Train lovers of all ages will appreciate these ready-to-color illustrations of historic railroad engines. The collection ranges from the groundbreaking steam-powered locomotives that appeared in the early 1800s — and helped usher in the Industrial Revolution — to today's sleek Acela Express, the first electrified high-speed train to operate in the United States.
Models include Trenithick's Locomotive (1803–04), the first steam locomotive to run on rails; the English "Stourbridge Lion" (1829), the first steam-powered railroad engine to be used in America; the versatile "General" (1852); the streamlined "Broadway Limited" (1914); Britain's famous passenger train, the "Flying Scotsman" (1922); "The Rocket" (1937) of the Rock Island Line; the innovative diesel-electric locomotive, "The Super Chief" (1946); Japan's high-speed "Bullet" train (1964); and the even-faster "TGV" ("Le Train Grande Vitesse" [1981]) of France, which can reach speeds of up to 195 miles per hour. Each of the 44 illustrations is accompanied by an informative caption.