The book “The Ontario Northland Railway” by Patrick C. Dorin is an excellent snapshot of the ONR in the mid 1980s. Written by the prolific Dr. Dorin, this book is an affectionate look at the railway that runs from Toronto to Moosonee. The book is divided into four major sections: History of the ONR and … Read more
I was a little hesitant to try another railfan e-book. I bought one a few years ago from a different author that was… poor. However, this one was great! Author Byron Babbish has 44 books on Amazon at the moment, mostly train books but a few on car ferries and even one or two on … Read more
For a few years, I’ve been using my “old” Canon T1i as my go-to video camera when I’m in the field. The quality is good, but the T1i doesn’t do 4K video and its on/off switch is balky. I wanted something better. Enter the Akaso EK7000. This tiny camera is a powerhouse, with 4K video … Read more
I’ll be honest – I didn’t know who Jim McClellan was. Now I feel like I know who he was, and I’m sorry that he’s gone. I saw a recommendation somewhere (TRAINS magazine? Amazon? not sure) for this autobiography, My Life With Trains, so I asked for it for my birthday. I really enjoyed reading … Read more
The title of Mike Danneman’s new book, “Locomotives of Western Canada“, really caught my eye, since I live in western Canada! I was initially disappointed when I realized that by “western” he really meant “Alberta and British Columbia”. That disappointment faded page by page as I enjoyed every gorgeous photo of trains in beautiful mountain … Read more
I recently read the book “Self-Propelled Cars of the CNR: Endurance, Economy and speed” by Anthony Clegg. This book says it is “an illustrated history of the vehicles that helped to keep railway passenger service alive”. Background Passenger service used to be a large part of railways’ business. They went to great lengths to provide … Read more
The book “Streamliners: Locomotives and Trains in the Age of Speed and Style” by Brian Solomon is a great overview of streamlined trains, from early examples like the UP M-10000 through the California Zephyr and beyond. Streamliners is up to the usual quality that I have come to expect from Brian Solomon books – well-researched, … Read more
The book “Barns of Western Canada: An Illustrated Century” by Bob Hainstock is a great review of many of the most interesting barns in the area. The photos are great and the captions really tell the story. I’m not really a “barn guy” but I do see a lot of barns while I am driving … Read more
The book “Speedway to Sunshine” by Seth H. Bramson is an unabashed love letter to the Florida East Coast Railway. The author is the railway’s biggest fan and makes no bones about it. I bought the hardcover version of this book at a local book sale for $3. This is far outside of my normal … Read more
Terry Gainer’s book, “When Trains Ruled the Rockies”, is part autobiography, part history book, and I recommend it for anyone who likes the CPR, or the Banff area. It’s a great read. (buy it on Amazon) Author Terry Gainer lived in the Banff, Alberta train station from 1948 to 1955 when his father was the … Read more