Specialty Press has been adding some very interesting subjects to its catalogue of fine books and this new one on the Southern Pacific Daylight Locomotives is one of the best. Most of us like trains. There is just something about all that power that draws us to them and it is no surprise that many scale modelers also have a model railroad of some sort. It is also not unusual for those railroad models to include steam locomotives. There is just something about steam that stirs the imagination and interest that isn't there with diesel or electric motive power.

One of the best trains on the road in the late 1930s was the specially built streamlined passenger locomotives of the Southern Pacific railroad that used them in their runs up and down the California coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. These locomotives were designed to provide the best in speed and comfort for the time. When the war broke out, they were also amongst the most reliable and heavily used type on the rails, with similar locomotives being built and issued to other lines. The Daylight locomotives were also some of the last to be used in passenger service, finally giving in to the diesels under some rather odd circumstances in 1956.

The author has provided a superlative book on the Daylights and the lone, extant locomotive of its type that is still in operating condition. The complete history of the development and use of these locomotives is contained with the 112 pages and uses over 150 black and white and 100 color images to help tell this story. No part of the locomotive is missed and makes this a most valuable asset for the train buff and the casual reader alike. An outstanding publication that is most reasonably priced as well. It is one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and I know you will not be disappointed. Buy this one with confidence that you are getting the best.

December 2006

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