Since 1996 I have authored and illustrated more than 60 books and dozens of magazine articles.
Between 1994 to 1996 Brian Solomon worked at Pentrex Publishing as the Editor of Pacific RailNews and as an associate editor for Passenger Train Journal. He also helped launch the magazine Vintage Rails in 1995.
Brian Solomon
Get an up-close and personal look at over 150 years of railway history.This richly illustrated encyclopedia of classic and contemporary American railroads features concise histories of 101 U.S. and Canadian railroads past and present. Over 400 stunning images include period and modern photography in both color and black and white, evocative print ads, and system maps.Author Brian Solomon, an a... read more
Brian Solomon
Once the second-largest steam locomotive builder in the U.S., American Locomotive Company (Alco) produced 75,000 locomotives, among them such famous examples as the 4-6-4 Hudsons and 4-8-4 Niagaras built for the New York Central, and the 4-6-6-4 Challengers and 4-8-8-4 Big Boys built for the Union Pacific. Alco Locomotives is the first book to tell the full story of this company central to Ame... read more
Brian Solomon, Patrick Yough
From the first, U.S. railroads have carried coal from mines to docks, steel mills, and power plants across the country. In this authoritative book spanning the whole of that history, from the mid-nineteenth century to present, noted rail author Brian Solomon explores the railroads and hardware that have transported the fossil fuels that made America work. Brilliant period and contemporary phot... read more
Brian Solomon
From the 1830s to today, the railroad industry has developed myriad complex mechanisms to help keep North America’s railroad rights-of-ways safe, efficient, and relatively accident-free. In this paperback rerelease of the successful 2003 title, the otherwise-arcane world of railroad signaling is explained in concise language and brought to life with nearly 200 fantastic photographs that depict... read more
Brian Solomon
They steamed westward with America, carrying goods and people to the new frontier. They powered through the industrial revolution, moving with the times. And they transported a nation in motion, soldiers and settlers and immigrants, captains of industry and itinerant laborers. These were the steam locomotives that ruled the rails and kept America moving and working for more than a century. Pic... read more
Brian Solomon
Blending automotive manufacturing and styling techniques with state-of-the-art diesel-electric technologies, General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division conceived and marketed America’s first commercially successful road diesels: the fabulous E-Units and F-Units. This illustrated companion to Voyageur Press’ Alco Locomotives (2009) and Baldwin Locomotives (2010) is the most comprehensive history o... read more
Brian Solomon, John Gruber
The handsome multicolored streetcar is a nostalgic icon of the some of the most romantic and heritage-rich locales in America, including San Francisco, New Orleans and Chicago, immortalised on stage and screen in classics including 'Meet Me In St Louis' and 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. Streetcars of America chronicles these vehicles from the earliest animal-drawn carriages to the height of thei... read more
For well over a century and a half the railroad has rolled on, crisscrossing the continent in the ceaseless activity that keeps the North American economy moving. This never-ending workday unfolds hour by hour in The Railroad Never Sleeps, a remarkable photographic chronicle of North American railroading over twenty-four hours. On May 10, 2007, the anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony mark... read more
Brian Solomon
This formative period of diesel locomotive evolution is examined with the help of more than 250 modern and period photos depicting passenger, freight, and switching locomotives. Author Brian Solomon covers every prominent manufacturer of the period—including Electro-Motive, Alco, Baldwin, and GE—as well as iconic models like Geeps, E and F units, PAs and FAs, sharknoses, U-boats, and more. The... read more
Brian Solomon
The complete history of the world's foremost locomotive builders. With roots stretching back to the turn of the twentieth century, General Electric and Electro-Motive have designed some of the most iconic locomotives in the history of North American railroading. Now, for the first time, acclaimed rail author Brian Solomon's landmark historical accounts of these manufacturers' North American ma... read more
Brian Solomon
