"Giant of Steam"

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Bud Jeffries' much-anticipated "Giant of Steam, Revised Edition" was delivered to the Archives today and orders in hand will be shipped over the next two days. We apologize once again for the delay. We don't like to miss our commitments.

I am far from impartial, but having had a chance today to thumb through this revised edition, I can only say it is beautifully done. Knowing how thorough Bud Jeffries is, and how hard he has labored over the last three+ years to update his research and add new material, I have no doubt the contents will be great. (Included is an assignment list for active slug units as of July 2005! Pretty current as books go.) For right now, I can only say that the production values are far superior to the first edition, due in no small measure to the efforts of Jarrell Greever, who designed and laid out the book. The printing is crisp and the photos much sharper than the first time.

Special thanks to Bud and Louis Newton, who helped Jim Gillum and me today with the delivery.

We also delivered to the Archives 10 pallets of N&W material given to the Society by the Virginia State Library and received their delivery of 6 additional pallets. The material did not fit the mission of the Library and it approached us about our interest in the collection. In due course we will give a more complete report in The Arrow or in Talk Among Friends, but we wanted members to know that today was a very good day for your Society.

Bill McClure