Boston and Maine: City and Shore

The Boston and Maine Railroad was for many decades a giant of New England commerce. In 1913 the B & M reached its great geographic extent, 2364 route miles. The railroad grew up during the second half of the nineteenth-century primarily by acquiring other railroads-ones that in most cases had become competitors by building or acquiring lines into B & M territory or vice versa. Even though too many railroad lines were built, New England was thickly settled even then, and railroads offered the only transportation faster than a horse could walk. Authored by Robert W. Jones, a Massachusetts native, this book depicts the B & M at mid-century, the time when highway transportation outpaced American railroads in overall importance. Included are 186 color and 32 black & white photographs, the work of 36 photographers portraying a broad panorama of steam and diesel operation. Also featured are a foreword by Carl R. Byron, a short history by George Drury, ad 13 fascinating and engaging narratives by longtime employees and observers of this wonderful, colorful New England transportation system...