Last Train to Texas: My Railroad Odyssey

by Fred W. Frailey

Overview

Midnight train rides, head-on freight collisions—there is never a dull moment when it comes to trains. Take a look at America's biggest railroads and meet the thunderous personalities who operate them.
In Last Train to Texas, author Fred W. Frailey examines the workings behind the railroad industry and captures incredible true stories along the way. Discover how men like William "Pisser Bill" F. Thompson swerve from financial ruin, bad merger deals, and cutthroat competition, all while racking up enough notoriety to inspire a poem titled "Ode to a Jerk." Bold, savvy, and ready for a friendly brawl, the only thing louder and more thrilling than these men are the trains that they handle. Come along with Frailey as he travels the world, one railroad at a time. Whether it's riding the Canadian Pacific Railway through a blizzard, witnessing a container train burglary in the Abo Canyon, or commemorating a poem to Limerick Junction in Dublin, Ireland, Frailey's journeys are rife with excitement and the occasional mishap.
Filled with humorous anecdotes and thoughtful insights into the railroading industry, Last Train to Texas is an adventure in every sense of the word.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253045249
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Series:	Railroads Past and Present
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	608,569
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Journalist Fred Frailey has written for Trains magazine for more than 40 years. He has authored five other railroad books, including Twilight of the Great Trains, Southern Pacific's Blue Streak Merchandise, and Rolling Thunder (with Gary Benson).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Thomas G. Hoback

Part I: Running the Railroads
1. President Carter to the Rescue
2. The Man You Never Wanted to Cross
3. Watch Rob Run
4. Thinking Outside the Container
5. The World According to Mcclellan
6. The Saga of 'Pisser Bill'
7. A Man in Full
8. Mike Haverty's Long Shadow
9. How to Go Boots Up in Railroading
10. The Battles of Powder River
11. When Lou Menk Saved a Zephyr
12. Inside the Mind of Michael Ward
13. The Legacy of Hunter Harrison
14. A Battle for Supremacy in the West
Part II: Travels around Trains
15. The Cocoon of a Long-Distance Train
16. No Place for Man or Beast . . . or Train
17. The Ladies from Cork Are Aghast
18. Crossing the Country in a Blur
19. Ode to a Coach Yard
20. By Train to the End of the Earth
21. Pencil-Whipping Train 101
22. I Plead the Fifth
23. My Prestigious Experience
24. The Late, Late Train
25. The Train to Cordoba
26. You Gotta Love the Soo Line
27. New York City, Then
28. New York City, Now
29. Best Little Railroad in Effingham
30. Last Train to Texas
31. Railroading in a Fiery Furnace
32. Night Train to Nowhere
Part III: Kicking the Train Down the Tracks
33. Miss Katy's Funny Pieces of Paper
34. Moments I'd Rather Forget
35. The Timeless Clovis Sub
36. What's the Matter with Florida?
37. The Brain Drain
38. A Little Drawbridge that Couldn't
39. That Commodore Vanderbilt Feeling
40. The Ageless World of Stan Kistler
41. Saturday Night Fever
42. Who Really Saved Illinois Central
43. Why You May Yet Read by Candlelight
44. 14th Street at Night
45. The Wreck of Old 54
46. The Mother of All Traffic Jams

What People are Saying About This

Thomas Hoback

Fred Frailey has spent his entire career dissecting the business side of railroading and this volume contains his most insightful works about what makes American railroads tick. In short, it's a retrospective on the industry in the last forty years.

Rush Loving

Fred Frailey has produced a marvelous collection of railroad stories, all told by a true train buff in a unique style that describes railroading perfectly. Whether a trip through the snow on the Canadian Pacific, or watching Amtrak's Eddie DeBasky dispatch trains in and out of Manhattan at rush hour or taking a ride on the Florida East Coast's 101, Frailey captures it all.

Editorial Reviews

"Fred Frailey has produced a marvelous collection of railroad stories, all told by a true train buff in a unique style that describes railroading perfectly. Whether a trip through the snow on the Canadian Pacific, or watching Amtrak's Eddie DeBasky dispatch trains in and out of Manhattan at rush hour or taking a ride on the Florida East Coast's 101, Frailey captures it all. "—Rush Loving, author of The Well-Dressed Hobo

"Fred Frailey has spent his entire career dissecting the business side of railroading and this volume contains his most insightful works about what makes American railroads tick. In short, it's a retrospective on the industry in the last forty years. "—Thomas Hoback, Founder, President and CEO, Indiana Rail Road (Retired)

"Last Train to Texas depicts modern railroading, warts and all, though a fascinating amalgam of stories. Readers finish understanding Frailey's love of railroading because of the breadth of his narratives."—Mark Lardas, The Daily News Galveston

"...a terrific read, a collection of short, snappy essays that mirror Fred's ceaseless curiosity about not only the business of railroading, but more importantly its people."—Kevin Keefe, Trains Magazine

"This book is more than just about a rail line re-birth in Nowheresville, Texas. Rather, it is an outstanding anthology of 46 short stores compiled by Fred Frailey recounting his rail adventures over the past four decades. The author's writing style is contemporary, straightforward, and entertaining with its clever wit."—David J Mrozek, The Michigan Railfan

"...this book is a pleasent diversion, perfect for pool-side reading. Longtime followers of Fred W. Frailey will want to read this book."—Bill Hough, The NRHS Bulletin

From the Publisher

"...this book is a pleasent diversion, perfect for pool-side reading. Longtime followers of Fred W. Frailey will want to read this book."

The NRHS Bulletin - Bill Hough

Last Train to Texas depicts modern railroading, warts and all, though a fascinating amalgam of stories. Readers finish understanding Frailey's love of railroading because of the breadth of his narratives.

The Daily News Galveston - Mark Lardas

This book is more than just about a rail line re-birth in Nowheresville, Texas. Rather, it is an outstanding anthology of 46 short stores compiled by Fred Frailey recounting his rail adventures over the past four decades. The author's writing style is contemporary, straightforward, and entertaining with its clever wit.

The Michigan Railfan - David J Mrozek

...a terrific read, a collection of short, snappy essays that mirror Fred's ceaseless curiosity about not only the business of railroading, but more importantly its people.

Trains Magazine - Kevin Keefe