Spring 2004
Volume 111 - No. 1

Familiar Faces of Railroading

New book features an introduction by BLET member, photos by honorary member

BLET member Doug Riddell, right, explores the lure of railroading in the introduction to he wrote for the book "Faces of Railroading." Here, he and his son Ryan and share the pocket watch he inherited from his Grandfather, John Everett Beazley, below.

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are encouraged to look into a new book from Kalmbach Publishing Co. that is a tribute to the working men and women of American railroads.

Faces of Railroading features striking black and white photographs to commemorate the unsung heroes of railroading from the industry's Golden Years - the Great Depression, World War II and the Postwar industrial boom.

The book features an introduction written by Doug Riddell, an Amtrak locomotive engineer and a member of BLET Division 14 (Washington, D.C.). He writes about the lure of railroading and the impact it has had on his family. Brother Riddell followed in the footsteps of his Grandfather, John Everett Beazley, by working for the railroad. Brother Riddell's son, Ryan, is now a conductor for Amtrak.

"Even though I merely wrote the forward, I'm very proud of the product," said Brother Riddell. "I think this (book) will be a big hit with the BLET's members. It's about us, the working railroaders, from all crafts."

The book features photographs of railroaders at work - locomotive engineers, conductors, firemen, trainmen, train dispatchers, maintenance of way employees, machinists, and other railroaders working in numerous other crafts. It features the work of O. Winston Link and other prominent railroad photographers such as Richard Steinheimer and Don Wood. It also features photographs by Richard J. Cook, former BLE public relations director and Honorary Member.

The books author, Carl Swanson, is a senior editor at Kalmbach Publishing Co.

"Through these images we gain a fresh understanding of the enduring dignity of labor," he said.

Sample pages are available for viewing at: www.facesofrailroading.com.

Faces of Railroading reached bookstores and hobby shops nationwide in early April. The 160-page hardcover edition, with 160 photos, can be ordered online from the website above or by calling (800) 533-6644.

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© 2004 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen