A definitive history of the railroads of Iowa, featuring over four hundred black-and-white photographs.
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 four hundred 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 stateβs railroadsβincluding the Chicago & North Western, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, and the Iowa Northernβwill be an essential reference for railroad fans and historians, artists, and model railroad builders.
βIowaβs Railroads is a solid visual introduction to the railroad history of the state.β βIndustrial Archeology
βWith more than 400 black and white photographs, an inventory of depots and locations, and new information that will please railroad fans, [Iowaβs Railroads] will be an essential reference for historians, fans, and model railroad builders.β βAbstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment,2010
βThis excellent volume is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in Midwest railway history.β βThe Michigan Railfan, March-April 2010
βGrant and Hofsommer, both native Iowans and respected railroad historians, have mined a wide variety of public and private photo collections, and the result is a visual feast of Iowaβs railroad experience.β βThe Annals of Iowa, 69, Number 2