Just last week, I had the good fortune to acquire one of the most interesting of many, many railroad books I’ve accumulated over the years.
“Making All Stops Volume 1” is an all color review of New York City Transit Authority subway operations from 1970 to 1976. Many of the images in the book were taken by legendary enthusiast and TA employee Mr. Steve Zabel. Photographs taken by others whose names will be familiar to fans of the subway are included as well. The book is generous in the breadth of its coverage as most corners of the system are represented. Worthy of special mention are several pages of photos showing operations along the last remaining segment of the 3rd Avenue El in the Bronx prior to abandonment in 1973. TA equipment ran in several different liveries during this period with multiple schemes seen in the same train on a regular basis, particularly on the "A" Division (IRT). Throw some graffiti into the mix and a lot of consists offered every color of the rainbow. Pictures are generously sized – no itsy, bitsy views requiring the use of a magnifying glass here – and the color reproduction is exquisite. Unlike some all color titles of other publishers which periodically suffer from poor quality control during the printing process, the images are razor sharp and appear faithful to the quality of the original slides. In addition to the photographs which are the main attraction of the book, the book features some wonderful trackside recollections of the contributors. There are also references to movies in which the system appeared as well as other aspects of popular culture during the period covered. To this day, every time I hear “You’re the One for Me” by James “D Train” Williams, I picture myself standing on the platform as a train of R-10s thunders into a station on the 8th Avenue Line – great memories here.
The book is printed on very substantial paper with sturdy soft covers and robust binding. My train books see a lot of use and I'm comforted to know the book will hold up well to repetitive handling. I’ve been a railroad enthusiast since my very early days so I’ve seen, collected and traded many wonderful items – books, models, memorabilia, etc. - over the years. As a result, a new release has to possess some very special qualities in order to make it stand out above the many others I’ve seen. This book qualifies in that regard. Its combination of fascinating content, superb photographic reproduction and professional printing make the book a true treasure. In no way am I connected with the folks who publish this book; rather, I’m simply a very satisfied customer looking to spread the word about a product I believe my fellow fans will take pride in owning.
http://www.makingallstops.com/
Perhaps the best part is there's a second volume in process as seen on the website.
Bob
