"Yet There Isn't a Train I Wouldn't Take"
Railway Journeys by William D. Middleton

Two dozen illustrated stories describing William D Middleton's railroad journeys in North and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.

The exhaust that had been a continuous rush of sound became a series of separate and distinct reports, as the stack hurled soot and cinders into the sky like a giant shotgun. Steaming beautifully, the big engine never faltered as App laid a fine stream of sand on the wet rail from both sanders and adjusted throttle and reverse lever to get the last ounce of tractive force. Wham! With a sound like a minor explosion 228 slammed under the highway 33 overpass. Smoke and steam swirled through the cab, and cinders pelted the cab roof as they rebounded from blast plates under the concrete slab. Just a little over a mile to the crest now. Minutes later the white frame Saginaw depot loomed up in the headlight beam, and the M4 rolled over the crest with a few miles per hour of momentum to spare. Ed App eased off the throttle and looked distinctly relieved. With a certain smugness I remembered that diesel that hadn't quite made the hill earlier in the day. Railroads Past and Present edited by George M. Smerk.

Preface
Chapter 1, Journeys in North and Central America
Chapter 2, European Journeys
Chapter 3, Asian Journeys