Profusely illustrated with rare historic and previously unpublished modern photography, North American Locomotives this is the perfect addition to the library of any rail fan. This invaluable volume spans more than 150 years of locomotive technology to examine the wide variety of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives that have powered ninety North American railroads, past and present, throug... read more
Brian Solomon
From the railway's beginnings, the station building, itself, had civic importance greater than ordinary structures. Let historian Brian Solomon show you how beautifully it filled that role. Railway Depots, Stations & Terminals is a unique book about some of the finest, most interesting, and most famous railway stations. Contemporary photographs, historic images, and postcard views provide an i... read more
Brian Solomon, John Gruber, Chris Guss, Michael Blaszak
The first illustrated history of the people, machines, facilities, and operations that made Chicago the hub around which an entire continent's rail industry still revolves. In the mid-nineteenth century, Chicago's central location in the expanding nation helped establish it as the capital of the still-new North American railroad industry. As the United States expanded westward, new railroads a... read more
See the streamlined trains of the 1930s in all of their sleek glory.In the 1930s, streamlined styling was applied to everything from kitchen appliances to farm tractors as it captured the American imagination. Keen to regain passenger traffic lost to automobiles and expanding roadways, railroads hired industrial-design giants like Raymond Loewy, Otto Kuhler, Henry Dreyfuss, and Brooks Stevens ... read more
In 1935, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad-better known as the Milwaukee Road-introduced a new passenger service, one of the nation's first regularly scheduled streamlined passenger trains. Traveling from Chicago to Milwaukee and the Twin Cities-the train traveled routes steeped in native lore, and thus was called the Hiawatha. By 1945, there were three routes-the Twin Cities... read more
Explore the history, quirks, and stories behind signals with gorgeous period and contemporary photography.Railroad signals are the link between the steam era and modern railroading. Designed for reliability and durability, signals can survive for decades. In fact, old semaphores installed during the early years of the twentieth century were still in service during the 1990s, protecting trains ... read more
You may have seen some of these machines and tools as you roll alongside a rail bed. But what to call them, or knowing how they work, may allude you. Find the true identity of the different tools used to build and maintain railbeds and lines including tie pullers, rail grinders, and much, much more. Detailed photos show the machines and tools in action. This is a handy reference guide for fans... read more
Brian Solomon
The image of a little red caboose trundling along behind a long freight train is a classic slice of Americana. With the help of nearly 300 marvelous modern and historical images depicting cabooses of all colors, this collection traces the development of this iconic, bygone rolling stock from the nineteenth century to their almost total demise by the mid-1990s. Bobber, cupola, bay window, and t... read more
Brian Solomon
Brain Solomon
In the 1940s and 1950s, American railroads made the historic transition from steam to diesel-electric power. At a time when railroads still relied on steam power for most service and diesels remained a novelty, Electro-Motive took the nation by storm with its distinctive-looking four-motor F-unit locomotives that echoed across America. The F unit soon became the standard diesel on many America... read more
Brian Solomon
This pictorial history is only the second of its kind to trace the 30-plus-year history of Amtrak, beginning with a look at the rise and fall of privately run passenger train service followed by a look at Amtrak's infant stage from 1971 through 1976. Also examined is the period from 1976 to 1991, when Amtrak finally established an image, buying new equipment and refurbished old and grew its ri... read more
This wonderfully illustrated book celebrates Golden State railroading, offering a colorful look at California’s legendary railroads, the men who built and ran them, and the engineering feats that made them possible, and the legacy those railroads have left in the form of the state’s historic tourist roads and museums, as well as modern railroad operations. In addition to examining historic rai... read more
Brian Solomon
The 1960s onward witnessed unprecedented technological and horsepower developments in the field of diesel-electric locomotives. Spurred by market demands, EMD and GE have developed locomotives of ever-greater speeds and tractive effort, allowing the railroads to bring resources to market more quickly and cheaply. This collection of more than 200 photos features the most significant of these hi... read more
