Passenger Trains of Texas - Cotton Belt

Texas Zephyr Publishing. Hardcover. New. Steve Goen has been the author of a number of popular railroad book titles focusing on Texas and the Southwest published by Four Ways West Publications. Steve is now publishing his own titles, and this is the first of them about railroad passenger service in Texas. The second title he is working on is on the Rock Island in Texas which should be available soon. Cotton Belt's passenger service ended long before the beginning of Amtrak in 1971. The Cotton Belt didn't have the presence in Texas that its parent, the Southern Pacific, or other prominent Texas-serving railroads such as the Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific did. This book fills a need for readers who want to know more about this lesser-known passenger service. This title covers the history of the passenger service from an era of B&W photography and very little color photography as the trains stopped running many years before Amtrak. There are color photographs, but they are only about 10% of the photo selection, though. Many trains were of a branch line nature and 'doodlebugs' are quite prominently featured. Maps and Timetable reproductions are in color as they were back in the day. There are some schedules presented as well as some press articles to complete the book. Contents: The Cotton Belt in Texas: The Early Years, pp. 6-9, Trains 611-612 and 711-712, pp. 10-23, Trains 3-4, pp. 24-29, Trains 551-552, pp. 30-35, Trains 603-604, pp. 36-43, Trains 401-402, pp. 44-59, Trains 101-102, pp. 60-71, Trains 1-2 (Lone Star), pp. 72-93, Trains 5-6 (Morning Star), pp. 94-102, Trains 217-218, pp. 103-107, Trains 7-8, pp. 108-121, Trains 107-108, pp. 122-135, Trains 615-616, pp. 136-144. Hardcover, 144 pages, standard portrait format, 8 x 10 in., B&W and Color photographs and illustrations.