American Narrow Gauge Railroads

This is a comprehensive, illustrated account of the growth and decline of American narrow gauge railroading. It documents a long-gone era, bringing to life ancient steam locomotives, railroads and rolling stock that have mostly disappeared without trace. The basic facts and information on the subject are heavily illustrated with photographs, drawings and maps, presented in an encyclopedia format.

The narrow gauge railroad arrived in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Based on the Welsh two-foot gauge, the American narrow gauge was expanded by railroad engineers to a three-foot gauge that became the standard track width for narrow gauge railroads in the United States. Maine, however, adopted the two-foot gauge that was developed by George E. Mansfield in Massachusetts. The narrow track width was ideally suited to the mountainous terrain, and the maneuverability of the trains proved highly beneficial to companies and passengers traveling to remote locations. The narrow gauge railroad served Maine for over fifty years until the early 1940s. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads is a comprehensive pictorial record of the history of the narrow gauge railroad in Maine. From the one-hundred-twelve-mile Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad to the five-mile Kennebec Central, Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads features the toylike miniature trains of Maine as they appeared at different stages in their history. The Bridgton and Harrison Railroad, the Monson Railroad, and the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway lines are documented within, as well as the current restoration projects that are under way.

This is the first comprehensive, extensively illustrated account of the growth and decline of American narrow gauge railroading, a singular and still not fully understood episode in the history of American transportation.

This book examines those railways in Britain that served industry and had a track gauge smaller than the British 'standard gauge' of 4 feet 81/2 inches. Whether they were temporary contractor's lines or more permanent installations, these meandering, often poorly maintained railways have a special fascination. This book deals in turn with the locomotives, the rolling stock and the track, describing their development. It pays tribute to the inventors of an earlier age and to the more recent groups of enthusiasts who have been keeping the 'narrow' tradition alive. About the author Ian Dean was appointed founder Director of the Amberley Working Museum, Sussex in 1979. Developing this new open-air museum involved the incorporation of a major collection of narrow-gauge equipment. In 1989 he became Managing Director of the Mid Hants Railway, later a freelance consultant. He is now retired.

Take a nostalgic 100 year Journey through the Rocky Mountains aboard the narrow gauge railways that snaked through them.