Railroads in the Heartland by H. Roger Grant (1997, Hardcover)

Railroad historians and students of Americana will appreciate "Railroads in the Heartland: Steam and Traction in the Golden Era of Postcards" (University of Iowa Press, 1997).

Literally hundreds of books exist (in and out-of-print) on the nation's railway system. This small book, only 181 pages in length, is unique in that it not only provides a regional view of steam and interurban transportation, but does so through the medium of old penny postcards. These black and white images, with descriptive notes by Grant, are reproduced to good effect, one to a page.

Topics covered are the midwestern railroad landscape, depots and other facilities, people and the Iron Horse, and the electric interurbans, which effectively connected our cities a century ago.

Grant's book is a hard-to-find treasure which depicts a slower, perhaps saner, era in this country's history that has long ceased to exist. Revisit it here.