Last night I was poring over some really interestng research materials and glanced up at the bookshelf. There, peering out from my library of about 700 railroad titles, was either the first or second railroad book I purchased about 31 years ago: a paperbound copy of Ron Ziel's Twilight of Steam Locomotives.

I cannot tell you all how much that book influenced me. Reading it took me to so many places to see so many locomotives that were out there. The sad tone of the book was almost a calling to support a lost cause. The scrapping photo story is magnificent in its horror.

I have read this book over and over again, usually after returning from a trip to see, ride or visit some steam locomotive. So many of the engines that are active today are in there...either in their last incarnations on shortlines or in their first apperances in tourist/museum service.

I'm thankful that folks like Ziel, Mike Eagleson and many others were out there chasing down the last of steam to inspire me.



http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

..what ever happened to him?

> I'm thankful that folks like Ziel, Mike
> Eagleson and many others were out there
> chasing down the last of steam to inspire
> me.

> ..what ever happened to him?

Last time I saw him, he was on a photo freight charter about a year ago at Western Maryland Scenic, having fun and snapping pictures just like the good ole days.

I also think his "In Search of Steam" in the old Railroad Magazine, was a great inspiration too: Even though the good ole days are gone, there's still a lot out there to see, photograph, ride, rebuild, save. The adventure never ends!

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

I know what you mean, Jim. It was one of the first books I ever got too.

I was going through our library with our intern a few weeks ago, and opened it to show her pictures of our 223 in East Dublin, GA. While leafing through, it was great to stop every few pages and think "I worked on that back in 19**"

Yeah, it has been fun and worthwhile. Great picture of steam in its last commercial gasp.

Dave

lathro19@idt.net

Ron Ziel's other book (in hardcover), "Twilight of World Steam", was one of the three publications that were the genesis of "Surviving World Steam Locomotives" (Wes Barris' list of North American Steam Locomotives was the second, and the photograph of Colin Garratt in several books was the third.)

My public library has a copy, and I racked up overdue fines for several year while I kept it on hand, referring to it when news came from a new country or location. Much of what he photographed remained intact, at least until a few years ago.

I would be nice to know what is going on in North Korea, Lebanon, and some of the other locations he reported from; since little news has come out before or since.

Ron Ziel, Mike Eagleson, Colin Garratt, and others have certainly helped to keep the flame a few decades longer that it would have without them.

(The "Psalm to Steam" at the back of the book is also a cherished favorite of mine.)

> Last night I was poring over some really
> interestng research materials and glanced up
> at the bookshelf. There, peering out from my
> library of about 700 railroad titles, was
> either the first or second railroad book I
> purchased about 31 years ago: a paperbound
> copy of Ron Ziel's Twilight of Steam
> Locomotives.

> I cannot tell you all how much that book
> influenced me. Reading it took me to so many
> places to see so many locomotives that were
> out there. The sad tone of the book was
> almost a calling to support a lost cause.
> The scrapping photo story is magnificent in
> its horror.

> I have read this book over and over again,
> usually after returning from a trip to see,
> ride or visit some steam locomotive. So many
> of the engines that are active today are in
> there...either in their last incarnations on
> shortlines or in their first apperances in
> tourist/museum service.

> I'm thankful that folks like Ziel, Mike
> Eagleson and many others were out there
> chasing down the last of steam to inspire
> me.


Surviving World Steam Locmotives
james1@pernet.net

> Ron Ziel's other book (in hardcover),
> "Twilight of World Steam", was one
> of the three publications that were the
> genesis of "Surviving World Steam
> Locomotives" (Wes Barris' list of North
> American Steam Locomotives was the second,
> and the photograph of Colin Garratt in
> several books was the third.)

