Here is an item for those with an interest in railroads and railroad histor y.
The Age of Steam and Steel 4-Disk Digital Library eBay listing 251186445113
This shrink-wrapped four-disk set is unique and available from no other sou rce and constitutes a detailed history of the development of steam power an d the co-incident rise of industrialization in nineteenth century America a nd well into the twentieth century. With 3 volumes on four disks, two of th em being dual-layer DVD-ROMs, this set contains as much data as six DVD-ROM s. This attractively packaged boxed shrink-wrapped four-disk set represents a great value for the money This disk set also makes an excellent gift for any railroad enthusiast. The plethora of detailes engravings and engineeri ng drawings of locomotives, rolling stock and affiliated machinery -as well as details on opulent private cars, the Lear Jets of the age - and essenti al tools and gadgets makes this disk set an ideal resource for the model ra ilroader as well!
Since their inception, railroads have been inexorably linked to the growth and progress of the American nation. Parallel lines of steel rails criscros sed the north American continent becoming the sinews that bound together th e musculature of American industry. People, goods and livestock which hithe rto could only be transported far distances only with great expense, risk, and sacrifice could now do so only for the price of passage and cartage fee s.
America grew with the railroads. Railroads were the means of settling of th e west. During two world wars they transported troops and materiel across t he American continent. During the depression freight trains were the means of transportation for men who would hobo great distances seeking employment in a time when such was exceedingly scarce, and for boys and men seeking t he adventure of experiencing what lie beyond their sight. There is a romanc e attached to railroads that is unique and so very American. The History Ch annel's recent series, The Men Who Built America, and the cable series Hell on Wheels constitute a mesmerising look at the railroads in America. The b ooks, pamphlets and periodicals in this four disk set present as close to a first hand a chronicle as you will find of events involved recorded as the y happened.