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Southern California Railroading in the Golden Age of Kodachrome by Gordon Glattenberg, William H. Mills and Tom Gildersleeve
- Hardcover
- Authors: Gordon Glattenberg, William H. Mills and Tom Gildersleeve
- Some railfans wish they lived in southern California. Others were
fortunate enough to have been born there. Tom Gildersleeve, Gordon
Glattenberg, and the late William H. "Hank" Mills are among the latter.
The
photographic trio began their exploration of the Southland in the early
1950s, when profound societal and technological change began to sweep
the Golden State. Beyond the Technicolor dreams Hollywood was sending
around the world, citrus groves were steadily giving way to
industrialization and suburban sprawl. An expanding web of freeways was
turning trolleys into antiques, while colorful new diesel locomotives
steadily took the reins from steam's iron horse. Transition was in full
flower, providing the authors with intriguing subject matter cast
against a wide array of dramatic settings.
At a time when most
photographers documented the industry in black and white, Gildersleeve,
Glattenberg, and Mills made Kodachrome their film of choice, opting for a
medium that could realistically capture the full palette of their
surroundings. Popular publishing was predominantly a monochrome
enterprise, providing few opportunities for color shooters beyond slide
shows at private homes and railroad club meetings. It would be the
mid-1970s before new technology allowed all three of the authors to
reach a wider audience.
The decision to concentrate on color
photography might be construed as an act of faith, with little reward
beyond the satisfaction of a job well done. As this volume will attest,
that faith has been rewarded on a grand scale. Some 345 color images
invite inspection, the majority of them being published for the first
time. Focusing on the years between the mid-1950s and late 1960s, Southland,
takes the reader on a wide-ranging tour of the region between
Bakersfield and the Mexican border. Six chapters and eight detailed
maps, with comprehensive captions by award-winning photojournalist Ted
Benson, convey the excitement of Southern California railroading in the
golden age of Kodachrome.
Over 250 action-packed pages depict the
full sweep of activity, from Santa Fe Alco PAs and Union Pacific
gas-turbine electrics battling Cajon Pass, to Southern Pacific 4449 in
the days when the famed steam locomotive was just another Daylight
4-8-4. Red and yellow trolley cars thread the bustling streets of Los
Angeles, contrasting with trios of GP9s roaming the wilds of Carrizo
Gorge. From busy double-track mountain main lines to thrice-weekly
locals in the Mojave Desert, there's something for every reader in the
pages of Southland.
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