The Hiawatha Story
By Jim Scribbins.
Softbound, 272 pages, 356 halftones, 11x8.5" landscape format. 2007; Reprint of the earlier clothbound edition.
"The illustrated history of one of the most spectacularly successful passenger trains of all time.
"First there was a single experimental coach, then an entire fleet. Soon Hiawatha was a railway legend. Loved for their radically new, streamlined look, the Hiawatha’s Art Deco engines were a hallmark of American industrial design—a genre of passenger cars from Tip Top Tap to Touralux to the glass-encased Skytop. For Midwestern passengers from Chicago to Aberdeen, the Hiawatha represented speed, comfort, and luxury, offering spectacular views of the rolling landscape. From 1935 to 1970 it carried countless passengers and even more memories. Richly illustrated with more than 350 photographs, The Hiawatha Story brings the design and history of this beloved rail fleet to life."
“A fine pictorial history of a train dear to the hearts of many Midwesterners.” —Minneapolis Star
“In this carefully researched and well-documented book, Scribbins chronicles the history of the Hiawatha since the first one departed from Chicago to the Twin Cities in the spring of 1935.” —Chicago Today
“Scribbins has captured the story of the Hiawatha in this handsome book of innumerable superb photos.” —Stanford-Times
“Railroad buffs will get speechless, recognizing rare photos and not recognizing many never seen before. . . . It’s all a matter of taste and nostalgia and damn good research by a guy who loves the Hiawatha line.” —Gloucester Daily Times
Jim Scribbins had a lifetime career at Milwaukee Road and is the author of five books about upper Midwestern railroads. He lives in West Bend, Wisconsin."
