West from Omaha

Rating:
Summary: Uncommon color
Review: Obscure midwestern lines in Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa, rare narrow-gauge excursion photos and even a few Cuban oddities are part of Jack Pfeifer's highly personal collection of photos from the 1950's and 60s.
At a time most rail photographers were making static 'roster' photos on black and white rollfilm, he was recording his experiences of trains in action with a Kodak Retina and Kodachrome. Some of the photos are the only known color record of their subjects. The story is largely told with extended captions based on extensive record-keeping by Pfeifer, a Union Pacific railroader for four decades.
Subjects include rare color photos of Soo Line steam and early Union Pacific turbine locomotives, as well as the last years of big mainline steam power in Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah.
The large-format book is beautifully designed by the late Mike Pearsall, with plenty of room given to the photos.
The book was published in a small edition in 1990.