Description:
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Steam locomotive design and history of them
A little hard to read but so clear when you really want to know steam engine designs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book - plenty of information.
I have always loved steam trains but never took the time to dig deeper into how they work. This book covers it all. I don't have a mechanical engineering mindset so I went very slow in my reading. Still, I highly recommend the book. The author does a great job.
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction, but handle with care
Although I was disappointed in their "Union Pacific's Big Boys," I thought I'd give Kalmbach another shot. I definitely have a bit of a fascination with steam locomotives, even if I'm constantly having to ask myself "what does that thing do, and why is it even there?" Enter Brian Solomon. He writes in a very easygoing, casual manner, focusing almost entirely on American locomotives from the post-Civil War era to the demise of steam in the 50s. This is helpful for us casual railfans who accidentally dove in the deep end early and have a hard time telling eccentric rods and radius links apart.Despite being a technical work, this book starts out pretty easy on the reader, starting with basic topics such as boiler design, before moving on to more complex subjects such as superheaters and pistons, various types of valve gear, air brakes, the different parts of the "motion," counterbalancing, lubricating gear, and accessories such as sand domes and whistles. The last two chapters focus on unique locomotive types such as compound, articulated, geared, and narrow-gauge types. It's quite heavily illustrated, with many evocative black and white photographs, color images of restored locos in action, and quite a few diagrams and specially-created graphics.What's frustrating, however, is that considering the high quality of the contents, the actual production leaves a lot to be desired. It's essentially an oversized magazine, but without the advertising and subscription cards. The paper is EXTREMELY thin and floppy, creases very easily, and gets wrinkled simply from touching it with your fingers. Paper is starting to come off the spine, and the covers are already slightly banged up after a single read-through. It's a crying shame because Kalmbach generally puts a lot more care into the physical presentation of their books. Despite that, I think this would make an excellent introduction to the subject, and I wish I'd read it before tackling William Withuhn's "The American Steam Locomotive!"
5.0 out of 5 stars Great information.
This is a very well-written book, and the author does a very good job of communicating the workings of very complex machines. There are a few editing errors (missing words, etc.) but nothing too bad. The pictures are great, but sometimes the layout choices create odd breaks in the text and make it easy to lose the thread of the discussion. The book may have benefited from another editing and design pass, but the actual content is excellent. I am glad I made the purchase.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!
This is a great introduction and history on steam railroading, by a very talented and accomplished author. Highly recommended!!
3.0 out of 5 stars This book is a C+
I'm half way through and have noted several typos or misspellings. Some words have been left out of sentences. Some of the pictures are under exposed (too dark to see the details) and really don't jive with the content. It's like, "Lets add a bunch of big pictures to make the book bigger. All in all for me this is the worst book Kalmbach has produced to date. I get the feeling it was dictated to a computer and thrown together to make a deadline. Not really worth the price.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
This book is full of detailed technical information as well as beautiful photos.
Schöne Fotos von historischen Dampfloks
Hätte ein bisschen mehr technische Details erwartet.
A great beginner's overview
I knew only a bit about individual parts of a steam locomotive but recently became interested in learning more about how it all fits together. Based on the title, this book seemed like the perfect fit, and it pretty much was.I think the level of depth is perfect for beginners. The photos included point out specific details being discussed in the text, (ie. the presence of a given wheel type or feedwater heater), and helped me to understand how things fit together.More interestingly for me, the various chapters do a good job of pointing out why various technological advancements happened -- or, to put it differently, what challenges they arose to address.The only thing about the book that disappoints is that it's basically a heavy magazine (thinner pages) as opposed to a paperback book. Given the niche topic involved, I understand. It didn't impact my enjoyment of the reading itself and the photos are still clear, but it's something to note.
An in depth look
This is really well done, gets right into all the different components and aspects of the locomotives. I found it almost a bit overwhelming but I just skim the parts I'm not so interested in. I will say I found 'American Steam Locomotives: Design and Development 1880-1960'. by Wiliam Withuhn to be better and a bit more useful. In that book he gets into how the locomotives evolved and why certain inventions were made. Withuhn also writes a section on the history of each type of locomotive by the common names (i.e. Mogul, Mikado, etc.) which this magazine style book doesn't do. I attached a pic of the index for 'How Steam Locomotives Work'
Visit the Kalmbach Media Store
How Steam Locomotives Work
AED18812
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
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All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
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Visit the Kalmbach Media Store
How Steam Locomotives Work
AED18812
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Steam locomotive design and history of them
A little hard to read but so clear when you really want to know steam engine designs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book - plenty of information.
