"When the Railroad Leaves Town Volume I:"

"American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment: Eastern United States"

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Railroads once spread across the American landscape, radiating from towns like spokes on a wheel. They were the backbone of the municipal economy and essential to commercial and civic life in thousands of communities, however this remarkable era has ended. The nation’s railroads have eliminated more than 130,000 miles of routes-over half of their total mileage-since 1916.

"When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment" considers the rise and fall of rail service in 64 communities in the eastern half of the U.S. distinguished by their notable railroad histories or unusual experiences with railroad abandonment. It tells the story of transportation providers struggling to survive in a changing economy only to surrender to the relentless forces of the marketplace. In many communities, the withdrawal of the railroad had unexpected consequences; in others, it forever altered the rhythm of daily life.

Using an interdisciplinary approach drawing upon the fields of history, geography, and urban planning, the book illuminates some of the dominant forces that led to the development of steam and electric railroads as well as the economic and political factors eventually accelerating their decline. Illustrated with maps and photographs depicting rail lines at their zenith as well as their abandoned remnants today, it provides a vivid portrait of an industrial saga that has touched the lives of millions of Americans. This book is 376 pages including a comprehensive index.

$24.95 paperbound
$39.95 clothbound
376 pages; 134 photographs; 65 maps

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