Culled from the 20 years she spent traveling the American West as a freight brakeman and conductor, Linda Grant Niemann's Railroad Noir delves into the darker side of railroading. The 1990s were a time of crisis for workers caught in the breakup of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Niemann's tales of exhaustion, alcoholism, homelessness, and corporate blundering present a revelatory account of railroading life. Photographer Joel Jensen realizes Niemann’s vision of the working West with images of cowboy bars, blue motels, and railroaders working in electrical storms, white-outs, and desert heat waves. The result is an honest, gritty, and striking collaboration.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Boomer In A Boom Town 3
2 Breaking-In Blues 11
3 Blues For Ron 17
4 Beet Inspector 25
5 The Blue Motel 31
6 The Big Four Bar 35
7 Learning Spanish 41
8 Organized Booming 47
9 The Border 53
10 On The Road Again 57
Gallery 61
11 A Starry Night 85
12 Train To The Underworld 87
13 Back To Work 93
14 The Hospital Yard 99
15 The Hopper At Granite Rock 107
16 The Lawrence Switcher 111
17 The Lord Of The Night 117
18 Midnight Train To Georgia 127
19 The Spiritual Beauty Of The Rails 133
20 Old Head, New Hire 137
Glossary 149
Tujunga54
Posted September 30, 2010
Linda Niemann takes the reader on a sweeping journey of the demanding and exhilarating life working on the railroad. Terrific prose brings portrays fascinating real-life characters, insightful political realities and the author's deep love of the West. The strikingly evocative photographs make this not only a great read, but a book worth prominently displaying on the coffee-table.
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Overview
Culled from the 20 years she spent traveling the American West as a freight brakeman and conductor, Linda Grant Niemann's Railroad Noir delves into the darker side of railroading. The 1990s were a time of crisis for workers caught in the breakup of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Niemann's tales of exhaustion, alcoholism, homelessness, and corporate blundering present a revelatory account of railroading life. Photographer Joel Jensen realizes Niemann’s vision of the working West with images of cowboy bars, blue ...