Picture 1 of 1
Stock photo
Picture 1 of 1
Stock photo
Set up Running : The Life of a Pennsylvania Railroad Engineman, 1904-1949 by John W. Orr (2003, Hardcover)
ZUBER (276913)
98.1% positive feedback
Price:
$50.75
Free shipping
Returns:
30 days returns. Seller pays for return shipping.
Condition:
SET UP RUNNING: THE LIFE OF A PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD ENGINEMAN, 19041949 (KEYSTONE BOOKS) By John W. Orr & James D. Porterfield - Hardcover **Mint Condition**.
- Buy It NowSET UP RUNNING: THE LIFE OF A PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD By John W. Orr & James D.
Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.
Refresh your browser window to try again.
About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherPennsylvania STATE University Press
ISBN-100271020563
ISBN-139780271020563
eBay Product ID (ePID)1737794
Product Key Features
Book TitleSet Up Running : the Life of a Pennsylvania Railroad Engineman, 1904-1949
Number of Pages392 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicRailroads / General, United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, De, Md, NJ, NY, Pa), United States / 20th Century, Railroads / History, General, Historical
Publication Year2003
IllustratorYes
GenreTransportation, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorJohn W. Orr
Book SeriesKeystone Bks.
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.4 in
Item Weight27.1 Oz
Item Length9.5 in
Item Width6.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN00-028818
Reviews"Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." -Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railroadiana, "Through true-life experiences, the reader gets an idea what it was like to work on a railroad in general and a steam engine specifically." --John Beague, Harrisburg Patriot News, "One of my earliest recollections involves the railroad, a plaintive whistle, and my mother stating that my father would soon be home. And it wasn't long before that large man, clad in blue overalls, came through the door with his travel bag, which he promptly set on the kitchen floor so he could pick me up. There was a strange smell on his overclothes, but it was not offensive, and it was one that I later learned belonged to a steam engine. So from very early in my life I developed an avid interest in the steam engine." --John W. (Jack) Orr Exerpt, "[Q]uite simply one of the liveliest and most informative works of railroad history to come along in many years." --Michael Bezilla Pennsylvania History, "One of my earliest recollections involves the railroad, a plaintive whistle, and my mother stating that my father would soon be home. And it wasn't long before that large man, clad in blue overalls, came through the door with his travel bag, which he promptly set on the kitchen floor so he could pick me up. There was a strange smell on his overclothes, but it was not offensive, and it was one that I later learned belonged to a steam engine. So from very early in my life I developed an avid interest in the steam engine." -John W. (Jack) Orr, Exerpt, "Still the book is an amazing document of a fufilling life in industrial America. It is a good read, even though there are no plot twists or shattering climaxes. One comes away with a deepened sense that the bargain between capitalist and worker was arms-length but genuine, that hard work paid and a working life was rewarding." --Richard Saunders Labor History, "Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don't know how to fire and don't want to learn, derailments, engines that won't steam, washouts -it's all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam." -Robert E. McMillan, Lexington Quarterly, " Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it's just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son." --Lou Hunsinger Jr. Williamsport Sun-Gazette, "One of my earliest recollections involves the railroad, a plaintive whistle, and my mother stating that my father would soon be home. And it wasn't long before that large man, clad in blue overalls, came through the door with his travel bag, which he promptly set on the kitchen floor so he could pick me up. There was a strange smell on his overclothes, but it was not offensive, and it was one that I later learned belonged to a steam engine. So from very early in my life I developed an avid interest in the steam engine." --John W. (Jack) Orr, Exerpt, &"Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it&'s just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son.&" &-Lou Hunsinger Jr., Williamsport Sun-Gazette, &"My first impression is that this is a first rate account of 'railroading in the raw&' during the first half of the twentieth century.&" &-Bill Howes, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter, "My first impression is that this is a first rate account of 'railroading in the raw' during the first half of the twentieth century." -Bill Howes, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter, "Still the book is an amazing document of a fufilling life in industrial America. It is a good read, even though there are no plot twists or shattering climaxes. One comes away with a deepened sense that the bargain between capitalist and worker was arms-length but genuine, that hard work paid and a working life was rewarding." --Richard Saunders, Labor History, "Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it's just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son." --Lou Hunsinger Jr., Williamsport Sun-Gazette, " Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." -Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railroadiana, "An engaging book, one likely to become a railroad classic. The major strength of Set Up Running is detail, particularly when it involves locomotives, train movements, and patterns of operation. Especially enjoyable are the depictions of Orr as a loyal Pennsylvania Railroad employee and of his overall pride of workmanship." --H. Roger Grant,Clemson University, "My first impression is that this is a first rate account of 'railroading in the raw' during the first half of the twentieth century." --Bill Howes, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter, &"An engaging book, one likely to become a railroad classic. The major strength of Set Up Running is detail, particularly when it involves locomotives, train movements, and patterns of operation. Especially enjoyable are the depictions of Orr as a loyal Pennsylvania Railroad employee and of his overall pride of workmanship.