The Southern Pacific Railroad was an empire that stretched from the lush forests of Oregon to the busy Gulf port of New Orleans. With its headquarters in San Francisco, the road moved the lion's share of freight from California to the East. Lumber, produce, oil and imports were its mainstays. By the time of SPs absorption into the UP system, the road had grown to over 17,000 miles stretching all the way to Chicago and St. Louis via subsidiaries Cotton Belt. This history by noted rail historian Brian Solomon tells the tale of SPs development from 1861 through the 1996 merger with UP. This exciting book features plenty of photos, plus maps, period ads, timetables and more. Brian Solomon. Hardcover 8-1/4 x 10-5/8", 160 pages, 100 color and 50 b/w images.