Home » Book Reviews

Empire Express
by David Haward Bain

The only downside to "Empire Express" is that, at 797 pages, it is entirely too heavy to bring on a train trip, unless and until it becomes available for downloading to an ebook reader. That said, it is a book that everyone who is interested in trains should not only read, but also keep as a reference. "Empire Express" is the story of the development of the transcontinental railroad, and those of us who travel cross-country by rail probably don't give much thought to the challenges facing those who envisioned a transcontinental iron horse.

Beginning with the stories of the visionaries Asa Whitney and Theodore Judah, this book is a lively, and at times gossipy, narrative about the pioneers, scoundrels and thieves who played such a large part in the development of the transcontinental railroad. Think Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins, who were railroad investors and robber barons before they had San Francisco hotels named after them.

In order to put together a railroad that traversed the entire country, small, local short-runs would have to either fold themselves into the larger scheme, or cease to exist. Thus, many small, local railroads throughtout the country fell prey to the vision of a transcontinental rail. All the while, bribery and other financial scandals were common. The Credit Mobilier scandal, which included alleged bribery of numerous members of Congress, along with the cover-up of various shell corporations which were reaping money from the equipping of the Union Pacific Railroad, was just the most famous of the scandals enveloping the railroad corporations.

At times this book relies too much on documents and other primary sources, and too little on the stories and anecdotes that make it such an enjoyable read. When the slow spots come along, just think of them as whistle stops, move right along and enjoy the ride.

EMPIRE EXPRESS, by David Haward Bain is available at

Empire Express: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad

Back to the main books page