"A good history book explains why things are the way they are. This is a great history book, neatly telling the value of railroads in the development of the United States as well as in Indianapolis. Footnotes and bibliography combined with maps and ephemera and photos of everything from track construction to buildings to locomotives make it of interest to architects and engineers as well as rail fans and Hoosier history buffs. It's a super tour guide, too."—Cynthia L. Ogorek, coauthor of The Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad"An interesting history not only of these two railroads but how they ultimately served as a model for the many other belt railroads . . . [The book discusses] how and why railroads transformed Indianapolis into a major city; in fact, the largest U.S. city not on navigable water."—Tom Hoback, Owner, Indiana Rail Road Company"Darbee's highly readable text shows how the IU made possible the first great big-city union station. . . . You don't have to be a Hoosier to fall under the city's spell, thanks in part to a generous mix of first-rate photos and maps."—Classic Trains"You don't have to be a Hoosier to fall under the city's spell, thanks in part to a generous mix of first-rate photos and maps."—Classic Trains"In this exceptional volume, historian Jeffrey Darbee traces the development of rail transportation in the city of Indianapolis from its beginning in 1847 to the present."—The Michigan Railfan