The magic of trains has grown only as their share of the transportation market has shrunk. More than 200 excursion railways carry millions of passengers every year. This first true field guide to trains describes and illustrates all the rolling stock commonly used by any American railroad, including the 150 different types of locomotives. 150 halftone illustrations.

Extending the principles of the famed Peterson Identification System to the man-made world, A Field Guide to Trains will enable you to identify virtually any locomotive running on a North American railroad. The only book of its kind, this field guide includes a chapter on how to identify locomotives as well as detailed descriptions and illustrations of locomotives and cars - from road switchers and electrics to passenger and freight cars. A Field Guide to Trains features more than 170 locomotives and cars - every locomotive you are likely to see on national, regional, and short-line railroads in North America; clear illustrations, using the Peterson Identification System to pinpoint the key field marks that distinguish one locomotive from another; locomotives grouped by visual similarity for ease of identification; and detailed description of each locomotive, including statistical data, manufacturing history, usage by railroads, and comparisons to similar locomotives.