Railroads in the Woods de Labbe, John T. & Goe, Vernon - 1995

Arlington, WA, USA: Oso Publishing, 1995. Reprint 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/Very Good. 290mm x 225mm x 20mm. 258 Pages with Black/White Photos. Praiseworthy collection of old and historic logging photographs from Oregon and Washington State. John T. Labbe and Vernon Goe did a workmanlike job of selecting the 440 b&w photos. But Labbe and Goe also penned a winning text. They take us from the 1880s, when "early railroads were just a step away from the bull teams," to August 1957, when the Long-Bell division of International Paper Company finished logging the hills overlooking Keasey, Oregon. While some of the pictures are of minor importance (and quality), most are large, sharp, and informative. Especially dynamic are the picture of a powerful Shay (a geared engine built in 1894); an interior shot of a Big Creek mess hall, which is surprisingly roomy and comfortable; and a two-page spread of the spectacular Baird's Creek bridge, near Longview, Washington. This book has a fine index, and the printing and layout are beautifully done.