Railroads of Meridian

This generously illustrated narrative follows the evolution of dozens of separate railroads in the Meridian, Mississippi, area from the destruction of the town's rail facilities in the 1850s through the current era of large-scale consolidation. Presently, there are only seven mega-size rail systems in the United States, three of which serve Meridian, making it an important junction on one of the nation's four major transcontinental routes. The recent creation of a nationally prominent high-speed freight line between Meridian and Shreveport, the "Meridian Speedway," has allowed the Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, and Norfolk Southern railroads to offer the shortest rail route across the continent for Asia-US-Europe transportation.

“"This volume [is] an excellent presentation, in addition to being a railroad history story that ends on a positive, upbeat note." -Michigan Railfan”

"An excellent contribution to the history of railroads in the South. Southern railroading in general has been a chronically neglected subject." Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., author of The Railroad That Never Was: Vanderbilt, Morgan, and the South Pennsylvania Railroad

J. Parker Lamb has been photographing America's railroads for more than half a century. His work has appeared in 49 books and numerous magazine feature articles. He is a recipient of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society's Fred A. and Jane R. Stindt Photography Award for Lifetime Achievement. Lamb earned his Ph.D. in 1961, and after a 40-year academic career at the North Carolina State University and the University of Texas, where he chaired the Department of Mechanical Engineering, he recently retired. He lives in Austin, Texas.

This generously illustrated narrative follows the evolution of dozens of separate railroads in the Meridian, Mississippi, area from the destruction of the town's rail facilities in the 1850s through the current era of large-scale consolidation. Presently, there are only seven mega-size rail systems in the United States, three of which serve Meridian, making it an important junction on one of the nation's four major transcontinental routes. The recent creation of a nationally prominent high-speed freight line between Meridian and Shreveport, the "Meridian Speedway," has allowed the Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, and Norfolk Southern railroads to offer the shortest rail route across the continent for Asia-US-Europe transportation.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.