A rich photographic record of Iowa's railroad history
"When two masters of railroad history combine talents in one book, they provide readers an undeniable treat. Grant and Hofsommer's complementary combination of visual and verbal text results in a very evocative and highly appealing study." —Carlos Schwantes, author of Going Places
"Authors Grant and Hofsommer have teamed up to publish this excellent photographic account of Iowa's railroads . . . a must for any enthusiast's shelves." —Thomas G. Hoback, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Indiana Rail Road Company
"Don L. Hofsommer and H. Roger Grant have assembled a remarkable photo album, one that illustrates and complements the Iowa railroad story with more than 400 photographs and drawings of extraordinary diversity. These splendidly chosen photographs should set a new high standard for similar railroad histories." —William D. Middleton, co-author of Encyclopedia of North American Railroads
". . . Iowa's Railroads is a fabulous presentation of more than 400 black and white train photographs, all taken in Iowa. . . . It would be a wonderful gift — and well-used reference guide — for any model railroader, Iowa or railroad historian, and every railroad fan." —The N'west Iowa Review , August 8, 2009
"Filled with 461 black and white photos, this is a wonderful trip backin time when most of America's goods and people traveled on the nation's extensive rail systems." —bookviewsbyalancaruba.blogspot.com , September 1, 2009
At one point in time, no place in Iowa was more than a few miles from an active line of rail track. In this splendid companion volume to Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland (IUP, 2005), H. Roger Grant and Don L. Hofsommer explore the pivotal role that railroads played in the urban development of the state as well as the symbiotic relationship Iowa and its rails shared. With more than 400 black-and-white photographs, a solid inventory of depots and locations, and new information that is sure to impress even the most well-versed railfan, this detailed history of the state's railroads—including the Chicago & North Western, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, and the Iowa Northern—will be an essential reference for railroad fans and historians, artists, and model railroad builders.
H. Roger Grant is Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon Professor of History at Clemson University. He is author of 25 books, including Visionary Railroader (IUP, 2008). Grant has written company histories of the Chicago & North Western, the Chicago Great Western, the Erie Lackawanna, the Georgia & Florida, and the Wabash railroads. He lives in Central, South Carolina.
Don L. Hofsommer is Professor of History at St. Cloud State University and president of the Lexington Group. He is author of Katy Northwest (IUP, 1999) and Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland (IUP, 2005). A native of Iowa, he now resides in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
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Distribution: World
Publication date: 5/9/2009
Format: paper 320 pages, 461 b&w photos, 6 maps, 8.5 x 11
ISBN-13: 978-0-253-22073-8
