Railroads of Colorado: Your Guide to Colorado's Historic Trains and Railway Sites

I live in Colorado and have a 5-shelve bookcase full of Colorado railroad books. This book gives a good overall written presentation and photos of the historical railroads that exist today. Railroads that a person can ride and experience the history and beauty of Colorado railroading.

This book is sure to kindle even the smallest flames of love for old trains. If you are looking for any particular details about a specific old railroad, this is not the book for you. Instead, it appeals to all for whom old railroads also have a certain emotional appeal. The texts are intriguing and very well written. The pictures, as well, are captivating. Many of them benefit from the beautiful fall colors this area has to offer.The only reason that I do not give this book five stars is that I feel its layout conveys a certain "restlessness" that contradicts the topic it deals with. Also, some pictures that I don't think deserve it get a full page, whereas others are tiny insets that would have benefitted from a somewhat larger reproduction. And any photograph that goes across the crease should be outlawed, anyway. At least as long as the crease affects the main subject. A case in point is the fine picture of the Manitou & Pikes Peak steam engine on pages 40-41, or the Royal Gorge train on pages 80-81, whereas the Silverton train on pages 114-115 is not affected very much. But aside from these (overall) minor points, this is a book that deserves a wide distribution. That special combination of a beautiful landscape and fascinating remains of a century old train culture comes across very well. It will thus appeal beyond the train lover community. And it invites visitors to Colorado to explore new areas, e.g. to go into areas that don't have active trains anymore now.

The narrative and photographs in this book are superlative. I am inspired to get out into the high country and rediscover the beautiful settings and associated railroad history described in this book. For anyone with an interest in great outdoor Colorado landscapes, railroad photographs, a well written history of railroads in Colorado, this book is a must read. In this book, Claude Wiatrowski has displayed his talents as an outstanding writer and photographer.

Nicely done "coffee table style" book with excellent photography and content, appealing to both the Colorado railroad history buff and newcomer. The book is well organized for easy reading or for just browsing the photos and captions. The text for each railroad includes a guide for exploring historic locations, as well as tips for riding current tourist railroads. Also included is a reference map showing statewide railroad routes.

A friend of mine bought this book and it is definitly on my soon to own list. Even if you are not into railroads the pictures are awesome!! This is a must have for all Coloradoians and for people who just want to come visit!!