Trains - USA : livres - chemins de fer dans le West (2/3)
Beaux livres sur les compagnies ferroviaires, les itinéraires ferroviaires et les gares de la région West (2/3).
Railroads of Colorado
At one time, it seemed as though every canyon and pass leading into Colorado's high country was a path laid with 3-foot gauge narrow gauge railroad. Dreams of tapping the riches of mining discoveries in mountain locations made this almost true. But mining can be a fleeting adventure, and as the state matured, so too did the railroads that crisscrossed it.
Many railways succumbed to disappearing tonnage, becoming trackless trails among the mountainsides. But on many routes, the railroads of Colorado have flourished and provide necessary transportation avenues for a modern economy. In addition, tucked away in several corners of the state are remnants of Colorado's narrow gauge past, still steam-powered and now lively to the tune of tourist dollars. Popular state slogan 'Colorful Colorado' describes this incredible place well, and is assuredly most appropriate while viewing the wonders of railroading in the spectacular Rocky Mountains of the West.
The slogan 'The Last Best Place' certainly describes well the huge state of Montana, which stretches some 630 miles across and is located in the north-western United States. Three railroad main lines once spanned its width, but the unfortunate abandonment of the Milwaukee Road left only the Great Northern and Northern Pacific routes, now Burlington Northern, to move the tonnage. Union Pacific also reached into the state from Utah in the southwest, the earliest line built into the territory by predecessors arriving in mineral-rich Butte in 1881.
Today, over 3,000 miles of track cross Montana through 'Big Sky Country', climbing magnificent mountain passes and sweeping across the great prairies that prevail in the eastern portion of the territory. Dynamic BNSF dominates the railroad scene, with remarkable Montana Rail Link providing an important link in Montana railroading. UP and several short line operators provide added colour to the trains in the 'Treasure State,' making the railroads of Montana a visual gem.
Most of Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains is a raw and inhospitable land, largely the product of recent volcanic activity. Railroad builders constructed a couple mainlines skirting the edges of the region and some branch lines into agricultural communities, but found very little else to attract their interest. Over time, however, a small collection of interesting shortline railroads built or bought rail lines, either in conjunction with the developing timber industry in the Blue, Ochoco, and Wallowa mountains or to connect a few existing communities with the mainline that bypassed the town.
This book tells the stories of these small railroads and the roles they played in the development and economies of the region; covered railroads includes the Big Creek & Telocaset; City of Prineville; Condon, Kinzua & Southern; Idaho, Northern & Pacific; Klamath Northern; Oregon & Northwestern; Oregon, California & Eastern; Oregon Eastern Division of the Wyoming/Colorado; Sumpter Valley; Union Railroad of Oregon; Wallowa Union; and others.
This wonderful photographic record of railroad depots in Washington State is also a rich source of information on all known depots in the state. Rigorous and exhaustive research has brought together for the first time many of the known facts about Washington State's depots including size, construction date, materials used and significant changes including rebuilding and replacement.
Architectural, railroad and urban historians as well as railway enthusiasts and modelers will all find much to like in this volume. Regional historians will also find the book useful for researching information on local depots. A rewarding and enjoyable resource for all railfans.