Brian Solomon
Relive the romance and power of the steam locomotive era, the product of a century of continuous research and development. In the United States, the final decades of steam power were characterized by very large and capable locomotives. Beginning in the 1920s with Alco's three-cylinder types and Lima's "Super Power" concept, steam locomotive design crossed new thresholds of power and efficiency... read more
Few states have a railroad heritage as rich as Pennsylvanias. This illustrated book offers a colorful look at the Keystone States historic railroads, the men who built and ran them, and the engineering feats that made them possible. Railway historian Brian Solomon also shows readers the legacy those railroads have left in the form of todays historic tourist roads, museums, and destinations. Ra... read more
Brian Solomon
A colorful look at the great American railroad - the Southern Pacific. The Southern Pacific Railroad is one of the most important railroads in the US. In its heyday, Southern Pacific operating revenues were overshadowed only by the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad. Southern Pacific is famous for participating in the building of the transcontinental railroad, its fleet of Daylight str... read more
Brian Solomon
Philadelphia-based Baldwin began designing and building steam locomotives in the 1830s and gave the U.S. many of its most significant and famous types of steam,and diesel-electric motive power. This history of Baldwin is illustrated with a large selection of rare, superb builder's photos and other publicity images from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, with the book's large page size showca... read more
Now you can be the human Wikipedia page of trains--from locomotives to rolling stock. No Great American road trip would be complete without seeing trains streaming across wild prairies and through thick forests. All kinds of diesel and even a few steam locomotives can be seen, with everything from boxy frontends to curving streamlined bodies. The containers, flat cars, and boxcars pulled by th... read more
Brian Solomon
This richly illustrated history chronicles one of the most revolutionary developments in freight railroading during the twentieth century: intermodal shipping, or the use of containers to move cargo between trains, trucks, and oceangoing vessels. It was a development that transformed the movement of freight around the world, with an almost incalculable impact on American industry. Intermodal r... read more
Brian Solomon
Indispensable to travelers in Japan and Europe, electric-powered bullet trains offer incomparable benefits: chiefly a relatively quiet, high-speed mode of mass transportation with low environmental impact. This colorful book examines the history, current use, and technology of these sleek trains, the fastest of which reach speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour. Noted train historian and author B... read more
Brian Solomon
Formed in 1980 as a holding company for the Chessie and Seaboard Systems and several other eastern railroads, CSX in 1986 merged these several companies into CSX Transportation, staking its claim as one of the nation's dominant merger roads. This illustrated history provides a background of CSX's 25 years on the American railroad scene, describing how the company came to swallow several legend... read more
Brian Solomon
Brian Solomon. Well into the 1950s, the Southern Pacific operated an extensive fleet of colorful (a color scheme nicknamed "daylight") and highly-regarded passenger trains that became the preferred mode of travel for the West Coast's nouveau riche film stars and businesspeople. This authoritative illustrated history covers the various forms of motive power used, the rolling stock and the SP's ... read more
Brian Solomon
The history of electric freight and inter-urban commuter locomotives in the U.S. begins with their development in East Coast urban centers and continues their service in the present day. Railways that used or continue to use electric motive power in cities, suburbs and even over mountain passes - including the B&O, Pennsylvania, New Haven, New York Central, Norfolk & Western, Illinois Central,... read more
Brian Solomon
Here is the detailed and fascinating history of how two legendary railroads the Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern (which itself was comprised four major railroads) merged in 1995 to create what remains one of America’s rail icons, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). A blockbuster railroad merits a history book of the same scale, and this book will awe railfans with its rich content.