I have always loved steam trains but never took the time to dig deeper into how they work. This book covers it all. I don't have a mechanical engineering mindset so I went very slow in my reading. Still, I highly recommend the book. The author does a great job.
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction, but handle with care
Although I was disappointed in their "Union Pacific's Big Boys," I thought I'd give Kalmbach another shot. I definitely have a bit of a fascination with steam locomotives, even if I'm constantly having to ask myself "what does that thing do, and why is it even there?" Enter Brian Solomon. He writes in a very easygoing, casual manner, focusing almost entirely on American locomotives from the post-Civil War era to the demise of steam in the 50s. This is helpful for us casual railfans who accidentally dove in the deep end early and have a hard time telling eccentric rods and radius links apart.Despite being a technical work, this book starts out pretty easy on the reader, starting with basic topics such as boiler design, before moving on to more complex subjects such as superheaters and pistons, various types of valve gear, air brakes, the different parts of the "motion," counterbalancing, lubricating gear, and accessories such as sand domes and whistles. The last two chapters focus on unique locomotive types such as compound, articulated, geared, and narrow-gauge types. It's quite heavily illustrated, with many evocative black and white photographs, color images of restored locos in action, and quite a few diagrams and specially-created graphics.What's frustrating, however, is that considering the high quality of the contents, the actual production leaves a lot to be desired. It's essentially an oversized magazine, but without the advertising and subscription cards. The paper is EXTREMELY thin and floppy, creases very easily, and gets wrinkled simply from touching it with your fingers. Paper is starting to come off the spine, and the covers are already slightly banged up after a single read-through. It's a crying shame because Kalmbach generally puts a lot more care into the physical presentation of their books. Despite that, I think this would make an excellent introduction to the subject, and I wish I'd read it before tackling William Withuhn's "The American Steam Locomotive!"
5.0 out of 5 stars Great information.
This is a very well-written book, and the author does a very good job of communicating the workings of very complex machines. There are a few editing errors (missing words, etc.) but nothing too bad. The pictures are great, but sometimes the layout choices create odd breaks in the text and make it easy to lose the thread of the discussion. The book may have benefited from another editing and design pass, but the actual content is excellent. I am glad I made the purchase.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!
This is a great introduction and history on steam railroading, by a very talented and accomplished author. Highly recommended!!
3.0 out of 5 stars This book is a C+
I'm half way through and have noted several typos or misspellings. Some words have been left out of sentences. Some of the pictures are under exposed (too dark to see the details) and really don't jive with the content. It's like, "Lets add a bunch of big pictures to make the book bigger. All in all for me this is the worst book Kalmbach has produced to date. I get the feeling it was dictated to a computer and thrown together to make a deadline. Not really worth the price.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
This book is full of detailed technical information as well as beautiful photos.
Schöne Fotos von historischen Dampfloks
Hätte ein bisschen mehr technische Details erwartet.
A great beginner's overview
I knew only a bit about individual parts of a steam locomotive but recently became interested in learning more about how it all fits together. Based on the title, this book seemed like the perfect fit, and it pretty much was.I think the level of depth is perfect for beginners. The photos included point out specific details being discussed in the text, (ie. the presence of a given wheel type or feedwater heater), and helped me to understand how things fit together.More interestingly for me, the various chapters do a good job of pointing out why various technological advancements happened -- or, to put it differently, what challenges they arose to address.The only thing about the book that disappoints is that it's basically a heavy magazine (thinner pages) as opposed to a paperback book. Given the niche topic involved, I understand. It didn't impact my enjoyment of the reading itself and the photos are still clear, but it's something to note.
An in depth look
This is really well done, gets right into all the different components and aspects of the locomotives. I found it almost a bit overwhelming but I just skim the parts I'm not so interested in. I will say I found 'American Steam Locomotives: Design and Development 1880-1960'. by Wiliam Withuhn to be better and a bit more useful. In that book he gets into how the locomotives evolved and why certain inventions were made. Withuhn also writes a section on the history of each type of locomotive by the common names (i.e. Mogul, Mikado, etc.) which this magazine style book doesn't do. I attached a pic of the index for 'How Steam Locomotives Work'
Similar suggestions by Bolo
More from this brand
Similar items from “History”
Share with
Or share with link
https://www.bolo.ae/products/U1627008802