Nostalgia & History > History of UP Motive Power, 1958

I was looking at the August 1958 issue of Trains, looking for something else, and noticed this ad on page 55. Does anyone know what this was?

I don't think it was what was published in August 1958 as "Motive Power of the Union Pacific" by Kratville and Ranks. The price does not seem quite right.

Don Strack

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Why not? I paid $4.95 for my copy of "Steamcars to the Comstock".

Out

"HO plans each type"... the book we're
familiar with doesn't have that, does it?

Is the address right for Kratville?

It could very well be. The address is Barnhart Press which I think Kratville used for his books. Below is a news story about them replacing their press.
http://m.omaha.com/money/mammoth-undertaking-replacement-job-calls-for-company-s-presses-to/article_af3e57a1-4f6e-5dcd-9d94-3191bfd2c69d.html?mode=jqm

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I found the price that was charged for Kratville and Ranks' "Motive Power of the Union Pacific." $15. However, the address matches.

The first image is taken from the opening page of a 5-page article in the January 1959 issue of Trains, about the diversity of UP's steam locomotive fleet, using photos from newly released book.

The second image is David P. Morgan's review of the book in the April 1959 issue of Trains.

Continuing with the keyword search on the Trains DVD for "Kratville", the next item is a nice 10-page article about McKeen cars in the July 1960 issue of Trains.

So, the question about the book shown in the ad in my initial message still stands. With HO scale plans, and a price of $7.50, it apparently is not the then-new book from Kratville and Ranks.

"Long, leggy, unforgettable locomotives." For sure.

Don Strack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 18:07 by donstrack.

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I've received a couple private messages suggesting that the book in question is the two-volume set, also by Kratville and Ranks, "Union Pacific Locomotives, Volume 1 and Volume 2" which had prices of $5.00 and $8.50 respectively.

This image is taken from the February 1961 issue of Trains.

Don Strack

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The two-volume set doesn't match the 1958
description-- it's Kratville, but aside from that,
nothing in common. FWIW the diagrams in the
two-vol set aren't HO scale.

My first edition (one of the first 100 before the mistake was corrected) published in 1958 has about 325 pages. I have all of Bill's books so will look for the one in the add. There is a plan package in a pouch in the back of motive power. It is HO scale and has a price of $3.00
The two volume set was published in 1960 and is spiral bound
Steve



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 21:44 by wpjones.

Yes, it's Kratville. I have (somewhere) both variants, one includes the HO drawings. Prices indicated are in the range from $7.50 to $12 or $15. I think, as has been said, the plan pack is separately available as well, for $3.00. I know I have (or used to have) it around here.

Shortly before he passed, I talked to him with his wife present, and inquired about the Pullman Catalog (which also had a separate plan pack). He said a lot of people had asked, and he said he'd put my name down, and check it out. His wife sadly shook her head. He hadn't remembered me from several previous discussions, whereas before he always had. So.... I know there was an auction of a lot of possessions/books/material. It might still be archived on the internet, things rarely die there.

Everything you will need to know about the Kratville's books is available from Cate Kratville after she and her husband get back to TRAINS in Milwaukee. wag216

My copy of the Passenger Car Catalog does not have a plan package or a place for it. It's soft bound and was published in 1968. As far as I know it was only done once and is really hard to find. It was the last of my Kratville books Bill signed and he did it with a grease pencil not realizing what he was doing. It was really sad watching his last few years.
Steve Jones

rswebber Wrote:
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> Shortly before he passed, I talked to him with his
> wife present, and inquired about the Pullman
> Catalog (which also had a separate plan pack).
> He said a lot of people had asked, and he said
> he'd put my name down, and check it out. His
> wife sadly shook her head. He hadn't remembered
> me from several previous discussions, whereas
> before he always had. So.... I know there was an
> auction of a lot of possessions/books/material.
> It might still be archived on the internet, things
> rarely die there.