This was my first book and a true labor of love. I spent decades studying steam and the work of Dead Men, in both old buildings and on library shelves. I traveled the country, haunting used-book stores, looking for engineering books that held the answers to questions that nagged at me. I was obsessed with this topic, and when I finally sat to write, I poured all that I had learned into this book, and as I wrote, I tried my best to make the words sound good to you - like we were together and having a conversation. I wanted you to know what I know and I wanted you to be able to do what I can do when it comes to old steam systems. This book arrived in 1992 and has since gone though dozens of printings. We've sold it in every state as well as in foreign countries. Steam heat is everywhere there are old buildings, so why shouldn't you be the one with the answers? Dan Holohan

"The Most Powerful Idea in the World argues that the very notion of intellectual property drove not only the invention of the steam engine but also the entire Industrial Revolution." -- Back cover.

When it was originally published in 1899, The Locomotive Up to Date was hailed as "...the most definitive work ever published concerning the mechanism that has transformed the American nation: the steam locomotive." Filled with over 700 pages of text, diagrams and photos, this remains one of the most important railroading books ever written. From steam valves to sanders, trucks to side rods, it's a treasure trove of information, explaining in easy-to-understand language how the most sophisticated machines of the 19th Century were operated and maintained. This new edition is an exact duplicate of the original. Reformatted as an easy-to-read 8.5x11 volume, it's delightful for railroad enthusiasts of all ages.