The American Railroad Passenger Car recaptures the lost, but not-too-distant past when 98 percent of all intercity travel in the United States was by rail. It documents in extraordinary detail the ingenuity and splendor of the classic trains as well as the rattle and clatter, the dust and cinders of early rail travel. An unparalleled record of changes in taste and technologyWith clarity and precision, White explains the methods of construction of wood, iron, steel, and aluminum cars. He traces the evolution of wheels and brakes, dining cars and sleeping compartments. And he follows the revolutions in taste and technology that dramatically altered the appearance of the railroad passenger car over the century and a half that it dominated American travel.An extraordinary resource for railroad hobbyistsDetailed plans and diagrams accompanying the text make it possible for model-builders to reconstruct many famous passenger cars themselves. Appendixes contain biographies of coach builders and designers; numerous tables comparing models, materials, and prices; a chronology of passenger cars; and an annotated bibliography.