Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 625.10092
EAN num: 9781563420108
ISBN number: 1563420104
Label: Interurban Pr
Manufacturer: Interurban Pr
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 191
Printing Date: 1999-03
Publishing house: Interurban Pr
Sale Popularity Level: 1522891
Studio: Interurban Pr
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
'Your wife may get your love and affection, but you are married to the railroad...'
'The people I've worked with are an endless source of stories that define the human side of railroading,' writes Doug Riddell. 'For me, it's always been the people who have made railroading special, not merely the equipment....'
More than 25 years in railroading have provided Doug Riddell ample material to entertain and inform everyone interested in day-to-day life on America's railroads. A 10-year veteran of broadcasting, Doug hung up his microphone to pursue a passion that began when he was a child listening to stories about his grandfather's early years on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad as conductor of the George Washington. His own railroad career spans from his very first day on Seaboard Coast Line to his current position as an Amtrak Engineer.
Riddell's stories provide insight into the hardships of a railroading life. 'Most outsiders have no idea the price railroaders pay for the few minutes they sit in a warm locomotive cab or caboose instead of hanging on the side of a boxcar whose grab irons and stirrups are coated three inches thick with ice, or marching two miles toward the rear of a freight train in a snake-infested swamp during a drenching rain.'
His colorful cast of characters portrays the conflicts as well as the solidarity between labor and management in this ever-changing industry. His sagas also reveal first-hand the strains on a railroader's home life, and the resulting support and love that flow between Riddell and his family.
Doug Riddell has been entertaining RailNews Magazine readers with his monthly series, 'From the Cab.' Now everyone can enjoy Riddell's uniquely refreshing and warmly human commentaries in this new book from Pentrex.
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Rated by buyers 
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Doug Riddell takes the reader through his railroad career as fireman, brakeman, conductor, freight engineer and Amtrak engineer. The book falls short on several fronts: It is set far too small type-a definite strain on the eyes. The spacing of the paragraphs and sequence of chapters are in no logical sequence, making for confusing reading. There is also no glossary of RR terms, which can be mystifying to the casual railfan. More seriously, there is no explanation of RR labor workings or teminology. Why is Doug on the "extra board" for fireman on an outbound trip, but forced to be a conductor on the return trip. Why do crew based in Richmond have different rights than crew based in Rocky Mount? This may reflect poor editing as opposed to poor writing but "From the Cab" is still a disappointment. Mr. Riddell is more effective at the short articles he formerly wrote for the late, lamented "Passenger Train Journal" than the longer fare of this book. If you are a serious railfan, especially in the Virginia/Carolinas areas, ignore this review and buy the book anyway. Others should think twice. Sad but true.
Rated by buyers 
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Doug Riddell has taken us inside the life of the railroad engineer. From initially starting out cubbing to learn how the newly merged Seaboard Coast Line and Seaboard Air Lines operate, through working as a brakeman to how he entered engine service to become an engineer. Doug takes us into the cab of the engine, The cupola of the caboose and into the crew rooms and layovers that are a railroader's life. Doug also allows many insights into his own life through these experiences. The night he was almost killed in a crankcase explosion, how it feels to collide with an auto and what he hopes for his son in the future. For anyone who wants to really know what it's like to work on the railroad, this is the book for you.
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