Reviews
"Marvel... documents the Rock Island's roller coaster history in this attractive volume from Indiana University Press.... A beautiful collection of action oriented photos from well know camera artists like Otto Perry and Ron Hill accompany the well written text." --Michigan Railfan, A concise, factual, and highly readable account of a major Midwestern freight and passenger railroad.--William J. Watt, author of The Pennsylvania Railroad in Indiana, "The Rock Island Line is a labor of love for the author and his enthusiasm for his subject shines through in the lavishness of the photographs he has selected. The book will appeal to both the train enthusiast and to pop culture fans. It is quite readable, with six chapters and an epilogue. The well-captioned photographs tell their own story although they also supplement the text." --The Journal of American Culture, "A concise, factual, and highly readable account of a major Midwestern freight and passenger railroad." -William J. Watt, author of The Pennsylvania Railroad in Indiana, This is a superior book and will appeal to a wide range of readers including business history, transportation historians, Rock Island fans, rail enthusiasts, and general readers., "This is a superior book and will appeal to a wide range of readers including business history, transportation historians, Rock Island fans, rail enthusiasts, and general readers." -John Spychalski, Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University, "This is a superior book and will appeal to a wide range of readers including business history, transportation historians, Rock Island fans, rail enthusiasts, and general readers." --John Spychalski, Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University "A concise, factual, and highly readable account of a major Midwestern freight and passenger railroad." --William J. Watt, author of The Pennsylvania Railroad in Indiana, A concise, factual, and highly readable account of a major Midwestern freight and passenger railroad., "Marvel's fine balance between photos and a concise telling of the Rock Island's long history will strongly appeal to both rail fans and general readers interested in railroad history." -Library Journal
Synopsis
This richly illustrated volume tells the story of a legendary railroad whose tracks spanned the Midwest, serving farms and small-town America for more than 140 years. One of the earliest railroads to build westward from Chicago, it was the first to span the Mississippi, advancing the frontier, bringing settlers into the West, and hauling their crops to market. Rock Island's celebrated Rocket passenger trains also set a standard for speed and service, with suburban runs as familiar to Windy City commuters as the Loop. For most of its existence, the Rock battled competitors much larger and richer than itself and when it finally succumbed, the result was one of the largest business bankruptcies ever. Today, as its engines and stock travel the busy main lines operated by other carriers, the Rock Island Line lives on in the hearts of those whom it employed and served.
