Any readers in here? Especially regarding steam....

[Toolman12345]

I was looking for train related books to read, but what I really wanted was in-the-cab stories, like about the engineers that drove the trains. There are plenty of murder mysteries, but that doesn't provide that in-the-cab experience I was looking for. Then I accidentally used a search phrase (Railroad Stories) that turned out to be the name of a magazine that was first published in 1906. And it's FULL of stories, both fiction and true, about operating a train. Not every story, but more than you'll ever see in today's books. That search brought up several different magazines, they all seem to be similar in nature. The plain looking 'Railroad Man's Magazine" items that mention Complete Index are actually a lot of magazines combined into one big one. You can read them online, or download them. Me, I read them on a 12.9" iPad, which is the size of a magazine itself. Just hoping to share something with another reader who didn't already know about this. This is a fantastic website, by the way. This link takes you right to the magazines:

https://archive.org/search.php?query=Railroad stories magazine

Tim

 

[blueodessey]

That is really interesting, I grew up around trains all my life, so these would be an interesting read for sure.......

Thank you for information.........And the Link too........

 

[dundun92]

That is really interesting, I grew up around trains all my life, so these would be an interesting read for sure.......

Thank you for information.........And the Link too........

Congratulations on 4000 posts!

 

[Forester1]

Thanks DunDun92. These look really interesting. I wonder how much is fiction and how much is non-fiction. I am sure the ads will be interesting too!

 

[blueodessey]

Congratulations on 4000 posts!

Oh my Gosh. .....Hard to believe......

Thank you Sir..

 

[JimDep]

I was looking for train related books to read, but what I really wanted was in-the-cab stories, like about the engineers that drove the trains. There are plenty of murder mysteries, but that doesn't provide that in-the-cab experience I was looking for.
https://archive.org/search.php?query=Railroad stories magazine

Tim

Thanks for the link, Tim ! I'll enjoy looking at these.

If you want to read a regular book about the old time steam / in the cab stories, my all time favorite is " Clear the Tracks" by engineer Joe Bromley, written in 1943 about his life as a fireman and engineer in central NY state, beginning in 1880 when he was 16.

 

[ColPrice2002]

For a UK perspective - Harold Gasson wrote a number of books detailing stories from Fireman to Signalman.