The World the Trains Made

A richly illustrated guide to railroad architecture, in all its surprising variety

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James D. Dilts has written the first comprehensive study of the broad range of structures built in North America for the railroads during their heyday, from high-rise office buildings to beautiful resort hotels to lowly roundhouses and shops. Dilts delves into the personalities of the people who conceived these structures and examines the creative uses that have been found for many of them today. The railroads popularized such vogues in architecture as the Italianate style in the United States and the château style in Canada and pioneered the use of new materials (for example, steel) and methods of construction. Included are more than a hundred of the finest examples of fourteen different building types.

The World the Trains Made will appeal to railroad and architecture buffs, preservationists considering the adaptive reuse of historic structures, and anyone concerned about our transportation priorities in the age of climate change—particularly with regard to environmentally friendly railroads.