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Recently I began reading Clive Cussler's Isaac Bell Novels. The Bell novels are set at the turn of the 20th century. The detective's cases take him from coast to coast, his main mode of transportation is via the countries rail network although being an inquisitive sort he is enthralled with new inventions such as the airplane and the advancement in the motor car industry.
They are fun reads and you'll notice how similar the turn of the 20th century is to the recently turned 21st. Wondering if anyone else may have come across them.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Cussler's not my cup of tea, but I've enjoyed:
Stamboul Train, Graham Greene, 1932 Mr. Norris Changes Trains, Christopher Isherwood, 1935 Strangers on a Train, Patricia Highsmith, 1950 The Edge, Dick Francis, 1988
That last is set on the old CPR Canadian.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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I recently read Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. It's a historical-fiction story about a man, Robert Grainier, who lives most of his life in the vicinity of Bonners Ferry ID. As a young man in the years after WW I, Grainier is helping to build the Spokane International Railway and one day he is a partaker in a despicable act that may or may not cast a curse upon him. While the book isn't a true railroad novel and it is definitely not a horror story, the Spokane Int'l is a background piece to much of this tale about a simple man living in a slowly changing world.
Train Dreams is a good, quick read. It's really too short to be called a novel--116 widely spaced pages--but I enjoyed it.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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For the Terry Pratchett Discworld fans out there, he's releasing a new book later this year called "Raising Steam". Given his take on the mail, the telegram, photography, and on newspapers, this is likely to be good!
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Vincent206: I recently read Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. It's a historical-fiction story about a man, Robert Grainier, who lives most of his life in the vicinity of Bonners Ferry ID. As a young man in the years after WW I, Grainier is helping to build the Spokane International Railway and one day he is a partaker in a despicable act that may or may not cast a curse upon him. While the book isn't a true railroad novel and it is definitely not a horror story, the Spokane Int'l is a background piece to much of this tale about a simple man living in a slowly changing world.
Train Dreams is a good, quick read. It's really too short to be called a novel--116 widely spaced pages--but I enjoyed it.
Actually read Train Dreams last month while flying from Seattle to Atlanta. Well written and impossible to put down - finished it in one flight - but kind of depressing in much the same way Cold Mountain was.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Then there's "Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America" by some guy named Henry Kisor!!!!!! Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Then there's the "4:50 from Paddington," one of my Agatha Christie favorites. It's a great read and the BBC TV interpretation with Joan Hickson could not be more superb. The 1961 film titled "Murder She Said" with Margaret Rutherford ("Night of the Opera,: etc.) was based on "4:50" and is also very good.
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The Abduction of Virginia Lee by Frank O'Rourke (Manor Books, 1976) is a breezy read about the kidnapping of a private car.
Posts: 73 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Has anyone watched "Hell on Wheels"? If you can get by the shooting, stabbing, hacking, drinking,and hostility amongst different groups it does give one an idea what buidling the Union Pacific RR across the country must have been like. Ex Confederate and Union soldiers, former slaves, Irish laborers, ladies of the night, Cheyenne and Sioux resistance, corrupt politicians, and capitalist greed all contribute to a gritty story of the westward expansion of 19th Century United States.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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Speaking of westward expansion, "Confederate and Union soldiers, former slaves, Irish laborers, ladies of the night, Cheyenne and Sioux resistance, corrupt politicians, and capitalist greed," if you think about it, Blazing Saddles was a film about building a railway west.
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I have purchased on Kindle, but have not yet started, a novel with the promising title of, "End of Standard Gauge". If I am reading the reviews correctly, the main character is a volunteer on the narrow-gauge C&TS.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Mr Nadeau, I agree wholeheartedly about 4.50 from Paddington, both the book and the wonderful adaptation with Joan Hickson. Did not like Murder She Said as well. I believe there is also another adaptation in this new Marple series, not good and changed too much.
Other Agatha Christie's with trains include Murder on the Orient Express and The Mystery of the Blue Train. Both have good adaptations with David Suchet as Poirot and of course there is also the allstar film of Murder on the Orient Express with Albert Finney as Poirot (Lauren Bacall is especially great in it).
Strangers on the Train by Highsmith, mentioned by Mr Kisor, has an adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock also made a film with one of my favorite train scenes, The Lady Vanishes (note there is also a rather poor remake, not by Hitchcock). I think this might be based on a novel.
Some years back someone here recommended a book by Hammond Innis, The Land God Gave to Cain. It's a romantic adventure set against the backdrop of building the train to Labrador in the 1950s (Labrador is The Land God Gave to Cain). I liked it quite well.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Gentlemen, thank you very much. Will follow up on all of suggestions.
Joan Hickson played Marple superbly in the episodes of the BBC series that I've enjoyed. In my opinion, every aspect of this series was done perfectly. Sadly, Netflix has only a few in its collection, so will have to look elsewhere.
I loved David Suchet's Poirot. I could not imagine how he could have done the role better. Will look forward to the video mentioned.
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Passenger Train Journal just reviewed an "Entertaining" new train novel, "The Return Of The Santa Fe Super Chief," by Douglas Folsom.
Reviewer George Fletcher writes: "Wrapping the narrative around the romantic notion of the bygone era of luxury train travel, with a level of railroad detail that will grab rail enthusiasts without alienating the rest of the world, Folsom quickly captures the reader's attention in a story that is engaging, entertaining, and hard to put down...A recommended read."
Posts: 3 | From: Baltimore | Registered: Dec 2012
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Passenger Train Journal just reviewed an "Entertaining" new train novel, "The Return Of The Santa Fe Super Chief," by Douglas Folsom.
Reviewer George Fletcher writes: "Wrapping the narrative around the romantic notion of the bygone era of luxury train travel, with a level of railroad detail that will grab rail enthusiasts without alienating the rest of the world, Folsom quickly captures the reader's attention in a story that is engaging, entertaining, and hard to put down...A recommended read."
Posts: 3 | From: Baltimore | Registered: Dec 2012
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