Nostalgia & History > Book: "Riding the Limiteds' Locomotives"

I was considering getting the book "Riding the Limiteds' Locomotives" since the NYC Hudson is my favorite steam loco. Could anyone please provide comments or a review about this book? Thanks!

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Colonel Hill is both knowledgeable and opinionated.  He later designed steam locomotives for the Army in WW2 (a very entertaining article about this project appeared in Trains long ago).  But I think you'll find his description of the Broadway Limited ride much more expansive than what he has to say about the Century.  This is in no small part due to the more interesting terrain along the PRR with its many curves and grades, whereas, if I remember correctly, he described the NYC west of West Albany as "a series of long tangents connected by easy curves" and didn't have much more to say about it.  He made the original ride on PRR to evaluate the performance of a new Texaco Petroleum journal lubricating compound, which I believe was called, somewhat mysteriously, "Compound M".  The NYC, not to be left out, then invited Hill to ride the 20th Century Limited.  You might want to check the exact dates of these rides to see what types of locomotives were likely used - if before 1928 the NYC would be using Pacifics, not Hudsons.  On the PRR side the trip was made when side-rod electric power was still exchanged for steam at Manhattan Transfer (Harrison, NJ), prior to the New York Zone electrification to Trenton, NJ.

Thanks illini 73!

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