Book Review by Jerry Michels, Jr.

Missouri Pacific River and Prairie Rails: The MoPac in Nebraska
by Michael M. Bartels
(204 pages hardbound, South Platte Press, P. O. Box 163, David City, NE  68632)

This is a detailed history of the Missouri Pacific in Nebraska.  It is very well done with a good balance of black and white photos and text.  The book contains thirty-three chapters that chronologically describe the history, operations, and equipment of the MoPac in Nebraska from 1881 to the present Union Pacific ownership.  The text is clean, crisp and well written and provides sufficient detail to please both the casual reader and the serious historian.  Michael details not only the daring-do of the Gould era and other political and financial adventures, but also describes why certain historical events took place, their impact on the residents of Nebraska, and the reasons the railroad operated they way it did.  You can easily get swept up in the 'railroad fever' many small towns experienced in the latter quarter of the 19th century.  Descriptions of railroad operations are very well done, ranging from freight to passenger.

There is also a wide array of excellent photos, which are quite astounding (ever seen a backhead view of a MoPac 4-6-0!). Included are rare shots ranging from MoPac steam in the pre-Baldwin yellow lettering through in-service photos of NW4's on passenger trains

Three Lincoln, Nebraska roads, the Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, and Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice, came together in the city. For a time in the 1950s all used center-cab switchers. The Rock Island's had a violent encounter with a MoP train on October 2, 1953. - Richard L. Rumbolz photo/from MPRPR

(the first this reader has ever seen), to very interesting diesel lashups on the Omaha Belt Line.  There is also a good balance of more modern MoPac steam, first and second generation diesels, passenger cars, depots, and facilities.  Other nice touches, often overlooked in the typical 'picture books' currently available, include maps, advertisements of the era, a selection of employee and public timetables (with reproductions of suburban timetables), and index, and a comprehensive bibliography.  I heartily recommend this book to any MoPac fan, historian, modeler of any era, or even the casual reader.  It truly belongs in the library of every MPHS member.  I'd like to see this type of treatment for every Missouri Pacific division.