{"product_id":"north-american-railroad-family-trees-an-infographic-history-of-the-industrys-mergers-and-evolution-9780760344880","title":"North American Railroad Family Trees: An Infographic History of the Industry's Mergers and Evolution","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe history of railroading in North America is as much a story of boardroom intrigue as it is a story of the brute force that stamped thousands of miles of train track across a rugged continent. Todays nine U.S. and Canadian Class I railroads are the result of well over a century of convoluted bankruptcies  mergers  acquisitions  and expansions. North American Railroad Family Trees marks the first time in book form that this major aspect of railroad history has been presented in a clear  graphic format  helping the railfan make sense of the many smaller train lines that shaped North American rail as it is today. In these pages  renowned rail author Brian Solomon takes a visual and chronological approach  presenting 50 family trees in the style of human lineages. The story begins with the railroads of the Golden Age (18901930)  continuing through the second wave of consolidations between the World Wars  the merger mania of the 1950s through the 1970s  the creation of major passenger networks  and the megamergers of the last three decades that have left railroading close to its current incarnation. Solomon even offers a selection of maps tracing the evolution of the North American rail system and diagrams proposing what-if scenarios for the industrys future. Including chapter-by-chapter narrative overviews of key eras  along with a selection of rare photography and period advertising to lend historical context  North American Railroad Family Trees provides an unprecedented retrospective of the continents iconic rail network.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45960548057141,"sku":"ByrdShop_0760344884","price":100.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780760344880.jpg?v=1788290582","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/north-american-railroad-family-trees-an-infographic-history-of-the-industrys-mergers-and-evolution-9780760344880","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}