Books for the Postcard Stocking Stuffers in Your Life

Name: Pittsburgh's Inclines
Brand: Donald Doherty
SKU: 9781467129312
Price: 7.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Vintage and antique postcards are delightful messages from the past to enjoy in the present. They feature iconic hotels, scenic wonders, lost fashions, covered bridges, main streets of yore, and places from Maine to Monterrey. Each of our postcard packs features 15 different postcards, and you can choose from over 400 American locations and themes. The perfect size to tuck in a stocking, a gift bag, or just send through the mail, they are sure to please any collector or lover of history.

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Pittsburgh's Inclines

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

Black River & Western Railroad

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

Railroads of Nevada County

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

Chicago Trolleys

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

Railroads of Placer County

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

The Great Northern Railway in Marias Pass

Postcard book or pack

$7.99

Pittsburgh's Inclines

9781467129312

$7.99

These mailable vintage-photograph postcards showcase the inclines that were completed in 1870 and 1877 by real estate speculators hoping to capitalize on undeveloped land at the top of Coal Hill, a name given due to its many coal mines. Housing in the valleys and other low-lying areas could not accommodate the influx of new residents following the Civil War. Using technology perfected to haul coal from mines, the region's first inclined railroads, or funiculars, carried people and goods and formed a part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. By 1900, inclines were an integral part of the city's identity. During the early decades of the 20th century, however, automobiles and trucks made access to Pittsburgh's hilltops relatively easy. Before the automobile, there were at least 15 inclines in Pittsburgh. Today, there are two: the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines. Featured images include Mount Oliver Incline, Duquesne Incline, Monongahela Inclines, Castle Shannon Incline, Penn Incline and Knoxville Incline.

Black River & Western Railroad

9781467124546

$7.99

The Black River & Western Railroad has provided over 50 continuous years of passenger excursions in rural New Jersey between Flemington and Ringoes, passing through the pristine scenery of Hunterdon County.

May 16, 1965, was the first official day of steam-powered passenger excursions, and 50 years later, on May 16, 2015, the same steam locomotive provided power for another steam-powered excursion. During those years, the railroad has grown from the simple excursion attraction of historic railroad equipment, providing the public amusement, to a regional short-line railroad. Enjoy the rich history of the Black River and Western Railroad in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.

Chicago Trolleys

9781467127899

$7.99

Before the rise of automobiles, where new trolley car lines were built, people, businesses, and neighborhoods followed, and trolleys quickly helped Chicago become a world-class city.

Chicago's extensive transit system first started in 1859, when horsecars ran on rails in city streets, cable cars and electric streetcars following soon after, but once trolleys appeared on the scene, Chicago metaphorically exploded. At its peak, Chicago had over 3,000 streetcars and 1,000 miles of track—the largest such system in the world. By the 1930s, there were also streamlined trolleys and trolley buses on rubber tires. Some parts of Chicago's famous L system also used trolley wire instead of a third rail. Trolley cars once took people from the Loop to such faraway places as Aurora, Elgin, Milwaukee, and South Bend. Though seemingly-outdated in the 21st century, there are still a few trolleys running today for anyone who prefers to take the scenic route. Enjoy the rich history of Chicago’s trolleys in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.

Railroads of Placer County

9781467128407

$7.99

Though small in geographic size, Placer County is large in its rich history of railroading in California. These vintage-photograph postcards showcase the 14 different railroads that did or still do exist in some association with Placer County. There were narrow-gauge and standard-gauge, long transcontinental, and short point-to-point railroads. Some railroads were fully contained within the county, and others just touched the county. Some railroads were short-lived operations, while others operated for decades. One railroad still functions today, undiminished after 150 years in service.

The Great Northern Railway in Marias Pass

9781467126786

$7.99

Montana's Marias Pass is the lowest rail crossing through the Rocky Mountains. The tracks snake through narrow canyons, traverse the swift Middle Fork of the Flathead River, and twist through numerous snowsheds and tunnels to crest the 5,213-foot Continental Divide. James Jerome Hill was the driving force behind Great Northern Railway's mission to find the most economical route to the Pacific coast, with surveyor John F. Stevens taking a major role in locating the pass. Browning is the eastern gateway into Marias Pass as the railroad approaches the Rocky Mountain Front; continuing west from Summit, the tracks parallel Bear Creek and the Middle Fork of the Flathead River downgrade through Essex to Glacier National Park and into the Flathead Valley.