Eastern Railroad Discussion > Official Locomotive Rosters & News

Does anyone know that status of James Kerr's Locomotive Roster book? I have the 2012 copy but it does not appear that a 2013 edition ever came out. On Google there is a suspicious looking/sounding site that offers a download….but I want hard copy.

I searched Trainorders.com but the last post I found was from 2009. Did I miss something?

Pretty sure I have a 2013. Has a gray and black cover with no photos.

I'll keep looking. I've yet to find one on the internet….last one I can find is 2012.

Withers Publishing has been slow to release this years BNSF and NS locomotive roster books as well. Last update was on their website in September but nothing since then.

Problem solved….several vendors were out of stock but I did find a 2013 on NScale models. Thanks all for the help.

The Kerr Rosters book is superb. Definitely want to have a recent version in my toy box / camera bag.

I just got the gray 2013 roster at a local hobby shop. The book is incredibly expensive for its size and content, the guy must be getting rich from it, and his copyright warnings in the fore-page are about the most arrogant and threatening I've ever seen. Is he really a part of the rail-fan community? Maybe this is his only annual income. It would be worth the money he charges if it were in an Excel format so you could sort it to answer questions that one may have, like this. My son and I got about two hours on Colorado's Joint Line on two separate days last week. There, you know if a train has AC units it will be coal or grain (or empties thereof), and if DC units a carload freight (more interesting). So you go to Kerr's book and find out that BNSF AC units are in several, scattered number series, just like UP, because they have so many locos they cannot possibly keep them in one series since loco numbers in USA must be only four digits.

Also, if you wanted to figure out for one of the seven Class I railroads the percentage of GE or EMD models, or the total modern locos after a certain date by manufacturer, you have to make your own hand written notes and sort it out yourself. A digital offering at the same price would be much more useful.

superchief1944 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know that status of James Kerr's
> Locomotive Roster book? I have the 2012 copy but
> it does not appear that a 2013 edition ever came
> out. On Google there is a suspicious
> looking/sounding site that offers a
> download….but I want hard copy.

Well actually, a 2013 edition came out, because I have one. Now, it came out last year about this time, but this year I didn't get anything from him about a 2014 edition. I remember getting a letter from him last year mentioning that last year's book came out late, because there was sickness in his family ( I believe some form of cancer). He did NOT advertise in TRAINS this year about a new book, and that makes me wonder if the cancer patient might have been him.

I would be happy to pay a reasonable amount for a digital version
of the locomotive roster.

superchief1944 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll keep looking. I've yet to find one on the
> internet….last one I can find is 2012.


Amazon and a few other vendors list the gray colored 2013 version as SOLD OUT

No sign of a 2014 edition

From time to time over the years, I've sent Mr Kerr information on various units. He's always been very pleasant and generous in his contacts with me.

superchief1944 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know that status of James Kerr's
> Locomotive Roster book? I have the 2012 copy but
> it does not appear that a 2013 edition ever came
> out. On Google there is a suspicious
> looking/sounding site that offers a
> download….but I want hard copy.
>
> I searched Trainorders.com but the last post I
> found was from 2009. Did I miss something?


I've had the 2013 edition for about 6 months now. It has a light gray cover and the 25th anniversary, I got it off Amazon...Steve (UP6553)

I got that letter about sickness too.

I hope the 2014 Official Locomotive Rosters & News does come out. I sent a letter to DPA-LTA Enterprises before Christmas, have not heard back.

The letter I sent to DPA-LTA Enterprises before Christmas asking about the 2014 Official Locomotive Rosters & News came back today Return To Sender, Unable To Forward. This does not look good.

Mr. Kerr passed away in October 2012. His family finished the 2013 roster book. I was on their mailing list on their mailing list since 1995. This is the first time I haven't received a letter from them for the 2014 book.
I don't think the family wants to do this anymore.

Thanks for the update. I hope somebody is interested in buying the rights to continue. It's a very worthwhile effort.

It must have been a considerable effort, updating and seeking info on many short lines, etc.

Indeed, let's hope someone else fills the void. Very useful pocket sized publication. It did cost a ridiculous amount for shipping to the UK, so I regularly used to have it posted to a relative in PA and collected it from there on my forays round the US