From the Cab: Stories from a Locomotive Engineer

"The people I've worked with are an endless source of stories that define the human side of railroading," writes Doug Riddell. "For me, it's always been the people who have made railroading special, not merely the equipment...."

More than 25 years in railroading have provided Doug Riddell ample material to entertain and inform everyone interested in day-to-day life on America's railroads. A 10-year veteran of broadcasting, Doug hung up his microphone to pursue a passion that began when he was a child listening to stories about his grandfather's early years on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad as conductor of the George Washington. His own railroad career spans from his first day on Seaboard Coast Line to his current position as an Amtrak Engineer.

Riddell's stories provide insight into the hardships of a railroading life. "Most outsiders have no idea the price railroaders pay for the few minutes they sit in a warm locomotive cab or caboose instead of hanging on the side of a boxcar whose grab irons and stirrups are coated three inches thick with ice, or marching two miles toward the rear of a freight train in a snake-infested swamp during a drenching rain."

His colorful cast of characters portrays the conflicts as well as the solidarity between labor and management in this ever-changing industry. His sagas also reveal first-hand the strains on a railroader's home life, and the resulting support and love that flow between Riddell and his family.

Doug Riddell has been entertaining RailNews Magazine readers with his monthly series, "From the Cab." Now everyone can enjoy Riddell's uniquely refreshing and warmly human commentaries in this new book from Pentrex.