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Fred W. Frailey
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Last Train to Texas: My Railroad Odyssey Kindle Edition

by Fred W. Frailey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 62
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A veteran railroad columnist takes readers on a wild ride through the American train industry with remembrances that crisscross the country and the world.

In Last Train to Texas, author Fred W. Frailey examines the workings behind the railroad industry and captures incredible true stories along the way. He vividly portrays the industries larger-than-life characters, such as William “Pisser Bill” F. Thompson, who weathered financial ruin, bad merger deals, and cutthroat competition, all while racking up enough notoriety to inspire a poem titled “Ode to a Jerk.”

Whether he’s riding the Canadian Pacific Railway through a blizzard, witnessing a container train burglary in the Abo Canyon, or commemorating a poem to Limerick Junction in Dublin, Frailey’s journeys are rife with excitement, incident, and the spirit of the rails. Filled with humorous anecdotes and thoughtful insights into the railroading industry, Last Train to Texas is a grand adventure for the railroad connoisseur.
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  1. Part of series
    Railroads Past and Present
  2. Print length
    234 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Indiana University Press
  6. Publication date
    February 4, 2020
  7. File size
    18599 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fred Frailey has produced a marvelous collection of railroad stories, all told by a true train buff in a unique style that describes railroading perfectly. Whether a trip through the snow on the Canadian Pacific, or watching Amtrak's Eddie DeBasky dispatch trains in and out of Manhattan at rush hour or taking a ride on the Florida East Coast's 101, Frailey captures it all. "―Rush Loving, author of The Well-Dressed Hobo

"Fred Frailey has spent his entire career dissecting the business side of railroading and this volume contains his most insightful works about what makes American railroads tick. In short, it's a retrospective on the industry in the last forty years. "―Thomas Hoback, Founder, President and CEO, Indiana Rail Road (Retired)

"Last Train to Texas depicts modern railroading, warts and all, though a fascinating amalgam of stories. Readers finish understanding Frailey's love of railroading because of the breadth of his narratives."―Mark Lardas, The Daily News Galveston

"...a terrific read, a collection of short, snappy essays that mirror Fred's ceaseless curiosity about not only the business of railroading, but more importantly its people."―Kevin Keefe, Trains Magazine

"This book is more than just about a rail line re-birth in Nowheresville, Texas. Rather, it is an outstanding anthology of 46 short stores compiled by Fred Frailey recounting his rail adventures over the past four decades. The author's writing style is contemporary, straightforward, and entertaining with its clever wit."―David J Mrozek, The Michigan Railfan

"...this book is a pleasent diversion, perfect for pool-side reading. Longtime followers of Fred W. Frailey will want to read this book."―Bill Hough, The NRHS Bulletin

Review

Fred Frailey has spent his entire career dissecting the business side of railroading and this volume contains his most insightful works about what makes American railroads tick. In short, it's a retrospective on the industry in the last forty years.

-- Thomas Hoback, Founder, President and CEO, Indiana Rail Road (Retired)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Z1SB32C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indiana University Press (February 4, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 4, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 18599 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 62

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Fred W. Frailey

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
62 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

arkrail
5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for rail historians
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2023
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This book is an excellent read, authored by someone who often had "back room" access to those rail officials making decisions.
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Liz Frailey
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and thoughtful read
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
Wow, just wow! Fred W. Frailey does it again! I’ve been a longtime fan of Twilight of the Great Trains and his contributions to Trains Magazine, but this might be my favorite work to-date. He is a fantastic story teller who can appeal to both train lovers and non-train lovers, the young and the old. Highly recommend!
3 people found this helpful
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JonE
5.0 out of 5 stars An awesome book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
What a great book. I'm only 50 pages in but every chapter is better than the one before. He does a great job introducing you and showing you the railroad industry and the great characters within the industry. Surely with all of the great articles he wrote for Trains magazine over the years there is enough material out there for a sequel to this book? I hope so.
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RetiredMopRRer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read. Unfortunately I finished it in 4 days...
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
I don’t buy every Trains magazine so it was nice to read many of Fred’s articles for the first time. His grasp of being dropped into an operations and quickly understanding it is amazing and comes through in clarity. Having worked through the UP-SP merger disaster his last chapter on how it shut down the UP still tied my stomach in knots even after all these years.
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Corey Prosise
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for fans of History as well!
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
Recipient very happy with purchase. Story was explained to me and a read a little bit in for more depth. Well structured and a definite read for both history and train fans
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HenryF
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent portrayal of key people, events and railroad nostalgia
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Fred Frailey is an excellent writer and top-notch authority on how railroads have evolved over the years. This book feautures a lot of short vignette stories not widely known by the public, taken from feature stories and Fred’s columns that have appeared in Trains magazine over the years.
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Tim Souders
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s a Fred Frailey book
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022
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Fred Frailey railroad books are always a good read!
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Tennham
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent railroads read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Extremely well written & informative compilation of articles covering a wide variety of RR related subjects! It has caused me to do further research into several areas including, among others, the photography of Stan Kistler. Highly recommended if you are a student/lover of American railroad history!!
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