 Colorado's Gore Canyon as viewed from the vestibule of the last car of an eastbound California Zephyr. Henry Kisor's acclaimed 1994 book Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America has now been republished as an ebook with new photographs and a new epilogue bringing up to date the saga of America's favorite train as well as the stories of the people celebrated in it. It is available now on Kindle and Nook, and other ebook formats are on the way.  Whether
dashing through the Plains, creeping over the Rockies, hurtling across
the Great Basin, or threading the Sierra Nevada, the California Zephyr is
an earthbound cruise ship bearing as many as 300 passengers, each with
a story to tell. There are tales of trysts in showers and sleepers, of
charming serendipities in dining cars, of smuggling drugs and pets
(including an elusive boa constrictor), and of a small child's tragic
death on the tracks.Kisor, a TrainWeb field reporter, also introduces us to the men and women who ride the rails—some out of restlessness, some as a hobby, some seeking love or friendship as they open new frontiers in their deeper selves. And of course there are the resourceful train crews, who tell tales of "dog-robbing" supplies in the yards, of coping with medical emergencies en route, and of keeping their good humor over the train's 51-hour run. The Zephyr's route is also a passage of surprising connections, as the grand history of railroads, terminals, luxury limiteds, and western bandits exists side by side with contemporary concerns. As the train heads westward, retracing the route of countless pioneers, Zephyr becomes a journey into the heart of America. |
