Amtrak, America's Railroad

Amtrak’s first 50 years reads like an industrial-sized soap opera. You literally can’t separate the politics from the trains themselves. That’s why Amtrak, America’s Railroad makes for such a fascinating read for anybody who’s even remotely interested in Amtrak and its trains.

(Railfan & Railroad Magazine)

This is not a typical railfan book with equipment photos and action shots. But for those who want to get into the nuts and bolts of Amtrak’s creation and ongoing problems and solutions, I know of no better source than Amtrak America’s Railroad.

(Classic Trains)

This excellent study details Amtrak’s checkered 50 year history – its successes as well as its failures. In addition to an extensive bibliography of printed materials consulted, the authors interviewed a wide variety of persons with first hand knowledge of its operations and service delivery, which included passengers, front line employees, past Amtrak presidents, and government officials.

(The Michigan Railfan)

Doughty, Darbee and Harmon have created an important book about Amtrak. This is a thoroughly researched, scholarly approach to the subject, yet the prose is plainspoken and straightforward, never lapsing into pedantic, pretentious academese.

(Passenger Train Journal)

Geoffrey Doughty joined the Operating department of Maine Central Railroad in 1974. After stints in Accounting and Engineering Departments, he was promoted to the Safety department in 1982 following the railroad’s consolidation with the Boston & Maine and the Delaware & Hudson under Guilford ownership. He was later a safety consultant and safety director for two New England trucking associations.

Jeffrey Darbee has recently completed a 46-year career in historic preservation and is the author of several books on historic architecture and railroad history. He resides in Columbus, Ohio.

Now retired, Eugene Harmon worked for two major railroads in freight marketing and became an independent contractor in corporate restructuring, logistics management and market development. He has worked in Thailand on passenger and freight marketing and strategic development, and he has traveled by rail on four continents. He is a member of The Lexington Group where he has made a variety of presentations on logistics and transportation.