Book Reviews

Ron’s Books
P.O. Box 714
Harrison, NY 10528
914-967-7541
ronsbooks@aol.com
www.ronsbooks.com

Ron's Books continues to sell new releases of reproductions of industrial catalogs from Silver Lake Images LLC, Manufacturer’s Catalog Archive. Each catalog sells for $35.00.

Railroad Cranes Volume 1 contains 150 pages of Burro Model 15 Cranes, Byers Shovels and Cranes, Lambert-National Steam Hoists, and the story of P&H Crane Construction. Each section contains technical information, parts photos, and scale plans of parts and complete cranes. There are numerous photos showing cranes at work in industrial sites. The steam hoist section shows donkey engines at work hooked up to hoists, and the last section details how cranes are constructed. Having built several cranes, I know this catalog will provide you with the information you need to add a crane to your roster.

Atlas Electric Locomotives is a gem. It’s 100 pages are full of diagrams, and photos of small mining locomotives including storage battery locomotives, low-profile locomotives, and larger two truck steeple cab locomotives. Some of the low-profile models seem to be no more than a flatcar. Make an interesting model. Should fit right over a small power truck. The little tramming locomotives are also interesting. They were made small so they could get into tight places in mines and be moved up and down in caged elevators.

Fairbanks-Morse Locomotives Volume 1: Diesels has 50 pages divided into a discussion of the Fairbanks-Morse Train Master: 2400 H.P. Diesel Locomotive and their use on the Lackawanna Railroad. No narrow gauge or short line in this catalog.

Heisler Locomotives Volume 2: Geared Locomotives is a 118 page, 5½-inch by 8½-inch catalog. So far this is the first small catalog I have reviewed. It is a reproduction of Heisler catalogs No. 108 and No. 115, with a 1908 Repair list showing parts numbers by list and diagram to aid in ordering repair parts. There are numerous diagrams showing how Heisler locomotives are constructed and many photos showing them at work in the woods, or at industrial sites. There are also many images of the Heisler factory and Heisler builder’s photos.
-Bob Brown.

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad and Predecessors

The Railroad, Towns and Related Industries, Volume 7

The Towns of Kingfield, Carrabassett and Bigelow

By Jerry DeVos

2022, Hardcover, illus., 281 pages, $70.00 plus $7.00 shipping, PayPal accepted.

Stonybrook Press
4168 Hearthstone Dr.
Sarasota, FL 34238
941-882-4516
jdevos99@aol.com

This is the 7th in Jerry DeVos’ monumental series on the 2-foot gauge Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad and its predecessors. It is organized geographically by milepost just like the preceding 6 volumes. The Table of Contents begins with a Dedication, followed by a Preface & Acknowledgments, Organization, Author’s Comments, Corrections and Additions to Volumes 5 and 6, and a chapter on the Origins of the Franklin & Megantic and Kingfield & Dead River Railroads. Then it discusses Kingfield.

After a brief history of Kingfield, we learn about coal sheds, water tanks, water cranes, depots, freight stations, industries, people, spool factory, three stall engine house, and see photos of the parade celebrating Kingfield’s Centennial. There are also prototype plans for a wood and a steel turntable. There is a list of employees who once kept Kingfield moving with photos and a description of the Great Race of 1905. The sawmills and novelty mills in the area are described one by one, with many photos.

The second section starts with a brief history and reorganization of the Kingfield & Dead River Railroad, followed by a description of the railroad milepost by milepost. The sawmills and bridges are shown along with a drawing of the Salem stream bridge. Again, accidents are shown and discussed and there are maps and an aerial view of the area with details called out. Each crossing is called out and some drawings of bridge improvements are included.

The third and last section of the book covers Jerusalem Township and is the longest and most detailed section. Again, after a brief history of the area we learn about the water tanks, sidings, sheds, spurs, sluices, camps and see sketches for a bridge improvement, and again read about accidents along the line. The section house, trainman’s house, and depot, throughout its history, are covered along with the engine house, sidings and wye including track plans over the years, and a great aerial view with callouts of the various details.

One section discusses operations between milepost 24 to 30 and has plans for modifications to the Huston Brook Bridge. One surprise to me was the description of a siding used by the S.D. Warren Paper Company of Portland, Maine. The company’s 2-foot gauge paper plant railroad has always been a favorite of mine and was the subject of a special issue of Finelines many years ago. I was interested to see the company had its own siding for pulpwood at milepost 29. There are numerous photos of crews returning Forney #6 and her train to the track after she took a dive down an embankment.

The book ends with a Bibliography and Index. It is printed on high quality paper and includes many previously unpublished photos. I like the way the people of the area are shown riding the trains, taking photos of them, or working on the railroad. One especially delightful image shows Mary Prescott, a young girl serving as a Station Agent complete with cap badge, and the snapshot of two children sitting quietly enduring a snapshot in front of a steel bridge with stone piers.

It’s hard to describe this fact-filled book, there is just so much. If you are a 2-foot historian or modeler, make sure you add this book to your library.
-Bob Brown.

YouTube Video

Layout Tour

I had the pleasure of having John Abatecola and his wife, Cydney, of TSG Multimedia video my layout recently. They were also helped by Dave Adams. I was pleased with the result and feel it really shows off my modeling and my layout.