Just One Restless Rider: Reflections on Trains and Travel

Reading the work of railroad-obsessed author and editor Schwantes (The West the Railroad Made) is sometimes like train travel itself: long and slow, but often scenic. In his latest, the University of Missouri-St. Louis professor reminisces over a half-century (and millions of miles) aboard trains in America and overseas. Among other topics, Schwantes discusses the make-believe journeys he imagined as a child in Indianapolis, studying routes and timetables religiously; the parents, grandparents, cousins and uncles who shared and encouraged his love for railroads; and some of his all-time favorite stops, including the Oriente Station in suburban Lisbon, Portugal, finished in 1998, for which architect Santiago Calatrava incorporated the design features of a medieval cathedral. When the narrative loses steam, a plethora of colorful photos, taken by Schwantes over the years, make up the difference, depicting a freight train in a basalt landscape in eastern Washington or a station platform in Sheffield, England, with remarkable care. Though image drop-shadows distract, those who appreciate rail travel will find much to pore over in this slim, oblong volume.