Railroads Past and Present: The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century by Jeremy Taylor PDF, FB2
9780253223586 025322358X As the Mississippi and other midwestern rivers inundated town after town during the summer of 1993, concerned and angry citizens questioned whether the very technologies and structures intended to "tame" the rivers did not, in fact, increase the severity of the floods. Much of the controversy swirled around the apparent culpability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the builder of many of the flood control systems that failed.In this book, Todd Shallat examines the turbulent first century of the dam and canal building Corps and follows the agency's rise from European antecedents through the boom years of river development after the American Civil War. Combining extensive research with a lively style, Shallat tells the story of monumental construction and engineering fiascoes, public service and public corruption, and the rise of science and the army expert as agents of the state.More than an institutional history, Structures in the Stream offers significant insights into American society, which has alternately supported the public works projects that are a legacy of our French heritage and opposed them based on the democratic, individualist tradition inherited from Britain. It will be important reading for a wide audience in environmental, military, and scientific history, policy studies, and American cultural history., CSX's Clinchfield Railroad follows one of the most scenic routes in the country and runs through the most rugged mountain barriers in the eastern United States. More than 3,000 laborers built the Clinchfield, using construction standards unheard of at the time. The railroad was finished in 1915 when George Carter, the driving force who put it all together, hammered in the last spike. Because of its enduring innovative construction, engineers have yet to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. In its heyday, the Clinchfield was not well known outside its territory, but its history, including its genesis and challenging assembly, has fascinated railfans for years. Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take us on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the Clinchfield's route in their fascinating portrayal of this railroad's current operations., In this long overdue volume, Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take readers on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the historic CSX Clinchfield. Completed in 1915, the Clinchfield Railroad follows a scenic route through rugged mountain country in the eastern United States. Facing the challenge of this difficult terrain, engineers and more than 3,000 laborers built the railroad using construction standards unheard of at the time. The results were so durable and forward looking that for nearly a century there has been no need to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. Though the Clinchfield is not well known outside its territory, its history and challenging construction have been continuing sources of fascination for rail fans., Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take readers on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the historic CSX Clinchfield. Completed in 1915, the Clinchfield Railroad follows a scenic route through rugged mountain country in the eastern United States. Facing the challenge of this difficult terrain, engineers and more than 3,000 laborers built the railroad using construction standards unheard of at the time. The results were so durable and forward looking that for nearly a century there has been no need to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. Though the Clinchfield is not well known outside its territory, its history and challenging construction have been continuing sources of fascination for rail fans.
9780253223586 025322358X As the Mississippi and other midwestern rivers inundated town after town during the summer of 1993, concerned and angry citizens questioned whether the very technologies and structures intended to "tame" the rivers did not, in fact, increase the severity of the floods. Much of the controversy swirled around the apparent culpability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the builder of many of the flood control systems that failed.In this book, Todd Shallat examines the turbulent first century of the dam and canal building Corps and follows the agency's rise from European antecedents through the boom years of river development after the American Civil War. Combining extensive research with a lively style, Shallat tells the story of monumental construction and engineering fiascoes, public service and public corruption, and the rise of science and the army expert as agents of the state.More than an institutional history, Structures in the Stream offers significant insights into American society, which has alternately supported the public works projects that are a legacy of our French heritage and opposed them based on the democratic, individualist tradition inherited from Britain. It will be important reading for a wide audience in environmental, military, and scientific history, policy studies, and American cultural history., CSX's Clinchfield Railroad follows one of the most scenic routes in the country and runs through the most rugged mountain barriers in the eastern United States. More than 3,000 laborers built the Clinchfield, using construction standards unheard of at the time. The railroad was finished in 1915 when George Carter, the driving force who put it all together, hammered in the last spike. Because of its enduring innovative construction, engineers have yet to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. In its heyday, the Clinchfield was not well known outside its territory, but its history, including its genesis and challenging assembly, has fascinated railfans for years. Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take us on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the Clinchfield's route in their fascinating portrayal of this railroad's current operations., In this long overdue volume, Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take readers on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the historic CSX Clinchfield. Completed in 1915, the Clinchfield Railroad follows a scenic route through rugged mountain country in the eastern United States. Facing the challenge of this difficult terrain, engineers and more than 3,000 laborers built the railroad using construction standards unheard of at the time. The results were so durable and forward looking that for nearly a century there has been no need to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. Though the Clinchfield is not well known outside its territory, its history and challenging construction have been continuing sources of fascination for rail fans., Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat take readers on a mile-by-mile trip through the tunnels and over the bridges of the historic CSX Clinchfield. Completed in 1915, the Clinchfield Railroad follows a scenic route through rugged mountain country in the eastern United States. Facing the challenge of this difficult terrain, engineers and more than 3,000 laborers built the railroad using construction standards unheard of at the time. The results were so durable and forward looking that for nearly a century there has been no need to enlarge its tunnels or strengthen its bridges. Though the Clinchfield is not well known outside its territory, its history and challenging construction have been continuing sources of fascination for rail fans.