Ron Ziel wrote another related book, prior to Twilight, called "Steam in the Sixties" and more recently "Mainline Steam Revival" All four books are are both fun and, in some cases, sad to reread.

ken.middlebrook@nsc.com

Ron Ziel and I met in 1965, after I read his first book, "The Twilight of Steam Locomotives", which chronicled the very end of N.American steam into deep recesses of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. I was a kid of 15 at the time and wrote him a fan letter, only to get a telephone call from him a few days later inviting me to chase steam with him up at Steamtown. He arranged for Nelson Blount to give me a cab ride (Nelson at the throttle) and thus began a long and interesting career in railroad photography! Ron wrote "Steel Rails to the Sunrise", and "Steam in the Sixties", along with the late George Foster. His other books included a guide to Steamtown (Vermont) and Edaville, "Steel Rails to Victory", numerous paperbooks on the LIRR and it's properties, and an excellent history of the Spanish American War. Ron may be the foremost Long Island Rail Road historian alive today, and his collection of negatives is unrivaled. "Twilight of World Steam" is only the tip of the iceberg, as Ron has chased steam in Communist countries long before the iron-curtain fell. He has been a pioneer and lion of documenting steam preservation. Without deifying him, for he certainly has his eccentricities, Ron also deserves credit for beginning the rail preservation efforts on Long Island, and for preserving BEDT #12 (0-6-0) and CPR Hudson 2839.


glueck@saturn.caps.maine.edu

I also saw him on the same trip. Eagleson still resides in North Arlington, NJ but has done little photography publishing in recent years. I think Eagleson, Ziel, Foster, Kelcec et al did their best work in the 60's and 70's. George Foster is now retired and living in Arizona, and was very active in the Steamship Historical Society. I may be wrong about this but I think some of these guys may have jointly owned Royal Hudson #2839 until recently.

> Last time I saw him, he was on a photo
> freight charter about a year ago at Western
> Maryland Scenic, having fun and snapping
> pictures just like the good ole days.

> I also think his "In Search of
> Steam" in the old Railroad Magazine,
> was a great inspiration too: Even though the
> good ole days are gone, there's still a lot
> out there to see, photograph, ride, rebuild,
> save. The adventure never ends!


Kurtrbell@hotmail.com

George Foster is still very much alive. I assisted him with research at the RR Museum of PA about a year and a half ago.

> Ron Ziel and I met in 1965, after I read his
> first book, "The Twilight of Steam
> Locomotives", which chronicled the very
> end of N.American steam into deep recesses
> of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. I was a kid
> of 15 at the time and wrote him a fan
> letter, only to get a telephone call from
> him a few days later inviting me to chase
> steam with him up at Steamtown. He arranged
> for Nelson Blount to give me a cab ride
> (Nelson at the throttle) and thus began a
> long and interesting career in railroad
> photography! Ron wrote "Steel Rails to
> the Sunrise", and "Steam in the
> Sixties", along with the late George
> Foster. His other books included a guide to
> Steamtown (Vermont) and Edaville,
> "Steel Rails to Victory", numerous
> paperbooks on the LIRR and it's properties,
> and an excellent history of the Spanish
> American War. Ron may be the foremost Long
> Island Rail Road historian alive today, and
> his collection of negatives is unrivaled.
> "Twilight of World Steam" is only
> the tip of the iceberg, as Ron has chased
> steam in Communist countries long before the
> iron-curtain fell. He has been a pioneer and
> lion of documenting steam preservation.
> Without deifying him, for he certainly has
> his eccentricities, Ron also deserves credit
> for beginning the rail preservation efforts
> on Long Island, and for preserving BEDT #12
> (0-6-0) and CPR Hudson 2839.


Kurtrbell@hotmail.com

I think we are referring to two different individuals, sharing the same name.
Trust me.

glueck@saturn.caps.maine.edu

> ..what ever happened to him?

I saw him this week, as a matter of fact - he's doing fine, the worst that can be said of him is that he's getting older like the rest of us ;-)

JAC

Hi,

"Twilight Of Steam Locomotive" is the book that got my dad interested in trains, who intern passed that interest on to me. I am also fond of "Mixed Train Daily" and a couple others like "Ghost Railroads of Kentucky." Good books by good authors.

Stuart

Frisco 1506
gnufe@apex.net