Steam & Excursion > Best Steam Books

To those well studied in steam locomotive and railroad history:

What are your favorite books (Which could be argued as the best, most informative, best photos etc.) that are the best for reference on technical details, locomotive specifics and whatever you have found to be the most helpful as far as literature is concerned? I have been building a collection over the past few years and admittedly haven't dug in deep as much as I'd like to, although they have been a valuable resource for comparison to technical discussions here. Here is what I have so far and any suggestions for additions are appreciated.

Big Boy- William Kratville
Building Union Pacific 844- John E. Bush
High Iron to North Platte- Arthur E. Stensvad
Motive Power of the Union Pacific- William Kratville and Harold E. Ranks
N&W: Giant of Steam Revised Edition- Col. Lewis Jeffries
The A: Norfolk and Western’s Mercedes of Steam- Ed King
The Challenger Locomotives- William Kratville
The History of the Union Pacific Railroad in Cheyenne- Robert Darwin
The Mighty 800- William Kratville
The Overland Route: Union Pacific Railroad- Ross Grenard and John Krause
The Southern Pacific Daylight Locomotives- Robert J Church
The Union Pacific Type Volumes 1 and 2- William Kratville
Union Pacific 3985- William E Botkin, Ronald C. Hill and R.H. Kindig
Union Pacific Big Boy Portraits- John E. Bush and James L. Ehernberger
Union Pacific Challenger Portraits- James Ehrnberger
1941 Locomotive Cyclopedia

The Red Devil and other Tales of Steam- David Wardale

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'The Age of Steam' Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg

“The Steam Locomotive” by Ralph Johnson, President of Baldwin Locomotive Works....
Books on Thermodynamics.
The ICS Correspondence Course, on the Steam Locomotives, 1940’s version ( the complete ‘kit’ ) ...About 20-some “subject” books. Both the ‘ library’ hard-bound books and the paperback, “work books”.

W.

Recent addition...
”Apex of The Atlantics”, by Fred Westing.

Westing was noted ( credible ) authority on PRR steam, GREAT chapter describing the PRR’s Altoona Loco Test Plant & it’s role in designing the engine, based on ‘test results’....precursor to the K4 class., similarly a result of extensive rests and design modifications...
Also, his extensive article ( in August ‘57 Trains Mag ?) on the development of the K4s-class Pacifics....
A must-read.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/17 17:19 by wcamp1472.

"Best" is undoubtedly influenced by location of your favorite railroad and your own personal experiences. "Know Thy Hudsons" is mine, by Tom Gerbracht, and of course, of the New York Central.

Model Railroader Cyclopedia Volume 1: Steam Locomotives by Lynn Wescott.

Even though this book is oriented towards modelers (presumably for those planning to scratch build or modify off-the-shelf models), it is an excellent steam locomotive reference with 1,000 photos and 127 HO scale plans.

This book has been out of print for a while, but it is available through Amazon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 16:43 by RuleG.

My personal favorite is "Steam Power 1848 - 1956 Classes A-Z" by C. T. Knudsen. A comprehensive look at C&NW steam locomotives.

4-10-2: Three Barrels of Steam - James E. Boynton

Awesome, in depth look at a rare and unusual type of steamer.

Long out of print but worth finding.

Z

If your interested in a good book on British steam, I recommend: Thomas Does Dorchester- Sir Topham Hatt (I'm sorry Bob, I really tried, but just couldn't resist!)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 15:53 by patd3985.

haha, I'm a bit beyond that but I do enjoy a nostalgia trip every now and then.