&" &-H. Roger Grant, Clemson University, "Through true-life experiences, the reader gets an idea what it was like to work on a railroad in general and a steam engine specifically." -John Beague, Harrisburg Patriot News, "Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it's just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son." -Lou Hunsinger Jr., Williamsport Sun-Gazette, "Through true-life experiences, the reader gets an idea what it was like to work on a railroad in general and a steam engine specifically." --John Beague Harrisburg Patriot News, " Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don't know how to fire and don't want to learn, derailments, engines that won't steam, washouts --it's all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam." --Robert E. McMillan Lexington Quarterly, " Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don't know how to fire and don't want to learn, derailments, engines that won't steam, washouts --it's all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam." --Robert E. McMillan, Lexington Quarterly, "The cumulative effect is an extended meditation on a lost world of rugged, single-minded men-almost monkish in their devotion to their job and 'the company,'-who once thread[ed] their engines along river banks and down grades to deliver carloads of coal and lumber and merchandise to larger towns, where the freight was reshuffled into other trains and delivered to virtually every point on the continent." -Mark Reutter, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, "Still the book is an amazing document of a fufilling life in industrial America. It is a good read, even though there are no plot twists or shattering climaxes. One comes away with a deepened sense that the bargain between capitalist and worker was arms-length but genuine, that hard work paid and a working life was rewarding." -Richard Saunders, Labor History, "Rather than a glamorized, rosy look at the days of steam, the accounts of O.P. and John reveal railroading as seen through the eyes of those who handled and lived with the railroad day after day. . . . Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." --Alexander D. Mitchell IV Railfan and Railroad, "[Q]uite simply one of the liveliest and most informative works of railroad history to come along in many years." -Michael Bezilla, Pennsylvania History, "Rather than a glamorized, rosy look at the days of steam, the accounts of O.P. and John reveal railroading as seen through the eyes of those who handled and lived with the railroad day after day. . . . Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." -Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railfan and Railroad, " Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." --Alexander D. Mitchell IV Railroadiana, "[Q]uite simply one of the liveliest and most informative works of railroad history to come along in many years." --Michael Bezilla, Pennsylvania History, &"One of my earliest recollections involves the railroad, a plaintive whistle, and my mother stating that my father would soon be home. And it wasn&'t long before that large man, clad in blue overalls, came through the door with his travel bag, which he promptly set on the kitchen floor so he could pick me up. There was a strange smell on his overclothes, but it was not offensive, and it was one that I later learned belonged to a steam engine. So from very early in my life I developed an avid interest in the steam engine.&" &-John W. (Jack) Orr, Exerpt, "An engaging book, one likely to become a railroad classic. The major strength of Set Up Running is detail, particularly when it involves locomotives, train movements, and patterns of operation. Especially enjoyable are the depictions of Orr as a loyal Pennsylvania Railroad employee and of his overall pride of workmanship." --H. Roger Grant, Clemson University, "Rather than a glamorized, rosy look at the days of steam, the accounts of O.P. and John reveal railroading as seen through the eyes of those who handled and lived with the railroad day after day. . . . Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." --Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railfan and Railroad, &"For students of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Orr provides an interesting perspective with his view from the cab. . . . the level of detail is incredible as Orr successfully tempers the romance with the reality of an engineman&'s life.&" &-Robert M. Blackson, Railroad History, &"Still the book is an amazing document of a fufilling life in industrial America. It is a good read, even though there are no plot twists or shattering climaxes. One comes away with a deepened sense that the bargain between capitalist and worker was arms-length but genuine, that hard work paid and a working life was rewarding.&" &-Richard Saunders, Labor History, &"Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don&'t know how to fire and don&'t want to learn, derailments, engines that won&'t steam, washouts &-it&'s all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam.&" &-Robert E. McMillan, Lexington Quarterly, "An engaging book, one likely to become a railroad classic. The major strength of Set Up Running is detail, particularly when it involves locomotives, train movements, and patterns of operation. Especially enjoyable are the depictions of Orr as a loyal Pennsylvania Railroad employee and of his overall pride of workmanship." -H. Roger Grant, Clemson University, " Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it's just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son." -Lou Hunsinger Jr., Williamsport Sun-Gazette, " Set Up Running is a book well worth reading even if you are not a railroad enthusiast. It helps to illuminate a part of the vanishing past when Williamsport was a major rail hub. The book is a major contribution to an important aspect of the social history of the area. There are plenty of references to local towns and spots to make it interesting to area readers. But, perhaps more importantly, it's just a good story written with love and respect for a man and a time by his son." --Lou Hunsinger Jr., Williamsport Sun-Gazette, &"Rather than a glamorized, rosy look at the days of steam, the accounts of O.P. and John reveal railroading as seen through the eyes of those who handled and lived with the railroad day after day. . . . Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running.&" &-Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railfan and Railroad, "For students of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Orr provides an interesting perspective with his view from the cab. . . . the level of detail is incredible as Orr successfully tempers the romance with the reality of an engineman's life." --Robert M. Blackson, Railroad History, "My first impression is that this is a first rate account of 'railroading in the raw' during the first half of the twentieth century." --Bill Howes Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter, &"Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running.&" &-Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railroadiana, "Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don't know how to fire and don't want to learn, derailments, engines that won't steam, washouts --it's all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam." --Robert E. McMillan, Lexington Quarterly, "Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." --Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railroadiana, "For students of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Orr provides an interesting perspective with his view from the cab. . . . the level of detail is incredible as Orr successfully tempers the romance with the reality of an engineman's life." --Robert M. Blackson Railroad History, "For students of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Orr provides an interesting perspective with his view from the cab. . . . the level of detail is incredible as Orr successfully tempers the romance with the reality of an engineman's life." -Robert M. Blackson, Railroad History, &"Through true-life experiences, the reader gets an idea what it was like to work on a railroad in general and a steam engine specifically.&" &-John Beague, Harrisburg Patriot News, "The cumulative effect is an extended meditation on a lost world of rugged, single-minded men--almost monkish in their devotion to their job and 'the company,'--who once thread[ed] their engines along river banks and down grades to deliver carloads of coal and lumber and merchandise to larger towns, where the freight was reshuffled into other trains and delivered to virtually every point on the continent." --Mark Reutter, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, " Set Up Running is a must-read for the Pennsy fan, and a truly rare treasure for those wanting to know the lives of the men who truly kept American steam locomotives running." --Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Railroadiana, &"The cumulative effect is an extended meditation on a lost world of rugged, single-minded men&-almost monkish in their devotion to their job and 'the company,&'&-who once thread[ed] their engines along river banks and down grades to deliver carloads of coal and lumber and merchandise to larger towns, where the freight was reshuffled into other trains and delivered to virtually every point on the continent.&" &-Mark Reutter, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, "The cumulative effect is an extended meditation on a lost world of rugged, single-minded men--almost monkish in their devotion to their job and 'the company,'--who once thread[ed] their engines along river banks and down grades to deliver carloads of coal and lumber and merchandise to larger towns, where the freight was reshuffled into other trains and delivered to virtually every point on the continent." --Mark Reutter Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, " Set Up Running describes life in engine service as seldom told before. You will like it. The good and the bad, the long, long nights, broken knuckles, pulled couplers, firemen that don't know how to fire and don't want to learn, derailments, engines that won't steam, washouts -it's all here. Not only is this an unvarnished story of what engine service was really like but it is also a valuable sociological portrait of railroading seldom explored in this detail. This was a difficult book for me to lay aside. . . . You will enjoy riding with engineer O.P. Orr in this true story of running an engine in the days of steam." -Robert E. McMillan, Lexington Quarterly
Dewey Edition21
Dewey Decimal625.2/7/092 B
SynopsisSet Up Running tells the story of a Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive engineer, Oscar P. Orr, who operated steam-powered freight and passenger trains throughout central Pennsylvania and south-central New York. From 1904 to 1949, Orr sat at the controls of many famous steam locomotives; moved trains loaded with coal, perishables, and other freight; and encountered virtually every situation a locomotive engineer of that era could expect to see. John W. (Jack) Orr, Oscar's son, tells his father's story, which begins at the Central Steam Heating Plant in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Oscar operated nearly every kind of steam locomotive the Pennsylvania Railroad owned, working from the bottom of the roster to the top position (number one in seniority). Orr has an ear for detail and a vivid memory. He tells about his father's first encounter with an automobile along the right-of-way, about what it was like to operate a train in a blizzard, and about the difficulties railroadmen encountered in stopping a trainload of tank cars loaded with oil in order to take on water and coal--and many other stories. This compelling railroad history will enthrall not only everyone in the railroad community but also the general reader interested in railroads and trains, past and present.
LC Classification NumberTF140.O77O77 2001
All listings for this product
Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Dec 04, 2018
Informative and very readable - it provides excellent insight into a bygone era.
An excellent second-hand account (the son of the main character actually wrote it) of being a locomotive engineer on the Pennsylvania Railroad.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
