|
Iron Horses by Walter Borneman America's race to bring the railroads west SoftCo
Iron Horses by Walter R Borneman Originally published as Rival Rails
Soft Cover
406 pages
Copyright 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Maps xi
Introduction: Railroad Battleground xiii
Railroads and Railroaders: A Cast of Characters xv
Major Events in Building the Southwestern Transcontinental Systemxxi
Part I: Opening Gambits (1853-1874)
1. LINES UPON THE MAP 5
2. LEARNING THE RAILS 20
3. AN INTERRUPTION OF WAR 31
4. TRANSCONTINENTAL BY ANY NAME45
5. THE SANTA FE JOINS THE FRAY63
6. STRAIGHT WEST FROM DENVER 75
7. "WHY IS IT WE HAVE SO MANY BITTER ENEMIES?" 91
Part II: Contested Empire (1874-1889)
8. SHOWDOWN ATYUMA 109
9. IMPASSE AT RATON 125
10. BATTLE ROYAL FOR THE GORGE 140
11. HANDSHAKE AT DEMING 161
12. WEST ACROSS TEXAS 180
13. TRANSCONTINENTAL AT LAST 194
14. BATTLING FOR CALIFORNIA 216
15. GOULD AGAIN 230
16. TO THE HALLS OF M0NTEZUMA 243
17. CALIFORNIA FOR A DOLLAR 254
Part III: Santa Fe All the Way (1889-1909)
18. MAKING THE MARKETS 273
19. CANYON DREAMS AND SCHEMES 284
20. THE BOOM GOES BUST 296
21. STILL WEST FROM DENVER 310
22. TOP OF THE HEAP 320
23. DUELING STREAMLINERS 336
Afterword: American Railroads in the Twenty-first Century 346
Acknowledgments 349
Notes 351
Bibliography 383
Index 391
LIST OF MAPS
General Routes of the Pacific Railroad Surveys of 1853 2
Early Transcontinental Contenders, Circa 1863 34
Kansas Pacific Construction, 1865-1870 49
Western U.S. Transcontinental Routes, 1869 52
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Construction, 1868-1872 66
Competition in Colorado, Early 1870s 79
San Francisco Bay Area Railroads, Circa 187093
Western U.S. Transcontinental Routes, 1877 106
The Drive for Southern California, Mid-1870s111
The Tehachapi Loop 113
Yuma Crossings 120
Southern Colorado Battles, 1878-1879 126
Raton Pass Shoo-fly and Tunnel, 1878-1879 135
The Royal Gorge 149
The Santa Fe Meets the Southern Pacific at Deming 169
Texas and Pacific Construction 182
Western U.S. Transcontinental Routes, 1883 198
The Santa Fe Meets the Southern Pacific at Needles 206
Needles Crossings 213
The California Southern 219
Colorado Battleground, 1888 232
The Georgetown Loop 235
Santa Fe Expansion into Texas 240
American-Backed Railroad Ventures in Mexico 249
Santa Fe Racetrack to Chicago, 1887 257
The Battle for Southern California, 1887-1890 260
Western U.S. Transcontinental Routes, 1910 270
San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railway 306
Western Pacific Extension 317
The Santa Fe's Belen Cutoff, 1908 323
ON THE BACK COVER:
The completion of the first transcontinental railroad marked the start of a new, greater challenge: to construct an even better, more direct rail line through the southern part of the country, connecting Chicago to Los Angeles. Dozens of rival railroad companies competed for control of this region. With this route, trains could avoid the deep snow and steep gradients that plagued the more northern routes, and, better yet, they could get to the West Coast faster. The men leading these companies were shrewd negotiators, and they aggressively began to build lines through Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California in a contest that would last for more than a quarter century.
As railroad barons fought in boardrooms and brokered political deals, workers toiled, to build bridges, tunnels, cuts, and fills all across the region. They faced dangerous conditions, from the labor itself to armed robberies and runaway trains and they had to work swiftly. In Iron Horses, Walter R. Borneman brilliantly depicts the battles over control of the American Southwest's transportation corridors and brings this momentous period in American history to life.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
