Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway by Naiden, Fred S.

Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway

The New York City subway system is one of the largest and oldest in the world, still...
$47.91 USD
$91.99 USD
$47.91 USD
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Author: Fred S. Naiden
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $47.91
Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway by Naiden, Fred S.

Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway

$91.99 $47.91

Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway

$91.99 $47.91
Author: Fred S. Naiden
Format: Hardcover
Language: English

The New York City subway system is one of the largest and oldest in the world, still carrying traces of the transport systems that came before it. Some of its elevated tracks are remnants of steam railroads, and some tunnels run where canoes served as ferries. For passengers, riding the subway can feel like stepping into another world, dark and dank and sometimes dangerous. Now just imagine what it's like to work there every day.

One of the few subway workers who went on to earn a PhD from Harvard, historian Fred Naiden gives readers a firsthand look at what it was like to work as a subway porter, a motorman, and a locomotive engineer during the 1980s. He recounts the labor activism of his fellow MTA employees, who advocated for better conditions, higher pay, and less institutional racism. He also shares wild stories about the riders he encountered, from a homeless former realtor who worked as a mob frontman to an angry passenger who pulled a gun on him while the train was stuck at a stop signal. Above all, Railroaded will answer many questions about the New York subway system, including how it could be improved.



Author: Fred S. Naiden
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 274
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.04lbs
Size: 8.75h x 6.34w x 0.95d
ISBN: 9781978844094


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/01/2026 pg. 63
Publishers Weekly 02/02/2026

About the Author

FRED S. NAIDEN, formerly New York City Transit Authority Employee #4046, is now professor emeritus of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His many books include Ancient Supplication (2006), Smoke Signals for the Gods (2012), and Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great (2018).


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