Reference Books

[coors2u]

I wanted to start a thread up where we can all share books, magazines, articles and what ever else we come across to help our modeling.


I got this idea after I received a new book "Wood Hicks and Bark Peelers". It is a book about Pennsylvania logging operations and lumber. Most of the photos are ones that have never been seen. It is going to be a great resource for my modeling in the future. The majority of the pictures are in black and white but that is ok for me.


You can find this book for sell on Amazon, or at least that is where I purchased mine.


So lets all join in and post some of the great info that I know is out there. I am looking forward to seeing how far we can take this.


Here are a few shots of what all is in the book.

[S&S RR]

Great idea Dustin.  I have picked up a number of books over the years that I use for reference.  It's time to visit the library and take a few pictures.

[jbvb]

Almost a decade later, I'll note some of my frequent references:

The Official Guide of the Railways lists all cites and towns served by RRs, and which RRs.  Timetables with mileposts for all passenger services.  Sleepers, parlor cars etc. operated in passenger trains. Promotional pages for name trains. Timetables with mileages for freight-only lines.  First appeared as the Travelers Official Railway Guide in 1868. Published monthly until the 1970s, bi-monthly past 1990.

The Official Railway Equipment Register lists all freight cars in service in North America, sorted by owner (RR or private company). Gives number series, car type, weights and details of special load retaining gear etc. Issued monthly since 1885, but the paper used wasn't intended to last a long time.  You can still subscribe and the NMRA has re-printed a number of old issues on better paper.

Employees Timetables may cover a whole RR in one volume, or just a single Division. Usually issued twice a year, as winter passenger service was often different from summer. Show mileage of each station and interlocking, whether the station had an Operator, Interlockings and where they were controlled from, grade crossings and how protected, speed limits including restrictions for specific train types and engines, largest locomotives allowed and any rules specific to particular locations. These could be limits on whistling, where to stop passenger trains relative to grade crossings, etc. 

Track Charts show all track and turnouts in service at the time of issue, with mileage, curves, grades, elevations, signals, grade crossings, station and RR facility locations etc.  May cover only a short distance in congested areas, as much as 8-10 miles per sheet out in the country. Some RR historical societies have scanned them and offer them on CD or for download.  Sometimes they only have the last issue before the line was abandoned or sold, sometimes multiple issues showing the history.