"In its heyday the electrified Spokane & Inland Empire Railroad carried huge numbers of passengers between Spokane, Washington and the Idaho towns of Coeur d'Alene and Moscow as well as to Colfax, Washington. This book describes in detail the history of the S & IE rail system from its amalgamation of a group of companies in the early 1900s to almost comp[l]ete abandonment by Burlington Northern 70 years later"--Jacket flap.

Electric Railways 1880-1990 explores the history of the integration of both electric and diesel-electric railway systems and identifies the crucial role that diesel-electric traction played in the development of wireless electrification. The evolution of electrical technology and the modern railway produced innovations in engineering that were integral to the development of traction, power and signalling systems. This book presents a thorough survey of electric railway development from the earliest days pf the London Underground to modern electrified main line trains. The distinction between 'enforced electrification' and 'economic electrification' is also discussed and the pioneering role of J.J. Heilmann assessed.