(LOCOMOTIVES)

Not the least interesting aspect to this untitled book is that it was printed by Allied Printing, a Union Trades Council shop in Scranton, probably in 1912, the date of the most recent copyright. The book itself is a collection of nine reference materials, six originally published by the Colliery Engineer Company in the U. K. from 1898-1901, and three by International Textbook. International, likely a competing U. K. firm in the correspondence school trade, with operations in the USA, seems to have absorbed Colliery around 1905. In any case, the book's a treat for railway fans.The topic headings (and approximate number of pages) are Locomotive Boilers (61); Boiler Attachments (150); Heat and Steam (26); The Locomotive (37); Valves and Valve Gears (125); Locomotive Management (75); Breakdowns (128); and Oil-Burning Locomotives (63). Roughly 675 glossy pages, with numerous (splendid) engineering drawings and occasional halftones; plus xxi pages Preface, and Contents (at front of book, to page vi), and Index (at rear of book, beginning page vii); Examples [exercises] at the end of each chapter. Boards show losses, wear, and splitting at leading edges and backstrap, otherwise sound; text has loosened at pages 3-6 of section 14 (Locomotives), otherwise strong; and text is clean excepting coloring-to-browning at margins.…