Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader by McLaughlin, Mike

Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader

As a boy in the early 1950s, Mike McLaughlin was a regular stowaway riding switch engines back...
$92.31 SGD
$92.31 SGD
SKU: 9781638640301
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 0 left in stock
Author: Mike McLaughlin
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $92.31
10 customers are viewing this product
Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader by McLaughlin, Mike

Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader

$92.31

Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader

$92.31
Author: Mike McLaughlin
Format: Hardcover
Language: English

As a boy in the early 1950s, Mike McLaughlin was a regular stowaway riding switch engines back and forth in Seattle, Washington. By the time he was in high school, he was hand-firing steam engines as an unofficial crew member. Obsessed with trains and destined for a life along the tracks, he started by digging ditches as a gandy and ended as a railroad and transportation consultant, but he never completely relinquished his shovel. His career spanned multiple railroads, including Great Northern, Denver & Rio Grande Western, and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, as well as transportation management for several large industrial firms.

With McLaughlin, even the mundane becomes fascinating. Unlike those of an executive or engineer, his personal accounts focus on what went on behind the scenes--from the finer points of using a shovel to suddenly having to reroute 16,000 tons of talc ore from Montana to a ship in Portland. He describes living and working as part of maintenance and signal gangs, moving days on several lines, supervisory issues, and more. His collection of mid-20th century timetables and other paper ephemera provide minute detail related to railroad activities and communications. Numerous photographs and Dave Clemens' hand-drawn maps enhance the text, illustrate where stories take place, and promote a deeper understanding of some gritty, intense railroading.



Author: Mike McLaughlin, Jim Providenza
Publisher: Basalt Books
Published: 10/31/2024
Pages: 260
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781638640301

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products