 lines. Specialising in the provision of quality escorted rail tours for more than thirty years, we offer unforgettable rail holidays in the usa and rail tours of canada. Railroad museums are fascinating places of history, whether you carry a particular interest in trains or not. History of rail transportation in the united states wikipedia. Guide to north americas tourist railways and museums 6th edition book new 6th edition. Founded in 1934, aar is the worlds leading railroad policy, research, standard setting, and technology organization that focuses on the safety and productivity of the u.
List of common carrier freight railroads in the united states. Current class is that are independently operating have their. The historical guide to north american railroads, 3rd edition trains books. The only thing i miss is the carryiteverywhere format of the old guide this is more of a coffee table book.
Pdf historical atlas of the north american railroad. Established in 2010, north american rail products narp sells rail material. Finished on may 10, 1869 at the golden spike event at promontory summit, utah, it created a nationwide mechanized transportation network that revolutionized the population and economy of the american. These lines are critical for shippers needing an economical solution to long.
The federal railroad administration fra is the authoritative source of information on passenger and freight rail networks for the u. About 700 railroads operate common carrier freight service in the united states. Rand mcnally new official railroad map of the united. Historical atlas of the north american railroad by. Modern, comfortable and fast railroads create a network that reaches almost anywhere on the continent that a traveler might wish to visit. Specializing in the provision of quality escorted rail tours for more than thirty years, we offer unforgettable rail tours in the usa and rail tours of canada. See the highlights and treasures of north america on an america by rail national parks tours. I want to take historic railroad timetables and maps and convert them into contemporary, beautiful, legible subwaystyle maps.
Historical atlas of the north american railroad hayes, derek on. Running from saint paul, minnesota, to seattle, washington, it was the creation of 19thcentury railroad entrepreneur james j. The following are links to historical maps on other web sites. States and regions map history history of cartography site. With service centres in delta, british columbia, argyle, manitoba we are capable of shipping to wherever you are.