Condition: Very good. First Edition. Rare first edition of this exciting McLoughlin title, in which a steam train and its passengers experience increasingly unlikely adventures. J. H. Howard illustrated numerous titles for McLoughlin Bros, and his mix of realism and comedy is synonymous with late 19th-century US American illustrated books. THE LIGHTNING EXPRESS' progression from relatively normal shenanigans to its surreal and hyperbolic ending going to space as a comet is quite prescient of the tone of later children's books. 10.25'' x 10.25''. Original color pictorial wraps, saddle-stitched. Nine full-page color plates. 19 pages. Wrapper with light edgewear and very mild soiling; spine and a few small closed tears professionally strengthened. Occasional light soiling throughout. Plates vibrant.