Some in my collection that I would recommend..
Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail by Worley
The Allegheny, Lima's Finest by Huddleston
Locomotive 315, The life, times and rebirth of an 1895 Steam Engine
West Side- Narrow gauge in the Sierra by Mallory Hope Farrell
The Climax Locomotive by Thompson, Dunn and Hauff
Santa fe locomotive development by Brasher
Lima-the History by Hirsimaki

Finderskeepers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some in my collection that I would recommend..
> Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail by Worley
> The Allegheny, Lima's Finest by Huddleston
> Locomotive 315, The life, times and rebirth of an
> 1895 Steam Engine
> West Side- Narrow gauge in the Sierra by Mallory
> Hope Farrell
> The Climax Locomotive by Thompson, Dunn and Hauff
> Santa fe locomotive development by Brasher
> Lima-the History by Hirsimaki

I would second Huddleston's book on the C&O Allegheny.

"Steam Locomotives Of The Burlington Route" is another good title. I first found it at the public library when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and decades later added a copy to my own collection via eBay.

For photographic reasons, I also would recommend "Decade Of The Trains" by Don Ball Jr. and E.M. Frimbo. "Portrait Of The Rails" by Ball is also a must in this department, even if it also has first generation diesels within.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 20:23 by MaryMcPherson.

A History of Union Pacific Steam, by Gordon McCulloh.

John Bromley - Omaha

Have to agree with Wes. The ICS Steam Locomotive Correspondence Course is an exceptional resource for technical information. I once had access to much, but not all of it, and learned a tremendous amount even though I was never significantly involved on the technical side with any project.

The Locomotive Cyclopedias are also excellent, and I'd agree that the 1941 volume would probably be a good choice. I'd make a guess that would be the last issue that was significantly steam, and represented most of the late-era technical developments. Subsequent issues probably trend more to diesels, times being what they were. I've had the privilege of perusing a number of them, and always learned a great deal from them. You can easily get lost in a volume....for quite a while.

I always tend to favor primary sources. I'm sure all of the secondary sources mentioned are quite good, but hearing it from the master mechanic's or manufacturer's pen is the option I tend to favor.

Of the secondary sources, agree with Mary and others that Eric Hirsimaki's Lima book is superb.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 20:24 by ironmtn.

After Bill Oden and I purchased ex-Rogue River Valley Railroad Locomotive No. 1, H.K.Porter c/n 1236, 1891, from Chad O'Connor in March of 1967. I was fortunate to find a Fist Edition of Forney's Locomotive Catechism, (1875).

That one volume provided a wealth of information about why our little locomotive was built the way it was and what to do about anything mechanical or operational. It is still a prized possession. I have found subsequent editions to be equally valuable.

It is a must have for anyone working on 19th Century locomotives.

ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Have to agree with Wes. The ICS Steam Locomotive
> Correspondence Course is an exceptional resource
> for technical information. I once had access to
> much, but not all of it, and learned a tremendous
> amount even though I was never significantly
> involved on the technical side with any project.
>

Is that course associated with the author J.W. Harding?

I have always liked "The Twilight of World Steam", by Ziel and Eagleson. It gives a good pictorial view point of what was running beyond our borders after the U.S. and Canada retired steam.

Any book by Joe Collias.
The Last of Steam
Search for Steam
MoPaC Power
Frisco Power
T&P Power
MKT Power
MP In Color

up3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ironmtn Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Have to agree with Wes. The ICS Steam
> Locomotive
> > Correspondence Course is an exceptional
> resource
> > for technical information. I once had access to
> > much, but not all of it, and learned a
> tremendous
> > amount even though I was never significantly
> > involved on the technical side with any project.
>
> >
>
> Is that course associated with the author J.W.
> Harding?

Yes. From what I understand, the ICS course was a collaboration of several different mechanical people from different railroads.

A few titles that haven’t been mentioned yet...

Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive, J.P. Lamb.

Northern Pacific Super Steam Era,
Frey & Schrenk.

Railway Locomotive Maintenance
Kardes, American Technical Society.

Anything by Kratville and anything by Dr. Church will be well worth your money.

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I would put Huddleston's Uncle Sam's Locomotives at the top of the list:

http://www.heimburgerhouse.com/railfan_books_U-Z/uncle_sam_locos.php