Brian Solomon, Mike Schafer
In the twentieth century, the New York Central Railroad was one of the most powerful lines in the United States. Famous for its many great passenger trains, including the 20th Century Limited streamliner, the New York Central also operated high-volume freight trains and Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. Prolific railway authors and historians Brian Solomon and Mike Schafer team up to... read more
Brian Solomon
Few railroading scenes are as enduring as those that depict a train traversing river or roadway, creek or cayon, atop a sturdy structure specially engineered for the situation. In this marvelously illustrated work sure to appeal to modelers and railfans alike, prolific rail historian Brian Solomon presents the only completely illustrated book to tackle the development and evolution of North Am... read more
The 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. Today’s 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 ... read more
Brian Solomon
Stunning color photographs presented across two-foot-long landscape spreads reveal the greatest giant diesel locomotives ever conceived. Ride the rails with best-selling author Brian Solomon as he delivers the goods on two dozen of these titans of the tracks. Observe these mighty leviathans hauling freight and dressed in the liveries of popular American railroads from yesterday and today. Get ... read more
Brian Solomon
In February 2005, General Motors announced its decision to sell its Electro-Motive Division (EMD), thus ending its 75-year association with one of the most renowned brands in railroading. Looking at the heritage of the venerable EMD in light of this momentous development, this monumental volume offers an overview of the great locomotive maker unprecedented in its scope and unparalleled in the ... read more
Brian Solomon
A portrait in words and photographs of over 50 of the world’s most exciting, unusual and exotic railway journeys, including North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Each journey is accompanied by a route map and is described in terms of the technical challenges of the construction of the track as well as the stunning views to be seen while travelling on the trains. Some of the railwa... read more
Diesel, the most significant development in railway technology during the 20th century, was refined and perfected resulting in locomotives that were more powerful, faster, more reliable, and more versatile than the earliest machines on the market. General Motors' Electro-Motive Division rapidly moved to become the leader in diesel-electric technology. Its business practice and models essential... read more
Brian Solomon
Famous for its role in the Transcontinental Railroad, Union Pacific is Americas oldest- and the worlds largest- railway, serving two-thirds of the United States for a century and a half. This retrospective spans the UPs entire history from 1862 to present, detailing key personalities, depots and terminals, locomotives, trains, rolling stock, and memoriabilia. Modern and period color photograph... read more
General Electric entered the railroad industry in the early twentieth century and this collection of history explores all types of electric locomotives with a stunning collection of archival black-and-white, period, and modern color photography. Depicting a broad cross-section of American railroads in a variety of regions both urban and remote, Brian Solomon leads us through GE’s entire locomo... read more
Brian Solomon
As a tribute to America's favorite railroad-the Santa Fe, this book discusses everything from its origins, to locomotives, freight operations, passenger operations, and more. The Santa Fe Railway's charisma and mystique has long made it one of America's compelling railways. From Chicago to LA it blends a nation's westward vision with all the best elements of railroading: colorful passenger tra... read more
Tim Doherty
During its 25-year history, Conrail became one of the most familiar modern railroads, a freight line that connected most of the Northeast's population centers and was renowned for its clean locomotives, tight schedules, and frequent heavy freight trains. This comprehensive and gorgeously illustrated history examines Conrail's motive power and rolling stock, its yards and terminals, and its mos... read more
Brian Solomon
Trains of the Old West
Brian Solomon, John Gruber
Travel the world through the pages of this unique pictorial capturing some of the most impressive, significant, and interesting elements of railroading from today and yesterday. Lush photos are accompanied by informative and fascinating stories that convey the energy and excitement of steel-rail transport. Locomotives, trains, stations, bridges, tunnels, and other railway masterpieces are rich... read more
Brian Solomon
Travel the world through the pages of this unique pictorial capturing some of the most impressive, significant, and interesting elements of railroading from today and yesterday. Lush photos are accompanied by informative and fascinating stories that convey the energy and excitement of steel-rail transport. Locomotives, trains, stations, bridges, tunnels, and other railway masterpieces are rich... read more
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Award-winning (McGraw-Hill) best-selling ghostwriter who has written for business leaders, politicians, philanthropists, and public figures.
Experienced nonfiction ghostwriter with a deep editorial background. Calming presence, problem-solver approach.
Asheville, NC, USA