{"product_id":"life-along-the-tracks-candid-stories-from-a-career-railroader-hardcover","title":"Life Along the Tracks: Candid Stories from a Career Railroader - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMike McLaughlin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJim Providenza\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a boy in the early 1950s, Mike McLaughlin was a regular stowaway riding switch engines back and forth in Seattle, Washington. By the time he was in high school, he was hand-firing steam engines as an unofficial crew member. Obsessed with trains and destined for a life along the tracks, he started by digging ditches as a gandy and ended as a railroad and transportation consultant, but he never completely relinquished his shovel. His career spanned multiple railroads, including Great Northern, Denver \u0026amp; Rio Grande Western, and Chicago, Rock Island \u0026amp; Pacific, as well as transportation management for several large industrial firms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith McLaughlin, even the mundane becomes fascinating. Unlike those of an executive or engineer, his personal accounts focus on what went on behind the scenes--from the finer points of using a shovel to suddenly having to reroute 16,000 tons of talc ore from Montana to a ship in Portland. He describes living and working as part of maintenance and signal gangs, moving days on several lines, supervisory issues, and more. His collection of mid-20th century timetables and other paper ephemera provide minute detail related to railroad activities and communications. Numerous photographs and Dave Clemens' hand-drawn maps enhance the text, illustrate where stories take place, and promote a deeper understanding of some gritty, intense railroading.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 260\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 31, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47456838746290,"sku":"9781638640301","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/17152cef65168ad4d02b69e2dafe26e1.webp?v=1778872752","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/life-along-the-tracks-candid-stories-from-a-career-railroader-hardcover","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}