Author Bio
Keith Kohlmann is an experienced model railroader and photographer whose focus is N scale modeling. He has written dozens of articles that have appeared in
Model Railroader,
N Scale Railroading,
Railroad Model Craftsman, and other hobby publications. Keith, a middle-school teacher, is active in the Chicago & North Western Historical Society. He has written articles for that group’s magazine,
North Western Lines, and has given many presentations on railroads, industries, and history to various local and national historical and modeling groups.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Steel, metal products, and scrap
Chapter 2: Farm machinery and heavy equipment
Chapter 3: Cranes, shovels, and hoists
Chapter 4: Vessels, transformers, and oversize loads
Chapter 5: Buses, trucks, autos, and other vehicle loads
Chapter 6: Forest products and building materials
Chapter 7: Military equipment
Chapter 8: Maintenance-of-way and railroad service
Bibliography
Reviews
For railfans, we tend to always watch the passing of a freight train and its consists, and especially any loads-on-flatcars that might make good modeling projects. In this 112-page softbound, you’ll find dozens of black and white and color pictures and tips on how and why various loads are secured to gondolas, flat cars, Trailer Train flats, multi-flat cars, depressed center flat cars, heavy-duty flats, both from earlier-day loadings and as well as current loading practices.
The eight detailed chapters cover steel, metal products and scrap loading; farm machinery and heavy equipment; cranes, shovels and hoists; vessels, transformers and oversize loads; buses, trucks, autos and other vehicles; forest products, building materials and military equipment; and maintainence-of-way and railroad service equipment. Between the detailed copy and explanations of how and why various loads require different loading procedures, numerous photos depict loaded cars ready for transport over the rails.
Author Kohlmann has gone to great lengths to explain railroad loading procedures and practices, and has prudently documented dozens of these loadings with photographs that offer modelers and railfans a better picture of this interesting side of railroading. From earlier days to today, this aspect of railroading has been neglected in the model and prototype press, so it’s encouraging to see that someone has been able to photograph, document and explain this unique side of freight railroading. Another must-have book for your library.
—By Don Heimburger, Heimburger House Publishing Co.