As Mr. MacGregor develops the story of the Carter Brothers he is also telling the story of six individual early California Narrow gauge railroads which were built to fight the monopolistic Central Pacific system, called "the Octopus" by the newspapers of the time. Each of these lines will have a connection to the Carters, either through cars built by them, or through bridge and car designs which they provided under contract. Through side bars and supplemental chapters you gain insight into how these railroads operated, the locomotives they purchased, and which saloons were favored by their management.
Additionally, this is a wonderful example of the great American story, as the two brothers escape famine plagued Ireland, only to pass through the plague infested Canadian immigrant stations on the St. Lawrence River. 1862 finds Thomas operating his own business in upper New York state, which he abandons to come west to California to avoid the Civil War draft.
While Thomas finds work in the shops of California's first railroad, his younger brother Martin goes to work on the new state capital building. Thomas loses his leg in an industrial accident, and as a result has to find an alternative to physical labor. That alternative was railroad car drafting, which became design and eventually engineering. With these newfound skills he would form, with his brother a partnership to build railroad cars. That company would thrive for 30 years in a difficult economy.
The text is supplemented by a rich assortment of photo, drawings and contemporary color illustrations. The book even finds room for an amusing and insightful discussion of Thomas Carter's love life and his long standing affair with Molly Redmond, a refreshingly liberated Victorian woman.
This is a must have book for anyone interested in Western railroads, narrow gauge, or California History.