Overview

In this visually stunning and comprehensive photographic essay, railroad historian and photographer Donovan L. Hofsommer records the end of branchline passenger service, the demise of electric railroads, the transition from steam to diesel power, as well as the end of common carrier freight service on the Colorado narrow gauge. Off the Main Lines carries readers along out-of-the-way railways in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, and South Dakota to see the changes that occurred on these lines from the 1940s to the 1990s.

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Reviews

This presentation should find a strong reception, not only for its coverage of lesser-known places, but also for its depiction of the evolutionary advancement of rail technology in the nation's Heartland. - J. Parker Lamb, author of Railroads of Meridian (IUP, 2012) Writing quality of the introduction, photo captions, and brief conclusion is excellent. Relatively few points are in need of correction or clarification. I strongly recommend publication. - John Spychalski

This presentation should find a strong reception, not only for its coverage of lesser-known places, but also for its depiction of the evolutionary advancement of rail technology in the nation's Heartland. - J. Parker Lamb, author of Railroads of Meridian (IUP, 2012) Writing quality of the introduction, photo captions, and brief conclusion is excellent. Relatively few points are in need of correction or clarification. I strongly recommend publication. - John Spychalski If American railroads float your boat, then keep an eye open for this gem. Within its 320 pages, there are 454 black and white pictures. Spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s, it portrays admirably, the vastness of the country, and how its railroad system has changed beyond recognition [...] With informative captions, this album vividly portrays a way of life no longer seen. A fascinating insight into historical American railroading. - Railways Illustrated

Author Information

Donovan L. Hofsommer is Professor of History at St. Cloud State University and president of the Lexington Group. He is author of Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland (IUP, 2005) and (with H. Roger Grant) of Iowa's Railroads: An Album (IUP, 2009).

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