Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive

The diesel locomotive sent shock waves through rigid corporate cultures and staid government regulators. For some, the new technology promised to be a source of enormous profits; for others, the railroad industry seemed a threat to their very livelihoods. Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive introduces the reader to the important technological advances that gave rise to diesel engines, examining not only their impact on locomotive design, but also their impact on the economic and social landscapes. J. Parker Lamb describes the development of these technologies, allowing the reader to fully understand how they were integrated and formed a commercially successful locomotive. Like its companion volume, Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (IUP, 2003), this book emphasizes the role of the leading engineers whose innovations paved the way for critical breakthroughs. Rail fans will appreciate this authoritative work.

1. Parker Lamb has been photographing America's railroads since 1949 and writing about them since 1960. An early interest was the transition, during the1950s, from steam to diesel power in the South, where he grew up. Since then his work has allowed him to travel extensively, recording the evolution of rail technology throughout the U.S. and Canada for a half century. Lamb's photography has appeared in numerous magazines and scores of books. This is his fourth book. The previous three are "Classic Diesels of the South; Katy Diesels to the Gulf"; and "Steel Wheels Rolling: A Personal Journal of Railroad Photography". After a 42-year career as a mechanical engineer, he is now retired in Austin, Texas.