If you love maps and trains, you will no doubt love Mark Ovenden’s book Railway Maps of the World (Penguin Group 2011). It is “an irresistible compendium of historical and contemporary railway maps and posters from every corner of the world. Hundreds of images, covering two centures of advertising, surveyors’ maps, travel posters and photos, are enhanced by a text brimming with vivid historical details and charming anecdotes.” It’s a fascinating read, and every page reveals interesting things I never knew before! For example, I learned how the railroads literally created time as we know it, as well as the concept of time zones…and how Cuba became the first Latin American country to get a railroad (and was the 6th in the world to do so! The Cuban railway was originally built by the Spanish as a means to transport sugarcane to the ports, which is interesting since Spain had yet to build a railroad in its own country at that point.)
Want more train and railway maps? Check out Trains.com, a site for everything trains by Kalmbach Media (headquartered in my own backyard, just outside Milwaukee). “Trains magazine’s collection of railroad maps is unique in its appeal to serious hobbyists and enthusiastic professionals. Whether created exclusively for our popular Map of the Month feature or as the graphics to illustrate a story, Trains maps are among the best you’ll find anywhere to capture the rich details and overarching themes of great railroading. You can search for your favorite railroad, or use their menus to select by state, region, city, or topic for maps that provide new and fascinating perspectives.” [Source: Trains.com]
You may also want to check out Retours.com It is a digital magazine on the intersection of railway history, design (posters and station architecture) and photography,