Nothing like receiving an 8 pound, 3.6kg, train book in the mail. 
Had been wanting it for a couple decades - found Friends of San Francisco Library selling one on Amazon for about $30, which sure beats original list price when your current income is Social Security Disability!
Am pretty sure the majority of its weight is created by the nice slick clay-coated paper.
Looks like a very knowledge filled informative book, now you can answer questions for money, LOL, great find Bill
It is!
I also have his Early American Locomotives book and his 2-volume American Railroad Passenger Cars book.
This about the author should give a sense of what manner of book it is,
As soon as he graduated he got an internship position as a museum aide at the Smithsonian Institution. His early years at the Smithsonian Institution were spent working on ship models for Howard I. Chapelle, the curator of transportation. His internship was extended from time to time until his position as made permanent in 1960, when he became an associate curator in the Land Transportation Section. From 1961 until 1966 he was an associate curator of railroads at the Museum of History and Technology (renamed the National Museum of American History, curator from 1967–1985, and senior historian from 1986 until his retirement in 1989.
Score
Now, when I have a question on that subject matter, I know who to ask. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
David Maynard said:
Now, when I have a question on that subject matter, I know who to ask. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
What’s funny is that back when I was doing the WW2 miniatures games and associated 1/72 scale figures and models & participating in a couple forums I was actually that kind of person, “Oh! That’s in a book over on the shelf, gimme a minute!” And I often knew which page!
And I had some tank and vehicle books of this caliber authored by a Richard P. Hunnicutt, including a hundred dollar Sherman and US medium tanks history book, and an equally priced Stuart and light tanks book, each of which I bought with overtime from the auto auction.
I won’t go in to the reasons why, but something happened in 2005 to where I Can’t do the military history, games, and models, any more, so all those books and miniatures have been sold or given away.
(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)Back to the freight cars book, took it to look at while a friend with MS was having PT, I am doing the driving. First 100 or so pages cover the doing of railroading in the 1800s, operations, yards, sales and rates, permanent way construction and bridges or not, car ferries, job functions of train crews, so forth and so on.
Even has 2 to 4 pages about canals, another interest.
May I suggest another tome for the throne room.
It will complete your knowledge(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Forrest,
I also have the books by White, very valuable reference materials. Good score (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Some of his books are on Google books: https://books.google.com/books?id=VmZmOS5rm5MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+white+railroad&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjBoYG02OrlAhUNM6wKHWHkB_EQ6AEwAHoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=john%20white%20railroad&f=false
Forrest Scott Wood said:
Nothing like receiving an 8 pound, 3.6kg, train book in the mail. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
Had been wanting it for a couple decades - found Friends of San Francisco Library selling one on Amazon for about $30, which sure beats original list price when your current income is Social Security Disability!
Thanks Forrest, I’d not thought of box cars in that evolutionary sense. I’ll have to look out for that book opportunity.
Took it with me yesterday to look at while a friend with MS was getting physical therapy, I did the driving. Book’s first 100 pages or so cover what I’ll call ‘the doing of railroading’ in the 1800s and cover it pretty comprehensively in the number of specific topics covered. Of course the coverage of that comprehensive list of topics/factors is not comprehensive coverage in this book. Even canals get a mention. Even societal and cultural attitudes toward freight trains in general and freight cars specifically are mentioned. Other factors mentioned: cost of bridges; train speeds and management, crew, shipper, attitudes toward them; train crew sizes and functions; signalling; yard sizes, location, construction; setting of freight rates; telegraphy and signalling; and a number more factors.
And it appears no previous owner ever read pages 6 and 7.
Fortunately could remedy that with an X-Acto knife kept as standard equipment in my book bag.
Forrest,
I bought a book a number of years ago on the V&T from the supporting museum and when I got home to read it, found a large number of pages un-cut as you show plus a large number of un-printed pages. Made it kind of problematic understanding the story of the railroad(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Talking of weighty books…I have Vols 1 & 2 of the Darjeeling history “Iron Sherpa”… clay coated pages…too heavy to hold for bedtime reading!(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Seems these have become collectors items. Not surprised as they contain scale drawings of every bit of rolling stock ever owned by the railway!
Now, if only I could afford the B class model steam loco!
Rick Marty said:
plus a large number of un-printed pages.
Oh! That would have been a bit of a surprise.
Ross Mansell said:
Now, if only I could afford the B class model steam loco!
This is the closest to that which I could afford.
Gosh, have had it about 30 years now.
White block is where I write my name on it way back when taking to college or to work sometimes.
