Union Pacific Railroad Heritage covers the history of this amazing railroad that was founded in 1862 and completed the United States first transcontinental railroad in 1869. With the need to develop more powerful steam locomotives to handle the railroad's steep gradients, the Union Pacific Railroad designed the 4-12-2 locomotive, 4-6-6-4 Challenger which influenced development of the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, followed by the 6,600-horsepower Centennial diesel locomotive, and 8,500-horsepower gas turbine electric locomotive. The Union Pacific Railroad operated well-maintained passenger trains including City of San Francisco, City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and City of Denver until May 1, 1971, when AMTRAK took over United States intercity passenger service.

Trolleys, Trams, and Light Rail Around The World covers the Pittsburgh light rail system with its downtown subway, street running, and private right of way. In the British Isles, the amazing Isle of Man is shown with its vintage open-air horse-drawn trams along with electric trams, as is Blackpool, England, with its neat, efficient, and well-patronized double deckers. Hong Kong has the world's largest fleet of double-decker trams and is extensively covered. Trolleys in Toronto, Canada, have been well-maintained over the years, and today Toronto has the largest trolley car system in North America. In Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the decision made by municipal authorities to re-equip its system with new tram cars was well received by the public and has resulted in the retention of the tram service. The decision in Helsinki, Finland, in 1969 to have trams only in the city center has been reversed, and the system has since been expanded. The tram system in Melbourne, Australia, has never shut down and is today the largest tram system in the English-speaking world. In a challenging world, this book clearly shows an exciting future for the trolley car.

Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage is a photographic essay of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, streetcar system. The first electric streetcar line in Philadelphia opened in 1892 and quickly replaced horsecar service by 1897. Streetcar lines were merged into the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) in 1902 to achieve a unified system. There were 1,500 new streetcars purchased by 1913, which was the largest fleet of standardized streetcars ever purchased by one transit company. Ridership dropped during the Depression, and PRT reorganized as the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) in 1940. After National City Lines (NCL) obtained control of PTC in 1955, many streetcar lines became bus operated. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) acquired PTC in 1968. The overhaul of 112 Presidents' Conference Committee (PCC) cars began in 1979. Kawasaki Heavy Industries built 112 streetcars (light rail vehicles) for the subway surface lines. With buses taking over Route 15 (Girard Avenue) in 1992, only five subway surface lines remained. SEPTA restored Route 15 streetcar service in 2005 using Brookville Equipment Corporation rebuilt PCCII cars. Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage documents the city's streetcars, including Fairmount Park Trolleys and trackless trolleys.

On August 7, 2011, former Pennsylvania Railroad type E8A diesel units No. 5711 and No. 5809 are passing through the borough of Greenville in Mercer County, Pennsylvania on the former Erie Railroad now Norfolk Southern Railway on a rail excursion in this photograph by the author. The Erie and Pittsburgh line of the Pennsylvania Railroad once served Greenville. Kenneth Springirth, with a lifelong interest in rail transportation, has been researching the Pennsylvania Railroad since 1960. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he commuted to Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia by trolley car, subway, and sometimes Pennsylvania Railroad commuter train. His father was a trolley car motorman in Philadelphia, and his grandfather was a trolley car motorman in Washington D.C. This book is a photographic essay documenting the Pennsylvania Railroad, which considered itself the standard railroad of the world. Classic scenes of the Pennsylvania Railroad's amazing GG1 electric locomotives operating on the most successful electrification project in the United States are included. This book provides an insight to an extensive railroad system that survives today with the Norfolk Southern Railway owning much of former mainline trackage in Pennsylvania and Amtrak owning the Northeast Corridor plus trackage between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. In addition, there are a variety of regional and shortline railroads that contribute to Remembering the Pennsylvania Railroad.

CSX Transportation Railroad Heritage is a photographic essay of this major railroad that was formed in 1980 by a merger of the Seaboard Coast Line with the Chessie System, providing a history that goes back to its beginning with the opening in 1830 of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which was the first common carrier railroad in the United States. An early predecessor railroad was the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway which introduced the figure of a sleeping kitten Chessie in 1933 that became a well-recognized advertisement for passenger service and later for freight service. Each of the railroads that were merged contributed to CSX reaching important population, energy, and manufacturing markets. The CSX Pride in Service program resulted in three special painted locomotives (shown in this book) honoring the nation's veterans, active military personnel, and first responders.

Street Cars of Washington D.C. is a photographic essay of the history of the well-kept modern street car system that provided frequent transit service to much of our nation's capital up to its closure in January, 1962. Washington D.C. was the first North American city to operate its entire base service by President's Conference Committee (PCC) cars. Washington D.C. had the fifth largest PCC car fleet in North America. While these cars had poles for overhead wire operation, they were the only PCC cars in the world equipped with plows for conduit operation. Washington D.C. PCC cars, all built by St. Louis Car Company, were about two foot shorter in length or one less window than other PCC cars, because of short clearances in car house transfer tables. The Silver Sightseer in Washington D.C. was the world's first air conditioned street car. Fifty four years later in February 2016, street cars returned to Washington D.C. All of this has been included in Street Cars of Washington D.C.

Chicago's South Shore Line is a photographic essay of the last interurban electric railroad operating in the United States. Completed as the Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend Railway (CLS&SBR) connecting South Bend, Indiana, with Pullman, Illinois, in 1909, the line went into receivership in 1925. It reorganized as the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS&SBR) which rebuilt the railroad and provided direct passenger service from South Bend to downtown Chicago. The Great Depression forced the railroad into bankruptcy in 1933 but reorganized in 1938 and handled record ridership during World War II. After the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad acquired the railroad in 1970, the electric freight service was dieselized. Soaring passenger deficits resulted in the formation of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICDT). Beginning in 1984, the Venango River Corporation operated the line until it went bankrupt in 1988. The Anacostia & Pacific Company began operating the freight service in 1990, and NICDT handles passenger service. Chicago's South Shore Line documents the history of this railway that has survived obstacles to maintain passenger service over its original route.