Review: Rockford & Interurban Railway

Rockford & Interurban Railway by Mike Schafer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read a number of these Arcadia Publishing books with the sepia tone photographs on the cover that consists of many historic photographs. This one fits the bill. But compared to most, I found the number and the variety of historic photos to be a truly outstanding collection. The authors have found dozens of photos of the interurban of Rockford, as well as it's subsidiary electric trolley, most all from it's very short life, mostly in the first 25 years of the last century. If you want to get an idea of life in Rockford, Freeport, Beloit, and neighboring towns from that time period, this gives you a good background. I have read a number of train books recently, including photograph-heavy books, and this one has by far the largest percentage of photos of smiling conductors wearing spotless uniforms in front of their machinery. The pride shines through. Interesting read, especially if you are interested in the area.

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